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‘Another Round’s’ Oscar-Nominated Director Thomas Vinterberg Makes TV Debut (EXCLUSIVE)

Oscar-nominated Danish director Thomas Vinterberg, whose latest movie “Another Round” is nominated for a pair of Oscars and just won a BAFTA award, is re-teaming with Danish production outfit Zentropa on his TV drama debut, “Families Like Ours.”

The thought-provoking drama series has already been commissioned by Danish broadcaster TV2. A family saga, the six-part series will be directed by Vinterberg, who will also co-write the script with Bo Hr. Hansen, with whom Vinterberg wrote his debut feature film, “The Biggest Heroes.”

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“Families Like Ours” takes place in summertime Denmark where everything seems normal, but is about to be disrupted by a natural catastrophe. After a flood slowly takes over the country, Denmark is gradually evacuated. People must bid farewell to what they love, what they know, and to who they are. In the coming years, Danes disperse in all directions: only houses, schools and empty streets are left.

Those who can afford it travel to good countries, while those who are less well-off have to use a government-funded program to move to more challenging places. Families, friends and loved ones will be separated; hatred and division will arise among some, while love and reconciliation will grow among others. In a flash, all property is worthless, all fortunes changed, and luck favors only a few of the traveling Danes.

“‘Families Like Ours’ will be a series exploring the things that you cannot control in life, [but which inspires] you to embrace these things as part of your journey,” said producer Sisse Graum Jørgensen, a central figure at Zentropa who has worked with Vinterberg on four films, including “Dear Wendy,” “The Hunt,” “The Commune” and “Another Round.”

“Thomas had the idea for ‘Families Like Ours’ long before the pandemic but it turns out that it really connects with our times or where we are now in the world today. We are all so concerned about what is happening around us, what will happen next, when will this end and, at the same time, we just need to continue enjoying our lives,” said Graum Jørgensen, who will be producing with Kasper Dissing at Zentropa.

“Thomas Vinterberg is in a league of his own, and ever since he helped establish the Dogme films in the ’90s, notably with his smash hit ‘The Celebration,’ he has repeatedly demonstrated his talent as a master storyteller of human destinies,” says Katrine Vogelsang, head of fiction at Danish broadcaster TV2.

Vogelsang said the helmer’s “stories have a way of lodging themselves deep in our souls.”

Vinterberg has been co-developing the series with Zentropa for a year. It will be produced with support from the Danish Public Service funds.

“Families Like Ours” is slated to shoot in late 2021 or early 2022. The cast will be announced at a later stage.

Zentropa’s track record includes shows such as “The Kingdom,” “The Left-Wing Gang,” “Klown,” “The Day Will Come,” and most recently, “Finding Home.”

“Another Round” was part of Cannes 2020’s Official Selection, and went on to play at Toronto and San Sebastian, where it took home the best actor prize. The film also won 4 European Film Awards, a Cesar for best foreign film, a BAFTA for best film not in the English language and a Golden Globe nomination. Going into the Academy Awards on April 25, the film is nominated for best international feature film and best director.

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