“The fact it has done so well has been a surprise.” “I felt like a naive village idiot believing so strongly in my project when I took it to market but I come from an entrepreneurial family,” explains Jákupsson. Image: BBC/Finnur Justinussen/REinvent Studios ApS / Nordic Entertainment Group Sweden AB / Truenorth Film & TVehf. The series, which is currently waiting to hear on a second season, is based on the Hannis Martinsson novels by Jógvan Isaksen and follows a journalist as he investigates the murder of his daughter. Given its humble beginnings, one of Deadline’s seven Global Dramas To Watch 2022 has been a runaway success, picked up by Viaplay, the BBC and ZDF amongst others. He has come a long way since his fish factory days when the idea for Trom first came to him. With greater “international collaboration,” Jákupsson believes “the next generation” of Faroese talent can be trained up. “We are looking at new models and thinking about how we can produce high quality but at a cheaper price point that utilizes local talent.” “ are showing interest so now it is a matter of that link being reflected in story and characters,” he adds. The UK is a particular target, he says, pointing to the Faroes’ connection with the nation due to the British occupation during World War Two, which was dubbed Operation Valentine. Given that the Faroese contribution tends to barely make up a quarter of the budget, Jákupsson says the time is ripe to look beyond the Scandinavian shores for co-production money. The projects are in various stages of buyer conversation and development. “These projects look at Scandinavian society from a slightly different angle and aren’t limited to the Faroes.” “The common thread here is the sociopolitical element,” he explains. This is a fledgling industry but it’s growing fast and we have lots of talent.”Ĭouple that with two feature films – a Nordic neo-Western set in the Faroes and a Denmark-set social thriller – and Jákupsson and his team have their work cut out. “ Trom has given good exposure to a new, albeit small, market. “People are showing more and more interest in having the Faroes represented when I speak to them at markets and festivals,” Jákupsson tells Deadline in the days leading up to Cannes. In the interim, the Faroes could be seen as the backdrop to major scenes in the climax to James Bond movie No Time to Die, and more recently played host to some of the filming for Disney+’s Peter Pan & Wendy. More than anyone, Jákupsson can be considered the person responsible for beginning the quest to put this tiny Scandinavian Island – population 53,000 – on the global screen map, and things were given a further shot in the arm recently with a much-desired improvement to the tiny nation’s tax rebate. MGM Distribution Chief Erik Lomis Remembered By Paramount Exec Chris Aronson For Impact On Industry & Will Rogers Charity: "Unlike Any Other" - CinemaCon
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