Media Release

World Premiere of Swiss Viking Saga NORTHMEN – A VIKING SAGA Gala premiere at 10th Zurich Film Festival Stellar Cast Action Spectacle as Gala Premiere

Zurich, August 28, 2014

The historical spectacle NORTHMEN – A VIKING SAGA celebrates its world premiere at the 10th Zurich Film Festival. Director Claudio Fäh and producer Ralph S. Dietrich as well as the stellar cast, including Tom Hopper, Ken Duken, Ed Skrein and the Swiss Anatole Taubman will present the viking saga in Zurich on Saturday, September 27.

This Swiss epic, about a gang of predatory Vikings whose escape to Scotland ends in death and destruction, comes up trumps on the breathtaking imagery and pure action front. Los Angeles-based, Uri-born director Claudio Fäh shot NORTHMEN against the stunning natural backdrop of South Africa.

The historical spectacle NORTHMEN – A VIKING SAGA celebrates its world premiere in the 10th Zurich Film Festival’s ‚Gala Premiere’ section. This Swiss Epic, about a gang of Vikings who are forced by existential circumstances to embark on a raid of Britain that ends in death and destruction, comes up trumps on the breathtaking imagery and pure action front. This powerful saga was directed by Claudio Fäh. Born 1975 in canton Uri, Fäh has lived and worked in Los Angeles since 1999. He has already been coined the ‚Swiss Roger Corman’, an honorary title borrowed from the US independent director, producer and talent promoter who contributed greatly to elevating the demanding and commercially successful B movie to cult status.

Fäh, who found success with such productions as CORONADO, SNIPER: RELOADED and HOLLOW MAN 2, proves himself worthy of such an appellation in the most beautiful way by shooting NORTHMEN – A VIKING SAGA against the stunning natural backdrop of South Africa.

Fäh also had a stellar cast list at his disposal, which included Tom Hopper (BLACK SAILS, the BBC series MERLIN), Ryan Kwanten (TRUE BLOOD, THE RIGHT KIND OF WRONG), Ken Duken (DAS ADLON, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS), Charlie Murphy (PHILOMENA, THE VILLAGE), James Norton (RUSH, AN EDUCATION), Ed Skrein (GAME OF THRONES, THE TRANSPORTER) and Anatole Taubman (JAMES BOND 007 – QUANTUM OF SOLACE, the TV series THE TUDORS and THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH). Heavy metal fans can look forward to seeing Johan Hegg, frontmann of the Band Amon Amarth, play Viking warhorse Valli. NORTHMEN – A VIKING SAGA is a co-production between Elite Filmproduktion AG, Two Oceans Production PTY Ltd and Jumping Horse Film GmbH.

Plot:

Northern Europe in 873 AD: Banished by their own king, a gang of Viking marauders sets sail for the coast of Great Britain. Asbjörn and his men are intent on robbing the monastery on the island of Lindesfarne of its gold – their only hope of buying themselves free of the imposed exclusion. But, caught in a vicious storm, their longboat is dashed to pieces on the rocks off Scotland. Trapped deep within enemy territory, the shipwrecked men’s only chance of survival is to reach the safety of the far-off Viking stronghold Danelagh. During their arduous journey through the Scottish Highlands, Inghean, daughter of the Scottish King Dunchaid, falls into their violent hands. Instead of meeting their ransom demands, Dunchaid sets his mercenaries, the feared ‘wolfpack’, snapping at the kidnappers’ heels. A desperate battle of life and death begins.

Das 10. Zurich Film Festival findet vom 25. September bis 5. Oktober 2014 statt. Weitere Informationen finden Sie unter www.zff.com Herzlichen Dank an die Hauptsponsoren des ZFF 2014: Credit Suisse, upc cablecom, Die Schweizerische Post, Audi