Submarino
Encyclopedia
Submarino is a 2010 Danish drama film directed by Thomas Vinterberg
, starring Jakob Cedergren and Peter Plaugborg. It is based on the 2007 novel Submarino by Jonas T. Bengtsson, and focuses on two brothers on the bottom of Danish society, with lives marked by violence and drug addiction. The film was produced by Nimbus Film
. As a condition from the financier TV 2
, half of the cast and crew were novices, which the director enjoyed as it gave an experience similar to his earliest films.
Submarino premiered in the main competition of the 60th Berlin International Film Festival
. The film won the 2010 Nordic Council Film Prize. It was met by positive reviews in Denmark and has been nominated for 15 Robert Award
s.
after having experienced imprisonment. Nick's mother died of excessive alcohol abuse
and his workless brother is a single father. As a main feature of the film Nick comes to the idea that he comes from Scandinavia's
dirtiest family. He drinks another one on that. And when he has finished another beer, he has almost forgotten how he, as teenager, was too drunk to take care of his second baby brother.
Ivan, Nicks ex-brother-in-law
with a lack of love, doesn't know that. He gets gleaned by a fling
from Nick, who is in fact Nick's great love. She offers Ivan a listening ear and many other parts of herself. Nick's feelings are harshened by this arrangement and Ivan doesn't really know how to deal with that much attention and lingers off into taboo breaking and disobedience of law.
Also, Nick's brother lives what could have been a beautiful romance, but is haunted by child protection agencies who keep a condemning eye on his increasingly apparent drug addiction. That doesn't stop his son to see him as a hero, though, however in real life "heroes" as these are not heroic.
would spend the 1.4 million kroner
they recently had been granted from the European Union
's MEDIA Programme. The film was made without support from the Danish Film Institute
. Instead it received public funding through the broadcaster TV 2
, whose condition for providing the money was that half of the cast and production crew would be first-timers.
Vinterberg thought the condition helped the film's authenticity and likened the experience to his very earliest works: "That eagerness, energy, whole-hearted devotion from people starting a career was amazing. I had been missing this from when I did my graduation film at the Danish Film School, prior to Dogma
. I enjoyed that." Feature-film debutants included the cinematographer Charlotte Bruus Christensen, the scriptwriter Tobias Lindholm and the stage actor Peter Plaugborg who played Nick's brother. The budget was around 1.8 million euro.
. Iversen wrote that Vinterberg has "shaped his film as fierce social realism
almost totally exposed for the glimpses of humour that make a miserable life easier to bear in leading social realists like Ken Loach
and Mike Leigh
. Submarino is harder and more brutal, but, behind its harsh facade, carried by sympathy for the characters, and it is first and foremost created with a completely fearsome consistency, which one hasn't seen the like of in Thomas Vinterberg since The Celebration
." Peter Nielsen of Information
was even more positive. He thought the story and subject by themselves were strong enough to make an excellent film, and continued: "but what elevates Submarino into a great work of art, is the symbolic redemption of the serious material. You see it in the ritual opening scene, and you see it several times underway in a tight symbology, which escorts and underpins the story." The film failed to reach a large audience during the theatrical run and had only 46,000 admissions in Denmark.
Submarino was Denmark's candidate for the 2010 Nordic Council Film Prize, which it won. Jakob Cedergren was nominated for the Best Actor
prize at the 23rd European Film Awards
. On the national level, the film was nominated for 15 Robert Award
s, voted by members of the Film Academy of Denmark, and four Bodil Awards
, voted by domestic film critics.
Thomas Vinterberg
Thomas Vinterberg is a Danish film director who, along with Lars von Trier, co-founded the Dogme 95 movement in filmmaking, which established rules for simplifying movie production....
, starring Jakob Cedergren and Peter Plaugborg. It is based on the 2007 novel Submarino by Jonas T. Bengtsson, and focuses on two brothers on the bottom of Danish society, with lives marked by violence and drug addiction. The film was produced by Nimbus Film
Nimbus Film
Nimbus Film is Denmark's third largest film production company.Nimbus Film has to date produced more than 30 feature films and many shorts and documentaries....
. As a condition from the financier TV 2
TV 2 (Denmark)
TV 2 is a publicly owned television station in Denmark based in Odense. The station began broadcasting on 1 October 1988, thereby ending the television monopoly previously exercised by the Danmarks Radio ....
, half of the cast and crew were novices, which the director enjoyed as it gave an experience similar to his earliest films.
Submarino premiered in the main competition of the 60th Berlin International Film Festival
60th Berlin International Film Festival
The 60th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from February 11 to February 21, 2010, with Werner Herzog as President of the Jury. The opening film of the festival was Chinese director Wang Quan'an's romantic drama Apart Together, in competition, while the closing film is Japanese...
. The film won the 2010 Nordic Council Film Prize. It was met by positive reviews in Denmark and has been nominated for 15 Robert Award
Robert Award
The Robert statue is a Danish film prize awarded each year by the Film Academy of Denmark. It is the Danish equivalent of the American Oscars. The award, voted only by academy members, is acknowledgement by Danish industry colleagues of a person's or film's outstanding contributions during the...
s.
Plot
In Submarino, Nick suffers a malevolent life. He lives withdrawn from the world around him in a filthy apartment in CopenhagenCopenhagen
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...
after having experienced imprisonment. Nick's mother died of excessive alcohol abuse
Alcohol abuse
Alcohol abuse, as described in the DSM-IV, is a psychiatric diagnosis describing the recurring use of alcoholic beverages despite negative consequences. Alcohol abuse eventually progresses to alcoholism, a condition in which an individual becomes dependent on alcoholic beverages in order to avoid...
and his workless brother is a single father. As a main feature of the film Nick comes to the idea that he comes from Scandinavia's
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
dirtiest family. He drinks another one on that. And when he has finished another beer, he has almost forgotten how he, as teenager, was too drunk to take care of his second baby brother.
Ivan, Nicks ex-brother-in-law
Brother-in-law
A brother-in-law is the brother of one's spouse, the husband of one's sibling, or the husband of one's spouse's sibling.-See also:*Affinity *Sister-in-law*Brothers in Law , a 1955 British comedy novel...
with a lack of love, doesn't know that. He gets gleaned by a fling
Casual relationship
A casual relationship, colloquially known as a fling, is a physical and emotional relationship between two people who may have a sexual relationship or a near-sexual relationship without necessarily demanding or expecting the extra commitments of a more formal romantic relationship...
from Nick, who is in fact Nick's great love. She offers Ivan a listening ear and many other parts of herself. Nick's feelings are harshened by this arrangement and Ivan doesn't really know how to deal with that much attention and lingers off into taboo breaking and disobedience of law.
Also, Nick's brother lives what could have been a beautiful romance, but is haunted by child protection agencies who keep a condemning eye on his increasingly apparent drug addiction. That doesn't stop his son to see him as a hero, though, however in real life "heroes" as these are not heroic.
Cast
- Jakob Cedergren as Nick
- Peter Plaugborg as Nick's brother
- Patricia Schumann as Sofie
- Morten Rose as Ivan
- Gustav Fischer Kjærulff as Martin
- Henrik Strube as Jimmy Gule
- Helene Reingaard Neumann as Mona
- Sebastian Bull Sarning as young Nick
- Mads Broe Andersen as young Nick's brother
Production
In June 2008 it was announced that Thomas Vinterberg would adapt Jonas T. Bengtsson's novel which had been well received by the Danish media the year before. Submarino was launched as one of four films on which Nimbus FilmNimbus Film
Nimbus Film is Denmark's third largest film production company.Nimbus Film has to date produced more than 30 feature films and many shorts and documentaries....
would spend the 1.4 million kroner
Danish krone
The krone is the official currency of the Kingdom of Denmark consisting of Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. It is subdivided into 100 øre...
they recently had been granted from the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
's MEDIA Programme. The film was made without support from the Danish Film Institute
Danish Film Institute
The Danish Film Institute is the national Danish agency responsible for supporting and encouraging film and cinema culture, and for conserving these in the national interest....
. Instead it received public funding through the broadcaster TV 2
TV 2 (Denmark)
TV 2 is a publicly owned television station in Denmark based in Odense. The station began broadcasting on 1 October 1988, thereby ending the television monopoly previously exercised by the Danmarks Radio ....
, whose condition for providing the money was that half of the cast and production crew would be first-timers.
Vinterberg thought the condition helped the film's authenticity and likened the experience to his very earliest works: "That eagerness, energy, whole-hearted devotion from people starting a career was amazing. I had been missing this from when I did my graduation film at the Danish Film School, prior to Dogma
Dogme 95
Dogme 95 was an avant-garde filmmaking movement started in 1995 by the Danish directors Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg, who created the "Dogme 95 Manifesto" and the "Vow of Chastity". These were rules to create filmmaking based on the traditional values of story, acting, and theme, and...
. I enjoyed that." Feature-film debutants included the cinematographer Charlotte Bruus Christensen, the scriptwriter Tobias Lindholm and the stage actor Peter Plaugborg who played Nick's brother. The budget was around 1.8 million euro.
Reception
Ebbe Iversen rated Submarino four out of six in Berlingske TidendeBerlingske Tidende
Berlingske, previously known as Berlingske Tidende , is a Danish national daily newspaper based in Copenhagen...
. Iversen wrote that Vinterberg has "shaped his film as fierce social realism
Social realism
Social Realism, also known as Socio-Realism, is an artistic movement, expressed in the visual and other realist arts, which depicts social and racial injustice, economic hardship, through unvarnished pictures of life's struggles; often depicting working class activities as heroic...
almost totally exposed for the glimpses of humour that make a miserable life easier to bear in leading social realists like Ken Loach
Ken Loach
Kenneth "Ken" Loach is a Palme D'Or winning English film and television director.He is known for his naturalistic, social realist directing style and for his socialist beliefs, which are evident in his film treatment of social issues such as homelessness , labour rights and child abuse at the...
and Mike Leigh
Mike Leigh
Michael "Mike" Leigh, OBE is a British writer and director of film and theatre. He studied theatre at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and studied further at the Camberwell School of Art and the Central School of Art and Design. He began as a theatre director and playwright in the mid 1960s...
. Submarino is harder and more brutal, but, behind its harsh facade, carried by sympathy for the characters, and it is first and foremost created with a completely fearsome consistency, which one hasn't seen the like of in Thomas Vinterberg since The Celebration
The Celebration
The Celebration is a 1998 Danish film, produced by Nimbus Film and directed by Thomas Vinterberg. Its original Danish title is Festen , and it was released under this title in the UK....
." Peter Nielsen of Information
Dagbladet Information
Information , full name: Dagbladet Information , is a Danish newspaper published Monday through Saturday.Originally established and edited by Børge Outze and published during the World War II by the Danish resistance movement. Information was illegal during the war as it was not regulated by the...
was even more positive. He thought the story and subject by themselves were strong enough to make an excellent film, and continued: "but what elevates Submarino into a great work of art, is the symbolic redemption of the serious material. You see it in the ritual opening scene, and you see it several times underway in a tight symbology, which escorts and underpins the story." The film failed to reach a large audience during the theatrical run and had only 46,000 admissions in Denmark.
Submarino was Denmark's candidate for the 2010 Nordic Council Film Prize, which it won. Jakob Cedergren was nominated for the Best Actor
European Film Award for Best Actor
-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:-External links:*...
prize at the 23rd European Film Awards
European Film Awards 2010
-Winners and nominees:The nominations for the 23rd European Film Awards were announced on 6 November at the Seville European Film Festival.-Best Film: The Ghost Writer – Roman Polanski • France/Germany/United Kingdom ...
. On the national level, the film was nominated for 15 Robert Award
Robert Award
The Robert statue is a Danish film prize awarded each year by the Film Academy of Denmark. It is the Danish equivalent of the American Oscars. The award, voted only by academy members, is acknowledgement by Danish industry colleagues of a person's or film's outstanding contributions during the...
s, voted by members of the Film Academy of Denmark, and four Bodil Awards
Bodil Awards
The Bodil Awards are the major Danish film awards given by Denmark's National Association of Film Critics . The awards are presented annually at a ceremony in the Imperial Cinema in Copenhagen. Established in 1948, it is one of the oldest film awards in Europe...
, voted by domestic film critics.
| Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bodil Awards | Best Film Bodil Award for Best Danish Film The Bodil Award for Best Danish Film is one of the categories for the Bodil Awards presented annually by the Danish Union of Film Critics . It was created in 1948 and is one of the oldest film prizes in Europe. The judging committee can decide not to give out the award if no deserving films are... |
Thomas Vinterberg | |
| Best Actor | Jakob Cedergren | ||
| Peter Plauborg | |||
| Best supporting actor | Gustav Fischer Kjærulff | ||
| European Film Awards | Best Actor | Jacob Cedergren | |
| Nordic Council Nordic Council The Nordic Council is a geo-political, inter-parliamentary forum for co-operation between the Nordic countries. It was established following World War II and its first concrete result was the introduction in 1952 of a common labour market and free movement across borders without passports for the... |
Nordic Council Film Prize | Thomas Vinterberg, Tobias Lindholm and Morten Kaufmann | |
| Robert Awards | Best Film | Morten Kaufmann and Thomas Vinterberg | |
| Best Actor | Jakob Cedergren | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | Gustav Fischer Kjærulff | ||
| Peter Plaugborg | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Gustav Fischer Kjærulff | ||
| Best Director | Thomas Vinterberg | ||
| Best Screenplay | Tobias Lindholm and Thomas Vinterberg | ||
| Best Cinematography | Charlotte Bruus Christensen | ||
| Best Production Design | Torben Stig Nielsen | ||
| Best Costumes | Margrethe Rasmussen | ||
| Best Make-Up | Bjørg Serup | ||
| Best Editing | Valdís Óskarsdóttir Valdís Óskarsdóttir Valdís Óskarsdóttir is an Icelandic film editor whose work includes The Celebration, Les Misérables, Finding Forrester and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.... and Andri Steinn Guðmundsson Andri Steinn Andri Steinn Guðmundsson is an Icelandic film editor born March 12, 1979 in Reykjavík, Iceland.- Films :The year of release and director of each film are indicated in parenthesis.... |
||
| Best Sound Design | Kristian Eidnes Andersen | ||
| Best Music | Thomas Blachman Thomas Blachman Thomas Blachman is a Danish jazz musician, composer and five times Danish Music Awards-winner.In his home country he is best known as a judge in the Danish version of the TV show "X Factor".- External links :... |
||
| Best Original Song | Agnes Obel Agnes Obel Agnes Caroline Thaarup Obel is a Danish singer/songwriter. Her first album, Philharmonics, was released by PIAS Recordings on 4 October 2010 in Denmark, Norway, Germany and other European countries. Since June 2011, Philharmonics is certified gold by the Belgian Entertainment Association for... for "Riverside" |