Brødre (2004)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Susanne Bier

Writers:

Susanne Bier (story)
Anders Thomas Jensen (story)

Release Date:

27 August 2004 (Denmark)

Genre:

Drama | War

Plot:

Two brothers must negotiate changing roles and shifting family dynamics when one is sent to war in Afghanistan.

Plot Keywords:

Afghanistan | Prisoner | Criminal | Brother Brother Relationship | Beautiful Woman

Awards:

11 wins & 20 nominations

Cast

Connie Nielsen	...	Sarah
Ulrich Thomsen	...	Michael
Nikolaj Lie Kaas	...	Jannik
Sarah Juel Werner	...	Natalia
Rebecca Løgstrup	...	Camilla (as Rebecca Løgstrup Soltau)
Bent Mejding	...	Henning
Solbjørg Højfeldt	...	Else
Niels Olsen	...	Allentoft
Paw Henriksen	...	Niels Peter
Lars Hjortshøj	...	Preben 2
Lars Ranthe	...	Preben 1
André Babikian	...	Nadeem
Lene Maria Christensen	...	J. Solvej
Laura Bro	...	Ditte
Henrik Koefoed	...	Bartender
Tom Mannion	...	Miles
Karzan Sherabayani	...	Makmuhd
William El Gardi	...	Samial-Tariq, Afghanistan (as William El-Gardi)
Alex Caan	...	Farid, Afghanistan
Sam Vincenti	...	Wisam, Afghanistan
Hossein Karimbeik	...	Hossein, Afghanistan
Hassani Shapi	...	Hassan Afghanistan
Bjarne Antonisen	...	Fåborg
Morten Kirkskov	...	Officer 1
Claus Flygare	...	Officer 2
Niels Lund Boesen	...	Fængselsbetjent 1
Morten Hebsgaard	...	Fængselsbetjent 2
Michael Asmussen	...	Politibetjent 1
Rasmus Botoft	...	Politibetjent 2
Alexis Rodney	...	US-soldat 1
Philip Bulcock	...	US-soldat 1
Thomas Magnussen	...	Radartekniker
Scott Farrell	...	Engelsk militærlæge
Tobias Theodor Caspersen	...	Gustav
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Thorbjørn Hein	...	Royal Guard Officer in church (uncredited)
Maj-Britt Mathiesen	...	Sygeplejerske (uncredited)

Directed by
Susanne Bier

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Susanne Bier		story
Anders Thomas Jensen		story

Produced by
Anna Anthony	....	co-producer
Karen Bentzon	....	line producer
Gillian Berrie	....	co-producer
Malte Forsell	....	co-producer
Peter Garde	....	executive producer
Peter Aalbæk Jensen	....	producer
Sisse Graum Jørgensen	....	producer (as Sisse Graum Olsen)
Sofie Saxild	....	assistant producer
Aagot Skjeldal	....	co-producer
Jaume Vilalta	....	producer: Spain

Original Music by
Johan Söderqvist

Cinematography by
Morten Søborg

Film Editing by
Pernille Bech Christensen
Adam Nielsen

Casting by
Des Hamilton
Lene Seested
Jette Termann

Production Design by
Viggo Bentzon

Set Decoration by
Lene Ejlersen

Costume Design by
Signe Sejlund

Makeup Department
Morten Jacobsen	....	special makeup effects artist
Charlotte Laustsen	....	makeup artist
Anne Cathrine Sauerberg	....	key makeup artist (as Anne-Cathrine Sauerberg)

Production Management
William Knuttel	....	production manager
Ingrid Kofoed	....	production manager
Pia Nielsen	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Henrik Henziger	....	second assistant director: Spain
Joakim Höglund	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Ivar Baungaard	....	prop master
Tone Bonnén	....	prop master
Fernando Contreras	....	construction coordinator: Spain
Lars Fog-Møller	....	chief props
Henrik Hjørnholm	....	props assistant
Veronica Hodges	....	prop master
Magnus Kasting	....	props assistant
Niels Mølgaard	....	props assistant
Søren Skjær	....	assistant production designer: Spain

Sound Department
Kristian Eidnes Andersen	....	sound editor
Per Dybdahl	....	sound assistant
Anne Jensen	....	sound designer
Kasper Munck-Hansen	....	assistant sound designer
Julien Naudin	....	foley artist
John Nielsen	....	boom operator
Eddie Simonsen	....	B-sound designer
Per Streit	....	sound designer
Per Streit	....	sound
Mark Kenna	....	consultant: Dolby film sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Reyes Abades	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Søren Buus	....	lead 3D animator
Peter Hjorth	....	visual effects supervisor
Dan Konzior	....	color grader
Rasmus Lange	....	visual effects designer
Justin Legg	....	online and effects
Nanna Mailand-Mercado	....	visual effects producer
Tine Nikali	....	particles & volumetrics animator
Mads Nybo Jørgensen	....	online and effects
Richard Pilmore	....	filter settings
Søren Tomas	....	visual effects producer

Stunts
Hans Peter Ludvigsen	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Erik Aavatsmark	....	still photographer
Mikael Kort Kristensen	....	grip
Morten Nybø	....	lighting technician (as Morten Nyboe)
Michael Rosenløv Jensen	....	first assistant camera
Otto Stenov	....	light design
Peter Daniel Zeuthen	....	clapper loader

Casting Department
Paco Cañizares	....	casting: Spain
Kahleen Crawford	....	additional casting: UK
Des Hamilton	....	additional casting: UK

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Anne-Dorthe Eskildsen	....	costume design assistant
Maj-Britt Velling	....	costume design assistant

Editorial Department
Anne Katrine Andersen	....	post-production coordinator
Torben Ager Andersen	....	assistant editor (as Torben Andersen)
Thomas Caspersen	....	telecine operator
Carsten Dyhr	....	assistant editor
Mette Høst Hansen	....	post-production assistant
Peter Harry	....	assistant to editor
Julie Klitgaard	....	post-production coordinator
Jacob Thuesen	....	trailer editor
Mette Walter	....	post-production assistant

Music Department
Mikkel Maltha	....	music coordinator
Joakim Milder	....	orchestrator
Eddie Simonsen	....	music mixer
Paul Talkington	....	musical director

Other crew
Samanou Acheche	....	production assistant
Beth Allan	....	production assistant
Fernando Alonso	....	location manager: Spain
Anders Barlebo	....	production coordinator
Mikael Colville-Andersen	....	script translator
Carrie Comerford	....	production executive
Linda Daae	....	continuity
Lars Dela	....	technical consultant
Anna Duffield	....	assistant to producer: UK
Thomas Engedal Sørensen	....	production assistant
Christina Gurewitsch	....	personal assistant: Connie Nielsen
Jarl Axel Hansen	....	production assistant
Fereshta Kazemi	....	voice-over
Ann Køj	....	accountant: Denmark
Jacob-Ole Remming	....	runner
Morten Rosenmeier	....	runner
Astrid Søndberg	....	production assistant
Carsten Sparwath	....	location scout
Sanni Sylvester	....	production coordinator
Malina Terkelsen	....	production assistant
Keld Thaarup	....	voice coach
Michael Tøt	....	production assistant
Isabel Tulloch	....	accountant: UK
Tomás Urbán	....	weapons master: Spain
Ann Vognsen	....	accountant: Denmark (as Anse Vognsen)
Sarah Wells	....	accountant: UK
Paul Wilson	....	title graphic design

Production Companies

• Two Brothers Ltd.
• Fjellape Film AS (co-production)
• Memfis Film (co-production)
• Sigma Films (co-production)
• Zentropa Entertainments

Distributors

• A-Film Distribution (2005) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Focus Features (2005) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• IFC Films (2005) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Look Now! (2005) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Teodora Film (2005) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Équation (2006) (France) (theatrical)
• 791 Cine (2007) (Argentina) (all media)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2007) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2007) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Mandala Films (2005) (Mexico) (all media)
• Nordisk Film Biografdistribution (worldwide)
• Pelicanfilms (2006) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• SF Media (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Vivarto (2006) (Poland) (all media)

Special Effects

• 3D Connection (match moving)
• Gearless ApS (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Angel Recording Studios  sound recording studio
• Klippegangen ApS  post-production services
• Mainstream ApS  sound studio
• Rekorder ApS  video-to-film transfer

Also Known As:

Brothers (International: English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, language and brief nudity.

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

Denmark

Language:

Danish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Belgium:KT | Australia:MA | Brazil:16 | France:U | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Argentina:16 | South Korea:15 | New Zealand:R16 | Argentina:13 | Netherlands:12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Almería, Andalucía, Spain

Company:

Two Brothers Ltd.

Trivia:

In the scene where Jannik (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) is told that his brother is dead he is not acting drunk, he is drunk. He thought the scene should be as convincing as possible so decided to do the scene drunk.

Goofs:

Continuity: Sarah's pink scarf disappears and reappears several times in one of the scenes in the kitchen.

Quotes:

Michael: I will always love you. That is the only truth that remains. Life is neither right nor wrong, good or bad. But I love you. That's all I know.

Movie Connections:

Remade as Brothers (2009)

Learning to forgive oneself is not easy to do. A hard medicine of a film, thought-provoking and 'soberingly' touching.

The Danish film "Brothers" 2004 aka Brodre, w-d by Susanne Bier, is NFE (may not be for everyone). It's about love, a showdown of emotions (the opening music and repeated strains remind me of Sergio Leone's spaghetti western sounding tone). The fact that Michael ('Tour De Force' performance from Ulrich Thomsen of "The Celebration" 1998 aka Festen) keeping his traumatic experience within himself, unable to share with anyone, even his dear wife, is a sobering thought from the post-war effects. He's full of paranoia and is suspicious of everyone around him. It's so hard on him, on family members/children who do not understand what he had gone through that affected his 'warped' emotions and predicament. We cannot weather trauma alone.

As audience, we were privy to what happened to Michael as a prisoner of war - we saw what he had to experience - the circumstance and 'no-choice' decision at the time. His determined will focused on 'must stay alive to see his family and loving wife again' kept him hanging on amidst fear and uncertainty under the atrocities/ravage of war. Learning to forgive oneself - to not blame yourself - is not easy to do. What happen happened under circumstances out of your control and yes, it's easier said than done to say that you mustn't bear the burden or guilt feeling within you. We need the love and support of family/people around us - to be able to trust them that they would listen and understand.

Connie Nielsen as Michael's wife Sarah and Nikolaj Lie Kaas as Michael's younger brother, Jannik, provided an insightful portrait of the triangle of relationships that thrived and yet to survive. In the opening of the film, Bier has on screen along with intriguing graphic imagery and an eye close-up: "I will always love you. That is the only truth that remains. Life is neither right nor wrong, good or bad. But I love you. That's all I know." Towards the end, the graphic imagery and the eye repeated: "Life is neither right nor wrong, good or bad. But I love you. That's all I know."

I caught on Sundance Channel, Dutch documentary filmmaker Heddy Honigmann's "Crazy" 2000, provides 'unpresuming' accounts of how some of the once Dutch soldiers or former workers of UN missions, are dealing with post-war effects by listening or tuning to music as relief. She also did "Good Husband, Dear Son" 2001, a documentary about the surviving women reminiscing their loss of husbands and sons during the 1992 Yugoslav civil war. It's heart-breaking films worth watching.

From the PBS special of Dr. Wayne Dyer's Inspiration: Your Ultimate Calling, I heard about Immaculée Ilibagiza's book (collaborated with writer-journalist Steve Erwin) "Left To Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust" - sounds like the act of forgiveness can be easier to practice by learning from her autobiographical account. Couldn't wait to absorb from her shared spirituality.