22/04/2013 - Swiss director Ramon Zürcher's The Stange Little Cat and Belgian director Felix Van Groeningen's The Broken Circle Breakdown won top prizes at the Copenhagen International Film Festival, which runs through April 24

When Swedish director Mikael Marcimain’s feature debut Call Girl [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (photo) was screened during the weekend (April 20-21) in the CPH PIX Copenhagen International Film Festival, it was the first time the newly-edited version was on show – with cuts in the so-called hotel scene accepted by Sweden’s Palme family – which the festival had flown in on a DCP disc from Stockholm in the last minute.

In the drama-thriller, which is inspired by the Swedish brothel scandal in the late 1970s, a prime minister (played by Magnus Krepper), who may resemble the late Olof Palme, buys sex from an under-age girl. After the premiere, the film was reported to Sweden’s Chancellor of Justice for “gross defamation of character”, while Palme’s son Mårten Palme said the family had decided to sue the director for slander.

The Chancellor of Justice did not instigate an investigation, and last month (March 14) it was announced the Palmes had reached a settlement with the Swedish production company Garagefilm International, which would re-edit the 'hotel scene' (which is now almost completely removed) and confirm it had no reason to claim that Palme had been involved in such an affair. Palme Jr considered the case closed.

At the PIX Award brunch in Copenhagen’s Julian Restaurant on Friday (April 19), Swiss director Ramon Zürcher’s feature debut, The Stange Little Cat, received the the €15,000 New Talent Grand PIX of €15,000, while Belgian director Felix Van Groeningen’s The Broken Circle Breakdown [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Felix van Groeningen
interview: Felix Van Groeningen
interview: Felix Van Groeningen
film profile] collected the the Politiken Audience Award. The CPH PIX-Copenhagen International Film Festival runs until April 24.