CHEMO BRAIN

5x15 min │ 2019 │ TV series │ Splay One / TV 2 │ Denmark

Creators & Writers: Kristian Håskjold & Johan Wang
Director: Kristian Håskjold

PITCH
Twenty-eight-year-old Oliver spends his time studying, hanging out with friends, and trying to charm his new girlfriend, Signe, when he finds out that his lower-back pain is actually testicular cancer. Rapidly shifting from mindless living to becoming a hospital regular, chemotherapy sets him on a path of introspection. Welcome distraction, if minimal nurturing, comes via his best friend, his father, and fellow patient Eva, who is facing her own diagnosis with flair. Oliver struggles between maintaining his happy-go-lucky toehold in the life he shaped for himself and honing in on what will ultimately be best for him in the world he has been thrust into.

AWARDS

• 2020 - SXSW Film Festival (USA) / Special Jury Recognition for Drama

“The Jury is pleased to bestow its Special Recognition for Drama Jury Award to the unapologetically honest, deeply touching yet unsentimental Chemo Brain. Told over five complete episodes — a huge achievement in itself — Kristian Håskjold directs a series he co-creates with Johan Wang that depicts the indignities of illness and the struggle of hope with an understatement that only the best dramas achieve.”

SELECTIONS

• 2020 - Sundance Film Festival (USA) / Indie Episodic Program

• 2020 - TVprisen (Denmark) / Nominated for “Best Short Form Scripted”

• 2020 - Robertuddelingen/The Danish Academy Award / Nominated for “Best Short Series”

• 2020 - Zulu Awards / Nominated for “Best Danish TV series”

• 2020 - SXSW Film Festival (USA) / Special Jury Recognition for Drama

• 2020 - Palm Springs International ShortFest (USA) / Competition

• 2020 - Aarhus Series / Nominated for “Best Nordic Series”

PRESS

• /Film: ‘Chemo Brain’ is Deeply Human and Surprisingly Hopeful Look at Life With Cancer (2020/04/08)

• Cineuropa: Interview with Kristian Håskjold - Director of Chemo Brain (2020/03/27)

• Variety: SXSW Film Festival Unveils 2020 Winners After Cancellation (2020/03/24)

• Danish Film Institute: Series Chemo Brain picked for Sundance (2019/12/11)

• No Film School: ‘Chemo Brain’: The Sundance Series Shot in 8 Days while in Alternative Film School (2020/1/29)

• The Daily Utah Chronicle: ‘Chemo Brain’ Examines Cancer with Staggering Gravitas' (2020/2/1)

• Nordisk Film & TV Fond: TV2 DK enters Sundance with Chemo Brain (2019/12/12)

• Nordic Drama: Chemo Brain First Danish Series at Sundance (2020/1/4)

• IndieWire: Memo to Distributors: Buy These 2020 Sundance TV series (2020/1/29)

• Avid: Video interview at Sundance (2020/1/25)

• Short of the Week: An S/W-centric Guide to Sundance 2020 (2019/12/23)

• Vi Elsker Serier: Chemo Brain: 6 star review (DK) (2019/11/1)

• Soundvenue: TV 2-series about young cancer patient is surprisingly binge-friendly (DK) (2019/10/28)

• Filmmagasinet Ekko: Chemo Brain: review (DK) (2019/10/22)

• Politiken: New TV2-series selected to prestigious festival in USA (DK) (2019/12/11)

• Bureaubiz: The Danish series ‘Chemo Brain’ will have its International premiere at Sundance Film Festival (DK) (2019/12/11)

• Fyens Stiftstidende: Film talents from Funen selected to big American film festival (DK) (2019/12/11)

• Filmmagasinet Ekko: Ekko Shortlist winner selected to American festival (DK) (2019/12/11)

• Soundvenue: TV 2-series ‘Chemo Brain’ is selected to Sundance - As the first Danish series ever (DK) (2019/12/11)

• Kulturmonitor: Splay One-series on TV 2 gets premiere at Sundance: “We couldn’t ask for a better beginning.” (DK) (2019/12/11)

• TV 2: The TV 2 Play series ‘Chemo Brain’ gets international premiere at prestigious film festival (DK) (2019/12/11)

• DR: 2019 was a crazy year! Here are the shows, which overwhelmed us! (DK) (2020/12/25)

• Danish Film Academy: The Robert nominations 2020 - Best Short Series (DK) (2020/1/6)

• TV 2: Here are the nominees for ‘Zulu Awards 2020’ (DK) (2020/1/27)

• Sundhedspolitisk Tidsskrift: Chemo Brain: 5-star review (DK) (2020/1/28)

VIDEOS