Pelle the Conqueror

1987 film directed by Bille August

Pelle the Conqueror

Original Swedish poster

Directed by| Bille August
Screenplay by| Bille August
Per Olov Enquist
Bjarne Reuter
Max Lundgren
Based on| Pelle Erobreren
by Martin Andersen Nexø
Produced by| Per Holst
Starring| Max von Sydow
Pelle Hvenegaard
Erik Paaske
Bjørn Granath
Cinematography| Jörgen Persson
Edited by| Janus Billeskov Jansen
Music by| Stefan Nilsson

Production
companies

Odyssey Entertainment
Svensk Filmindustri
Per Holst Filmproduktion

Distributed by| Svensk Filmindustri (Sweden)
Kærne Film (Denmark)

Release date

* 25 December 1987 (1987-12-25)

Running time

| 157 minutes[1]
Countries| Denmark
Sweden[2]
Languages| Scanian
Danish
Swedish
Budget| $4.5 million[3]
Box office| $2,053,931[4]

Pelle the Conqueror (Danish: Pelle Erobreren, Swedish: Pelle Erövraren) is a 1987 epic film co-written and directed by Bille August, based upon the 1910 novel of the same name by Danish writer Martin Andersen Nexø. The film tells the story of two Swedish immigrants to Denmark, a father and son, who try to build a new life for themselves. It stars Pelle Hvenegaard as the young Pelle, with Max von Sydow as his father, and also features Axel Strøbye and Astrid Villaume.

A co-production of Denmark and Sweden, August chose to adapt Boyhood, the first part of Nexø's novel, seeking to make an epic and citing the novel's status as essential reading in Denmark. Pelle Hvenegaard was 11 when he was cast, after some 3,000 children auditioned. Like many other boys in Denmark, he was named by his family for the novel's eponymous character.

The film screened at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival and New York Film Festival. It was critically acclaimed, winning the Palme d'Or and the 1988 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and numerous other honours.

## Plot

[edit]

In the late 1850s, the elderly emigrant Lasse Karlsson and his son Pelle reach the Danish island of Bornholm after leaving Skåne County, in southern Sweden, following the death of the boy's mother. Lasse finds it difficult to secure work, given his advanced age and Pelle's youth. They are forced to toil at a large farm, where they are generally mistreated by the managers.

The managers work under the tyrannical Kongstrup, who has a history of affairs with female employees, resulting in illegitimate children. Among such children is Rud, who befriends Pelle and helps him learn Danish. Eventually, Pelle becomes more confident and begins attending school, though he is still discriminated against as a foreigner. Pelle also befriends the Swedish worker Erik, who is constantly harassed for alleged sloth. Erik shares his dream of visiting America, China, and "Negroland" with Pelle, aiming to "conquer" the world. Rud runs away after poor performance at school, but Pelle begins to excel.

After Kongstrup impregnates Mrs. Kongstrup's visiting niece Miss Sine, his wife castrates him for his abuses. Lasse begins an affair with Mrs. Olsen, believed to be a widow since her husband has not returned from a long sea voyage. Pelle is teased at school for his father's affair.

At the farm, Erik is injured and disabled after attempting to lead a revolt against management. Mrs. Olsen's husband returns from his voyage, and Lasse is overcome with depression and alcoholism. The two appeal to the Kongstrups for aid against their harassment. Mrs. Kongstrup offers support, but her husband remains silent. Pelle receives a promotion but, after witnessing Erik forced from the farm, vows to leave. Lasse initially resolves to go with him, before deciding he is too old to travel. He sends Pelle alone into the world.

## Cast

[edit]

* Max von Sydow as Lassefar "Lasse" Karlsson
* Pelle Hvenegaard as Pelle Karlsson
* Erik Paaske as Foreman
* Björn Granath as Erik
* Astrid Villaume as Mrs. Kongstrup
* Axel Strøbye as Kongstrup
* Troels Asmussen as Rud
* Kristina Törnqvist as Anna
* Karen Wegener as Mrs. Olsen
* Sofie Gråbøl as Miss Sine
* Lars Simonsen as Niels Køller
* Buster Larsen as Ole Køller
* John Wittig as Schoolteacher
* Thure Lindhardt as Nilen

## Production

[edit]

### Development

[edit]

Bille August co-adapted and directed Pelle the Conqueror out of an ambition to make an epic film.

The film, based on the 1910 novel of the same name by Martin Andersen Nexø, was a co-production by Danish and Swedish companies. As the story had both Danish and Swedish elements, cooperation between producers in both countries had practical benefit.[5]

The screenplay, by director Bille August, Per Olov Enquist, Max Lundgren, and Bjarne Reuter, adapted only the first Boyhood part of Nexø's four-volume work.[6] August decided to film the novel, considered essential reading in Denmark, and he wanted to make an epic film.[3]

For the title role, Pelle Hvenegaard, who was 11, was cast after August and the crew auditioned 3,000 children. August decided on Hvenegaard, who he said demonstrated concentration, patience and self-control.[3] The boy was coincidentally named after the character in Nexø's book, as are many boys in Denmark, given the decades-long popularity of the book.[7]

### Filming

[edit]

The film marked the first collaboration between production designer Anna Asp, who had previously worked on Offret (1986), and August, who had attended a Stockholm school of photography with her.[8] Asp said that in designing the house seen in Pelle the Conqueror, she wanted to evoke a prison, and thus built the walls and painted them black and white.[9]

Filming took place for nearly six months. Its budget of $4.5 million, secured from the Danish and Swedish film institutes, made it one of the most costly films made in the Scandinavian countries.[3]

## Release

[edit]

The film was screened in the Cannes Film Festival in May 1988, and subsequently at the New York Film Festival in September 1988.[10] The film's awards attracted the attention of foreign distributors, with Miramax releasing it in the United States.[11]

Buoyed by the Academy Award recognition,[11] Pelle the Conqueror grossed $2,053,931 in North America,[4] a "respectable" figure for a foreign film.[11] The film had a re-release at Golden West College in Los Angeles in March 1993.[12]

## Reception

[edit]

### Critical reception

[edit]

Max von Sydow's performance received positive reviews, earning him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor.

Pelle the Conqueror was released to critical acclaim in the U.S.[11] Roger Ebert gave it three and a half stars, comparing it to Jan Troell's The Emigrants (1971), saying Max von Sydow's Oscar nomination was "well deserved" and the novice Pelle Hvenegaard "never steps wrong."[7] Vincent Canby, writing for The New York Times, called it "a vividly re-created, minutely detailed panorama of a particular time," and said it was a "scandal" that Von Sydow did not win Best Actor at Cannes.[10] Peter Travers, writing for People, said that Von Sydow exhibited "wrenching simplicity and power," but the film "is maddeningly mediocre."[13] Swedish director Ingmar Bergman told August he saw the film seven times, subsequently choosing August to direct the film The Best Intentions.[14]

Mark Chalon Smith, writing in The Los Angeles Times in 1993, praised the film as faithful to the novel and said "Cinematographer Jorgen Persson ... captures several memorable images of the starkly beautiful Danish terrain."[12] Time Out wrote "Despite occasional lapses into sentimentality, the film is saved by its performances and its uncluttered depiction of harsh impoverished lives," particularly praising von Sydow.[15] In 2004, The New York Times placed the film on its list of "the Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made."[16] Sarah Lutton, writing for the British Film Institute, named Pelle the Conqueror one of "10 great Danish films" and called Von Sydow "extraordinary."[17] Von Sydow later also called it "a very beautiful film."[18] The film holds an 84% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 25 reviews.[19]

### Accolades

[edit]

Pelle the Conqueror won the Palme d'Or at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival[20] The film also won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, 1988;[21] it was submitted to the Academy by the Danish government, giving Denmark its second consecutive win after Babette's Feast.[22] The Oscars ceremony also marked Max von Sydow's first nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor.[23]

Award  | Date of ceremony  | Category  | Recipient(s)  | Result  | Ref(s)

|
|
|
|
|

Academy Awards | 29 March 1989 | Best Actor | Max von Sydow | Nominated  | [21]
Best Foreign Language Film | Denmark | Won
BAFTA Awards | 11 March 1990 | Film Not in the English Language | Per Holst and Bille August  | Nominated  | [24]
Bodil Awards | 1988  | Best Danish Film | Bille August  | Won  | [25]
Best Actor | Max von Sydow  | Won
Best Supporting Actor | Björn Granath | Won
Best Supporting Actress | Karen Wegener  | Won
Cannes Film Festival | 11 – 23 May 1988 | Palme d'Or | Bille August  | Won  | [20]
César Awards | 4 March 1989 | Best Film of the European Community  | Nominated  | [26]
European Film Awards | 1988 | Best Film | Per Holst  | Nominated  | [27]
Best Actor | Max von Sydow  | Won
Best Supporting Actor | Björn Granath  | Nominated
Best Young Actor/Actress  | Pelle Hvenegaard | Won
Golden Globes | 28 January 1989 | Best Foreign Language Film | Pelle the Conqueror | Won  | [28]
Guldbagge Awards | 1 February 1988 | Best Film | Per Holst  | Won  | [29]
Best Actor | Max von Sydow  | Won
National Board of Review | 27 February 1989 | Top Foreign Films  | Pelle the Conqueror | Won  | [30]
Young Artist Awards | 6 May 1989 | Best Foreign Film  | Won  | [31]
Best Young Actor in a Foreign Film  | Pelle Hvenegaard  | Won

## See also

[edit]

* List of submissions to the 61st Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
* List of Danish submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Pelle Erobreren". Det Danske Filminstitut. Archived from the original on 14 August 2020. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
2. ^ "Pelle Erobreren (1987)". British Film Institute. 5 September 2016. Archived from the original on 2 August 2011. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
3. ^ a b c d Russell, Candice (19 March 1989). "Great Expectations at Heart Of Oscar-nominated Film". Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on 16 September 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
4. ^ a b "Pelle the Conqueror". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
5. ^ Hjort 2010, p. 16.
6. ^ Dowd, A.A. (15 August 2013). "Pelle The Conqueror conquered at Cannes—and at the Oscars and Golden Globes". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 16 September 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
7. ^ a b Ebert, Roger (3 March 1989). "Pelle the Conqueror". Rogerebert.com. Archived from the original on 3 June 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
8. ^ Ettedgui 1999, p. 109.
9. ^ Ettedgui 1999, p. 114.
10. ^ a b Canby, Vincent (30 September 1988). "Film Festival; Von Sydow as a Father In 'Pelle the Conqueror'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 15 September 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
11. ^ a b c d Elkington 2005, p. 36.
12. ^ a b Smith, Mark Chalon (11 March 1993). "Humor and Dignity Ease Pain of 'Pelle'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
13. ^ Travers, Peter (16 January 1989). "Picks and Pans Review: Pelle the Conqueror". People, Vol. 31 No. 2. Archived from the original on 22 September 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
14. ^ Blair, Iain (9 August 1992). "With 'Best Intentions'". The Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 14 December 2017. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
15. ^ CM. "Pelle the Conqueror". Time Out. Archived from the original on 21 August 2015. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
16. ^ "The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made". The New York Times. 2004. Archived from the original on 29 March 2005. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
17. ^ Lutton, Sarah (14 July 2016). "10 great Danish films". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 5 September 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
18. ^ Smith, Krista (February 2012). "Max von Sydow on Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and His Secret Dream Project". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on 13 April 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
19. ^ Pelle the Conqueror at Rotten Tomatoes
20. ^ a b "Festival de Cannes: Pelle the Conqueror". festival-cannes.com. Archived from the original on 10 September 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2009.
21. ^ a b "The 61st Academy Awards (1989) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
22. ^ Hjort 2007, p. 23.
23. ^ Hammond, Pete (8 December 2011). "Oscars: Stellar Work By Veterans May Keep Upstarts Out Of Supporting Actor Race". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 16 September 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
24. ^ "Film Not in the English Language in 1990". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Archived from the original on 4 April 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
25. ^ "1988 Årets vindere". Bodil Prisen. Archived from the original on 13 October 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
26. ^ "Pelle Le Conquérant". AlloCiné. Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
27. ^ "European Film Awards 1988". European Film Academy. Archived from the original on 22 December 2017. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
28. ^ "Pelle The Conqueror". Golden Globe Awards. Archived from the original on 29 November 2019. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
29. ^ "Pelle Erobreren (1987)". Swedish Film Institute. 15 March 2014. Archived from the original on 13 January 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
30. ^ "1988 Award Winners". National Board of Review. Archived from the original on 21 March 2015. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
31. ^ "Tenth Annual Youth in Film Awards 1987-1988". Young Artist Awards. Archived from the original on 12 August 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2016.

### Bibliography

[edit]

* Elkington, Trevor Glen (2005). "Costumes, Adolescence, and Dogma". In Nestingen, Andrew K.; Elkington, Trevor Glen (eds.). Transnational Cinema in a Global North: Nordic Cinema in Transition. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-3243-9.
* Ettedgui, Peter (1999). Production Design & Art Direction. Focal Press. ISBN 0-240-80400-7.
* Hjort, Mette (21 November 2007). "I. Denmark". In Hjort, Mette; Petrie, Duncan J. (eds.). The Cinema of Small Nations. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 978-0-7486-3092-9.
* Hjort, Mette (2010). "On the Plurality of Cinematic Transnationalism". In Durovicová, Nataša; Newman, Kathleen E. (eds.). World Cinemas, Transnational Perspectives. New York and London: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-135-86998-4.

## External links

[edit]

* Pelle the Conqueror at IMDb
* Pelle the Conqueror in the Danish Film Database
* Pelle Erobreren at the Swedish Film Institute Database
* Pelle the Conqueror at Box Office Mojo
* Pelle the Conqueror at Rotten Tomatoes
*   * Pelle the Conqueror at Project Gutenberg

* v
* t
* e

Films directed by Bille August

* In My Life (1978)
* Zappa (1983)
* Buster's World (1984)
* Twist and Shout (1984)
* Pelle the Conqueror (1987)
* The Best Intentions (1992)
* The House of the Spirits (1993)
* Jerusalem (1996)
* Smilla's Sense of Snow (1997)
* Les Misérables (1998)
* A Song for Martin (2001)
* Return to Sender (2004)
* Goodbye Bafana (2007)
* The Passion of Marie (2012)
* Night Train to Lisbon (2013)
* Silent Heart (2014)
* The Chinese Widow (2017)
* 55 Steps (2017)
* A Fortunate Man (2018)
* The Pact (2021)
* The Kiss (2022)
* Ehrengard: The Art of Seduction (2023)

Awards for Pelle the Conqueror

* v
* t
* e

Academy Award for Best International Feature Film

1947–1955
(Honorary)|

* 1947: Shoeshine – Vittorio De Sica
* 1948: Monsieur Vincent – Maurice Cloche
* 1949: Bicycle Thieves – Vittorio De Sica
* 1950: The Walls of Malapaga – René Clément
* 1951: Rashomon – Akira Kurosawa
* 1952: Forbidden Games – René Clément
* 1953: No Award
* 1954: Gate of Hell – Teinosuke Kinugasa
* 1955: Samurai, The Legend of Musashi – Hiroshi Inagaki

1956–1975|

* 1956: La Strada – Federico Fellini
* 1957: Nights of Cabiria – Federico Fellini
* 1958: My Uncle – Jacques Tati
* 1959: Black Orpheus – Marcel Camus
* 1960: The Virgin Spring – Ingmar Bergman
* 1961: Through a Glass Darkly – Ingmar Bergman
* 1962: Sundays and Cybèle – Serge Bourguignon
* 1963: 8½ – Federico Fellini
* 1964: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow – Vittorio De Sica
* 1965: The Shop on Main Street – Ján Kadár & Elmar Klos
* 1966: A Man and a Woman – Claude Lelouch
* 1967: Closely Watched Trains – Jiří Menzel
* 1968: War and Peace – Sergei Bondarchuk
* 1969: Z – Costa-Gavras
* 1970: Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion – Elio Petri
* 1971: The Garden of the Finzi-Continis – Vittorio De Sica
* 1972: The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie – Luis Buñuel
* 1973: Day for Night – François Truffaut
* 1974: Amarcord – Federico Fellini
* 1975: Dersu Uzala – Akira Kurosawa

1976–present|

* 1976: Black and White in Color – Jean-Jacques Annaud
* 1977: Madame Rosa – Moshé Mizrahi
* 1978: Get Out Your Handkerchiefs – Bertrand Blier
* 1979: The Tin Drum – Volker Schlöndorff
* 1980: Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears – Vladimir Menshov
* 1981: Mephisto – István Szabó
* 1982: Volver a Empezar ('To Begin Again') – José Luis Garci
* 1983: Fanny and Alexander – Ingmar Bergman
* 1984: Dangerous Moves – Richard Dembo
* 1985: The Official Story – Luis Puenzo
* 1986: The Assault – Fons Rademakers
* 1987: Babette's Feast – Gabriel Axel
* 1988: Pelle the Conqueror – Bille August
* 1989: Cinema Paradiso – Giuseppe Tornatore
* 1990: Journey of Hope – Xavier Koller
* 1991: Mediterraneo – Gabriele Salvatores
* 1992: Indochine – Régis Wargnier
* 1993: Belle Époque – Fernando Trueba
* 1994: Burnt by the Sun – Nikita Mikhalkov
* 1995: Antonia's Line – Marleen Gorris
* 1996: Kolya – Jan Svěrák
* 1997: Character – Mike van Diem
* 1998: Life Is Beautiful – Roberto Benigni
* 1999: All About My Mother – Pedro Almodóvar
* 2000: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – Ang Lee
* 2001: No Man's Land – Danis Tanović
* 2002: Nowhere in Africa – Caroline Link
* 2003: The Barbarian Invasions – Denys Arcand
* 2004: The Sea Inside – Alejandro Amenábar
* 2005: Tsotsi – Gavin Hood
* 2006: The Lives of Others – Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
* 2007: The Counterfeiters – Stefan Ruzowitzky
* 2008: Departures – Yōjirō Takita
* 2009: The Secret in Their Eyes – Juan José Campanella
* 2010: In a Better World – Susanne Bier
* 2011: A Separation – Asghar Farhadi
* 2012: Amour – Michael Haneke
* 2013: The Great Beauty – Paolo Sorrentino
* 2014: Ida – Paweł Pawlikowski
* 2015: Son of Saul – László Nemes
* 2016: The Salesman – Asghar Farhadi
* 2017: A Fantastic Woman – Sebastián Lelio
* 2018: Roma – Alfonso Cuarón
* 2019: Parasite – Bong Joon-ho
* 2020: Another Round – Thomas Vinterberg
* 2021: Drive My Car – Ryusuke Hamaguchi
* 2022: All Quiet on the Western Front – Edward Berger
* 2023: The Zone of Interest – Jonathan Glazer
* 2024: I'm Still Here – Walter Salles

* v
* t
* e

Bodil Award for Best Danish Film

* 1948 Jenny and the Soldier
* 1949 The Viking Watch of the Danish Seaman
* 1950 Susanne
* 1951 Café Paradis
* 1952 Det Sande Ansigt
* 1953 Adam and Eve
* 1954 Farlig Ungdom
* 1955 Ordet and Der kom en dag
* 1956 På tro og love
* 1957 Be Dear to Me
* 1958 Dregs
* 1959 A Stranger Knocks
* 1960 Vi er allesammen tossede
* 1961 The Last Winter
* 1962 Harry and the Butler
* 1963 Weekend
* 1964 Street Without End
* 1965 Gertrud
* 1966 Strike First Freddy
* 1967 Hunger
* 1968 People Meet and Sweet Music Fills the Heart
* 1969 Ballad of Carl-Henning
* 1970 Jazz All Around
* 1971 Ang.: Lone
* 1972 The Missing Clerk
* 1973 The Escape
* 1974 Not awarded
* 1975 Lars-Ole 5.c
* 1976 That Brief Summer
* 1977 Boys
* 1978 Me and Charly
* 1979 In My Life
* 1980 Johnny Larsen
* 1981 Jeppe på bjerget
* 1982 Rubber Tarzan
* 1983 Der er et yndigt land
* 1984 Beauty and the Beast
* 1985 The Element of Crime
* 1986 The Dark Side of the Moon
* 1987 Coeurs flambés
* 1988 Pelle the Conqueror
* 1989 Emma's Shadow
* 1990 Waltzing Regitze
* 1991 Dance of the Polar Bears
* 1992 Europa
* 1993 Pain of Love
* 1994 Fish Out of Water
* 1995 The Kingdom
* 1996 The Beast Within
* 1997 Breaking the Waves
* 1998 Let's Get Lost
* 1999 The Celebration
* 2000 The One and Only
* 2001 The Bench
* 2002 Kira's Reason: A Love Story
* 2003 Open Hearts
* 2004 Dogville
* 2005 King's Game
* 2006 Manslaughter
* 2007 A Soap
* 2008 The Art of Crying
* 2009 Terribly Happy
* 2010 Antichrist
* 2011 R
* 2012 Melancholia
* 2013 A Hijacking
* 2014 The Hunt
* 2015 Silent Heart
* 2016 Land of Mine
* 2017 In the Blood
* 2018 Winter Brothers
* 2019 Holiday
* 2020 Queen of Hearts
* 2021 Another Round
* 2022 Persona Non Grata

* v
* t
* e

Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or

1939–1975|

* Union Pacific (1939)
* No festival held (1940–1945)
* Brief Encounter (1946)
* The Last Chance (1946)
* The Lost Weekend (1946)
* María Candelaria (1946)
* Men Without Wings (1946)
* Neecha Nagar (1946)
* Pastoral Symphony (1946)
* The Red Meadows (1946)
* Rome, Open City (1946)
* Torment (1946)
* The Turning Point (1946)
* Antoine and Antoinette (1947)
* Crossfire (1947)
* The Damned (1947)
* Dumbo (1947)
* Ziegfeld Follies (1947)
* No festival held (1948)
* The Third Man (1949)
* No festival held (1950)
* Miracle in Milan (1951)
* Miss Julie (1951)
* Othello (1951)
* Two Cents Worth of Hope (1952)
* The Wages of Fear (1953)
* Gate of Hell (1954)
* Marty (1955)
* The Silent World (1956)
* Friendly Persuasion (1957)
* The Cranes Are Flying (1958)
* Black Orpheus (1959)
* La Dolce Vita (1960)
* The Long Absence (1961)
* Viridiana (1961)
* O Pagador de Promessas (1962)
* The Leopard (1963)
* The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)
* The Knack ...and How to Get It (1965)
* The Birds, the Bees and the Italians (1966)
* A Man and a Woman (1966)
* Blowup (1967)
* Festival cancelled while in progress (1968)
* if.... (1969)
* M*A*S*H (1970)
* The Go-Between (1971)
* The Mattei Affair (1972)
* The Working Class Goes to Heaven (1972)
* The Hireling (1973)
* Scarecrow (1973)
* The Conversation (1974)
* Chronicle of the Years of Fire (1975)

1976–2000|

* Taxi Driver (1976)
* Padre Padrone (1977)
* The Tree of Wooden Clogs (1978)
* Apocalypse Now (1979)
* The Tin Drum (1979)
* All That Jazz (1980)
* Kagemusha (1980)
* Man of Iron (1981)
* Missing (1982)
* Yol (1982)
* The Ballad of Narayama (1983)
* Paris, Texas (1984)
* When Father Was Away on Business (1985)
* The Mission (1986)
* Under the Sun of Satan (1987)
* Pelle the Conqueror (1988)
* Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989)
* Wild at Heart (1990)
* Barton Fink (1991)
* The Best Intentions (1992)
* Farewell My Concubine (1993)
* The Piano (1993)
* Pulp Fiction (1994)
* Underground (1995)
* Secrets & Lies (1996)
* The Eel (1997)
* Taste of Cherry (1997)
* Eternity and a Day (1998)
* Rosetta (1999)
* Dancer in the Dark (2000)

2001–present|

* The Son's Room (2001)
* The Pianist (2002)
* Elephant (2003)
* Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)
* L'Enfant (2005)
* The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006)
* 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2007)
* The Class (2008)
* The White Ribbon (2009)
* Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010)
* The Tree of Life (2011)
* Amour (2012)
* Blue Is the Warmest Colour (2013)
* Winter Sleep (2014)
* Dheepan (2015)
* I, Daniel Blake (2016)
* The Square (2017)
* Shoplifters (2018)
* Parasite (2019)
* No festival held (2020)
* Titane (2021)
* Triangle of Sadness (2022)
* Anatomy of a Fall (2023)
* Anora (2024)
* It Was Just an Accident (2025)

* v
* t
* e

Danish submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film

* Qivitoq - Fjeldgængeren (1956)
* Be Dear to Me (1957)
* The Girls Are Willing (1958)
* Paw (1959)
* Harry and the Butler (1961)
* Sekstet (1964)
* Gertrud (1965)
* Hunger (1966)
* Once There Was a War (1967)
* People Meet and Sweet Music Fills the Heart (1968)
* Ballad of Carl-Henning (1969)
* Ang.: Lone (1970)
* The Missing Clerk (1971)
* Oh, to Be on the Bandwagon! (1972)
* The Last Exploits of the Olsen Gang (1974)
* Per (1975)
* The Olsen Gang Sees Red (1976)
* Boys (1977)
* Me and Charly (1978)
* Johnny Larsen (1979)
* Tree of Knowledge (1982)
* Zappa (1983)
* Tukuma (1984)
* Twist and Shout (1985)
* The Dark Side of the Moon (1986)
* Babette's Feast (1987)
* Pelle the Conqueror (1988)
* Waltzing Regitze (1989)
* Dance of the Polar Bears (1990)
* The Great Day on the Beach (1991)
* Sofie (1992)
* Black Harvest (1993)
* Carl, My Childhood Symphony (1994)
* Hamsun (1996)
* Barbara (1997)
* The Celebration (1998)
* Mifune (1999)
* A Place Nearby (2000)
* Italian for Beginners (2001)
* Open Hearts (2002)
* Reconstruction (2003)
* The Five Obstructions (2004)
* Adam's Apples] (2005)
* After the Wedding (2006)
* The Art of Crying (2007)
* Worlds Apart (2008)
* Terribly Happy (2009)
* In a Better World (2010)
* SuperClásico (2011)
* A Royal Affair (2012)
* The Hunt (2013)
* Sorrow and Joy (2014)
* A War (2015)
* Land of Mine (2016)
* You Disappear (2017)
* The Guilty (2018)
* Queen of Hearts (2019)
* Another Round (2020)
* Flee (2021)
* Holy Spider (2022)
* The Promised Land (2023)
* The Girl with the Needle (2024)

* v
* t
* e

Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film

Foreign Film – Foreign Language
1949–1972|

* Bicycle Thieves (1949)
* Genevieve / The Lady of the Camelias / No Way Back / Twenty-Four Eyes (1954)
* Children, Mother, and the General / Dangerous Curves / Eyes of Children / Ordet / Stella (1955)
* Before Sundown / A Girl in Black / Roses on the Arm / War and Peace / The White Reindeer (1956)
* Confessions of Felix Krull / Tizoc / Yellow Crow (1957)
* Girl and the River / The Road a Year Long / Rosemary (1958)
* Aren't We Wonderful? / Black Orpheus / The Bridge / Odd Obsession / Wild Strawberries (1959)
* The Truth / The Virgin Spring (1960)
* Two Women (1961)
* Divorce Italian Style (1962)
* Any Number Can Win (1963)
* Marriage Italian Style (1964)
* Juliet of the Spirits (1965)
* A Man and a Woman (1966)
* Live for Life (1967)
* War and Peace (1968)
* Z (1969)
* Rider on the Rain (1970)
* The Policeman (1971)
* The Emigrants / The New Land (1972)

Foreign Film
1973–1985|

* The Pedestrian (1973)
* Scenes from a Marriage (1974)
* Lies My Father Told Me (1975)
* Face to Face (1976)
* A Special Day (1977)
* Autumn Sonata (1978)
* La Cage aux Folles (1979)
* Tess (1980)
* Chariots of Fire (1981)
* Gandhi (1982)
* Fanny and Alexander (1983)
* A Passage to India (1984)
* The Official Story (1985)

Foreign Language Film
1986–2020|

* The Assault (1986)
* My Life as a Dog (1987)
* Pelle the Conqueror (1988)
* Cinema Paradiso (1989)
* Cyrano de Bergerac (1990)
* Europa Europa (1991)
* Indochine (1992)
* Farewell My Concubine (1993)
* Farinelli (1994)
* Les Misérables (1995)
* Kolya (1996)
* Ma vie en rose (1997)
* Central Station (1998)
* All About My Mother (1999)
* Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
* No Man's Land (2001)
* Talk to Her (2002)
* Osama (2003)
* The Sea Inside (2004)
* Paradise Now (2005)
* Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
* The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
* Waltz with Bashir (2008)
* The White Ribbon (2009)
* In a Better World (2010)
* A Separation (2011)
* Amour (2012)
* The Great Beauty (2013)
* Leviathan (2014)
* Son of Saul (2015)
* Elle (2016)
* In the Fade (2017)
* Roma (2018)
* Parasite (2019)
* Minari (2020)

Non-English Language Film
2021–present|

* Drive My Car (2021)
* Argentina, 1985 (2022)
* Anatomy of a Fall (2023)
* Emilia Pérez (2024)

* v
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Guldbagge Award for Best Film

* The Silence (1963/64)
* Swedish Wedding Night (1964/65)
* Heja Roland! (1965/66)
* Persona (1966/67)
* Hugo and Josephine (1967/68)
* The White Game (1968/69)
* A Swedish Love Story & Mistreatment (1969/70)
* The Emigrants (1970/71)
* The Apple War (1971/72)
* Cries and Whispers (1972/73)
* A Handful of Love (1973/74)
* The Last Adventure (1974/75)
* Release the Prisoners to Spring (1975/76)
* The Man on the Roof (1976/77)
* The Adventures of Picasso (1977/78)
* A Respectable Life (1978/79)
* To Be a Millionaire (1979/80)
* Children's Island (1980/81)
* The Simple-Minded Murderer (1981/82)
* Fanny and Alexander (1982/83)
* Beyond Sorrow, Beyond Pain (1984)
* My Life as a Dog (1985)
* The Sacrifice (1986)
* Pelle the Conqueror (1987)
* Katinka & Back to Ararat (1988)
* The Miracle in Valby (1989)
* Good Evening, Mr. Wallenberg (1990)
* Il Capitano: A Swedish Requiem (1991)
* House of Angels (1992)
* The Slingshot (1993)
* A Pizza in Jordbro (1994)
* All Things Fair (1995)
* Hamsun (1996)
* Tic Tac (1997)
* Show Me Love (1998)
* Tsatsiki, morsan och polisen (1999)
* Songs from the Second Floor (2000)
* As White as in Snow (2001)
* Lilya 4-ever (2002)
* Evil (2003)
* Dalecarlians (2004)
* Nina's Journey (2005)
* Kidz in da Hood (2006)
* You, the Living (2007)
* Everlasting Moments (2008)
* The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009)
* Sebbe (2010)
* She Monkeys (2011)
* Eat Sleep Die (2012)
* The Reunion (2013)
* Force Majeure (2014)
* The Here After (2015)
* The Giant (2016)
* The Nile Hilton Incident (2017)
* Border (2018)
* And Then We Danced (2019)
* Run Uje Run (2020)
* Clara Sola (2021)
* Triangle of Sadness (2022)
* Paradise Is Burning (2023)
* Crossing (2024)

* v
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* e

Robert Award for Best Danish Film

* Beauty and the Beast (1984)
* The Element of Crime (1985)
* The Flying Devils (1986)
* Cœurs flambés (1987)
* Pelle the Conqueror (1988)
* Emma's Shadow (1989)
* Waltzing Regitze (1990)
* Dance of the Polar Bears (1991)
* Europa (1992)
* Pain of Love (1993)
* The House of the Spirits (1994)
* Nightwatch (1995)
* The Beast Within (1996)
* Breaking the Waves (1997)
* Barbara & Let's Get Lost (1998)
* The Celebration (1999)
* The One and Only (2000)
* The Bench (2001)
* Kira's Reason: A Love Story (2002)
* Open Hearts (2003)
* The Inheritance (2004)
* King's Game (2005)
* Adam's Apples (2006)
* We Shall Overcome (2007)
* The Art of Crying (2008)
* Terribly Happy (2009)
* Antichrist (2010)
* R (2011)
* Melancholia (2012)
* A Hijacking (2013)
* The Hunt (2014)
* Nymphomaniac Director's Cut (2015)
* Land of Mine (2016)
* The Day Will Come (2017)
* Winter Brothers (2018)
* The Guilty (2019)
* Queen of Hearts (2020)
* Another Round (2021)
* Persona Non Grata (2022)
* Holy Spider (2023)
* The Promised Land (2024)
* Matters of the Heart (2025)

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