The World War 2 set film has taken $3.3m at the box office over its first two weekends, making it the most successful launch of a local film in Denmark since Clown - The Movie in 2010.

Danish actress-writer-director Anne-Grethe Bjarup Riis’ feature debut, This Life (aka The Hvidsten Group/Hvidsten-Gruppen), continued its local box office raid after an opening where it accounted for 45% of all box-office generated in Danish cinemas.

Taking 87,500 admissions during the first weekend, the Regner Grasten Film production registered 95,800 in its second weekend, reaching $3.3 million gross box office receipts after selling 246,300 tickets in 11 days.

Depicting patriotic resistance in the Danish province during the World War II occupation by Nazi Germany, the film stars Jens Jørn Spottag and Bodil Jørgensen with Bjarne Henriksen, Anne Louise Hassing, Jesper Asholt and Mads Wille. Local distributor UIP launched the film on 110 screens.

It marks the best launch of a local film in Denmark since the comedy blockbuster, Clown – The Movie, in 2010. Anders Refn was technical director and editor on the film, which was scripted by Ib Kastrup, Jørgen Kastrup and Torvald Lervad.

”I think the reason for the sudden success is that is not a film about war, but about ordinary people and their values of life, which make you think of what goes on in the world today, ” said Grasten, who will shortly name an international sales agents for the film’s presentation at the upcoming Cannes film festival. His best weekend opening to date was Anja & Viktor, which recorded 150,000 when it opened in 2001.

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