The Promised Land (2023 film)

The Promised Land (Danish: Bastarden, lit. 'The bastard') is a 2023 epic historical drama film directed by Nikolaj Arcel and written by Arcel and Anders Thomas Jensen. Starring Mads Mikkelsen, Amanda Collin and Simon Bennebjerg, and with Kristine Kujath Thorp, Gustav Lindh, Jakob Lohmann, Morten Hee Andersen, Magnus Krepper and Felix Kramer in supporting roles, the film is based on the 2020 book The Captain and Ann Barbara by Ida Jessen, and is a joint Danish-German-Swedish co-production.

The Promised Land had its world premiere on 31 August 2023 at the 80th Venice International Film Festival where it competed for the Golden Lion. It was selected as the Danish entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards, and was one of the 15 finalist films in the December shortlist.

Plot
In 1755, Captain Ludvig Kahlen, an impoverished Danish officer of humble birth, retires after 25 years of service in a German Army with a measly pension to his native Denmark and obtains a permission from the Royal Danish Court to build a property on the barren Jutland moorland for land cultivation. He hopes to establish a settlement on that property, and in return for that he requests from the Court a privilege of a noble title with an associated manor. Soon after arriving at the site of his prospective homestead, he comes into conflict with Frederik Schinkel, a local magistrate at the nearby Hald Manor and a merciless landowner who has been trying to monopolize ownership of the moorland.

Schinkel does his utmost to make workforce unavailable to Kahlen, who covertly employs and harbors Johannes Eriksen and his wife Ann Barbara, two of Schinkel's indentured serf farmers who broke their contract and fled Frederik's mistreatment. After being led to their camp by Anmai Mus, a Romani girl he catches trying to steal from him, he also hires the "Tatere" Romani Travellers as workers, though that practice is illegal. In the meantime, Schinkel's cousin and betrothed Edel Helene is not interested in marrying him, but her father insists on the marriage due to Schinkel's substantial wealth, unless she can come up with an alternative suitor within a year.

At a harvest ball, Edel meets Kahlen secretly and share a kiss to seal the understanding that if he can acquire a noble title within the year, they will marry, offering her an escape from the unwanted union with her cousin. Towards the end of the party, Schinkel reveals that he has recaptured Johannes while he was on his way to the coast to acquire clay for Kahlen's farm. The escaped serf is tortured to death with boiling water by his former master in front of the appalled party guests. Kahlen takes Johannes' body back to his wife; seeing the boiled body of their fellow worker, the Travellers leave Kahlen's employment, though Anmai Mus manages to stay behind. Despite multiple challenges during a brutal winter, with Ann Barbara and Anmai Mus's help, Kahlen manages to plant the potatoes brought from Germany and harvest 80 sacks. In the process, the three form an unofficial family, and Kahlen and Ann Barbara start a sexual relationship.

When the King receives report of the successful harvest, he orders the establishment of a settlement on Kahlen's estate. Kahlen is conferred the title of Royal Surveyor and 50 settlers from Northern Germany are sent to his land. The superstitious settlers are repulsed by Anmai Mus, although she manages to stay out of sight and learns reading and surveying from Kahlen.

Furious at Kahlen's success, Schinkel imports convicts to attack the new settlement, murdering two settlers and half the livestock. In revenge, Kahlen and a few settlers attack and kill the perpetrators in their hideout, though he is forced to send Anmai Mus away in exchange for their help. This betrayal also causes Ann Barbara to leave as well. Schinkel's officer Preisler, witnesses the killings and flees. Schinkel, along with his fellow estate owners, reports this to the king's cabinet; the new settlement's lands' ownership is transferred to Schinkel and Kahlen is arrested.

While Kahlen is being tortured at Schinkel's estate, Ann Barbara sneaks in and prepares a poisoned drink, while Edel leads Schinkel into drinking it. While he is incapacitated, Ann Barbara comes in and stabs him in the stomach and castrates him. Butler Bondo explains everything to the king's cabinet; Kahlen is released, Ann Barbara is imprisoned for life and Edel returns to her home in Norway. Kahlen locates Anmai Mus and promises to take care of her, and the two begin living in the farm.

Several years later, an officer informs Kahlen that he is granted the title of baron and that 400 new settlers will be arriving soon. Before that happens, a now-teenaged Anmai Mus leaves with a travelling Romani group. Kahlen leaves the moor and his title is annulled. He eventually frees Ann Barbara from a travelling prisoner cart and both of them ride a horse towards the sea.

Cast

 * Mads Mikkelsen as Ludwig Kahlen
 * Amanda Collin as Ann Barbara
 * Simon Bennebjerg as Frederik Schinkel
 * Melina Hagberg as Anmai Mus
 * Kristine Kujath Thorp as Edel Helene
 * Gustav Lindh as Anton Eklund
 * Morten Hee Andersen as Johannes Eriksen
 * Thomas W. Gabrielsson as Bondo
 * Magnus Krepper as Hector
 * Søren Malling as Paulli
 * Morten Burian as Lauenfeldt
 * Jacob Lohmann as Trappaud
 * Olaf Højgaard as Preisler
 * Felix Kramer

Production
Principal photography began on September 5, 2022 and wrapped in early November of the same year.

Filming took place on locations in Germany, Sweden, and Czechia.

Release
The Promised Land had its world premiere on August 31, 2023 at the 80th Venice International Film Festival, to then screen on September 7, 2023 at the 48th Toronto International Film Festival. It was also invited at the 28th Busan International Film Festival in 'World Cinema' section and was screened on 6 October 2023.

It was released commercially on October 5, 2023, in Danish theaters.