Nordkraft (2005)

The intense, realistic and unflinching tale of Maria, Allan and Steso, who are struggling for survival in urban life, about drugs.

Director:

Ole Christian Madsen

Writers:

Jakob Ejersbo (novel), Bo Hr. Hansen,

Stars:

Signe Egholm Olsen, Claus Riis Østergaard, Thure Lindhardt

8 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Signe Egholm Olsen	...	Maria
Claus Riis Østergaard	...	Allan
Thure Lindhardt	...	Steso
Farshad Kholghi	...	Hossein
Thomas L. Corneliussen	...	Asger
Pernille Vallentin	...	Tilde
Signe Vaupel	...	Maja
Rudi Köhnke	...	Frank (as Rudi Køhnke)
Maria Stenz	...	Maria's mom
Finn Storgaard	...	Hans Jørgen
Lars Mikkelsen	...	Steso's Dad
Søs Egelind	...	Steso's mom
Stanislav Sevcik	...	Taber
Nils P. Munk	...	Aksel, dealer
Paw Henriksen	...	Biker Kurt, Frank's associate

Storyline

"Angels in Fast Motion", or "Nordkraft" to give it its original Danish title, follows the fate of three youthful people in their twenties, as they each fight a personal battle with drugs that weaves together three distinct storylines. The film is an, unflinching and brutal story of addiction in a cruel and depressive world, but with a little thought of hope and love through its core. It all takes place in the grey Aalborg as a striking backdrop and we get introduced for Maria, Allan and Steso. Maria (_Signe Egholm Olsen_ ) is a pusher frau, as she call herself, or a drugs trafficker. She lives with her dealer boyfriend Asger (_Thomas L. Corneliussen_ ), a former doorman whose education as a tattooist is financed by drugs, that Maria smuggles in from Copenhagen. But Asger is unable to give her the love and affection she needs, so all the time Maria is waiting--Waiting for love. Suddenly Maria does not want to make any more trips and that leads to the introduction of Hossein (_Farshad ...

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Plot Keywords:

drugs | love | junkie | male nudity | betrayal | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Romance

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Denmark

Language:

Danish

Release Date:

4 March 2005 (Denmark)

Also Known As:

Angeloi se eleftheri ptosi

Filming Locations:

Aalborg, Jylland, Denmark

Company Credits

Production Co:

Nimbus Film Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

125 min 125 min (original)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The original cut ran over four hours.

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Quotes

Hossein: In Persia they say that opium is good for anything. Good for the pain within. Very good super aspirin.

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Connections

Featured in Nordkraft - 'Fra bog til billede' (2005)

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Soundtracks

"Moving Slow"
Written by Kim Günther Hansen
Performed by Antenne

User Reviews

A modern drug film set in Denmark

Nordkraft is new in it's genre in Denmark. A story of people with a serious drug abuse problem and how they fight for their love. But it's not new it is genre for the rest of the world. Obvious to the viewer the director is inspired by such great films as "Requiem for a dream", "Trainspotting" and numinous others. The editing, extreme close-ups of eye pupils, the choice of music, the movement of camera and the idea of attaching the camera to the body "camera-to-face" while running, is similar to "Requiem for a dream". Despite the fact, that it is not a original in it's craftsmanship, the film is actually pretty well done. But maybe the success should belong to Jakob Ejersbo, the writer of the novel? It has a slow start, because it uses the first hour for introducing the characters. Which is a bit to long. But when the story finally kicks of, it's exciting and thrilling. The acting can sometimes be a bit pourly and over the top, but Claus Riis Østergaard as Allan levels it up.

All in all I think is a great film, but it would have been even better, if only the pace of the story in the beginning were faster and if it was shorten a bit. Enjoy.