Mille Dinesen Presented With Isbjørnen Award
In recognition of her role in Rita, lead actress Mille Dinesen has been presented with the Ove Sprogøe Prize at the fourth annual Isbjørnen Awards, which took the form of a virtual ceremony this year hosted by radio personality Mikael Bertelsen.
The Ove Sprogøe Prize is a tribute to one of Denmark’s finest actors, best known for the Olsen Gang movies, and is presented to an actor who has achieved something notable in the preceding year, whether it be on television, film or in theatres. Previous recipients include Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Ulrich Thomsen and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.
The jury said in their deliberation: “Your work of creating Rita has been borne of your extraordinary ability to first shape her from birth, then give her temper, will, vulnerability, and cracks. Cracks from which green shoots emerge as Rita grows up, and goes beyond comedy into riskier areas.”
“The character of Rita has been created as conscientiously as possible. If Rita acts incomprehensibly, hastily or irrationally, you step in and take the bullets. If Rita does not succeed in her ambitions, then it is in full accordance with your knowledge of life. You take care of Rita as if you were her beloved sister.”
Meanwhile, director Malou Reymann was awarded the Nordisk Film Prize, which recognises new talent in Danish cinema, for her debut feature A Perfectly Normal Family (En Helt Almindelig Familie). It was recently shortlisted as Denmark’s submission for the 93rd Academy Awards for its portrayal of a family’s changing dynamic where the father identifies as transgender.
The jury said: “Your film is a brave debut, based on personal experience, and you manage in the most beautiful way to include your audience in the main character’s journey. The film’s themes seem to be both modern and universal at the same time, and it is a film of the moment with great cultural significance and relevance.”
“Malou Reymann – you manage to tell the story in a way so that you as the audience achieve a high degree of intimacy and solidarity with the characters, and you never succumb to the sensational and colorful… You have clearly mastered portraying complex emotions with fine brushstrokes and use the tools of film art with a sure hand to tell your story.”
ISBJØRNEN AWARDS 2020: