10/05/2018 - CANNES 2018: With Danish star Sidse Babett Knudsen toplining an all-female cast, the nerve-racking thriller is an adaptation of Christian Jungersen’s best-selling novel

The all-female cast of Jesper W Nielsen’s The Exception (© Steen Evald)

Danish sales boutique LevelK has acquired the rights to The Exception [+see also:
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interview: Antti-Jussi Annila
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The Exception is a thriller that follows Iben and Marlene, who work in a non-profit NGO in Copenhagen that specialises in genocide and crimes against humanity. When they start receiving death threats, they assume they come from a Serbian war criminal whom they have recently profiled. This will intensify the tension between them, and their suspicions will soon cause them to turn against each other.

Based on the best-selling 2004 novel by Danish author Christian Jungersen, which has been released in over 20 countries around the world, the story is being adapted by Christian Torpe. The all-female cast comprises Knudsen, Danica Curcic (Silent Heart [+see also:
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Nielsen said of the film: “I am very excited about working with such strong and talented actresses in a story about human beings and the darkest corners of their minds. Together, we will enter a fascinating universe of women consisting of extremely interesting and complex characters that not only lie to each other, but also to themselves. An unfortunate mixture that allows evil to reign.”

The shoot is scheduled to start by the end of August, and The Exception is being produced by Marcella Dicmann, Mille Bjørke and Miriam Nørgaard (Fridthjof Film) with the support of the Danish Film Institute, DR, the West Danish Film Fund, Creative Europe MEDIA and the Nordisk Film & TV Fond. The local theatrical release is expected by autumn 2019.