Lübeck Nordic Film Days (Nordische Filmtage Lübeck) will open this year’s 62nd edition of the festival with the German premiere of “The Good Traitor” (“Vores mand i Amerika”), directed by Christina Rosendahl, on November 4, 2020. Inspired by true events, the film is the story of Henrik Kauffmann, who was the Danish ambassador to the USA at the start of World War II, and who fought for the freedom and independence of Denmark after the Nazis occupied the country. A political rebel and man of the world, Kauffmann is masterfully embodied in the film by Ulrich Thomsen (“The Celebration”, “The World is not Enough”, “The International”). Boasting exquisite camerawork, “The Good Traitor” also looks at Kauffmann’s personal life before his tragic death in 1963.
Assuming that covid 19 regulations and travel restrictions allow, director Christina Rosendahl and other guests are expected to attend the opening of the 62nd Lübeck Nordic Film Days (Nordische Filmtage Lübeck) at the beginning of November.
Director Christina Rosendahl wrote the screenplay alongside Dunja Gry Jensen and Kristian Foss, and brings a fascinating chapter in Denmark’s history to light with impressive artistic elegance. The film will be shown in Germany for the first time at the NFL in honor of the German-Danish year of friendship. “The Good Traitor” is Rosendahl’s third narrative feature. She was a guest in Lübeck in 2015 with “The Idealist”. In addition to Ulrich Thomsen, other top-class actors in the film include Denise Gough (“Colette”) and Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, known for his work in “A Royal Affair” and the Netflix series “The Rain”, as well as Henry Goodman (of the TV series “The New Pope”).
The film’s synopsis: In April of 1940, when Nazi Germany invaded Denmark, the king and the government put up very little resistance. Ambassador Kauffmann, far off in America, was the only person who defied the new rulers of his homeland. The period film paints a portrait of a political rebel who decides not to bow before the Nazis, but instead initiates a seditious plan to defeat Hitler and free Denmark. Henrik Kauffmann unilaterally declared himself and the embassy the representatives of a free Denmark. The career diplomat was condemned as a traitor by the Danes during the war, but celebrated as a national hero after the war ended.
“On the day after the American elections, there is acute awareness of how important it is to stick to your stance in difficult situations, and how one person with courage and political vision can make such a difference. But “The Good Traitor” is not just a political statement but, above all, an elegant film that uses exquisite camerawork and brilliant acting to tell an exciting and highly-topical story”, says Linde Fröhlich, artistic director of the NFL, about the choice for opening night film.
The 62nd Lübeck Nordic Film Days (Nordische Filmtage Lübeck), presented by the Hanseatic city of Lübeck, will be held from November 4 – 8, 2020.