While the biopic "Hammarskjöld – Fight For Peace" enjoys box office success in Sweden, Germany's Beta Cinema has sold the title to Italy (Rai Cinema), France (Swift Productions), Spain (Twelve Oaks), Portugal (Outsider Films) and Former Yugoslavia (Discovery), additionally, a US deal is being negotiated. The film was directed and co-written by acclaimed director Per Fly ("Backstabbing For Beginners", "Borgen") and stars Mikael Persbrandt ("In A Better World", "Sex Education)" as Dag Hammarskjöld.
The title is produced by Patrick Ryborn of Unlimited Stories, Beta Nordic Studios' Swedish powerhouse, in coproduction with Nordisk Film, SVT, Film I Väst, TV4, Nordsvensk Filmunderhållning, Maipo Film, Meta Film, Per Fly APS and Cambo Productions. The movie is supported by the Swedish Film Institute, the Nordisk Film & TV-Fond, and the Norwegian Film Institute, in association with Beta Film, Do Productions, and DR. "Hammarskjöld – Fight For Peace" was released in Sweden on Dec 25, and is a hit at the local box office, selling more than 260,000 tickets so far, making it the most seen film of the year. The true story-drama celebrated its international premiere at the Rotterdam Film Festival, where it made its way into the Top 10 of the Audience Award Ranking.
The story is set in New York City in 1961. At the peak of the Cold War, the diplomat Dag Hammarskjöld reached the pinnacle of his power, serving as Secretary-General of the United Nations. After decolonization, he takes it upon himself to bring peace to the African countries, thwarting plans further to exploit the resources of powerful entrepreneurs and world leaders. Just when his old friend Peter shows up in New York, turning his life upside down, Dag boards a plane towards the Congo in a final attempt to negotiate a cease-fire.