In The Girl With the Needle, set in 1919 Copenhagen, Karoline, a pregnant woman, finds work at an adoption agency run by Dagmar. As she delves deeper into the business, she uncovers shocking truths. Directed by Magnus von Horn, this film offers a gripping exploration of morality and survival.
2024
The Girl With the Needle
Director
Magnus von Horn
Runtime
115 Minutes
Country
Sweden, Denmark, Poland
Classification
Unclassified 18+
A woman uncovers dark secrets in a 1919 Copenhagen adoption agency.
The Girl With the Needle was one of the most talked-about films at Cannes, where it competed for top honours. Directed by Magnus von Horn, this highly anticipated follow-up to his acclaimed Sweat cements his reputation as a masterful filmmaker.
Set in 1919 Copenhagen, the film follows Karoline, a woman down on her luck after her partner fails to return from war, leaving her pregnant from another man and abandoned. Desperate, she turns to Dagmar, a woman who runs a sweet shop that doubles as an adoption agency. As Karoline begins working for Dagmar, she gradually uncovers the shocking reality behind the business.
Inspired by true events, von Horn crafts a respectful yet unflinching portrayal of a dark chapter in history. The film’s meticulous period setting feels eerily contemporary, making its themes resonate even more powerfully. Vic Carmen Sonne and Trine Dyrholm deliver multilayered performances that bring depth and complexity to their characters, making them leap off the screen.
The Girl With the Needle is a powerful, thought-provoking film that challenges our understanding of morality in a way that few others can.
“Extraordinary and upsetting...an adult fairytale abundantly populated with witches and wretches, but where society is revealed as the true monster.”
Variety
“Two unrelentingly fascinating performances from Vic Carmen Sonne and Trine Dyrholm, and an exquisite black-and-white aesthetic which moves from leering vaudeville to something filthier and shameful, command attention.”
Screen International
“It’s a bitterly hard-to-stomach brew of a movie, at once hideous and beautifully made, with a chilling supporting turn by Trine Dyrholm.”
The New Yorker
Cannes, Toronto, Sydney, Melbourne
Film Credits
Director
Magnus von Horn
Year
2024
Country
Sweden, Denmark & Poland
Language
Danish
Subtitles
English
Type
Feature & Fiction
Program Strand
World Cinema
Producer
Mariusz Włodarski & Malene Blenkov
Writer
Line Langebek & Magnus von Horn
Cinematographer
Michał Dymek
Editor
Agnieszka Glinska
Cast
Vic Carmen Sonne, Trine Dyrholm & Besir Zeciri
Music
Frederikke Hoffmeier
Film Source
The Match Factory
Genre
Crime, Drama & History
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