Dir: Martin Skovbjerg | Cast: Angela Bundalovic, Jonas Holst Schmidt, Zlatko Buric, Vimer Trier Brogger | Denmark, Thriller, 98′
In the light of a young woman’s disappearance her lover is confined to an interrogation by her father and brother to find out what really happened after the two of them withdrew into a world of their own. The story Sander offers them is a relatable yet deeply personal lyrical reverie that explores the deepest recesses of romantic love.
Martin Skovbjerg’s sophomore fiction feature brings Copenhagen Cowboy‘s stars Angela Bundalovic and Zlatko Buric together again as daughter and father in an enigmatic thriller that explores an incendiary love affair from different perspectives, and questions the nature of this ‘folie a deux’. Gradually Sander, the lover, sensitively played by Jonas Holst Schmidt, begins to question whether he was really adored as much as he was enamoured with the object of his affections, Ida, whose absence remains a mystery until the final reveal.
The strength of Nordic cinema is its ability to express intense emotions sizzling below the surface with calm composure and control. And Copenhagen Does Not Exist is another brilliant example. Once again award-winning writer Askil Vogt (The Worst Person in the World) crafts a subtle and nuanced love story that feels real and authentic while never allowing the powerful feelings of its central character to dominate the overall narrative that looks at love it all its forms. The film’s rich and vibrant aesthetic is a departure from Nordic Noir’s chilly tones in a sleek and sophisticated psychological thriller that captivates with its romantic love story enveloped in a steely and suspenseful family inquiry. MT
ROTTERDAM FILM FESTIVAL 2023 | BIG SCREEN AWARD 2023| GOTHENBURG FILM FESTIVAL | DRAGON AWARD nominee 2023