The best Niels Skousen’s drama movies

Robert Hansen, 34, a young police officer from Copenhagen, is transferred against his will to the small town of Skarrild in Southern Jutland as a substitute Marshall. The transfer is Robert’s chance to start over. Whether he is allowed to return to his job in Copenhagen, all depends on how well he performs in this frontier town.

Set in the early 1960s, the story revolves around high school sweethearts Jonas and Agnete, their friendships and families, trials and tribulations.

To the mentally ill Kriss, the world is divided up into 'good and evil', just like in the old B&W melodrama, 'Pure Hearts', which Kriss and his fellow patient, Willy, spend their days repeatedly watching at the psychiatric ward. To Kriss this film is the bible. One day after a serious conflict with one of the hospital's other patients their viewing rights are retracted. Kriss is deeply frustrated by this, until he realises that Linda, the young girl in the film, actually exists in the shape of the film's star, the actress Ulla Vilstrup. Setting fire to the hospital, Kriss and Willy escape into the night, determined to find her, because life is what you make of it.

12-year-old Martin finds the going tough. Manhood is approaching, but so far mostly as aches and pain. His mother's men friends are definitely nothing like the father he does not have. So some kind of male bonding is inevitable when he meets Funder, a juvenile droput on the run from the police. There is also girl-friend Rikke to consider. Who needs Martin the most? Coming of age isn't so easy.

Now in his fifties, Vagn leads a solitary life and plays football with a group of similarly aged men, some even older. After being left behind at a petrol station by his teammates on their way to a match in Sweden, he encounters a young habitual offender and together they set off in hot pursuit of Vagn's buddies. A Nordic road movie taking in a whole series of comic, serious and, above all, well-written scenarios.

In his new film, an intriguing and delicately crafted drama, Malmros portrays the poignant story of a man, who grew up in very modest circumstances in the early years of the 20th century, but whose diligence, intelligence and willingness to endure hardship helped him to become a leading brain surgeon. A success story on the face of it, but a story about a man - who is none other than the director's father - a man of powerful emotions. The film explores the nature and origin of the guilt that repeatedly deprived him of happiness.

Julie is a young tennis star who falls in love with his trainer - because she yearns for love and because she wants to liberate themselves from the ambitions which the father has on her behalf. Birgitte Hjort Sørensen has a conflict and fragile Juliet, and Rolf Hansen is the coach who tries to keep Julie from life. Other actors, Jesper Christensen as ambitious and indebted father, Trine Appel as the coach's disdain fiance and Niels Skousen as a nightclub owner. "Julie" is a modern update of August Strindberg's "Miss Julie".

The city is gasping for air in the scorching summer heat; everyone is under suspicion; a persistent detective superintendent is burrowing for the truth. A fiercely penetrating drama about a mother's love for her autistic adult son, who is suspected of murdering a local girl. The mother knows her son could have committed the murder, but she conceals her knowledge, and gradually becomes entangled in a thicket of lies. How far is she prepared to go to protect her son who is helpless in so many ways? Does she have it within her to give up the only person she loves?

An adventurous Danish sailor falls in love with the beautiful French singer Christine in this romantic adventure. Chased by soldiers, he takes cover under beds and petticoats in order to escape capture. Several dance scenes highlight this musical comedy that uses a limited amount of sight gags.