Ellen is the true story about Ellen Nielsen, a fishmonger and single mother of six kids, who initiated the dangerous transport of Danish Jews on fishing boats to safety in Sweden during the Nazi occupation of Denmark, ultimately leading to the salvation of almost the entire Danish Jewish population. Becoming the focal point of what in a few weeks develops into a very complex system of secret communication and transport through this little fishing village on the outskirts of Copenhagen, Ellen’s tiny house, which at times housed 30 Jews in transit, also becomes a hub for smuggling in weapons for the Danish resistance movement.

It is a story of how one charismatic, strong-minded and caring woman, followed her heart and used her wit, courage and strength to first convince her reluctant family and then an entire village, to engage in one of the most daring and successful underground rescue missions in history, right underneath the watch of the Nazis.

The internationally acclaimed Niels Juul (Ferrari, Silence, The Irishman) is an accredited executive producer and former CEO for US / Italian production company Cecchi Gori Pictures (Life is Beautiful, Il Postino, Shawshank Redemption). Niels is most recently attached as executive producer for Killers of the Flower Moon, that is currently in production with Martin Scorsese directing and starring Robert de Niro and Leonardo di Caprio, and upcoming projects Sweethearts, Princess, and A Wing and a Prayer.

“When I first got into the film business, my mother, herself a single mother, who lived during the Nazi occupation of Denmark, asked me if I had heard about Ellen Nielsen and her incredible heroics and stamina and if I thought it might make for a good movie. After digging into the true story and reading Cherine Munkholt's comprehensive research paper, it became clear that (as usual) my mom was right. In Ellen, I've rarely come across a story that celebrates the beauty and power of universal motherhood and how her initiative got a whole village involved in one of the most daring rescue operations during World War II, ultimately affirming the old Jewish saying "Whoever saves one life, saves all of humanity”.  I'm therefore truly excited to be working with the great development team at SF Studios and my favorite UK screenwriter to turn this heartwarming and inspirational story into the quality movie Ellen's incredible act of humanitarianism deserves to be", says Niels Juul, executive producer.

The script is written by London based screenwriter James Wyllie, who has won a Gregory Peck Award for most promising screenwriter and also published several critically acclaimed books about World War II, and is based on Cherine Munkholdt’s comprehensive article about Ellen for a US language feature.

Ellen will be directed by acclaimed Danish director Mehdi Avaz, who took audiences and the film industry by storm when he premiered with his debut film While We Live in 2017. In 2019, he presented the drama Collision followed by the critically acclaimed TV series Alfa in 2020. His latest project, the feature feel-good drama Toscana, assembles an impressive international cast and is also distributed by SF Studios.

“As filmmakers, we can travel back and forth in time with our stories. I want to travel back in time and tell Ellen’s amazing story that has shaped many mothers and sons today”, says Mehdi Avaz, director.

Ellen is one of many high-profile projects lined up by SF Studios, including the Danish epic drama Margrete Queen of the North, the Norwegian feature film Quisling, the Swedish feature film The Emigrants and Swedish original series Snabba Cash for Netflix.

“The story is incredibly strong. Born for the screen. We are very excited to team up with Niels Juul and Mehdi Avaz in making this film”, says Yaba Holst, Head of Nordic Acquisition at SF Studios.

Niels Juul and Mehdi Avaz are currently in Cannes during the Cannes Film Festival to discuss this coming project.

For more information, please contact: 
Yaba Holst, Head of Nordic Acquisition, SF Studios, yaba.holst@sfstudiose.se, +46 73 411 95 35
Malin Strihagen, Vice President Brand & Communications, SF Studios, malin.strihagen@sfstudios.se, +46 70 780 39 35

About SF Studios
SF Studios, established in 1919, is one of the world’s oldest film companies. Today SF Studios is the leading film studio in the Nordic region with its headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden and offices in Oslo, Copenhagen, Helsinki and London. The company is producing and distributing feature films and TV series as well as providing the streaming service SF Anytime. SF Studios is part of the leading Nordic media company Bonnier.