The Guest Gæsten Showcase © Henrik Ohsten
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About
Canadian Premiere
Mads Mengel’s film is set at an oceanside resort, where Karl (Simon Bennebjerg) and his wife are gathered with friends and family for their son’s christening. Unexpectedly, Karl’s estranged, mentally ill mother Vibeke (Trine Dyrholm) shows up to share in the celebration. What unfolds has its humorous aspects, but with long-held resentments, bottled-up emotions, and generational conflict erupting left and right, The Guest has its feet planted firmly in the tradition of Scandinavian drama.
Making his feature debut, Mengel shows a talent for dramatic escalation, and he makes the most of a truly fine cast: Bennebjerg and Dyrholm give the kind of committed, radiant performances that Danish cinema is justly famous for, as does Josephine Park in the role of second child Rikke. The supporting players are uniformly excellent, and Mengel ably evokes the feelings of suspension and confinement that resort stays bring out in visitors. This is a propulsive, highly pressurized drama; it takes us to the point of explosion and beyond.
Best Director: Special Jury Prize, Karlovy Vary 2026
Mads Mengel’s film is set at an oceanside resort, where Karl (Simon Bennebjerg) and his wife are gathered with friends and family for their son’s christening. Unexpectedly, Karl’s estranged, mentally ill mother Vibeke (Trine Dyrholm) shows up to share in the celebration. What unfolds has its humorous aspects, but with long-held resentments, bottled-up emotions, and generational conflict erupting left and right, The Guest has its feet planted firmly in the tradition of Scandinavian drama.
Making his feature debut, Mengel shows a talent for dramatic escalation, and he makes the most of a truly fine cast: Bennebjerg and Dyrholm give the kind of committed, radiant performances that Danish cinema is justly famous for, as does Josephine Park in the role of second child Rikke. The supporting players are uniformly excellent, and Mengel ably evokes the feelings of suspension and confinement that resort stays bring out in visitors. This is a propulsive, highly pressurized drama; it takes us to the point of explosion and beyond.
Best Director: Special Jury Prize, Karlovy Vary 2026
