Media Briefing for Land of Mine

　　A media briefing for Land of Mine (Under sandet), a Danish film shortlisted to Tiantan Award, was held at Beijing International Hotel on April 20 at 1:30 pm. Present were Mikael Chr. Rieks (producer) and Roland M?ller (starring actor).

　　The stunning new film from Danish director Martin Zandvliet, exposes the previously hidden story of Denmark’s dark hour. In the days following the surrender of Nazi Germany in May 1945, German POWs held in Denmark were put to work by the Allied Forces. With minimal or no training in defusing explosives, they were sent to remove two million of their own landmines from the Danish west coast. During this process, more than half of them were killed or severely wounded. Zandvliet sheds light on this historical tragedy as the entry point to a story that involves love, hate, revenge and reconciliation.

　　These young German POWs Sebastian, Helmut, Ludwig, twins Ernst and Werner, and Wilhelm have confusion, fear and defeat in their eyes. Scornful of the Germans for their five-year occupation of his country, and with the intent on punishing what is left of the Nazi regime, the bullish Sergeant Rasmussen (Roland M?ller) marches his squad out on the dunes each day to prod for mines. This seemingly endless task quickly becomes carnage; and even Rasmussen grows conflicted in his feelings and intent toward his young prisoners. Land of Mine is about the aftermath of war; but more so, about humanity. Zandvliet finds equally compelling material for his tale of comradeship, survival, and unexpected friendships. It questions the existence of the inherent evil that could exist in us all. But is it ever possible to show sympathy for those who represented the Nazi terror?

　　Roland M?ller played the role of Sergeant Rasmussen. Roland M?ller, 43 years old, wrote songs for Danish rappers, and then started his career as an actor. In 2010, he asted as scrip advisor and starred Hit Hardest directed by Tobias Lindholm and Michael Noer. He was nominated for best supporting actor of Bodil Awards because of his performance in the film. Later, he starred A Hijacking directed by Tobias Lindholm and won a best supporting actor. Moreover, he starred Nordvest directed by Michael Noer and A Second Chance (En chance til) directed by Susanne Bier. In Land of Mine, he played the protagonist (Carl), for the first time.

　　Mikael Chr. Rieks introduced his original intention during the process of shooting, “We intended to expose a previously hidden story of Denmark’s dark hour”. The film is about the story after World War II where a young group of German POWs are made the enemy of a nation, where they are forced to dig up 2 million land-mines with their bare hands. After all, it is about humanity, from hatred to reconciliation. We intended to create a story, allowing the audience to experience terror, hope, dream, friendship, and struggle for survival.