PRESSRELEASE

Torbens Skjødt Jensens first full length fiction feature , "The man who would live forever" has been selected as openingfeature at the main competition of Göteborg Film Festival 1999 (29/1 - 7/2). This is also the world-premier.

THE MAN WHO WOULD LIVE FOREVER

Torben Skjødt Jensen's first fiction feature follows the life of Adrian Palmberg from his childhood to the present. A period of more than 100 years. It's a film about love and lost love.

Adrian rebels against his strong-willed father, a priest, and wants to be a farmer instead of joining the church. In the beginning everything looks perfect. He has his housekeeper Ester to help him and his young wife and son to establish an ideal and happy family life.

But a devastating fire changes his life completely. His wife and son die as part of the farm is struck by lightning. He turns his rage against God and life in general. Declares himself immortal and builds a wooden box in his cellar. Ester, a good neighbour and the small community are unable to reach him. When Adrian finally emerges from the box he is convinced that he has won his fight with God. At any rate - he goes on living.

But as the years pass by, he is declared insane and placed under the care of a psychiatric ward, where his main opponent is to be the chief psychiatrist, Helene Lorentzen.

Up against both God and the medical science Adrian's immortality is put to a final and unlimited test…

In the structure of the plot a number of interviews with the most important people around Adrian Palmberg are included as an element of "documentation" within the fictional and chronological story of his life.

A great number of established and popular actors, including Lars Simonsen (known from Malmros' film "Barbara") as Adrian, Stina Ekblad as Ester and Ghita Nørby as Helene Lorentzen, are in the cast. The black/white cinemascope picture has Harald Paalgard at the camera and is edited by Ghita Beckendorff.

The script was written by Orla Fokdal and Torben Skjødt Jensen, inspired by a short story by Peter Nilson.

THE MAN WHO WOULD LIVE FOREVER is a co-production by Final Cut Production and Pint of no Return Productions together with The Danish Film Institute supported by TV 2/Danmark and Canal+.