At December 20, 2019 ARTE shows at 8:15 p.m. the MMC Movies co-production "The lion girl" as a free TV premiere. Large parts of the unusual coming-of-age drama directed by Vibeke Idsøe were shot at MMC Studios in Cologne.
Content:
In a small provincial town in Norway in the winter of 1912, a girl is born with her entire body covered in fur. The child, who suffers from a rare genetic defect, is named Eva. The mother dies in childbirth and the father, stationmaster Gustav Arctander, cannot cope well with the situation, which is as unexpected as it is tragic, and keeps the girl away from the outside world.
But Eva longs to discover the world beyond the confines of her apartment and the train station. She receives support from the nanny Hanna and the station assistant Funken. But before Eva finds her place in life, she has to experience many a humiliation and disappointment.
About the film:
From the template of her compatriot Erik Fosnes Hansen manufactured the Norwegian Vibeke Idsøe a Historical film with lavish equipment and successful effects.
Under her direction, "The Lion Girl" has become a touching film adaptation of the novel, which won the Norwegian Booksellers' Prize and also inspired many readers in Germany. During filming at MMC Studios, it became apparent Erik Fosnes Hansen very happy about the quality of the cinematic adaptation of his novel: "Something like this happens perhaps only once in a lifetime."
The Scandinavian acting star Rolf Lassgård embodies Gustav Arctander as a closed-off curmudgeon whose emotional armor gradually becomes brittle.
Ken Duken plays Andrej Bòr, the "Lizard Man," who, like Eva, also suffers from a genetic defect. Through him, Eva meets Johannes Joachim, played by Burghart Klaußner, get to know. The extravagant director is touring Europe with a "human curiosity cabinet" and will give Eva's life a completely new direction.
No less important for Eva is her encounter with Mrs. Grjothornet. She is played by the Danish actress, who is mainly employed in Hollywood. Connie Nielsen. Mrs. Grjothornet is a woman of the world who, while submitting herself to the dictates of the beauty craze, teaches Eva that beauty can have many facets.
The performances of the three actresses who play Eva are also great: Aurora Lindseth Løkka (as a 7-year-old), Mathilde Thomine Storm (as a 14-year-old) and Ida Ursin-Holm (as a young woman).
Great praise also goes to the Make-up artist Connor O'Sullivan, who is considered one of the best SFX makeup artists in Hollywood. For the Camera Draws Dan Laustsen and for the Costume Frauke Firl responsible.
The Scene design comes from the Icelandic production designer Karl Júlíusson. The film buildings and different sets in three studios on the production site of MMC have been MMC Equipment (Construction Manager MMC: Hendrik Labuhn), including the apartment of stationmaster Arctander and the community hall of the Norwegian provincial town (To the photo gallery set construction).
"The Lion Girl" is One production by Norwegian Filmkameratene and Cologne-based Gifted Films West in co-production with Tre Vänner (SE), Zentopa (DK), MMC Movies Cologne and The Post Republic. The film was sponsored by the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, FFA, FFHSH, DFFF, Eurimages and The Norwegian Film Institute.
"The Lion Girl" on December 20, 2019 at 8:15 p.m. on ARTE
More information: arte.tv
Photo: Eva Arctander (Mathilde Thomine Storm) and her father Gustav Arctander (Rolf Lassgård) board a train to Copenhagen. ©️Tom Trambow
