Lone Scherfig is set to direct The Shift, a hospital drama set in a contemporary maternity ward led by Danish star Sofie Gråbøl (The Killing). Produced for Danish private broadcaster TV2 and TV2 Play, shooting of the eight hour series starts this week in Copenhagen.
With The Shift, Lone Scherfig returns to television after directing feature films such as An Education and Italian for Beginners.
The Shift is an emotional work place drama in a maternity ward, a special, almost sacred place, where many of us at some point will spend the most crucial hours of our lives. The series follows Ella (Sofie Gråbøl), the department head, who is surrounded by new life each day, while secretly wishing for her own children; but she has a hard time forming close relationships. Or pediatrician Jerry, whose marriage is falling apart, a fact his religious community is not supposed to know. They and those passing through are from all walks of life, representing all facets of society. Yet they all share this place, a venue of suspense, shame, guilt and insecurity, but also a world of triumphs, humor, trust, love and unfathomable bliss.
“My ambition is for the series to possess quality and emotion but still contribute to the narrative of our society, both politically and humanly. We find ourselves in the maternity ward at a brand new super hospital, a pulsating eternity machine. An apparent chaos that both creates life and reflects modern day Scandinavian life”, said Lone Scherfig, creator and showrunner of the show.
Lone Scherfig Set to Direct ‘The Shift’
