Kirsten Olesen Movies

Anna (Ann Eleonora Jørgensen of Italian for Beginners) has just been hired as the chaplain at a women's prison. Inexperienced, but compassionate and energetic, she begins to feel her way amongst the prisoners. Soon, a new prisoner, Kate (Trine Dyrholm of The Celebration), is transferred to the prison and causes a stir. Marion (Sonja Richter of Open Hearts), a junkie, has heard that Kate helped another prisoner get clean and goes to her when her fellow prisoner and dealer, Jossi (Sarah Boberg), cuts her off. Marion kicks heroin, and believes that the introspective Kate has healed her. When Anna gets wind of this, she goes to see Kate, but Kate doesn't want to talk to her. She's even a bit hostile, telling Anna to look after herself and the baby in her belly. Anna believes herself infertile after fruitlessly trying to have a child with her loving husband, Frank (Lars Ranthe). She's shocked to discover that she is actually pregnant, but her joy turns to dismay when she learns that the fetus may have a serious birth defect. Meanwhile, Henrik (Nicolaj Kopernikus), a mild-mannered guard, finds himself increasingly drawn to Kate, to the point of putting his job in jeopardy, while the ruthless Jossi, losing business, feels threatened by the strange new inmate. Writer/director Annette K. Olesen and co-writer Kim Fupz Aakeson made In Your Hands in the Dogme style, shooting on video at Nyborg State Prison. The film was shown at the 2004 Berlin International Film Festival and selected by the Film Society of Lincoln Center for inclusion in New Directors/New Films. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

John (Alan Olsen) is a Danish-born son who sets out to locate his father in this comedy thriller. While traveling to Los Angeles, John is caught in a small town in New Mexico and promptly has his money stolen. The main suspect is the waitress Lucy (Patricia Arquette), but she offers herself to him sexually. John soon is watched closely by the local sheriff (Richard Bright) and the suspicious hotel owner (Vincent Schiavelli). He joins a survivalist group run by Lucy's father, a local preacher who has more than fatherly love for his daughter. John and the father soon lock horns in an inevitable showdown. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

Shooting entirely on analog video, Lars von Trier directs the made-for-Danish-TV version of the ancient Greek tragedy Medea by Euripides. The screenplay is based on a 1960s adaptation written by master Danish filmmaker Carl Theodor Dreyer that was never produced during his lifetime. The mythological story follows after the tale of Jason and the Argonauts, with Jason (Udo Kier) having successfully returned with the Golden Fleece and ready to marry the young Glauce (Ludmilla Glinska), daughter of King Kreon (Henning Jensen). In doing so, Jason abandons his long-suffering wife, Medea (Kirsten Olesen), who is also the mother of his two children. When the King exiles Medea, she plots a vicious plan of revenge that involves poison, hanging, and misery for all. Produced in 1987, Medea received an extremely limited theatrical release in the U.S. in April of 2003. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

In a sexual and romantic drama of intrigue, lies, and gossip, a young woman enjoys both a husband and a lover for a long period of time, having children by both men, before her deception begins to fall apart. Elise (Ann-Mari Max Hansen) is an outgoing, happy woman married to Henry (Ole Ernst), the town doctor. Because of a mix-up one day, she finds herself first compromised and then romantically involved with William (Henning Jensen), a captain of the Dragoons. Elise is an amateur actress in local theatricals and loves to invent games with Henry which involve them sneaking off for a secret rendezvous now and again in another town. Her story is told from the viewpoint of the town vicar, who may not be such an innocent bystander as he first seems. Eventually, gossip begins to run rampant, and Elise's life heads for a radical change.
~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Orengen, Der Forsvandt is a children's picture about a boy who runs away from home, and since there is not much character development, it is unclear exactly why he did it. Thirteen-year-old Jonas (Mads M. Nielsen) is the lad in question, faced with a depressed mother and the probable reason for her sadness, a father with interests that lie outside the family home and parties to attend. Yet the household is otherwise orderly and responsible, and Jonas has a good relationship with his siblings. In spite of the stable aspects of his life, he walks out one day and sets up an organized housekeeping off in the woods. Unfortunately for the film, somewhere between Jonas' family life and his decision to leave, the storyline fades and weakens. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

After marrying his lovely librarian girlfriend Kirsten (Kirsten Olesen), Jens (Claus Strandberg) and she enjoy a brief, idyllic honeymoon, but soon she drifts into a deep depression and attempts suicide. She moves back into her parents' house and lurks there out of sight. Jens, a good-natured, shy and steady fellow, is bewildered at this turn of events and cannot make head nor tail of it. At least he has a friend he can turn to for some solace, Bjarne (Jens Okking), his older coworker. They go drinking together sometimes and he tries to figure this situation out. It finally comes to him that perhaps she cannot bear the fact of marriage itself, and he offers his dear Kirsten her freedom. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi