Norwegian director Erik Poppe, renowned for his work on the Juliette Binoche film “1,000 Times Good Night” and the Golden Bear-nominated “Utøya: July 22,” is set to open the Norwegian Film Festival in Haugesund on August 18 with his highly anticipated drama “Quisling – The Final Days.” This screening will precede the film’s international debut at Toronto’s Special Presentations.
The narrative, set in WWII-era Norway, delves into the contemporary issue of rising right-wing extremism and its threat to democratic values. The story focuses on the final hours of Vidkun Quisling before his execution on October 24, 1945. Once a Nazi collaborator, Quisling’s name is synonymous with treachery.
The film portrays his interactions with priest Peder Olsen, whose diary provided crucial insights for the script. These encounters evolve into a tense psychological conflict between humanism and fascism.
Gard B. Eidsvold, known for “Troll” and “In Order of Disappearance,” stars as Quisling, while Anders Danielsen Lie, from “The Worst Person on earth,” plays Olsen. The cast also includes Lisa Carlehed (“The Emigrants”) as Maria Quisling and Lisa Loven Kongsli (“Force Majeure”) as Heidi Olsen, the priest’s wife.
Written by Anna Bach-Wiig, Siv Rajendram Eliassen, and Ravn Lanesskog, “Quisling – The Final Days” is produced by Poppe’s frequent collaborators Finn Gjerdrum and Stein B. Kvae from Paradox and SF Studios’ Norwegian division. The film, along with a TV version, is being sold internationally by REinvent.
In an exclusive interview with Variety prior to the film’s world premiere, Poppe shared his creative process and insights into future projects, including the relationship drama “Bad Moon Rising,” adapted from a script by Nobel laureate Jon Fosse, and “The Scream,” his first foray into genre filmmaking inspired by Edvard Munch’s iconic painting.