Oscar-Nominated Lone Scherfig Talks First Swedish Project ‘Honeytrap’

“Honeytrap” will be like a skewed, tilted version of the more romantic films I’ve done before,” said the multi-awarded Danish writer-director Lone Scherfig to a packed audience of industry delegates Jan. 30, at the opening session of Göteborg’s Nordic Film Market Discovery program.

In an express on-stage interview, the triple Oscar-nominated helmer of “An Education,” said “Honeytrap” will be her first ever Swedish project, based on a script by Pelle Rådström, credited for Netflix’s “Black Crab” and the Swedish show “Pressure Point” which just picked up the Nordic Series Script Award in Göteborg.

“I felt the script (handed out to me by producer Rebecka Hamberger) had everything I love: a thriller element, love and humor. It’s set in the 60s, an era from my early childhood, that I’ve also portrayed in several works including in “An Education.” It’s super good and I’m very confident with it,” said the director who also serves as co-scribe.

Set in 1968, the story turns on Max (28) who attends a Stasi ‘Romeo’ program where agents are trained to seduce secretaries at major Western companies. Inger (25), who works for a Stockholm-based weapon export firm, is an easy target. The information he collects are crucial for the Stasi but as he starts falling for Inger, his secrets and lies become a burden.

“The spine of the story is the love affair between them and whether they can trust each other or not,” said Scherfig who feels as thrilled to dig into the historical background. “It’s 1968 – you have the Russian invasion in Prague, which has an influence on the story” – and the love story set against the Cold War, which can be compared to where we are now. I’m obsessed with that story and the ending is really surprising!”.

Unveiling a few details about the characters, the helmer said Max has a Swedish mother back in Berlin, whose husband was a Nazi officer and…