Nordisk Film Production is announcing today one of its major film projects for the coming year: the blockbuster CHEMINOVA, about the biggest toxic and environmental scandal in Danish history. The film depicts—in fictionalized form—the human consequences of the severe environmental contamination caused by the pesticide company Cheminova at Harboøre Tange near Lemvig in the late 1970s. The film will be director Anders Walter’s first feature film following the successful World War II drama WHEN LIBERATION COMES (2023) and is set to hit theaters in 2027. 

West Jutland, 1979. Eva Engbjerg works at the Cheminova pesticide factory and struggles to make ends meet. She lives with her son in the small provincial town of Harboøre in West Jutland, where the local community is deeply dependent on the factory. But when a toxic spill at Cheminova causes a serious accident, Eva begins to question the safety of the hazardous waste.

Management assures her that the work is safe, but Eva’s concern grows - both for her own health and that of her son. Determined to uncover the truth, she goes against the grain in a community that doesn’t want to hear about the factory’s dark side. Her family fears losing their jobs, her colleagues turn their backs on her, and management tries to threaten her into silence. Torn between loyalty and justice, Eva soon faces an impossible choice, and in a desperate race against time, she fights for her son’s future - and to hold the factory accountable for its actions.

CHEMINOVA is inspired by real events and is a gripping drama about human courage, justice, and the fight for a better future, unfolding against the backdrop of a dark chapter in modern Denmark. 

Anders Walter has worked on CHEMINOVA for several years. He says:

"It’s no secret that I’m passionate about creating socially conscious stories that audiences can relate to. That is also what attracted me to the Cheminova toxic waste scandal. It can both spark debate and raise some major universal and timeless questions about ethics and human behavior in a world where market forces dictate society. The environmental issue and the film’s exploration of humanity’s attitude toward the employees and the nature surrounding the factory have probably never been more relevant. But first and foremost, I am preoccupied with the human destinies in a case like this - their powerlessness, hope, and courage to rise up against all odds."

Nordisk Film Production has assembled a large and strong cast in front of the camera. First and foremost, we welcome the young rising star Mira Obling in the lead role as factory worker Eva. She graduated from the Danish National School of Performing Arts in 2024 and has appeared in Amazon Prime’s crime series Slangedræber as well as Dark Horse on TV 2. The lead role in CHEMINOVA marks her feature film debut. 

Opposite her is a cast of seasoned Danish stars. Anders W. Berthelsen plays Cheminova’s cynical CEO, Vagn Lauritsen; Sofie Torp plays Eva’s sister, Ida; Anders Brink Madsen plays Ida’s husband, Niels; Henrik Birch plays her father, Jakob; and Morten Hee Andersen plays the role of journalist Jørgen Kaarup at Jyllands-Posten. 

CHEMINOVA is produced by Nordisk Film Production's Tomas Radoor and Mette Høst Hansen, and is supported by the Danish Film Institute, TV 2, and the West Danish Film Fund. The film is distributed by Nordisk Film Distribution.

Director and Screenwriter: Anders Walter

Producers: Tomas Radoor and Mette Høst Hansen

Director of Photography: Adam Wallensten

Editor: Lars Wissing

Production Designer: Thomas Greve

Makeup Designer: Louise Hauberg Lohmann

Costume Designer: Charlotte Moe

Production Company: Nordisk Film Production

Investors/Partners: The Danish Film Institute, The West Danish Film Fund, TV 2

Distribution: Nordisk Film Distribution