'Horror of this story is that it connects with today's world'

Director Magnus Von Horn and actor Vic Carmen Sonne discuss their recent film The Girl With The Needle, balancing social realism and commercial filmmaking, and more

- AKSHAY KUMAR

DIRECTOR Magnus Von Horn's The Girl With The Needle has had a successful festival run. Right from its Cannes premiere early this year, the film has won multiple awards and nominations. The film, led by Vic Carmen Sonne, recently entered the Golden Globes 2025 fray under the Best Motion Picture-Non-English Language category. The Danish film, set in the post-World War I period, is loosely based on the life of serial killer Dagmar Overby, who promises a good future for the infants of impoverished families but later kills the children.

The lead actor and director draw an interesting parallel between this horrifying post-war episode and the times we are living in right now. "Dagmar (played by Trine Dyrholm) didn't just kidnap babies to kill them; women came and gave children to her because they had no other option. In that sense, I think it connects to our world, where in some regions, women still have no freedom of choice or can't make the decision themselves because it's illegal. The horror of this story is that it connects with today's world," says Magnus.