The Kingdom (Riget)

The Kingdom is an 8 episode long Danish television mini series from 1994 (in Danish it's called 'Riget'). It was created by Lars Von Trier and he co directed it with Mortern Arnfred. It was later edited into a five hour long movie for United States and United Kingdom distribution. The show is set in the neurosurgical ward of the main hospital of Copenhagen, The Rigshospitalet. Its tone is dark and supernatural, as strange things, both human and not, appear within the hospital to its staff. It approached the eerie with a wry sense of humor and it was shot in a lite version of 'dogme' style. The show featured its own version of a 'Greek Chorus' in the form of a group of hospital dishwashers with Down Syndrome who discussed everything that happened within the hospital. The first season ended with many questions unanswered, so a second season was produced in 1997. That season created even more questions. However a third series never came to be, as by the time it would have been produced many of the original cast members had died. MORE