Søren Sveistrup, series creator and head writer
I wanted to make the world’s best crime story in Danish. I approached Danish broadcaster DR with an idea. They said he had no chance, there were other men writing crime stories. What they wanted was some kind of romantic comedy. So I made a series called Nikolaj and Julie, starring Sofie Gråbøl. It was successful and won an International Emmy. After that DR was eager to hear more about my crime idea. They were worried when I told them it would take 20 episodes to solve the case. But because of Emmy, I was given carte blanche.
For me The Killing is like a Greek tragedy. There’s something that fascinates a city, in this case Copenhagen, and you can’t escape, you can’t breathe, until it’s gone. I did a lot of research on real murder cases in Denmark, talking to politicians, police, relatives and priests. Some scenes were depictions of my own life. I lost my mother when I was young: The story of a family losing something extremely valuable was actually about me. I guess it was catharsis.
I was ashamed of Bafta; It was clear that we did not have the same budget or production values as the competitors
Sarah Lund was created closely with Sofie, who is a very feminine and lovely person in real life. We imagined Sarah as more of a man. I loved Clint Eastwood’s spaghetti westerns. We wanted the silent western heroine combined with Sofie’s natural sense of comedy and quirk. Socially incompetent, busy with work. There are no clues about his past. A riddle.
Until the end of the shoot, no one on the set knew who the killer was except me and maybe one or two people. I didn’t even tell my friends or my wife. I didn’t want the actor to play the criminal role and I wanted to keep my options open in the story. I was a perfectionist and eventually fell so far behind schedule in writing that it was like laying the tracks for an oncoming train. But it meant I could stay close to the escalating tension.
The Killing was very successful in Denmark, but no Danish series had been successful abroad at the time; The language barrier was huge. But first the Swedes liked it, then the Germans, then the French. The biggest surprise was the British. For some reason the timing was right. The program helped open the doors not only to Danish-language television, but also to Swedish and many other languages. It’s now common to open Netflix and see something Korean like Squid Game.
I closed the door on The Killing a long time ago, but who knows what the future may bring? I still have strong feelings for Sarah Lund.
Sofie Gråbøl played Sarah Lund
Director Birger Larsen wanted Sarah Lund to have braids and a poncho. I am a practical woman and I remember telling her: “Birger, this is ridiculous; how do you shoot a gun wearing a poncho?” But that’s the beauty of the creative process because it got us talking. So we thought: Maybe she could wear something knitted instead, to contrast with her demanding work style? I’ve always hated the costume part of being an actor, but I threw myself completely into the jumper. I thought it was the most perfect costume ever. I never imagined myself as some kind of fashion icon.
When I wore that sweater, I felt like I was wearing armor. However gentle it was, it was also an expression of extreme self-confidence; He doesn’t care what is expected. It amazes me that people actually love Sarah Lund as a character. She’s a loner, a bad mother. She is not cute at all. But in some ways that’s his superpower. She has such a strong center that there is an uncompromising commitment to truth.
When we started shooting, I was at a bad point in my personal life. I had two young children, I was going through a divorce. But going into this little world with Søren and other people that I know so well, and playing a character that was very minimalist and didn’t require me to reveal all my emotions, it felt like this dark, relaxing bubble. Søren’s writing style during filming was very intense, but created a creative and fun atmosphere. When we received the final script, with the description, the atmosphere in the room was like Christmas Eve.
When the first season aired in the UK in 2011, I was surprised when my phone was suddenly flooded with calls from the British press. The moment he grew up, he was in Bafta. We were in a big venue in London, watching the stars. I was mortified when a clip from The Killing was shown alongside other international nominees like Boardwalk Empire. It was clear that our show didn’t have the same budget or production values. We felt like village family members. And then he won. As we walked towards the stage, many people leaned from their tables and said: “We loved your show!”
I didn’t keep the sweaters; They were sold at auction. But I’m sure they can knit me a new one if I need it.