International Rights for "The Last Resort" Acquired by TrustNordisk

Scandinavian heavyweight sales outfit TrustNordisk has secured international rights to "The Last Resort" ("Ø") by acclaimed Norwegian writer-director Maria Sødahl.

Sødahl's previous drama, "Hope," featuring Hollywood heavyweights Stellan Skarsgård and Andrea Bræin Hovig, earned her an Oscar shortlist nomination in 2021.

In her first Danish film, co-penned by Eske Troelstrup ("Shadow of Victory") and Therese Hasman, top actors Danica Curcic ("The Chestnut Man," "Silent Heart") and Esben Smed ("Families Like Ours," "A Fortunate Man") star as a couple vacationing on an exclusive Greek island with their daughters. When a stranger approaches them seeking assistance, their initial goodwill turns into fear as he makes increasingly unsettling requests.

Explaining the film's evolution, Sødahl reflects on her previous films' autobiographical nature. However, "The Last Resort," she asserts, "opens for a larger story with a more complex universe. A story where our Scandinavian protagonists start out as diplomatic humanists, until xenophobia leads them to act in full paranoia, primal and violence. The suspense is strong, and the gaze is unsentimental, in a story about us, for us and by us."

TrustNordisk sales director Nikolai Korsgaard highlights the film's relevance: "Your core humanistic beliefs are really put to the ultimate test in this film, as the act of helping others turns into a moral dilemma. The film talks about a major global crisis, making it timely and relevant for a greater audience."

Nordisk Film Production's Thomas Robsahm ("The Worst Person in the World"), who collaborated with Sødahl on "Hope," serves as producer alongside Sigurd Mikal Karoliussen ("Twin"). Eye Eye Pictures ("Armand") co-produces the film, supported by the Danish Film Institute, the Norwegian Film Institute, Nordisk Film & TV Fond, and TV2 Denmark.

TrustNordisk's Göteborg Film Festival lineup includes Marijana Jankovic's work in progress "Home," Mari Storstein's "My First Love," and four completed titles: "Sauna" by Mathias Broe, "Acts of Love" by Jeppe Rønde, "Three Men and Vilma" by Charlotte Blom, and Göteborg Festival opener "Safe House" by Eirik Svensson.

The Nordic Film Market at Göteborg Film Festival runs from January 29 to 31.