Archive of films Bridgend / Bridgend

Denmark
2015, 105 min

Section: Another View
Year: 2015

The Virgin Suicides meets Nordic crime drama. Set within the shifting contours of a film about growing up, the provocatively ambiguous genre of the feature debut Bridgend marries mysticism to the punch of a procedural TV series. The topic of “investigation” is at the same time unexpectedly evanescent – like the mysterious energy defining “youth.”

Synopsis

A series of unexplained suicides troubles the town of Bridgend, and maybe there’s only one reason behind them. And maybe it’s a reason the adults don’t want to hear. But maybe there’s no reason. Jeppe Rønde, debuting here in feature film, defies genre borders, betraying consummate skill combined with the clear formal vision typical of contemporary Danish filmmakers as he journeys deep into mysterious woods where parents discover their children hanging in the trees. A similar fate could be in store for Sara, a respectable lass who nevertheless falls for a member of the “suicide gang” her father is investigating. Through Sara and her shifting perception, Rønde, aided by dynamic camerawork, crafts an oppressive portrayal of adolescence and of the confrontation between the opposing forces of youth and old age. The film initially mimics the kind of Danish crime story constructed around case investigations, yet it is gradually transformed into a mystical drama about an enduring intergenerational conflict and the mysterious energy defining teenagers in extreme states – enthusiasm and self-destruction.

Jindřiška Bláhová

About the director

Jeppe Rønde (b. 1973, Copenhagen, Denmark) studied film science and art history at the University of Copenhagen (2002). He is an established director of commercials and award-winning documentaries. In 2013 he won Best Director at the Cannes advertising festival for The Lover. Rønde’s documentary reflection on religion Jerusalem My Love (Jerusalem, min elskede, 2003) won the award for emerging talent at the Leipzig festival and also competed at KVIFF. His second documentary The Swenkas (2005) also competed at Karlovy Vary and won the Jury Prize at Canada’s Hot Docs and the Danish national Robert Award. The teen crime mystery Bridgend is his feature debut.

Contacts

Danish Film Institute
Gothersgade 55, 1123, Copenhagen
Denmark
Tel: +45 337 434 00
Fax: +45 337 434 01
E-mail: [email protected]
www: www.dfi.dk

New Europe Film Sales
Puławska 152/5, 02-670, Warsaw
Poland
Tel: +48 609 804 296, +48 600 173 205
E-mail: [email protected]
www: www.neweuropefilmsales.com

+ 1

About the film

Color, DCP

Section:	Another View

Director:	Jeppe Rønde
Screenplay:	Jeppe Rønde, Torben Bech, Peter Asmussen
Dir. of Photography:	Magnus Nordenhof Jønck
Music:	Mondkopf
Editor:	Oliver Bugge Coutté
Producer:	Michel Schønnemann, Malene Blenkov
Production:	Blenkov & Schønnemann Pictures
Cast:	Hannah Murray, Josh O'Connor, Adrian Rawlins, Steven Waddington
Sales:	New Europe Film Sales
Contact:	Danish Film Institute

Guests

Jeppe Rønde

Christian Juhl Lemche

Film Institution Rep.

Jan Naszewski

Sales Agent

Joanna Malicka

Sales Agent