Truth and Consequence
Encyclopedia
Truth and Consequence is an upcoming Swedish film directed by Jan Troell, starring Jesper Christensen
, Pernilla August
, Björn Granath
and Ulla Skoog. It will be set between 1933 and 1945, and focus on the life of Torgny Segerstedt
, a Swedish publicist who was a prominent critic of Nazi Germany, and intrigues involving his wife, his mistress and his mistress' husband. Its original Swedish title is Dom över död man, a quotation from the Old Norse poem Hávamál
, which means "Judgement over dead man". The film is produced through Filmlance International and planned to be released in 2012.
from 2008, director Jan Troell has said that he felt an emptiness and wondered whether he ever would get to make another film. Around that time he received a phonecall from the writer Kenne Fant
, who in 2007 had published a biography about Torgny Segerstedt
, an early and notorious critic of Adolf Hitler
, who during World War II
had been the editor-in-chief of the newspaper Göteborgs Handels- och Sjöfartstidning
. Fant wondered whether Troell would be interested in making a film based on Segerstedt's life. Troell accepted the offer when his friend Klaus Rifbjerg
, a Danish writer, was enthusiastic about the project and wanted to be Troell's co-writer. Initially, Troell had problems finding an approach for the film's narrative, but soon read another biography about Segerstedt, written by his secretary Estrid Ancker. Troell also read Ancker's research material for the book, which included interviews with more than 300 people connected to Segerstedt. Through this material Troell found out more about Segerstedt on a personal level, including his personal motivations and private relationships. The director then chose to make a film which focuses on Segerstedt as a human being more than as a professional. According to Troell it took "a couple of years" to form the narrative and write the screenplay with Rifbjerg.
Production was led by Filmlance International. Co-producers included Film i Väst
, Filmpool Nord, Sveriges Television
, Nordisk Film
and companies in Norway. The project received eleven million kronor
in support from the Swedish Film Institute
and 450,000 euros from Eurimages
, as well as funding from the Norwegian Film Institute and Nordisk Film- & TV Fond. The production involved a total budget of 43 million kronor.
Early in the production process Max von Sydow
was considered for the role of Segerstedt. Soon however Troell decided to offer it to the Danish actor Jesper Christensen
. Both Troell and Christensen were initially worried about Christensen's Danish accent, which would be inconsistent with the role; this was eventually solved by changing the script to make Segerstedt's mother Danish. The casting choice was also motivated with the fact that Troell's earlier film Hamsun
had starred Sydow, who there spoke Swedish in the role of the Norwegian author Knut Hamsun
.
Principal photography commenced 21 February 2011 in Luleå
where it continued for three weeks. Filmpool Nord's Studio Kronan was used for studio scenes set in Göteborgs Handels- och Sjöfartstidnings office and Segerstedt's home. Also in Luleå, footage was taken of the Lule River
, which stands in for Klarälven
in the film. After that the team relocated to Gothenburg
for eight weeks of filming, which consisted of exterior scenes and on-location interiors. Finally they went to Stockholm for three days in May. The filming in Stockholm included a scene set inside the Riddarholmen Church, which was staged as a homage to the 1947 short film Symphony of a City
by Arne Sucksdorff
, a filmmaker who was a major influence for Troell's earliest works. Truth and Consequence was recorded with Arri Alexa cameras. It was the first feature-length fiction film Troell shot digitally, although he had previously directed digital short films and a documentary feature.
, the film is set to be released on 12 October 2012.
Jesper Christensen
Jesper Christensen is a Danish actor. A veteran of European cinema, he has more recently made the transition to English language projects, including The Interpreter and Revelations. He has also appeared as the mysterious villain Mr...
, Pernilla August
Pernilla August
Pernilla August is a Swedish actress, director and script-writer. Being one of Sweden's leading actresses and a long time collaborator with director Ingmar Bergman, she won the Best Actress Award at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival for her role in his The Best Intentions...
, Björn Granath
Björn Granath
Björn Gösta Tryggve Granath is a Swedish actor.Granath was born in Örgryte, Gothenburg, Sweden. He has starred in a broad range of films from comedies to dramas. He was active as an actor and director on the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm between the years 1987-2007...
and Ulla Skoog. It will be set between 1933 and 1945, and focus on the life of Torgny Segerstedt
Torgny Segerstedt
Torgny Karl Segerstedt was a Swedish scholar of comparative religion, later publicist and editor-in-chief of the newspaper Göteborgs Handels- och Sjöfartstidning from 1917 to 1945...
, a Swedish publicist who was a prominent critic of Nazi Germany, and intrigues involving his wife, his mistress and his mistress' husband. Its original Swedish title is Dom över död man, a quotation from the Old Norse poem Hávamál
Hávamál
Hávamál is presented as a single poem in the Poetic Edda, a collection of Old Norse poems from the Viking age. The poem, itself a combination of different poems, is largely gnomic, presenting advice for living, proper conduct and wisdom....
, which means "Judgement over dead man". The film is produced through Filmlance International and planned to be released in 2012.
Cast
- Jesper ChristensenJesper ChristensenJesper Christensen is a Danish actor. A veteran of European cinema, he has more recently made the transition to English language projects, including The Interpreter and Revelations. He has also appeared as the mysterious villain Mr...
as Torgny SegerstedtTorgny SegerstedtTorgny Karl Segerstedt was a Swedish scholar of comparative religion, later publicist and editor-in-chief of the newspaper Göteborgs Handels- och Sjöfartstidning from 1917 to 1945... - Pernilla AugustPernilla AugustPernilla August is a Swedish actress, director and script-writer. Being one of Sweden's leading actresses and a long time collaborator with director Ingmar Bergman, she won the Best Actress Award at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival for her role in his The Best Intentions...
as Maja Forssman - Björn GranathBjörn GranathBjörn Gösta Tryggve Granath is a Swedish actor.Granath was born in Örgryte, Gothenburg, Sweden. He has starred in a broad range of films from comedies to dramas. He was active as an actor and director on the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm between the years 1987-2007...
as Axel Forssman - Ulla Skoog as Puste Segerstedt
- Peter AnderssonPeter Andersson (actor)-Selected filmography:- External links :...
as Christian GüntherChristian GüntherChristian Ernst Günther was Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs in the National Unity Government that was formed as a consequence of the Soviet attack on Finland in November, 1939, and would remain in function until World War II had ended in 1945.Günther, whose father had been Swedish diplomat,... - Amanda OomsAmanda OomsAmanda Ooms is a Swedish actress and writer. She has acted in both film and TV in Sweden and internationally. She was born in Kalmar, Sweden.-Partial filmography:*1986 – Bröderna Mozart*1988 – Hotel St...
- Maria HeiskanenMaria HeiskanenMaria Heiskanen is a Finnish actress. She works in cinema, television and theatre.Heiskanen received her breakthrough role in the 1991 Swedish film Il Capitano: A Swedish Requiem directed by Jan Troell...
as Pirjo - Lennart HjulströmLennart HjulströmLennart Hjalmar Hjulström is a Swedish actor and director. He is married to Gunilla Nyroos and father to Niklas and Carin Hjulström...
as Marcus Wallenberg - Johanna Troell as Ingrid Segerstedt
- Birte Heribertsson as Estrid Ancker
- Lia Boysen as Anita
- Josef Persson as young revolutionary
- Kenneth Milldoff as Per Albin HanssonPer Albin HanssonPer Albin Hansson , was a Swedish politician, chairman of the Social Democrats from 1925 and two-time Prime Minister in four governments between 1932 and 1946, governing all that period save for a short-lived crisis in the summer of 1936, which he ended by forming a coalition government with his...
- Jan Tiselius as Gustaf VGustaf V of SwedenGustaf V was King of Sweden from 1907. He was the eldest son of King Oscar II of Sweden and Sophia of Nassau, a half-sister of Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg...
Production
After finishing his previous feature film, Everlasting MomentsEverlasting Moments
Everlasting Moments is a 2008 Swedish drama film directed by Jan Troell, starring Maria Heiskanen, Mikael Persbrandt and Jesper Christensen. It is based on the true story of Maria Larsson, a Swedish working class woman in the early 1900s, who wins a camera in a lottery and goes on to become a...
from 2008, director Jan Troell has said that he felt an emptiness and wondered whether he ever would get to make another film. Around that time he received a phonecall from the writer Kenne Fant
Kenne Fant
Kenne Fant, is a Swedish actor, director and writer. He was born in Strängnäs. His older brother George was also an actor....
, who in 2007 had published a biography about Torgny Segerstedt
Torgny Segerstedt
Torgny Karl Segerstedt was a Swedish scholar of comparative religion, later publicist and editor-in-chief of the newspaper Göteborgs Handels- och Sjöfartstidning from 1917 to 1945...
, an early and notorious critic of Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
, who during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
had been the editor-in-chief of the newspaper Göteborgs Handels- och Sjöfartstidning
Göteborgs Handels- och Sjöfartstidning
Göteborgs Handels- och Sjöfartstidning was a daily newspaper published in Gothenburg, Sweden, from 1832 to 1973. It was founded in 1832 by publisher Magnus Prytz and had a liberal alignment from the later part of the 19th century....
. Fant wondered whether Troell would be interested in making a film based on Segerstedt's life. Troell accepted the offer when his friend Klaus Rifbjerg
Klaus Rifbjerg
Klaus Rifbjerg is a Danish writer. He has written more than 170 novels, books and essays.- Biography :Rifbjerg was born in Copenhagen and grew up on the island of Amager, a part of the city, the child of two teachers...
, a Danish writer, was enthusiastic about the project and wanted to be Troell's co-writer. Initially, Troell had problems finding an approach for the film's narrative, but soon read another biography about Segerstedt, written by his secretary Estrid Ancker. Troell also read Ancker's research material for the book, which included interviews with more than 300 people connected to Segerstedt. Through this material Troell found out more about Segerstedt on a personal level, including his personal motivations and private relationships. The director then chose to make a film which focuses on Segerstedt as a human being more than as a professional. According to Troell it took "a couple of years" to form the narrative and write the screenplay with Rifbjerg.
Production was led by Filmlance International. Co-producers included Film i Väst
Film i Väst
Film i Väst is a film company located in Trollhättan, Sweden, founded in 1992. Lars von Trier used its facilities in his movies, such as Dogville and Manderlay.-Walk of Fame:...
, Filmpool Nord, Sveriges Television
Sveriges Television
Sveriges Television AB , Sweden's Television, is a national television broadcaster based in Sweden, funded by a compulsory fee to be paid by all television owners...
, Nordisk Film
Nordisk Film
Nordisk Film , established in Denmark in 1906 by Danish filmmaker Ole Olsen, is the oldest continuously operating film studio in the world. Olsen started his company in the Copenhagen suburb of Valby under the name "Ole Olsen's Film Factory" but soon changed it to the Nordisk Film Kompagni...
and companies in Norway. The project received eleven million kronor
Swedish krona
The krona has been the currency of Sweden since 1873. Both the ISO code "SEK" and currency sign "kr" are in common use; the former precedes or follows the value, the latter usually follows it, but especially in the past, it sometimes preceded the value...
in support from the Swedish Film Institute
Swedish Film Institute
The Swedish Film Institute was founded in 1963 to support and develop the Swedish film industry. The institute is housed in the Filmhuset building located in Gärdet, Östermalm in Stockholm...
and 450,000 euros from Eurimages
Eurimages
Eurimages is the Council of Europe fund for the co-production, distribution, exhibition and digitisation of European cinematographic works. It aims to promote the European film industry by encouraging the production and distribution of films and fostering co-operation between professionals....
, as well as funding from the Norwegian Film Institute and Nordisk Film- & TV Fond. The production involved a total budget of 43 million kronor.
Early in the production process Max von Sydow
Max von Sydow
Max von Sydow is a Swedish actor. He has also held French citizenship since 2002. He has starred in many films and had supporting roles in dozens more...
was considered for the role of Segerstedt. Soon however Troell decided to offer it to the Danish actor Jesper Christensen
Jesper Christensen
Jesper Christensen is a Danish actor. A veteran of European cinema, he has more recently made the transition to English language projects, including The Interpreter and Revelations. He has also appeared as the mysterious villain Mr...
. Both Troell and Christensen were initially worried about Christensen's Danish accent, which would be inconsistent with the role; this was eventually solved by changing the script to make Segerstedt's mother Danish. The casting choice was also motivated with the fact that Troell's earlier film Hamsun
Hamsun (film)
Hamsun is a 1996 Danish-Swedish-Norwegian-German drama directed by Jan Troell, about the later life of the Norwegian author Knut Hamsun , who together with his wife Marie Hamsun , went from being national saints to national traitors after supporting Nazi Germany during their occupation of Norway...
had starred Sydow, who there spoke Swedish in the role of the Norwegian author Knut Hamsun
Knut Hamsun
Knut Hamsun was a Norwegian author, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920. He was praised by King Haakon VII of Norway as Norway's soul....
.
Principal photography commenced 21 February 2011 in Luleå
Luleå
- Transportation :Local buses are run by .A passenger train service is available from Luleå Centralstation on Sweden's national SJ railway service northbound to Narvik on the Norwegian coast, or southbound to Stockholm. See Rail transport in Sweden....
where it continued for three weeks. Filmpool Nord's Studio Kronan was used for studio scenes set in Göteborgs Handels- och Sjöfartstidnings office and Segerstedt's home. Also in Luleå, footage was taken of the Lule River
Lule River
Lule River is a major river in Sweden, rising in northern Sweden and flowing southeast for before reaching the Gulf of Bothnia at Luleå. It is the second longest river by watershed area or length in Norrbotten County , but is the largest by average discharge.It has a watershed of 25,240.5 km² of...
, which stands in for Klarälven
Klarälven
Klarälven is a river flowing through Norway and Sweden. Together with Göta älv, which it is called as the river has passed through the lake Vänern, thus regarded as an entity, Göta älv-Klarälven is the longest river in Scandinavia and in the Nordic countries and its Swedish part the longest river...
in the film. After that the team relocated to Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
for eight weeks of filming, which consisted of exterior scenes and on-location interiors. Finally they went to Stockholm for three days in May. The filming in Stockholm included a scene set inside the Riddarholmen Church, which was staged as a homage to the 1947 short film Symphony of a City
Symphony of a City
Symphony of a City is a 1947 Swedish documentary short film directed by Arne Sucksdorff. It won an Academy Award in 1949 for Best Short Subject ....
by Arne Sucksdorff
Arne Sucksdorff
Arne Sucksdorff was a Swedish movie director, considered one of cinema's greatest documentary filmmakers. He was particularly celebrated for his visually poetic and scenic nature documentaries...
, a filmmaker who was a major influence for Troell's earliest works. Truth and Consequence was recorded with Arri Alexa cameras. It was the first feature-length fiction film Troell shot digitally, although he had previously directed digital short films and a documentary feature.
Release
According to the Swedish Film DatabaseSwedish Film Database
The Swedish Film Database is an internet database about Swedish films, published by the Swedish Film Institute. It contains information about all Swedish films from 1897 onwards and foreign films that had cinema premiere in Sweden. It also provides a lot of biographies of actors, directors,...
, the film is set to be released on 12 October 2012.