PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Nikolaj Lie Kaas and Ida Engvoll, actors of the film The Kingdom: Exodus.
An interview with Nikolaj Lie Kaas and Ida Engvoll, actors part of the ensemble cast of The Kingdom: Exodus. This is the new instalment in Lars Von Trier’s The Kingdom series, presented out of competition at the 79th Venice Film Festival. Together, they talk about the experience of working on this film and becoming part of the world of the Danish director. They also talk about confronting some of their own fears throughout the production, working in a real hospital at the time of the pandemic, the depth of the hostilities between Sweden and Denmark, and more.
The Kingdom: Exodus: An enormous organism of flesh and blood has materialised itself in The Kingdom’s rooms and corridors. On a dark and stormy night, the sleepwalking Karen senses something is wrong and travels to The Kingdom to search for answers. On her arrival, she discovers that the hospital is suffering and that she is the only one who can free The Kingdom from its torment. At the same time the Swedish doctor, Helmer Junior, is newly employed at The Kingdom. He soon starts to feel a denigrating attitude from his Danish colleagues. Being a Swede, he puts his foot down and launches new approaches on the ward, such as total gender neutrality, which has almost fatal consequences. But evil gets in the way with even bigger and more horrifying plans. The time has come, it is going to happen: Exodus. It is now that the spirits surrounding the hospital shall be divided into the light and the dark, and the gate localized and opened. It is now the air must be cleared of the big flock that never sleeps. When good men, who undoubtedly master science and state-of-the-art modern technology fail, and even the gatekeeper himself becomes too weak, it is up to Karen to carry the seemingly impossible task through a battle with pride and stupidity. Now, more than ever, we must all be prepared to take the good with the evil, as the gateway to the Kingdom is once again opening.