Uncle

Honest, moving, and funny, Frelle Petersen’s chronicle of one young woman on the cusp of a life change captured the Grand Prix at the 2019 Tokyo International Film Festival. With both parents long dead, Kris (veterinarian-turned-actor Jette Søndergaard, a marvellous presence) works the family farm while caring for her infirm uncle (Peter Hansen Tygesen, the actual farmer of the actual farm location, and Søndergaard’s real-life uncle). She’s 27, single, and, despite her devotion to her crusty relative, longing for change. Enter Mike (Tue Frisk Petersen), a young, outgoing neighbour. Accepting his offer of a lunch date, she begins to see that life might indeed offer more possibilities… Frelle wrote the role of Kris specifically for Søndergaard, and it’s obvious why: she is brilliant at conveying thought and emotion sans dialogue.

‘Moments of bliss… abound in this beautifully lensed (by Petersen himself) and quite exquisite slice of humanity.’—Jan Lumholdt, Cineuropa