Danish film director Simon Staho (born 1972) has worked with a number of renowned Swedish actors, including Mikael Persbrandt, Noomi Rapace, Pernilla August, Erland Josephson, Lena Olin and Michael Nyqvist.
In 2008 Staho was recipient of the Ingmar Bergman Travel Grant.
Staho’s feature film debut was with Vildspor/Wildside (1998), shot in Iceland and starring Mads Mikkelsen. Variety wrote in its review: “A solidly crafted thriller with links to classic film noir, though the bleakly beautiful Icelandic settings invest this tale of friendship and betrayal with a distinct ambience. Intelligent and suspenseful fare.”
In 2002, Staho directed Nu/Now, a short film about a man whose marriage is destroyed when he has a secret homosexual relationship. The film was shot in black and white and stars Mads Mikkelsen and Mikael Persbrandt as the male lovers.
With a cast of Swedish actors, Staho directed Dag och Natt/Day and Night (2004), winner of the Silver Hugo Award at the Chicago International Film Festival.
Variety wrote in its review: “Set entirely within a car with a two-camera set-up, “Day and Night” is one of the most interesting films to have been made in Sweden for a long while. The drama is about the last day in the life of a man at the end of his rope. The film starts with a voice-over, telling the audience that on 11 September 2003, a man named Thomas committed suicide by shooting himself in the head. The rest of the movie depicts the day leading up to this act, with Thomas (Mikael Persbrandt, in a career-defining role) meeting for the last time various people who in some way or another have meant something to him and in his life.”
Bang Bang Orangutang (2005), selected for the main competition at the San Sebastian International Film Festival, is a quirky and tragic-comic story about the endless humiliations of a power-drunk businessman trying to pick up the pieces of his destroyed life, after he has killed his youngest son in a car accident. The soundtrack features music by The Clash, Iggy Pop, Dolly Parton, Arvo Pärt and the Polish avantgarde composer Krzysztof Penderecki.
In Daisy Diamond (2007), also selected for the main competition at the San Sebastian International Film Festival, Staho returned to a mostly Danish cast. The story deals with Anna (played by Noomi Rapace) who dreams of one thing only: making it as an actress. Without telling her family, she moves to Copenhagen to pursue her secret dream. But fate has something else in store for her. Anna becomes pregnant and has a baby girl. Though she struggles to give her daughter a good start in life, she ultimately fails to unite her dream of acting with a safe and loving environment for her child, culminating in a desperate act that has fatal consequences for Anna and her daughter.
Noomi Rapace won the two top film awards in Denmark (the Bodil and Robert prize) for Best Actress for her role in Daisy Diamond. According to Variety, “Rapace delivers a superbly committed performance in a demanding role, the actress having to expose herself physically and emotionally.”
In 2008, Staho directed Himlens Hjärta/Heaven's Heart (2008), selected for the Berlin International Film Festival. A four character chamber drama that details a marital breakup, the story focuses on two middle-aged married couples as they confront their adulterous impulses. The film begins with an extended dinner party that quickly becomes a battleground over the meaning and value of marriage.
Variety praised Heaven’s Heart as “An intense film with an all-star cast. Raw emotion, fearless performances and stylized cinematography mark the film as prime festival fare. Compelling viewing.” The actress Maria Lundqvist won Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film at the Swedish film awards, the ‘Guldbagges'.
Kärlekens Krigare/Warriors of Love (2009) is a contemporary version of Romeo & Juliet shot in black and white. The film is about two lesbian girls who choose to commit murder in order to save their love. It was selected for the Locarno International Film Festival.
Simon Staho's latest film is the eccentric musical Magi i Luften/Love Is In The Air, about the adventures of four young people during one single night. It has been selected for the Berlin International Film Festival 2012.