“Christmas in Skomakergata” – Cozy classic becomes a feature film

Filmmaker Mikal Hovland (“Blank” seasons 2 and 3) will direct an upcoming feature film version of the popular Christmas calendar “Christmas in the shoemaker’s street”, the Norwegian Film Institute (NFI) informs.

Today, they announced that the project will be awarded as much as seven million kroner in support.

The classic “Christmas in Skomakergata”, with actor Henki Kolstad in the lead role, went on television for the first time in 1979, and was regularly broadcast on NRK until 2003.

– This time we get the story of how the character Stine came to Skomakergata. We also get better acquainted with all the characters that are in the Christmas calendar, says Hovland to Dagbladet.

– Looking forward to it

The director thus aims at, among others, florist Rosengren, police chief Klinke, square wife Fru Enebær and baker Snipp. In 1979, Stine was played by actor Tone E. Eriksen.

Hovland does not dare to announce the premiere date completely yet.

– We hope to get started as soon as possible. This will be a film with warmth, humor and soul that will remind us of unity at Christmas. We are looking forward to it, he says.

32 million in budget

The production company Nordisk Film (“The Tunnel”, “The 12th Man”) is producing the new addition to the “Christmas in Skomakergata” universe.

The script for the family film, which gets the same name as the TV series, is written by Maren Skolem (“She Pack”, “Fenris”) and produced by Andrea Backstrøm and Sigurd Mikal Karoliussen (“Journey to the Poinsettia”). In total, “Christmas in Skomakergata” has a budget of NOK 32 million.

– We stand on the shoulders of the creator of the concept, Bjørn Rønningen, who is one of Norway’s great pioneers in content for children. So we are with great awe and gratitude we are going to start with this, says Hovland.

Bjørn Rønningen wrote both the script and the title music for “Christmas in Skomakergata” for NRK.

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The film is about nine-year-old Stine who seeks refuge with shoemaker Andersen on the first Christmas after the war, NFI informs.

According to the job description, Stine arrives alone by train to Skomakergata and gets a roof over Andersen’s head, but those who associate the pleasant footwear craftsman Jens Petrus with a warm smile and warm patience will possibly be surprised.

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In the film, Andersen is «an old surpomp who just wants to be alone».

– So we can expect an Ebenezer Scrooge version of Jens Petrus Andersen?

– He he, well, we want to surprise with a shoemaker that you do not immediately get to know. All I can say is that he is going through a change, says the director, who also holds the cards close to his chest in terms of the presence of Andersen’s faithful partner Tøfflus.

The premiere date for “Christmas in Skomakergata” has not been set. The original is available in NRK’s ​​online player.

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