Oldboys

Colour, 35 mm
Denmark, 2009, 97 min
IP - International Premiere
Section: Another View

About the film

Now in his fifties, Vagn is something of an outsider. He lives alone, he goes to work and he plays football with men of his age or even older. Everyone is looking forward to the annual bus trip to Sweden where, on this occasion, they’ll be up against a tough squad of local policemen. Vagn’s football boots, which prove to be an increasing liability as the film progresses, create a situation whereby he gets left behind at a petrol station – with absolutely no money. There he meets petty thief John who, although just out of prison, tries to rob the petrol station. Their encounter is the beginning of a series of misunderstandings arising from the fact that Vagn has no idea who he is dealing with; John, for his part, is irked by the presence of a pushy old guy determined to catch up with his teammates’ bus with the lad’s help. Things get off to a pretty bad start but, in due course, a bond begins to develop between these two unlikely characters, and the surly Vagn gradually comes out of himself, back into the land of the living. This engaging road movie has its chilly Nordic moments, but it’s also warm-hearted and comic and, most importantly, it’s well written, well acted and doesn’t seek to inspire pathos.

About the director

Nikolaj Steen (b. 1967, Frederiksberg, Denmark) is a music producer, songwriter, composer and also a singer with several albums to his name. He has appeared in a number of Danish films and television series. He is the brother of the famous actress and director Paprika Steen, a well-known name at the Karlovy Vary festival (her debut Aftermath (Lad de små børn, 2004) screened here and she took Best Actress at KVIFF for Applause  in 2009). The film Oldboys is the first film by her talented brother Nikolaj in a directorial role.