Private Project

The Irrepressible

The Danish girl Ingrid seems to ignore the fact that World War II literally explodes around her family farm. She is tired of her boring countryside existence, and dreams about traveling far away. Just like her deceased dad did. When Ingrid and her little sister Agnete finds the young German deserter Otto, they decide to keep him hidden. Ingrid sees Otto as a new exiting adventure. A window to the beautiful world.

Otto doesn’t share Ingrids naïve and romantic view on the world. He has been to hell. As Ingrid tries to connect to Otto, reality creeps up on her and her positive worldview starts to collapse. She desperately clings to her escapism, and even though Otto could be the man who killed her dad, not to forget; shot a friend when he fled the army, Ingrid keeps approaching Otto with a happy mind.

What they come to realize is how they both need to understand the others perception of life, to be able to accept themselves and their inner needs. As a friendship slowly emerges, the German army approaches them. With a newfound faith in life Otto must confront his soldier comrades.

  • Stefan Köhler Pellegrini
    Director
    The Panda Complex, King Emma, Bokser, Hunger, Os To
  • Josephine Maria Leopold
    Writer
    Nordland '99, Beskyt Deres Egne, Kompas, I Skovens Dybe, stille ro, På Sporet
  • Jacob Meier
    Producer
    Se Gennem Aske, En Dans for Livet, Before Bloom, Lillepus, 16 Weeks of Hell
  • Sophie Florentine Schüttfort
    Producer
    Dusky Paradise, Baumbacher Syndrome, Sharaf, Junge Politikerinnen - Yes she can,
  • Kim Magnusson
    Producer
    Ivalu, On my Mind, I Kill Giants, Silent Nights, Men & Chicken, Flickering Lights, Helium, R, Beck, Election Night, Adams Æbler, Helmer & Son, Wolfgang, Ernst & lyset
  • Stefan Frost
    Producer
    Sepideh, The Islands and the Whales, Sikke et Cirkus, Danmark, Himmerland, Max Pinlig, Kartellet, Alle for tre
  • Gregory Kirchhoff
    Producer
    Tatort, Dusky Paradise, Ostfriesisch für Anfänger, Baumbacher Syndrome
  • Sandra Guldberg Kampp
    Key Cast
    "Ingrid"
    The Rain, Foundation, Kød & Blod, Inherent, In the Soil, Nordland '99
  • Lukas Zumbrock
    Key Cast
    "Otto"
    Solo für Weiss, Praxis mit Meerblick, Tod von Freunden, Tatort, Notruf Hafenkante, Großstadtrevier, Zwischen uns die Mauer
  • Christine Albeck Børge
    Key Cast
    "Elna"
    Cry Wolf, Carmen Curlers, Ønskebarn, Sygeplejeskolen, Selvmordsturisten, Den som dræber - Fanget af mørket, Advokaten, Broen, Rita, Kærlighed og andre katastrofer, Livvagterne, Anna Pihl, Manden Bag Døren
  • Caspar Phillipson
    Key Cast
    "Newsreader"
    Mission: Impossible - Fallout, Jackie, Blonde, The Bombardment, Broen, Carmen Curlers, Sommerdahl
  • Tom Böttcher
    Key Cast
    "Helmut"
    Die Eifelpraxis: Eine Dosis Leben, Die wahre Schönheit, Das Goldene Ufer, Love Addicts
  • Viola Martinsen
    Key Cast
    "Agnete"
    Equinox, Borgen, Når Støvet har lagt sig, Buster, Sikke et Cirkus, Bedre Skilt end Aldrig
  • Mira Thu
    Editor
    Another Round, Journal 64, Puck's Window, Puck's Window, Prom Night, Blue Note
  • Jesper Hansen
    Composer
    Nevesta, Klimakrigeren, An Eternity of you and me, Byvshaya, Byte, Bonaparte
  • Peter Seeba
    Sound designer
    Dansegarderoben, Elsker dig for altid, Den Store Stilhed, The Good Nurse, Sommerdah, De Forbandede år 2, Margrete den første
  • Sophie Caroline Gohr
    Director of Photography
    R[evol]ution of Love, Rituals, Levitate, Den Verden vi valgte, Dandelioin, Incognito, We'll Always have Paris, Alan Isaac
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Danish: De Ukuelige / German: Die Unbeugsamen
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, war, history, love, friendship
  • Runtime:
    29 minutes 56 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 13, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    64,618 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Denmark
  • Country of Filming:
    Denmark, Germany
  • Language:
    Danish, German
  • Shooting Format:
    RED R3D Raw, anamorphic
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2:40
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Distribution Information
  • TV 2 Denmark
    Distributor
    Country: Denmark
    Rights: All Rights
  • Kimotion Pictures
    Sales Agent
    Country: Germany
    Rights: All Rights
    Country: France
    Rights: All Rights
  • Dionysus Media
    Sales Agent
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Stefan Köhler Pellegrini

Executive producer is two time Oscar winner and four time Oscar nominee Kim Magnusson. Stefan Köhler Pellegrini: Born in 1985, is a Danish-Italian director and storyteller. Stefan has been working with film, theater and storytelling since he was 15 years old. He graduated from The University of Aarhus as a Master of Arts in film and theater in 2015, and graduated from The Super8 Film Education in 2020.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I tell stories about people, not big incidents or historical events. Even with The Irrepressible, the focus is not on the war itself. Word War II has been portrayed in many ways, but rarely based on the perspective of one person’s state of mind – the little story. Even more rare is the story about a simple German soldier. A story where the soldier’s representation is unimportant. For me the character’s personal, social and psychological journey is way more interesting.

I’m fascinated by the balance between “good and evil” in connection to the individual state of mind. The irrepressible is a story where this opposite relationship is examined, and seems to take a turn in a direction which we are not used to acknowledge. When is a person evil or good? The theme is underlying, but we don't necessarily provide an answer! That’s reality, nothing is black/white!

As the director of The Irrepressible, I am so proud to have been allowed to create a film that dares to touch these taboos. We’ve made a story about innocence and a youth that hasn't become locked into a world view, and thereby making all hope for dialogue seem lost. We mustn't forget that the man on the field doesn't create the ideology on which a war is based. With thousands of Russian men fleeing Russia, this theme has never been more relevant than it is right now.

The Irrepressible is a story of an indomitable will, courage and humanity. It is a story about youth in difficult times, where there was rarely room or spirit to acknowledge the individual. I see the film as a tribute to the good in all of us, and a reminder that we must never lose faith in each other.