Directors Statement
– “A Royal Affair”

A Royal Affair is based on one of the most dramatic events in Danish and indeed European history; whenever I used to pitch the film to foreign investors, people had a hard time believing that the story was true, that these momentous events had actually happened in the late 1700’s. In Denmark however, it is taught in school, more than 15 books have been written about it (both factual and fictional) and there has even been an opera and a ballet. I feel honored and extremely lucky to finally bring the full story to the screen.

Tonally, I was inspired by the great epics from the 40’s and 50’s where films would often feel like literary works, structured around characters and the passage of time, and not clearly following the obvious screenplay roadmaps.

But my creative team and I were also fired up by the idea of bringing the Scandinavian historical drama into the new century. We wanted to achieve this by adhering to a self imposed rule; we didn’t want to “show” history, didn’t want to dwell pointlessly on the big official events, the fancy dresses and hairdos, or the way the food was served.

Rather, we wanted people to simply experience the story through the eyes of the characters, taking the 1760’s for granted. Even though the period is obviously there in the set designs, the costumes (Mikkel Foelsgaard who plays King Christian still insists our tagline should have been “Big emotions, Big wigs”), it was filmed and edited as we would have filmed and edited a film taking place in modern Copenhagen.

Finally, Gabriel Yared and Cyrille Aufort’s beautiful score has brought the film full circle, and home to its epic roots.

Nikolaj Arcel,
Director/writer

Directors biography

Born 25th of August 1972, Denmark. Graduate of the National Film School of Denmark, 2001.

His graduation film »Woyzeck's Last Symphony« won top awards at Munich and Clermont-Ferrand. In Tel Aviv, Arcel received the award for Most Promising Director. He wrote the screenplay for the award-winning children's film »Klatretøsen«/»Catch That Girl« (2002). His feature film debut »Kings Game« (2004) was number one on the Top-20 chart and seen by over a fifth of the population in Denmark (cinema & TV). The film won a number of national awards and including Best Screenplay (for Arcel and co-writer Rasmus Heisterberg) at Viareggio. »Island of Lost Souls« (2007), was a winner in Chicago and Leeds and swept up five Danish Film Academy Robert Awards. Arcel and Heisterberg teamed up again with scripts for the animated feature »Journey to Saturn« (2008) and Niels Arden Oplev's Swedish film »The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo« (2009), as well as Arcel's third feature »Truth About Men« (2010).

As Director/Writer:

• A Royal Affair, 2012
• Truth About Men, 2010
• Island of Lost Souls, 2007 (Winner of Robert, 2008)
• King’s Game, 2004 (Piazza Grande selection, Locarno 2004)
• Woyzeck’s Last Symphony, 2001 (Winner of Clermont Ferrand, 2002)
• My Step dad is a Monster, 1999 (Winner of Premiers Plans, 2000)

As Writer:

• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Yellowbird 2009
• Journey to Saturn, A-film, 2008 (Nominated for Robert 2009)
• Fighter, Nimbus Film 2007
• Cecilia, Nimbus Film 2007
• Catch That Kid, Nimbus Film, 2002
• The Chosen, DR channel 1, TV series, 2001

Cast

Actors Biographies

Alicia Vikander as Queen Caroline Mathilde

Alicia Vikander is a Swedish actress born 3 October 1988. She is a classically trained dancer, trained at The Royal Swedish Ballet School for nine years. Alicia did her practical training at the Stockholm Opera and had a role in the dance film The Rain (2007). Alicia had roles in several productions at the Gothenburg Opera in productions like Les Miserables and The Sound of Music.
Alicia’s big-screen debut was in the Swedish drama Pure (2010), and Alicia won the Guldbagge award as the best female lead actress for her role as Katarina. In 2010 she played lead in the feature film Crown Jewels and in 2011 she shot the role of Kitty in Anna Karenina directed by Joe Wright.

Mads Mikkelsen as Johann Friedrich Struensee

Internationally acclaimed and multi-award winning actor Mads Mikkelsen is the top male star in his native Denmark. Mads Mikkelsen’s international breakthrough came when he appeared as the 007 villain Le Chiffre in Casino Royale (2006). Since then Mads has appeared in several significant roles in international feature films such as Valhalla Rising (2009), Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky (2009), Clash of the Titans (2010) and The Three Musketeers (2011). In 2011 Mads Mikkelsen was awarded the prestigious European Achievement in World Cinema 2011 in recognition of his unique contribution to the world of film by the European Film Academy.

Mikkel Boe Følsgaard as King Christian VII

Mikkel Boe Følsgaard was born in 1984 and is currently studying at The Danish National School of Theatre from where he will graduate in 2012. He has starred in the Danish TV-series Those Who Kill (2010) and Bryggeren (1996). Furthermore he has also starred in these theatre plays Men Who Hate Women (2010), Metamophorse (2010) Melampe (2010) and Hov? Tjek! Tjekhov (2010).

Trine Dyrholm as Juliane Marie

Trine Dyrholm was born in 1972. She graduated from The Danish National School of Theatre in 1995. When she was only 14 years old she experienced great success as the lead singer in the group Trine & The Moonlighters when they in 1987 won the National Danish Song Contest. In 1990 Trine Dyrholm starred in her first feature film Springfold by Eddie Thomas Petersen. Since then she has starred in numerous theatre plays, movies and TV-series such as the TV-series Taxa (1997), the movie The Celebration (1998), Daisy Diamond (2007) and in Susanne Bier’s golden globe and academy award winner In A Better World (2010). During her career Trine Dyrholm has been awarded with two Roberts by the Film Academy of Denmark and five Bodils at The Danish Film Awards.

David Dencik as Guldberg

David Dencik was born in 1974. He was raised in Copenhagen but has lived in Stockholm for several years, where he graduated from Teaterhögskolan in 2003. Recently David Dencik has starred in the popular Danish TV-series Lykke (2011). Dencik has also starred in numerous feature films such as Rosa Morena (2010), Kandidaten (2008) and Daisy Diamond (2007). He has also been awarded with a Robert for best male leading actor by the Film Academy of Denmark for A Soap (2006).

Producers

Louise Vesth

In 1995, Louise got a bachelor in common business economics from Aarhus Business College.

She started working at Jutlandia Film, and in 1997 she was accepted at the Danish film school, from where she graduated in 2001.

Louise has produced several films with director Christian E. Christiansen; among others the critically acclaimed “LIFE HITS” (2006) and the Oscar-nominated short film “AT NIGHT” (2007). She has produced 60 episodes of the Danish TV sitcom “CLOWN”, and 24 episodes of the Christmas calendar “I WISH!” (2008). Louise has also co-produced several of Josef Fares movies. Most recently, Louise produced audience success “CLOWN THE MOVIE” and Lars Von Trier’s “MELANCHOLIA”.

Louise is producer at Zentropa, and is part of the company’s board.

Sisse Graum Jørgensen

Sisse Graum Jørgensen is currently one of Danish film’s most productive producers. Most recently Sisse has produced Susanne Bier’s Golden Globe and Oscar winning feature In a Better World (2010) written by Anders Thomas Jensen. Also, she produced Pernille Fischer Christensen’s acclaimed A Family (2010) which was in main competition at 60st Berlin Film Festival. Sisse co-produced Perfect Sense (2011) directed by David Mackenzie and written by Kim Fupz Aakeson which premiered at Sundance 2011. Currently she is completing Susanne Bier new feature All You Need Is Love and Thomas Vinterberg’s The Hunt.

Her producing debut was the film Chop Chop (2001), directed by Niels Arden Oplev for whom she also produced the multi-award winning We Shall Overcome (2006). In 2002 Graum Jørgensen also began a successful collaboration with Lone Scherfig when she produced the highly acclaimed Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself. Today Graum Jørgensen continues to produce films for some of Denmark’s most recognized directors including; Susanne Bier Brothers (2004) and the Academy Award nominated After the Wedding (2006), Thomas Vinterberg Dear Wendy (2005) and Dogme brother Kristian Levring Fear Me Not. In addition, Sisse Graum Jørgensen is the executive producer of Scottish Andrea Anorld’s feature film Red Road (2006), winner of the Jury’s Special Prize in Cannes 2006.

Zentropa Productions honoured Sisse as “best newcomer” with the annual ”Springer”-Award in 2003. European Film Promotion selected Sisse Graum Jørgensen for the acclaimed title: “Producer on the Move” in 2003, Screen International featured her name in their 2004: “Talent Watch” as did Berlingske Nyheds Magasin (BNM). In 2004 Sisse participated in Variety’s tribute in Cannes: “10 Producers to Watch”.

Sisse Graum Jørgensen has since 2011 been a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science and a member af the European Film Academy since 2003.

Meta Louise Foldager

Meta Louise Foldager graduated with an MA in Film Studies from Copenhagen University in 1998. Concurrently with her studies, she produced short films and television at Zeitgeist, a company where she was employed and later became co-owner of.
In  2001 she became employed at Nimbus Film, where she produced her first two feature films King’s Game (2004) directed by Nikolaj Arcel and  Angels in fast motion (2005) directed by Ole Christian Madsen.
In 2004 she was awarded the “Natsværmer” prize as most promising new talent.

Since 2005, Meta has been at Zentropa as producer and has been behind a number of feature films and television series including Lars von Trier’s The Boss of It All (2006), Antichrist (2009) and Melancholia (2011) and the Danish Christmas TV-series Mikkel og Guldkortet (2008). In addition she has also produced feature films for these directors; Nikolaj Arcel – Truth about Men (2010), Pernille Fischer Christensen – Dancers (2008), Omar Shargawi – Go in peace Jamil (2008), Morten Hartz Kaplers – AFR (2007), Heidi Maria Faisst – Rebounce (2011) and Mikkel Munch-Fals – Nothing’s all bad (2010), among others.

Meta Louise Foldager’s films have participated in a number of international film festivals, among them Cannes, Berlin, San Sebastian, Rotterdam, Karlovy Vary, Locarno, etc. Her films have all won prizes in Denmark and abroad.
In 2010, Meta started her own company, Meta Film.