Reconstruction (2003 film)
Encyclopedia
Reconstruction is the psychological romantic drama film and the debut of Christoffer Boe
, who also wrote the screenplay together with Mogens Rukov
. It was filmed in Copenhagen
and won the Camera D’Or at the Cannes Film Festival
in 2003 Golden Plaque for Manuel Alberto Claro
's luminous wide-screen cinematography.
), a Danish
photographer with a Stockholm
-bred girlfriend, Simone (Maria Bonnevie
).
Late one evening Alex suddenly abandons his girlfriend, Simone, to pursue the beautiful Aimee (Maria Bonnevie
). In his encounter with Aimee time and place dissolve for him and he becomes a stranger to Simone, to whom he cannot return.
“It’s all a film. It’s all a construction,” announces the narrator, who is soon revealed to be a noted Swedish author, August (Krister Henriksson
), as well as the tale’s apparent inventor.
doesn't work with storyboards or set schedules.
They shot Super 16
on an Arri SR3
using three different stocks. Then the film was scanned, color-graded, and digitally masked to CinemaScope
. The scan was a simple one-light, and the team did no color correction, the opposite of today's trend to perform a digital intermediate. They also pushed the emulsion for extra grain.
Christoffer Boe
Christoffer Boe is a Danish film director and screenwriter. He is an established and well-known not only in Denmark, but all through the world. Among his international awards there are FIPRESCI Director of the Year at San Sebastián International Film Festival and Golden Camera at Cannes Film...
, who also wrote the screenplay together with Mogens Rukov
Mogens Rukov
Mogens Rukov is a Danish screenwriter.He achieved a university degree in Nordic filology and film in 1974.After that he became a teacher of the screenwriting department at the National Film School of Denmark, Copenhagen....
. It was filmed in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
and won the Camera D’Or at the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
in 2003 Golden Plaque for Manuel Alberto Claro
Manuel Alberto Claro
Manuel Alberto Claro is a Danish cinematographer. He was born in Santiago, Chile in 1970. In 1974 he moved to Denmark and since that time lives in Copenhagen....
's luminous wide-screen cinematography.
Plot
The central character is Alex (Nikolaj Lie KaasNikolaj Lie Kaas
Nikolaj Lie Kaas is a prominent Danish actor whose career rose in the 1990s and who is still actively working today. He is also the host of the annual Zulu Comedy Galla on Danish TV....
), a Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
photographer with a Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
-bred girlfriend, Simone (Maria Bonnevie
Maria Bonnevie
Anna Maria Cecilia Bonnevie is a Norwegian-Swedish actress. She was born in Västerås, Sweden, but she grew up in Oslo, Norway. Her parents, both actors, are the Norwegian actress Jannik Bonnevie and Swedish actor Per Waldvik...
).
Late one evening Alex suddenly abandons his girlfriend, Simone, to pursue the beautiful Aimee (Maria Bonnevie
Maria Bonnevie
Anna Maria Cecilia Bonnevie is a Norwegian-Swedish actress. She was born in Västerås, Sweden, but she grew up in Oslo, Norway. Her parents, both actors, are the Norwegian actress Jannik Bonnevie and Swedish actor Per Waldvik...
). In his encounter with Aimee time and place dissolve for him and he becomes a stranger to Simone, to whom he cannot return.
“It’s all a film. It’s all a construction,” announces the narrator, who is soon revealed to be a noted Swedish author, August (Krister Henriksson
Krister Henriksson
Jan Krister Allan Henriksson is a Swedish actor. He is best known for playing Kurt Wallander in a series of television movies based on the novels by Henning Mankell.- Biography :...
), as well as the tale’s apparent inventor.
Shooting
The film was shot almost entirely in available light. Using available lighting is not merely stylistic. BoeChristoffer Boe
Christoffer Boe is a Danish film director and screenwriter. He is an established and well-known not only in Denmark, but all through the world. Among his international awards there are FIPRESCI Director of the Year at San Sebastián International Film Festival and Golden Camera at Cannes Film...
doesn't work with storyboards or set schedules.
They shot Super 16
16 mm film
16 mm film refers to a popular, economical gauge of film used for motion pictures and non-theatrical film making. 16 mm refers to the width of the film...
on an Arri SR3
Arriflex 16SR
Arriflex 16SR is a movie camera product line created by Arri, introduced in 1975. This 16SR camera series is designed for 16 mm filmmaking in Standard 16 format...
using three different stocks. Then the film was scanned, color-graded, and digitally masked to CinemaScope
CinemaScope
CinemaScope was an anamorphic lens series used for shooting wide screen movies from 1953 to 1967. Its creation in 1953, by the president of 20th Century-Fox, marked the beginning of the modern anamorphic format in both principal photography and movie projection.The anamorphic lenses theoretically...
. The scan was a simple one-light, and the team did no color correction, the opposite of today's trend to perform a digital intermediate. They also pushed the emulsion for extra grain.
Trivia
- In one interview Christoffer BoeChristoffer BoeChristoffer Boe is a Danish film director and screenwriter. He is an established and well-known not only in Denmark, but all through the world. Among his international awards there are FIPRESCI Director of the Year at San Sebastián International Film Festival and Golden Camera at Cannes Film...
said that the film was inspired by Jacques-Henri Lartigue's photograph of a woman standing in a room with empty bookcases. "Looking at that picture, I immediately felt I wanted to do a story about a man who comes home and his apartment has disappeared. And I knew it had to be a love story" .
- Characters do not use mobile phones or other means of modern communication. However, the story takes place nowadays. This emphasizes the fact that the plot is artificial and constructed.
- The scene where Alex and Aimee are talking in a cafe was shot in the CopenhagenCopenhagenCopenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
Mojo cafe which is one of BoeChristoffer BoeChristoffer Boe is a Danish film director and screenwriter. He is an established and well-known not only in Denmark, but all through the world. Among his international awards there are FIPRESCI Director of the Year at San Sebastián International Film Festival and Golden Camera at Cannes Film...
's favorite and is close to where he lives.
Cast
- Alex David -- Nikolaj Lie KaasNikolaj Lie KaasNikolaj Lie Kaas is a prominent Danish actor whose career rose in the 1990s and who is still actively working today. He is also the host of the annual Zulu Comedy Galla on Danish TV....
- Simone,Aimee -- Maria BonnevieMaria BonnevieAnna Maria Cecilia Bonnevie is a Norwegian-Swedish actress. She was born in Västerås, Sweden, but she grew up in Oslo, Norway. Her parents, both actors, are the Norwegian actress Jannik Bonnevie and Swedish actor Per Waldvik...
- Leo Sand -- Nicolas BroNicolas BroNicolas Bro is a Danish actor born in Copenhagen, Denmark.He has grown up in the family of actors – mother is Danish actress Helle Hertz and father is an actor Christoffer Bro....
- Monica -- Ida DwingerIda DwingerIda Dwinger is a Danish actress.She graduated from Odense Theater School in 1984.- Movies :* Open Hearts aka Dogme #28 * Facing the Truth * Reconstruction * Princess * Just Like Home...
- Nan Sand -- Helle FagralidHelle FagralidHelle Fagralid is a Danish actress of Faroese descent who has appeared in number of feature films and television series, often cast as a particularly attractive young woman.- Biography :...
- Journalist -- Isabella Miehe-Renard
- Fru Banum (Mrs. Banum) -- Malene SchwartzMalene SchwartzMalene Schwartz is a Danish film actress. She has appeared in 38 films since 1955.She was born in Frederiksberg, Denmark.-Filmography:* Flammen & Citronen * Reconstruction * Dykkerdrengen...
- Mel David -- Peter SteenPeter SteenPeter Steen is a Danish film actor. He has appeared in over 50 films since 1964.In 2004 Steen won a Bodil Award as best supporting actor for the 2003 film Arven .-Selected filmography:...
- Tryllekunstner -- Klaus Mulbjerg
- August Holm -- Krister HenrikssonKrister HenrikssonJan Krister Allan Henriksson is a Swedish actor. He is best known for playing Kurt Wallander in a series of television movies based on the novels by Henning Mankell.- Biography :...
- Mercedes Sand -- Mercedes Claro Schelin
- Waiter -- Jens Blegaa
- Bartender -- Katrin Muth
- Bartender -- David DencikDavid DencikDavid Dencik is a Swedish actor.After having had minor roles in different films, David Dencik became an established actor in Sweden for his role as the killer John Ausonius in the three-part TV mini-series Lasermannen in 2005...
Soundtrack
- Samuel BarberSamuel BarberSamuel Osborne Barber II was an American composer of orchestral, opera, choral, and piano music. His Adagio for Strings is his most popular composition and widely considered a masterpiece of modern classical music...
- "Adagio for StringsAdagio for StringsAdagio for Strings is a work by Samuel Barber, arranged for string orchestra from the second movement of his String Quartet, Op. 11. Barber finished the arrangement in 1936, the same year as he wrote the quartet...
" - Cole PorterCole PorterCole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
- "Night & DayNight and Day (song)"Night and Day" is a popular song by Cole Porter. It was written for the 1932 musical play Gay Divorce. It is perhaps Porter's most popular contribution to the Great American Songbook and has been recorded by dozens of artists....
" - Charles Paul WilpCharles Paul WilpCharles Paul Wilp was a German advertising-designer, artist, photographer and short-movie-editor.-Study and career:...
- "Madison Avenue Perfume Ad"