Copenhagen-based distributor DR Sales has picked up worldwide rights to the Danish film ‘Father’s House,’ which has been selected for competition at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival and IDFA’s Signed section. The project stars David Dencik, known for his roles in ‘No Time to Die’ and ‘The Chestnut Man,’ alongside Trine Dyrholm, recognized for ‘The Danish Woman’ and ‘Queen of Hearts.’
The film is a collaborative effort from documentary specialists Andreas Koefoed, Eva Mulvad, and editor Adam Nielsen in his directorial debut. It examines manipulation, abuse, and violence within the now-defunct Faderhuset, a radical Danish Christian sect that operated until its official closure as a religious congregation in 2013. The project employs a distinctive format blending fiction, documentary, and behind-the-scenes footage, with reenactments performed by established actors working alongside three former members who expose the sect’s inner operations.
The filmmakers developed the project following a book by former member Camilla Louise Johnson, who served as a key collaborator throughout production. According to the directors, the hybrid approach allowed them to capture significant moments from the sect’s history that had no existing footage while avoiding traditional interview-driven documentary conventions or conventional narrative fiction structures. This methodology involved testing the dynamic between the actors and real former members, which the team described as revealing deeper insights into how reality is manipulated during filmmaking processes.
Dyrholm portrays Ruth Evensen, the charismatic sect leader, while Dencik plays former member Jerry. Laura Kronborg Kjær appears as Camilla, who spent seven years in the community before establishing the NGO InsideOut to assist individuals leaving sectarian organizations. The directors emphasized that their creative choices prioritized emotional and psychological structure over linear narrative, allowing them to explore moments of existential tension and self-surrender within the group dynamic.
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