Kingdom (Riget)

Country of origin and year: Denmark, Sweden, Germany 1994 Director: Lars von Trier Genre: tragicomedy/horror Cast: Kirsten Rolffes, Holger Juul Hansen, Soren Pilmark, Ghita Norby Description: The titular "Kingdom" is a massive Copenhagen hospital—a building constructed on marshes where mysterious rituals were once performed, yet at the same time an institution symbolizing pure, rational medical science. It is here, in a place where every superstition is taboo, that von Trier unleashes the genie from the lamp. And just like in a real soap opera, he follows the exaggerated and completely implausible adventures of the characters.  Mid-level staff argue with doctors; the hospital director’s son, intern Mogge, is rejected by the beautiful nurse Camilla; he cuts off the head of a body lying in the morgue and tosses it into her room; students play with corpses in anatomy class, nurses drink in the back room, and every employee and patient has their own problems, quirks, prejudices, and secrets. Drama mixes with surrealism here, and the whole thing is topped off with a solid dose of dark humor.