Cinema at Scandinavia House: The Pact

“A riveting homage to a unique literary sensation” (Observer)
See the engrossing new Karen Blixen biopic The Pact/Pagten (dir. Bille August, Denmark, 2021) at Scandinavia House!

In 1948, 63-year-old Out of Africa author Karen Blixen (also known by her pen name, Isak Dinesen) is a lonely literary sensation, devastated by syphilis and mourning her lost love, until she meets 30-year-old poet Thorkild Bjørnvig. Recognizing his talent, she offers him a Faustian bargain that promises him stardom in exchange for unconditional obedience. But as her demands become increasingly pernicious, Thorkild realizes that he will need to make a choice: Blixen’s promise of fame, or his own family. Directed by Bille August (Pelle the Conquerer), The Pact is an absorbing adaptation of Bjørnvig bestselling memoir The Pact: My Friendship with Isak Dinesen. (115 min. In Danish with English subtitles)

“Deftly mounted, shot and scored, The Pact is a master class in ensemble acting, led by Neumann in a visceral, deeply layered and knife‘s-edge turn”—LA Times