”Unit One”, “Taxi” and “The Village”. Say the name and millions of Danish, Norwegian and Swedish viewers will recall memorable TV-experiences. Not many viewers, however, are familiar with the names of the two main authors, Peter and Stig Thorsboe. The brothers’ creativity as script writers and co-producers has been an influence in Danish TV-drama for more than a decade, and they are now being honoured with the Nordisk Film Award. Many colleagues from the film business will be present at Nordisk Film’s 97th birthday on November 6th, when the brothers are presented with 97.000 DKK The Danish actors Peter Gantzler and Lars Brymann will deliver the speech about the Thorsboe brothers´ contribution, which has made Danish TV-drama as successful as Danish film.
Peter and Stig Thorsboe, who both graduated in 1983 from the script line at the Danish Film School, launched their careers as authors with Erik Balling and Henning Bahs. One of the results of this collaboration was the Nordisk Film-series”Anthonsen” with Ove Sprogøe as a private detective. More films and series followed until “The Village” (1991-1996) and “Taxa” (1996-1999) seriously revived the capacity of TV drama to gather viewers in front of the TV screens for the catching, weekly instalments. Danish public service channel DR’s Emmy awarded “Unit One” maintained the level for the next series, DR’s coming “Krøniken” and the police series “Ørnen”, which are both authored by a Thorsboe.
It is the first time that a Nordisk Film Award goes to TV-people. Nordisk Film has previously presented the award to film directors such as Lars von Trier (1996), Søren Kragh-Jacobsen (1999) and Erik Clausen (2000). It has also previously been awarded to new talents before their careers took off: Christoffer Boe (2001), Birgitte Hald (1998) and Lotte Svendsen (1997). Last year Mogens Rukov, Danish film veteran, received the award.
The prize – which is cash in the amount of the age of Nordisk Film times 1000 – is handed out each year on the company’s birthday, which is celebrated in Valby, outside Copenhagen, on Stage 2, the world’s oldest film stage.
The Nordisk Film Foundation, which is part of the Egmont Foundation, supports the Scandinavian film environment with DKK 2 million every year to support the industry and encourage quality . The money does not go to productions as such, but to science, informational activities, education, talent development and other similar efforts. In addition to this is the Nordisk Film Award.
The award committee consists of Rumle Hammerich, Birgitte Hald, Peter Schepelern, Poul Nesgaard, Søren E. Jakobsen and Nordisk Film’s Managing Director, Kenneth Plummer.
The award will be presented on Thursday November 6th at 3pm at Nordisk Film in Valby.
For further information, please contact:
Stig Thorsboe: +45 26272528
Peter Thorsboe: +45 40308535
Kenneth Plummer, Managing Director, Nordisk Film: +45 36188200
Henrik Harring Jørgensen, Press relations manager, Nordisk Film: +45 36188200 / +45 23330265
