by Søren Sveistrup, series creator and head writer
I wanted to make the world’s best crime story in Danish. I approached DR, the Danish broadcasting corporation, with an idea. They said there was no chance, they had other guys writing crime stories. What they wanted was some sort of romantic comedy. So I made a series, with Sofie Gråbøl, called Nikolaj and Julie. It was a success and won an International Emmy. After that, DR wanted to hear more about my crime idea. They were concerned when I said it would take 20 incidents to resolve the situation. But because of the Emmy, I was given carte blanche.
For me The Killing is a Greek tragedy. There is something that casts a spell on 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 actual murder cases in Denmark, talking to politicians, police, relatives, priests. Some scenes were a reflection of my own life. I lost my mother when I was young: the story of a family losing something really precious about me. It was catharsis, I guess.
I felt embarrassed at the Baftas – we obviously didn’t have the same budget and production values as the competition.
Sarah Lund was created closely with Sofie, who is extremely feminine and beautiful in real life. We imagined Sarah more as a man. I really liked spaghetti westerns with Clint Eastwood. We wanted a quiet western hero, combined with Sofie’s natural sense of humor and mischievousness. Socially inadequate, exhausted by her work. There are no clues about her background. enigma.
Nobody but me and maybe one or two others knew who the killer was until the end of the shooting. I didn’t even tell my friends or my wife. I didn’t want the actor to be guilty, and I wanted to keep my options open with the story as we went. I was a perfectionist and in the end I was so behind schedule with the writing that it was like laying tracks for the train as it approached. But that meant I could stay close to the tension as it built.
The Killing was very successful in Denmark, but no Danish TV series had ever been successful at that time – the language barrier was too great. However, he first liked the Swedes, then the Germans, then the French. The biggest surprise was the Brits. For some reason, the timing was just right. The show helped open doors not only to Danish television, but to Swedish and many other languages. Now it’s common to turn on Netflix and see something like Squid Game, in Korean.
I closed the door on The Killing a long time ago, but who knows what the future holds. I still have strong feelings for Sarah Lund.
Sofie Gråbøl was Sarah Lund
Director Birger Larsen wanted Sarah Lund in braids and a poncho. I’m a practical woman and I remember saying to him: “Birger, it’s ridiculous – how could you shoot him with a gun and a poncho?” But that’s the beautiful thing about the creative process, because it got us talking. We thought: maybe she could wear something knitted instead, in contrast to her strict line of work? I’ve always hated the whole clothing part of being an actress, but I totally gave in to the sweater. I thought it was the most perfect outfit ever. I never imagined myself to be some kind of fashion icon.
I felt as if I was wearing armor when I put on that sweater. As soft as it was, it was also an expression of great self-confidence – not protesting what was expected of him. People love Sarah Lund because I’m a surprising character. She is a loner, she is a bad mother. She is not loving at all. But in some ways that is her superpower. She has such a strong center, an uncompromising commitment to the truth.
I was at a low point in my personal life when we started shooting. I had two young children, I was getting divorced. But to enter this little world with Søren and other people I knew well, and to play a character that was very minimal and I didn’t need to reveal all my feelings, I felt like this dark, soothing bubble. Søren’s writing style while shooting was very intense, but he created a creative and fun atmosphere. When we got the final script, with the reveal, the atmosphere in the room was like Christmas Eve.
When the first season hit the UK in 2011, I was surprised because my phone was suddenly flooded with calls from the British press. It was at the Baftas that the moment he sunk as much as he rose. We were in this big center in London, looking at the stars. When a clip from The Killing was shown next to other international nominees such as Boardwalk Empire, I felt embarrassed. Our show obviously didn’t have the same budget or production values. We felt like the peasant family members. And then he won. On the walk up to the stage, so many people leaned out of their tables and said: “We loved your show!”
I didn’t keep the jerseys – they were auctioned off. But I’m sure they could knit me a new one if I ever needed it.
