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Directed by Thomas Vinterberg (Denmark, 2012). Lucas (Mads Mikkelsen) is well-liked and respected in the small, close-knit suburban town where he grew up and made a life. After a tough divorce, Lucas is focused on forging a relationship with Marcus (Lasse Fogelstrøm), his teenage son, spending time with his lifelong best friends Theo (Thomas Bo Larsen) and Bruun (Lars Ranthe), and continuing his work at the local kindergarten, where he is a beloved teacher.
As things are starting to improve, a misunderstanding with Theo’s young daughter spurs a poisonous thorn into Lucas’ life: she implies to the head of the daycare that Lucas has acted inappropriately.
Caught up in the rumor, one by one, several small children at the local kindergarten confirm the accusation. As the snow falls and the Christmas lights are lit, the lie spreads like a virus. The shock and mistrust get out of hand and the small community finds itself in a collective state of hysteria, while Lucas fights a lonely fight for his life and dignity.
In this psychological drama, director Thomas Vinterberg remorselessly turns the screws on Lucas, showing how easily public opinion can embrace mob mentality and blood lust, and testing how even a fundamentally good man responds to such malignant force.
111 min. | In Danish and Polish with English subtitles.
About the director
Thomas Vinterberg (b. 1969) graduated from the Danish Film School in 1993. His graduation film Last Round was nominated for a student Oscar. In 1995 he wrote the Dogme 95 manifesto, together with Lars von Trier, and started a movement that refused the use of expensive and spectacular special effects. Vinterberg’s famous Dogme film, The Celebration/Festen (1998), was the first film of the movement. It received international awards including the Jury prize at the Cannes Film Festival (1998) and European Discovery of the Year at the European Film Awards (1998).
Vinterberg has directed two English-language films, It´s All About Love(2003), with Joaquin Phoenix, Claire Danes, and Sean Penn, and Dear Wendy (2005), starring Jamie Bell and written by Lars von Trier.
He returned to the Danish language with the comedy, When a Man Comes Home/En mand kommer hjem (2007), followed by Submarino (2010).
The Hunt premiered at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury and Mads Mikkelsen won the Best Actor Award. The Hunt was also the winner of the 2013 Nordic Council Film Prize.
Thomas Vinterberg is currently the president of the Un Certain Regard jury at Cannes Film Festival.
January 16, 2014
January 16, 2014
Photo by Jonathan B. Ragle
WED – 1-16-2014 – 7:00 PM
$10 ($7 ASF Members)