Kira's Reason: A Love Story (2001) En kærlighedshistorie (original title)

Writers:

Ole Christian Madsen (screenplay) &
Mogens Rukov (screenplay)

Release Date:

26 October 2001 (Denmark)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Kira and Mads try to work out their marriage, after Kira has been two years in a mental institution, but is she really ready for the real world?

Plot Keywords:

Mental Institution | Love | Depression | Dogme 95 | Mental Illness

Awards:

9 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Stine Stengade	...	Kira
Lars Mikkelsen	...	Mads
Sven Wollter	...	Kira's Father
Peaches Latrice Petersen	...	Kay
Camilla Bendix	...	Charlotte
Lotte Bergstrøm	...	Michelle
Thomas W. Gabrielsson	...	Gustav
Ronnie Lorenzen	...	Mikkel (as Ronnie Hiort Lorenzen)
Oliver Appelt Nielsen	...	Julius
Klaus Pagh	...	Mads' Boss
Claus Strandberg	...	1st Supplier
Henrik Birch	...	2nd Supplier
Michael Hasselflug	...	3rd Supplier
Helle Merete Sørensen	...	Wife of 1st Supplier
Nicolas Bro	...	John
Jesper Hyldegaard	...	Erik
Michael Zuckow Mardorf	...	Waiter at Supplier's Party
Søren Poppel	...	Worker
Øyvind Ougaard	...	Orchestra
César Berti	...	Orchestra
Mads Vinding	...	Orchestra
Klaus Menzer	...	Orchestra
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gerard Bidstrup	...	Guy Reading Newspaper (uncredited)
Bent Kaiser	...	Receptionist, Vestersøhus (uncredited)

Directed by
Ole Christian Madsen		(uncredited)

Writing credits
Ole Christian Madsen		screenplay &
Mogens Rukov		screenplay in cooperation with

Produced by
Bo Ehrhardt	....	producer
Morten Kaufmann	....	producer
Sidsel Kron	....	assistant producer

Original Music by
César Berti
Øyvind Ougaard

Cinematography by
Jørgen Johansson

Film Editing by
Søren B. Ebbe

Casting by
Rie Hedegaard

Production Management
Louise Friedberg	....	unit production manager (as Louise N.D. Friedberg)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Parminder Singh	....	assistant director

Art Department
Søren Schwartzberg	....	property master

Sound Department
Kristian Eidnes Andersen	....	audio consultant
Majka Bjørnager	....	sound assistant: post-production
Pétur Einarsson	....	boom operator (as Pètur Einarsson)
Pétur Einarsson	....	sound (as Pètur Einarsson)
Morten Holm	....	audio consultant
Morten Jensen	....	boom operator
Hans Møller	....	post-production sound
Sigurdur H. Sigurdsson	....	sound (as Sigurdur Sigurdsson)
Morten Wille	....	sound assistant

Camera and Electrical Department
Peter Alsted	....	clapper loader (as Peter J. Alsted)
Per Arnesen	....	still photographer
Kim Carlsen	....	grip
Casper Høyberg	....	camera operator
Henrik Kristensen	....	camera operator
Henrik Lundø	....	camera operator
John Frimann Rasmussen	....	first assistant camera
Ian N. Tomkins	....	camera operator (as Ian Tomkins)

Casting Department
Lene Seested	....	extras casting: Panorama
Jette Termann	....	casting: children

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mia Marie Borup	....	extras costumer
Neel Deleuran	....	costume designer: party gown

Editorial Department
Christine Ekstrand	....	post-production assistant
Tove Jystrup	....	post-production coordinator
Lea Løbger	....	post-production assistant (as Lea J. Christensen)
Søren Ottosen	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Leila Trøst	....	music coordinator

Transportation Department
Pelle Henning	....	bus driver: Filmbussen

Other crew
Lars Dela	....	technical supporter
Gert Duve Skovlund	....	film consultant: Det Danske Filminstitut
Njal Elsborg-Hansen	....	children caretaker
Jens Georg Hansen	....	insurance agent: Marsh
Regina Hansen	....	insurance agent: Marsh
Christoffer Heie	....	technician: Avid
Signe Leick Jensen	....	production coordinator (as Signe Jensen)
Cathrine Jerrik	....	caterer
Bodil Kjærhauge	....	technician: Avid
Niels Jørgen Kristensen	....	police contact
Ulla Lund Hansen	....	accountant
Mari-Ann Nerum	....	location researcher
Pia Nielsen	....	technical coordinator
Lars Weirsøe	....	location scout (as Lars 'Snitt' Weirsøe)

Thanks
Gerard Bidstrup	....	thanks (as Gerard Corey Bidstrup)
Martin Brygmann	....	thanks
Bent Kaiser	....	thanks
Henrik Lublin	....	thanks: Glostrup Amtssygehus
Bent Rosenbaum	....	thanks: Glostrup Amtssygehus
Krista Rossen	....	thanks: Glostrup Amtssygehus
Mikkel Vadsholt	....	thanks (as Mikkel Stensig Vadsholt)
Mads Wille	....	thanks (as Mads Michael Wille)

Production Companies

• Nimbus Film Productions
• Zentropa Entertainments (in cooperation with)
• Danmarks Radio (DR) (in co-production with)

Distributors

• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2001) (Denmark) (theatrical)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2002) (Denmark) (video)
• Arsenal (2002) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Filmcoopi Zürich (2002) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• First Run Features (2003) (USA) (subtitled)
• good movies! (2007) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Casting Kompagniet  casting
• Panorama  extras casting
• Robusto  catering
• Hokus Bogus Rekorder ApS  digital transfer
• WAVEpictures  online editing
• Filmbussen  bus
• Marsh A/S  insurance
• Zentropa Entertainments  Avid editing facilities
• Mainstream ApS  sound and mix studio
• Psykiatrisk Afdeling på Glostrup Amtssygehus  thanks
• Leopold's  thanks
• Hotel Marienlyst  thanks
• Det Danske Filminstitut  financing

Also Known As:

"En kærlighedshistorie" - Denmark (original title)

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

Denmark

Language:

Danish | Swedish | English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Denmark:11

Filming Locations:

Hotel Marienlyst, Helsingør, Sjælland, Denmark

Company:

Nimbus Film Productions

Trivia:

The Dogme 95 certificate at the beginning of the film reads as follows: "This is to confirm that the director of the following motion picture, "En kærlighedshistorie", has submitted a signed, sworn statement to the effect that this motion picture has been produced in compliance with the rules and intentions set forth in the Dogme 95 manifesto. Dogme no. 21. Confirmed this day: Copenhagen 5. marts 2001." Signed Lars von Trier, Kristian Levring, Thomas Vinterberg, Søren Kragh-Jacobsen.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Bag kameraet: En kærlighedshistorie (2002) (V)

Soundtrack:

Vida

mood swings take toll on families

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

***Spoilers*** This film deals with the moodswings experienced by Kira, and although the illness is not specified it would appear to be manic-depression (aka bipolar disorder). The film didn't specify how long she was in hospital, but it was long enough for the husband to hire a housekeeper. When she returns home, she seems very warm and friendly (even getting into the personal space of the housekeeper and commenting she could tell she was a "good person" and then accusing her of sleeping with her husband and screaming at her to get out of the house.

Her two boys ask their father if they will be embarrassed by their mother's behavior and he assures them will not. Alas, this is not to be the case. (One wonders if, in fact, she has been sufficiently stabilized on her medications before leaving - the film leaves this up in the air, but she is seen drinking alcoholic beverages, which interact badly with many psychotropic drugs).

The film deals with the interactions of Kira's family(ies) - her father has left her mother some time ago, possibly because her mother may have the same illness. He speaks of her as being "full of emotion" and just not being able to cope with her. One wonders how her husband puts up with her behavior, ranging from going somewhat out of control at the children's pool at a natatorium to flirting with/going home with a stranger at a bar. She and her husband reconcile at the end, but one wonders. Both her father & sister appear, having been called by Kira when it seemed she and her husband were breaking up, and they both seem to have seen this behavior more than once before.