Hammarskjöld - Fight For Peace
Iconic actor Mikael Persbrandt from "In a Better World", "Sex Education", "The Kingdom Exodus" stars in the gripping true story of the man John F. Kennedy once called “the greatest statesman of our century.”
New York City, 1961. At the peak of the Cold War, the charismatic diplomat and economist Dag Hammarskjöld has reached the pinnacle of his power, serving as Secretary-General of the United Nations in his seventh year. After decolonization, he takes it upon himself to bring peace to the African countries, thwarting plans to further exploit resources of both powerful entrepreneurs and world leaders. His life is turned upside down when his old friend Peter shows up in New York. Dag realizes that he has missed out on an important part of life and starts questioning his unprecedented devotion and dedication to his job and vision. When UN peacekeepers are killed in open battle in the Congo, the Secretary-General sees no other way than to impose peace by new measures and leads the UN troops on their first war mission. Well aware that his enemies might gather to plot against him, he boards a plane in a final attempt to negotiate a cease-fire…
- Mikael Persbrandt (IN A BETTER WORLD, SEX EDUCATION, THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG, THE KINGDOM EXODUS)
- Francis Chouler (EYE IN THE SKY, TROY: FALL OF A CITY)
- Cian Barry (THE SPIDER'S WEB, HOLY WATER)
- Colin Salmon (TOMORROW NEVER DIES, RESIDENT EVIL)
- Sara Soulié (NYMPHS, NOCES D'OR)
- Hakeem Kae-Kazim (HOTEL RWANDA, PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN: AT WORLD'S END)
- Thure Lindhardt (INTO THE WILD, FLAME & CITRON, KEEP THE LIGHTS ON, THE BRIDGE )
- Richard Brake (PEAKY BLINDERS, ABSENTIA)
Press Quotes
"There is a crisp elegance to the storytelling that seeks to match Hammarskjold's personality."
"The production design from Niels Sejer conjures a world of gleaming limousines and shadowy, wood-panelled rooms where men determined the affairs of the world"
"Fly makes accessible the world of politics, betrayals and vested interests in which Hammarskjold was operating."
"The last 30 minutes of the film have the intrigue and pace of a political thriller, even though we already know the outcome."
Allan Hunter, Screendaily
"The film confidently sets the majority of its second half in the Belgian Congo, creating a suitably paranoid and fatalistic atmosphere."
"With Hammarskjöld's cool temperament starting to fray, you can sense in Persbrandt's eye movements his fear that he'd never see his adopted home of New York, nor Sweden, again."
"The filmmakers know that rhetorical clarity sometimes overrides indisputable facts"
David Katz, Cineuropa
"Hammarskjöld leads you into the political world of the protagonist instead of away from it. In the winter of 2023 when things are at their worst, the movie reminds us that attitude makes a difference."
SVT Nyheter
"Well made and well acted. Mikael Persbrandt gives his character weight and vulnerability. It is certainly right to portray him both as the charismatic UN leader who shines in the lectern, and as the insecure brooding in the darkness of loneliness. Big and small. All at once. To be human."
Aftonbladet
"The film explains.... things that feel extremely urgent to bring forward today and why not in this way, as a tribute to a man who wanted to change the world."
SVT
Selected Festivals & Awards
