Astrid Henning-Jensen Movies

A troubled mother-daughter relationship becomes even more corrosive when the widowed mother (Lone Hertz) rents out a room in their spacious suburban villa to a handsome writer (Lars Bom). The teenage daughter (Mette Maria Ahrenkiel) quickly attempts to seduce the new tenant, more to spite the mother than out of true desire. The girl's hitherto secure little world is falling apart: she wants to fit in with the fast, pot-smoking crowd and, at the same time, help a Bosnian refugee (Dejan Cukic) avoid the authorities. Fighting with her mother for the attention of a grown man almost seems an escape from the outside, too-adult world. In the end, it is the fate of the young Bosnian -- so much more consequential than a petty love triangle -- that forces mother and daughter to reevaluate their relationship. Directed by the then 83-year-old Danish veteran Astrid Henning-Jensen (Child of Man (1946), Vinterbørn (1978)), Bella Min Bella received more attention as the return to the screen of 1960s screen star Lone Hertz (Crazy Paradise (1965)) than for its slightly anachronistic generation-gap theme. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi

This is the fourth in a series of Danish films based on a story by the children's novelist Ole Lund Kirkegaard, and unlike its predecessors, it is geared solely to the young tots. As the tale of the Turkish boy Hodja (David Bertelsen) and his magic, flying carpet takes off, Hodja has just been awarded the carpet by the village elders and he shares his rides with his girlfriend Emerald (Zuhal Ozdemir). The two are unceasingly chased by the nefarious Rat (Lars Junggreen), who is anxious to pirate the carpet as a way to curry the Sultan's favor. But the last laugh will be Hodja's -- the carpet does not run on high octane fuel, just the belief in magic by those who climb aboard. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Line (Ann-Mari Max Hansen) and her husband (Soeren Spanning) are going through marriage difficulties and a separation appears to be looming on their horizon. They have two chidren, Hoene (Kathrine Helmuth) and Torben (Torbjorn Rafn), but the children themselves are not enough to bridge the gap between their parents. Before a final split can happen, Line discovers she has a virulent form of cancer and suddenly their mutual love for each other takes precedence over all else. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

In this youthful adventure, a young orphan is sent to live in a Danish village where he is cast out because his mother was a West Indian. With nowhere to turn, the ingenious survivor begins devising a new life outside of town. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

A female dress designer runs out on her boyfriend after the actor proves to be too forgetful and she feels she is no longer being respected. She is invited to dinner by an old flame who is now married, and her presence causes quite a scene. There are flashbacks, flashforwards and flashes of anger in this satirical commentary about the social elite. Nudity is used as a parody of the Swedish blue movies that have emanated from that country. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

In this Scandinavian melodrama, a Swedish lieutenant journeys to a lonely island off the coast of Lapland for a summer of badly needed rest and relaxation. Once there, the soldier rents a hunting lodge from an aging local. Soon he encounters his landlord's lovely daughter who, while finding the stranger attractive, is put off by her innate distrust of men. With patience, he shows that men can indeed be trusted; he also introduces her to love. Unfortunately, the girl gets quite jealous when her father's lovely mistress also begins flirting with the stranger. The father is an abusive and jealous man; he cannot help but notice that his formerly passive daughter and mistress have begun standing up to him. To get even, he sends for the wealthy baron who once courted his daughter. He then informs his daughter that her lover, the soldier, has also been carrying on with his mistress. The lass disbelieves him until she sees the truth for herself, and the utterly distraught young woman agrees to marry the baron. The father then makes a play for his former mistress who spurns him and flees into the snowy mountains. It is an unfortunate coincidence that the soldier should choose that time to fire a signal shot to his lover, for his gun triggers off a deadly avalanche that sweeps the hapless mistress to her doom. The father goes mad with grief and burns down his hunting lodge. Later the lieutenant tries to smooth it all over with the daughter, but she is disconsolate and rejects him. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

The female owner of a resort hotel (Birgitte Reimer) masquerades as a (male) waiter in order to inspect her property in this classic Danish farce which marked the debut of the comedy team of Kjeld Petersen and Dirch Passer. Petersen & Passer (commonly known as "Kellerdirch") reached top stardom in Denmark with a style very reminiscent of American duo Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. The film was remade as Solstik På Badehotellet (1973). ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi