Kunsten at græde i kor (2006)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Peter Schønau Fog

Writers:

Bo Hr. Hansen (screenplay)
Erling Jepsen (novel)

Release Date:

27 April 2007 (Denmark)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Follows a precocious, eleven-year-old Allan, who tries desperately to keep his dysfunctional, rural...

Plot Keywords:

1970s | Child Abuse | Dysfunctional Family | Underage Smoking | Coming Of Age

Awards:

26 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Jannik Lorenzen	...	Allan
Jesper Asholt	...	Far
Hanne Hedelund	...	Mor
Julie Kolbech	...	Sanne (as Julie Kolbeck)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Rita Angela	...	Bedste
Bjarne Henriksen	...	Budde
Thomas Knuth-Winterfeldt	...	Asger
Camilla Metelmann
Gitte Siem	...	Faster Didde
Sune Thomsen	...	Per
Lene Tiemroth	...	Psykiater
Hans Henrik Voetmann	...	Dr. Madsen
Laura Kamis Wrang	...	Fru Budde
Kasper Nissen	...	Smoking boy in car / ball participant (uncredited)
René Frelle Petersen	...	Late night shopper (uncredited)

Directed by
Peter Schønau Fog

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Bo Hr. Hansen		screenplay
Erling Jepsen		novel

Produced by
Thomas Stenderup	....	producer
Nikolaj Tarp	....	line producer

Original Music by
Karsten Fundal

Cinematography by
Harald Gunnar Paalgard

Film Editing by
Anne Østerud

Casting by
René Frelle Petersen
Tine Sætter-Lassen

Production Design by
Søren Krag Sørensen

Set Decoration by
Arvid Berg-Ørnbak
Lars Michael Reiff

Costume Design by
Margrethe Rasmussen

Makeup Department
Emilie Grossos Aabye	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Antony Naur Castle	....	first assistant director
René Frelle Petersen	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Morten Holm	....	dialog editor
Morten Holsted	....	boom operator
Mark Kenna	....	consultant: Dolby film sound
Henry J. Michaelsen	....	sound recordist (as Henry John Michaelsen)
Peter Schultz	....	sound

Stunts
Deni Jordan	....	stunt coordinator
Deni Jordan	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Morten Kastberg	....	lighting technician
Aslak Lytthans	....	gaffer
Jens Peder Pedersen	....	grip
Fredrik Sundbye	....	camera loader: additional photography

Other crew
Andreas Caspersen	....	runner
Stine Monty Freddie	....	script supervisor
Casper Jakobsen	....	production coordinator
Maria Kristensen	....	production assistant
Julie Rix Petersen	....	runner
Marie Peuliche	....	production assistant
Jette Søndergaard	....	runner
Kasper Wilhelmsen	....	runner

Production Companies

• Final Cut Productions

Distributors

• SF Film (2006) (worldwide) (all media)

Also Known As:

The Art of Crying (Canada: English title) (USA) (festival title)

Runtime:

Canada:106 min (Toronto International Film Festival) | USA:106 min

Country:

Denmark

Language:

Danish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Sweden:11

Company:

Final Cut Productions

Trivia:

Denmark's Official Submission to the Best Foreign Language Film Category of the 80th Annual Academy Awards (2008).

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Smagsdommerne: (#5.13)" (2007)

A gem of a black comedy

I had the privilege of watching this at its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Fest, and it's always great to discover new talent. Here, it's not just the discovery of Peter Schonau Fog, but also of the tremendous cast, especially young Jannik Lorenzen, who plays 11-year-old Allan to perfection with his cheeky bewilderment, and eventually with a heavy disappointment that accompanies his loss of innocence. The film reminds me of Schlondorff's The Tin Drum with its rather disturbing, yet comical theme of children growing up entirely too quickly, although The Art of Crying is, in my opinion, far more beautifully poignant as it is told through Allan's eyes.

Henry (Jesper Asholt) is a milkman whose nightly suicide attempts and constant hysterics have driven his wife to taking sleeping pills every night to avoid him, and his son to university out of their sleepy rural village in Denmark. Henry's young son Allan (Lorenzen) adores him, and begins performing a series of bizarre acts in order to win his father's happiness, seeing nothing wrong with his father's manipulative actions and dysfunctional family dynamics.

I enjoyed this portrayal of the tension between the rural and the urban, seen in Henry's interactions with his educated son Asger, his daughter Sanne's boyfriend the "moped rowdy" Per, and his neighbour the Buddes, who have introduced self-service at their rival grocery store. It's a compelling tale, grippingly suspenseful as you wait to see what Henry and Allan will do next, yet disturbingly funny as you watch Allan delight in the most unpleasant things (just as long as they make Henry happy). Strong performances all around, and a neat debut for Schonau Fog!