31/01/2022 - Showcased in the Nordic Documentary Competition, Jesper Dalgaard’s film follows a group of fans who find meaning in life through their idol, Danish country and schlager singer Kandis-Johnny

Billed as “an entertaining and life-affirming film”, Jesper Dalgaard’s documentary Kandis for Life [+see also:
trailer
film profile] focuses on a group of fans who find consolation and meaning in life through their idol, Danish country and schlager singer Kandis-Johnny. It delves into a world of extraordinary people who have made the lead singer of Scandinavia's biggest “entertainment band”, Kandis, their own personal Jesus. It promises to offer “an honest account of Johnny’s private tragedy, which is deeply rooted in the lives of his dedicated fans”, wherein “shared stories of loss, loneliness and finding love again are revealed, and it becomes clear that no one can rise to life's challenges alone”. The feature is taking part in the Nordic Documentary Competition of this year’s Göteborg Film Festival (28 January-6 February).

In his director’s statement, Dalgaard said: “I grew up in a remote village on the windy west coast of Denmark. The local hero and lead singer of Scandinavia’s biggest entertainment band, Kandis-Johnny, lived in the neighbouring village. He was my first encounter with the entertainment business. When I graduated from the National Film School of Denmark, I wanted to return to my roots and make a contemporary portrait of Denmark. I wanted to enter the schlager culture, a culture that is ridiculed by art critics, and try to understand and portray it from a new perspective. I found a community of grief, and his fans identified with the songs that Johnny wrote in the midst of his own personal tragedy. I understood that grieving can be expressed differently across social classes and through cultural differences. I learned that the ecstatic chain dance as a form of healing for collective trauma is both disturbing and beautiful.”

Kandis for Life was produced by Maria Møller Christoffersen for Denmark’s Frau Film, a division of Beofilm.

Check out our exclusive trailer below: