Denmark10 Essential Danish FilmsStop 8 of 10

Pelle the Conqueror

Pelle Erobreren

1987

In the late 19th century, a Swedish widower and his young son emigrate to the Danish island of Bornholm to labor on a harsh farm, dreaming of a better life while enduring exploitation and hardship. Bille August's sweeping, Oscar-winning drama.

Why it’s here

Bille August’s Bornholm epic is a major work about labor, migration, and Danish rural society.