Copenhagen-based DR Sales has boarded Denmark’s “Father’s House,” a documentary starring David Dencik and Trine Dyrholm, ahead of its run at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival international documentary competition and IDFA’s Signed section.
David Dencik and Trine Dyrholm in “Father’s House” (Credits: Mia Mai Dengsøe Graabæk / DR Sales)
The film — developed under the title “House Of The Holy Father” and co-directed by Eva Mulad and Andreas Koefoed — homes in on manipulation inside a notorious Christian sect, known in Denmark as Faderhuset. Blending fiction and documentary, it features Dencik (“No Time to Die,” “The Chestnut Man”) and Dyrholm (“The Danish Woman,” “Queen of Hearts”) in the reenactment scenes, giving two of Denmark’s best-known actors a central role in exploring the sect’s murky world.
A Festival Journey Years in the Making
The project has been on the festival radar for a while. It was pitched at the IDFA Forum 2024 co-production market in Amsterdam, where its mix of dramatized reenactments and documentary investigation stood out. Now finished, it has been selected for Tallinn’s international documentary competition — one of the most prominent documentary showcases in Northern Europe — as well as IDFA’s Signed section, a curated strand for notable works.
DR Sales knows the territory well. The Copenhagen outfit is the international distributor behind the Oscar-winning documentary “Mr Nobody Against Putin” and the Sundance winner “A New Kind of Wilderness,” making it a natural home for a Danish doc with heavyweight festival credentials.
Why It Matters
Religious sects and the psychology of control have long been rich ground for documentaries, but “Father’s House” takes an unusual approach by placing established screen actors at the heart of its reenactments. With Dyrholm’s Berlinale-winning pedigree and Dencik’s international profile, the film could reach well beyond the arthouse circuit — and its festival premieres at Tallinn and IDFA will be the first test of whether it does.
Source: Variety — read the full story there.
