Movie | The Promised Land
“The Promised Land” is a 2023 epic historical drama film directed by Nikolaj Arcel from a screenplay by Arcel & Anders Thomas Jensen. The movie is based on the book “The Captain and Ann Barbara” by Ida Jessen. The film is a joint Danish-German-Swedish co-production. The movie stars Mads Mikkelsen, Amanda Collin, and Simon Bennebjerg, with Kristine Kujath Thorp, Gustav Lindh, Jakob Lohmann, Morten Hee Andersen, Magnus Krepper, and Felix Kramer in supporting roles. The movie is also known as “Bastarden” in Danish. It is a biography, drama, and history movie that tells the story of Ludvig Kahlen, a poor soldier who arrives in 1755 on the barren Jutland heath with a single goal: to follow the king’s call to cultivate the land and thereby achieve wealth and honor. The movie is based on real people and events from the 18th century
The movie had its world premiere on August 31, 2023, at the 80th Venice International Film Festival where it competed for the Golden Lion. It was selected as the Danish entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards. The movie’s budget was €8 million.
Plot
The story of the movie revolves around Captain Ludvig Kahlen, an impoverished Danish officer of humble birth, who retires after 25 years of service from the German Army with a measly pension to his native Denmark and obtains permission from the Royal Danish Court to build a property on the barren Jutland moorland for land cultivation.
He hopes to establish a settlement on that property, and in return for that, he requests from the Court a privilege of a noble title with an associated manor. Soon after arriving at the site of his prospective homestead, he comes into conflict with Frederik de Schinkel, a local magistrate at the nearby Hald Manor and a merciless landowner who has been trying to monopolize ownership of the moorland.
De Schinkel does his utmost to make workforce unavailable to Kahlen, who covertly employs and harbors Johannes Eriksen and his wife Ann Barbara, two of de Schinkel’s indentured serf farmers serfs who broke their contract and fled Frederik’s mistreatment. He also hires the “Tatere” Romani Travellers as workers, though that practice is illegal.
In the meantime, de Schinkel’s cousin and betrothed Edel Helene is not interested in marrying him, but her father insists on the marriage due to de Schinkel’s substantial wealth, unless she can come up with an alternative suitor within a year. She meets Kahlen secretly, and the two share an understanding that if Kahlen can acquire a noble title within the year, they will marry, offering her an escape from the unwanted union with her cousin.
Cast
Nikolaj Arcel is a Danish film director, screenwriter, and producer. He directed the 2023 epic historical drama film “The Promised Land” (Danish: “Bastarden”) from a screenplay by Arcel & Anders Thomas Jensen.
Mads Mikkelsen is a Danish actor who has appeared in several critically acclaimed films and television shows. He is known for his roles in “The Hunt”, “Hannibal”, and “Doctor Strange” among others. In the movie “The Promised Land”, Mads Mikkelsen plays the role of Captain Ludvig Kahlen, an impoverished Danish officer of humble birth who retires after 25 years of service from the German Army with a measly pension to his native Denmark and obtains a permission from the Royal Danish Court to build a property on the barren Jutland moorland for land cultivation.
Amanda Collin is a Danish actress who played the role of Ann Barbara in the 2023 epic historical drama film The Promised Land. The movie is based on the story of Ludvig Kahlen, who pursued his lifelong dream of making the heath bring him wealth and honor. Gustav Lindh is a Swedish actor who portrays the character of Anton Eklund.
Kristine Kujath Thorp is a Norwegian actress who played the role of Edel Helene. Jakob Lohmann plays the role of Trappaud. Morten Hee Andersen plays the role of Johannes Eriksen. Magnus Krepper plays the role of Hector. Felix Kramer plays the role of Balzer. Simon Bennebjerg as Frederik de Schinke.
Melina Hagberg as Anmai Mus. Morten Hee Andersen as Johannes Eriksen. Thomas W. Gabrielsson as Bondo. Søren Malling as Paulli. Morten Burian as Lauenfeldt. Olaf Højgaard as Preisler.
Summary
| Release dates | February 2, 2024 |
| Running time | 127 minutes 1 |
| Budget | €8 million 2 |
| Cast | Mads Mikkelsen, Amanda Collin, Simon Bennebjerg |
| Directed by | Nikolaj Arcel |
| Writers | Nikolaj Arcel, Anders Thomas Jensen, Ida Jessen |
| Based on | The Captain and Ann Barbara by Ida Jessen |
| Produced by | Louise Vesth |
| Film Production | Rasmus Videbæk |
| Edited by | Olivier Bugge Coutté |
| Music composed by | Dan Romer |
| Production | Zentropa Entertainments, Nordisk Film & TV Fond, Sveriges Television, TV2 Danmark, Zentropa International Sweden, Zentropa |
| Distributed by | Nordisk Film Distribution A/S (Denmark), Magnolia Pictures (USA) |
| Countries | Denmark, Germany, Sweden |
| Languages | Danish, German |
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