Millions invested in Zentropa

Director Kristian Levring bought shares in Zentropa Film Company for 5 million DKK, thus having rescued the company.

 

It is a known fact that normally it is the film concern which sponsors the shooting.  But not this time, not during the financial recession which attacked Zentropa. Despite the enormous success “Clown” (“Klovn”) and “Revenge” (”Hævnen”) films had, in 2010 the negative balance of the company was 17 million DKK.

But everything has changed and all of a sudden the film company was rescued by 54-year-old director Kristian Levring.

In an interview with Ekko (Danish film magazine) K.Levring shared his opinion on the matter and said that he was going to invest around 5 million DKK in Zentropa shares.

“It is quite simple. I have invested the money in Zentropa because I believe in the future of the film industry”, Levring said.

CEO of Nordisk Film and Chairman of the Board of Zentropa, Allan Hansen, confirms purchase of the shares which resulted in strengthening of the concern’s assets. “It’s been hard for Zentropa for the last several years, and the results have not been good at all. However, now we’ve got financial support which lets us develop a new business plan and have good working conditions”, he said.

Zentropa is owned by Nordisk Film, or to be more exact it is a mutual progeny of Lars von Trier and Peter Aalbaek Jensen (Peter Aalbæk Jensen). Allan Hansen looks to the future optimistically.

“We have undertaken to manage the company which unfortunately means that we had to introduce some restrictions. For example, much to our regret we had to say goodbye to some gifted and valuable employees. Nevertheless, we find this measure absolutely necessary”, the Chairman of the Board said. “We still would like to make some large-scale international films, but we don’t really want to feel vulnerable in this quite hard time when we cannot find decent financial support for such significant projects”, he added.

In 2012 there will be released two new big films which are “The Bald Hairdresser” (“Den skaldede frisør”) by Susanne Bier and “A Royal Affair” (“Dronningen og Livlægen”) by Nikolaj Arcels. Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg will also make a few new feature films in the coming year. 

 

 

Original text, photo:  DR.dk