Nicolo Donato Prepping World War II Feature About Escape Of Danish Jews From Nazi-Occupied Denmark

Nicolo Donato (Brotherhood) is prepping a feature about the escape of Danish Jews from Nazi-occupied Denmark in October 1943. Scandinavian major Svensk is on board to produce through its Danish subsidiary SF Film and production entity SF Film production. Fuglene Over Sundet is based on actual events and features a cast including Danica Curcic (Wallander), David Dencik (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) and Laura Bro (A Royal Affair). Jacob Cedergren, Nicolas Bro, Signe Egholm Olsen, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard and Lars Brygmann round out the cast.

Fuglene Over Sundet would be Donato’s second feature after his award-winning 2009 debut Brotherhood. The film will follow Arne Itkin, a famous Jewish jazz musician living in Copenhagen with his wife Miriam and their 5-year-old son Jacob. As the rumors about the deportation of the Danish Jews suddenly turn to reality, the Itkin family is forced to flee their home. They are told that local fishermen are ferrying Danish Jews from Gilleleje to Sweden, but Nazi collaborators and the Gestapo are on their tail. The small family now has to put their fate in the hands of strangers and trust them with their lives if they hope to escape.

Donato has a strong personal bond to the events, as he is the grandchild of one of the characters portrayed in the film — the fisherman NB, played by Cedergren.

”During these dramatic days there was an extraordinary display of humanity by the Danish people, who showed a courage that took everyone by surprise – not least themselves,” said Donato in a statement. “People that had never taken a wrong step or done anything illegal chose to risk their lives for a group of fellow citizens in need, and as a result nearly all Danish Jews were saved from the Nazis. This is one of the most remarkable events during the occupation, and this is the movie about the brave people who risked everything to save others.”

The screenplay is written by Donato and Per Daumiller and is planned for a 2016 fall theatrical release. Fuglene Over Sundet is produced by SF Film, producers Peter Bech and Tristan Orpen Lynch and executive producers Birdie Bjerregaard and Lars Bjørn Hansen. The movie is financed by SF Film A/S and SF Film Production in co-production with Subotica Films, Ireland, and with support from The Danish Film Institute and TV2/DK in cooperation with NRK.

Trust/Nordisk is the international sales agent, while SF Film will handle Scandinavian distribution.

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