Social responsibility
Danish writer Maja Jul Larsen tells DQ about making her first series, Ulven Kommer (Cry Wolf), in which a social worker must investigate an allegation from a young girl that threatens to tear her family apart. Danish dramas Borgen, Bedrag (Follow the Money) and Arvingerne (The Legacy) are just some of the Scandinavian series that have become international sensations in recent years – and Maja Jul Larsen has worked on all of them. Now the writer has stepped out on her own to create a show for public broadcaster DR that examines the pressures of the social services system and the power of the state versus the individual right to freedom. Ulven Kommer (Cry Wolf) follows the fallout when 14-year-old Holly writes a school essay detailing her stepfather’s violent behaviour. Social worker Lars is assigned to the case and, convinced by her story, puts Holly and her younger brother Theo into foster care. But when her family, including Holly’s stepfather, claim the essay is nothing more than teenage rebellion, Lars’ sense of certainty begins to falter. His life is made more difficult when old video footage of a heavy-handed social services operation is posted on social media, leaving him on the end of negative publicity and scrambling to determine who is really telling the truth. Debuting in Denmark this Sunday following its triumph at the 16th Zurich Film Festival, where it was named best series, the show stars Bjarne Henriksen (The Killing), Peter Plauborg (Splitting Up Together) and Christine Albeck … Continue reading Social responsibility
