Wikipedia

Families like Ours

Families like Ours (Danish: Familier som vores) is a 2024 drama television miniseries written and directed by Thomas Vinterberg. It premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival on 31 August 2024 and began airing on TV 2 on 20 October 2024.

Families like Ours
Canal+ poster
DanishFamilier som vores
Written by
Directed byThomas Vinterberg
Starring
ComposerValentin Hadjadj
Country of origin
  • Denmark
  • France
  • Sweden
  • Czech Republic
  • Belgium
  • Norway
  • Germany
Original languages
  • Danish
  • English
  • French
  • Polish
  • Russian
  • Romanian
No. of episodes7
Production
Executive producers
  • Anna Marsh
  • Ron Halpern
  • Jennifer Green
  • Katrine Vogelsang [da]
  • Olivier Bibas [fr]
  • Morgane Perrolier
  • Louise Gigon
  • Elisabeth Tangen
  • Johanna Lind
  • Claudia Grässel
  • Sebastian Lückel
  • Christoph Pellander
Producers
CinematographySturla Brandth Grøvlen
Editors
Running time49–50 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkTV 2
Release20 October (2024-10-20) –
1 December 2024 (2024-12-01)

Premise

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Due to rising sea levels, Laura and her family must navigate a nationwide evacuation of their native Denmark.

Cast

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Episodes

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No.TitleDurationOriginal air date
1"Sig nærmer tiden"49 min20 October 2024 (2024-10-20)
2"Fårene skilles fra bukkene"50 min27 October 2024 (2024-10-27)
3"Stå, engle, på vagt"50 min3 November 2024 (2024-11-03)
4"Farvel, Danmark"50 min10 November 2024 (2024-11-10)
5"Over alle grænser"50 min17 November 2024 (2024-11-17)
6TBATBA24 November 2024 (2024-11-24)
7TBATBA1 December 2024 (2024-12-01)

Production

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Thomas Vinterberg conceived the idea for the series in 2017 while working abroad in Paris.[1][2] He took inspiration from the 2015 film Brooklyn when writing the series, and further stated:

I was less interested in the politics of it. I wasn’t interested in making sort of a 'climate-warning' series. It's going to be called that in places, I'm sure, but I'm hoping not too often, because this is more about human resilience, about how humans can create coping strategies when there's a crisis and when they're being separated from what they love.

— Thomas Vinterberg[3]

Because he wrote the series before the COVID-19 pandemic, Vinterberg and co-writer Bo Hr. Hansen made some changes to the script so as not to mirror the pandemic too closely. The series originally took place in Kyiv before it was changed.[4]

The series was announced in August 2020[5][6] and the cast was announced in October 2022.[7] Filming took place in Denmark, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Romania, and France over the course of a year. The production employed over 40 actors and 2,500 extras.[8][9]

Release

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Promotional stills from the series were released on 4 December 2023.[10] A teaser trailer for the series was released on 28 August 2024.[11][12]

The series premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival on 31 August 2024.[13] Because of Venice's own flooding concerns, Vinterberg stated, "Even in my first letter to Alberto [Barbera], I said there was no other place we can show this than in Venice."[14] The series received a four-minute standing ovation at the festival.[15]

The series began airing in Denmark on TV 2 on 20 October 2024.[16] It was released for streaming in Canada on CBC Gem on 22 November 2024.[17][18]

Reception

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Stephanie Bunbury of Deadline called the series "grimly prophetic" and wrote that it "tackles [a] subject that is perhaps too huge for the confines of a TV drama".[19] Jan Lumholdt of Cineuropa commended Vinterberg's direction and the cast's performances.[20]

Niels Jakob Kyhl Jørgensen of Filmmagasinet Ekko [da] gave the series five out of six stars, writing, "Families Like Ours is both a tribute and a loving eulogy to the Danes — and the most riveting social story in years."[21] Jacob Ludvigsen of Soundvenue [da] gave the series three out of six stars, writing that the series' "brilliant premise drowns in Thomas Vinterberg's wildly ambitious TV 2 series".[22]

Serena Seghedoni of Loud and Clear Reviews gave the series five stars and wrote, "Families Like Ours (Familier Som Vores)'s brilliant premise is exactly what it takes for Europe to understand the refugee crisis, in a marvel of a series that brims with humanity and puts its characters first." She also called it "the kind of series you don’t want to end".[23]

References

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  1. ^ Lumholdt, Jan (3 September 2024). "Thomas Vinterberg • Director of Families Like Ours". Cineuropa. Archived from the original on 3 September 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  2. ^ Almbjerg, Sarah Iben (3 September 2024). "»Hvor stærke er vi?« tænkte Thomas Vinterberg. Nu står han midt i en drømmemodtagelse i Venedig". Berlingske (in Danish). Archived from the original on 6 September 2024. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  3. ^ Wise, Damon (31 August 2024). "'Families Like Ours' Director Thomas Vinterberg On His Apocalyptic Series: "I Started Thinking, What Would Happen If We Became The Refugees?"". Deadline. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  4. ^ Lattanzio, Ryan (17 September 2024). "Thomas Vinterberg on His First TV Series and His Friendship with Lars von Trier: 'We Have Some Fights Occasionally'". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 18 September 2024. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  5. ^ Pham, Annika (13 August 2020). "Thomas Vinterberg to direct first TV series Families Like Ours". Nordisk Film & TV Fond. Archived from the original on 29 August 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  6. ^ Dannemand, Henrik (14 August 2020). "Thomas Vinterberg står bag dansk TV-serie om familier i opbrud". Berlingske (in Danish). Archived from the original on 29 August 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  7. ^ Ritman, Alex (3 October 2022). "'Another Round' Director Thomas Vinterberg's Debut TV Drama 'Families Like Ours' Sets Cast as Production Starts". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 27 September 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  8. ^ Hopewell, John; Keslassy, Elsa (5 April 2024). "'Another Round' Director Thomas Vinterberg on How His First Series, 'Families Like Ours,' Tells a Tale of Love, 'Resilience and Hope' Despite National Catastrophe (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on 29 August 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  9. ^ Kaage, Gustav (4 December 2023). "Första bilderna från Thomas Vinterbergs nya dramaserie Families Like Ours". Film i Väst (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 29 August 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  10. ^ Rømer, Louise (4 December 2023). "Se de første glimt fra Thomas Vinterbergs nye tv-serie". Billed Bladet (in Danish). Archived from the original on 29 August 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  11. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (28 August 2024). "'Families Like Ours' Teaser: Thomas Vinterberg's Venice Series Imagines A Denmark On The Cusp Of Disappearing Due To Climate Change". Deadline. Archived from the original on 29 August 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  12. ^ Bergeson, Samantha (28 August 2024). "'Families Like Ours' Teaser: Thomas Vinterberg's Coming-of-Age Story Is Set Amid Climate Change Disaster". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 29 August 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  13. ^ Aricò, Giacomo (2 August 2024). "Festival di Venezia 2024, si comincia: il programma con film, date e le star più attese". Vogue Italia (in Italian). Archived from the original on 27 September 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  14. ^ Ritman, Alex (31 August 2024). "Thomas Vinterberg Says Venice's Own Flooding Concerns Made It 'Obvious Choice' for Launch of Climate Change Miniseries 'Families Likes Ours'". Variety. Archived from the original on 31 August 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  15. ^ Danielsen Gille, Anna (1 September 2024). "Vinterbergs første tv-serie fik premiere på filmfestival i Venedig til stående applaus". DR (in Danish). Archived from the original on 2 September 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  16. ^ Granberg, Signe Bjørg (28 August 2024). "Thomas Vinterbergs nye serie 'Familier som vores': Som et lyn fra en klar himmel bliver alt revet fra hinanden". Femina (in Danish). Archived from the original on 27 September 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  17. ^ Koivusalo, Tanya (16 October 2024). "CBC GEM TO OFFER THE EXCLUSIVE CANADIAN PREMIERES OF DANISH DRAMA FAMILIES LIKE OURS, NORDIC COMEDY ALL AND EVA AND BRITISH SERIES CHEATERS IN NOVEMBER" (Press release). CBC Media Centre. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
  18. ^ Whittock, Jesse (16 October 2024). "CBC Stocks Streamer Gem With Euro Dramas 'All And Eva,' 'Cheaters' & 'Families Like Ours'". Deadline. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
  19. ^ Bunbury, Stephanie (31 August 2024). "'Families Like Ours' Review: Thomas Vinterberg's Grimly Prophetic Series Tackles Subject That Is Perhaps Too Huge For The Confines Of A TV Drama – Venice Film Festival". Deadline. Archived from the original on 31 August 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  20. ^ Lumholdt, Jan (2 September 2024). "Series review: Families Like Ours". Cineuropa. Archived from the original on 2 September 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  21. ^ Kyhl Jørgensen, Niels Jakob (31 August 2024). "Familier som vores". Filmmagasinet Ekko (in Danish). Archived from the original on 31 August 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  22. ^ Ludvigsen, Jacob (31 August 2024). "'Familier som vores': Den geniale præmis drukner i Thomas Vinterbergs vildt ambitiøse TV 2-serie". Soundvenue (in Danish). Archived from the original on 31 August 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  23. ^ Seghedoni, Serena (13 September 2024). "Families Like Ours (Familier Som Vores) Review: Vinterberg Does It Again". Loud and Clear Reviews. Archived from the original on 18 September 2024. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
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