Scan Magazine
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Lone Scherfig
British film’s go-to Dane As her fourth British film hits screens worldwide, Danish director Lone Scherfig reflects on being a sought-after examiner of British culture and history. Whatever the topic, her approach is surprisingly effortless. By Thomas Bech Hansen |
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have a great deal in common. “There is a certain crude strength,” she says.
Humour and craftsmanship Their Finest is, so far, arguably the pinnacle of what might be known in the future
What is Britishness? A contender for debate of the decade, the question seemingly pops up at every convenient turn, from the Queen’s Jubilee to Brexit. The film industry’s solution is to have an outsider looking in – from Denmark. Danish film director Lone Scherfig is enjoying the success of Their Finest, a romantic comedy set in London during World War II. A common denominator of her work is that she is being hired to handle quintessentially British topics – from An Education’s 1960s coming-of-age drama set amongst Victorian terraced houses, to The Riot Club’s handling of 124
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Issue 101
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June 2017
the elitist culture of Britain’s most prestigious universities, featuring more than a nod to the Bullingdon Club, which shaped the likes of David Cameron. So what keeps Lone Scherfig coming back? “I am happy the reception of my British films has been so positive. They keep saying how nice it is that someone is looking at them from outside. It probably has to do with me being able to portray them without the barriers of their own modesty and irony. All I have to do is enjoy their culture and try to make it conceivable to an international audience,” explains Scherfig, adding that Danes and Brits
Lone Scherfig. Photo: Yu Tsai, Getty Images