The Pact

The Pact is a Danish drama about the complex relationship between Karen Blixen, a famous writer, and Thorkild Bjørnvig, a promising young poet. After returning to Denmark from Africa with her life in shambles and facing severe illness, Blixen has established herself as a literary success and a candidate for the Nobel Prize. When she meets the thirty-year-old poet, she offers to help him achieve professional stardom on the condition that he gives her his total and unconditional obedience, regardless of what he must sacrifice in his personal life.

The film was directed by Bille August, marking the 13th of 15 films in his career, following A Fortunate Man and preceding The Kiss. The screenplay was written by Christian Torpe, with Birthe Neumann starring as Blixen and Simon Bennebjerg as Bjørnvig. The cast also includes Nanna Skaarup Voss, Asta Kamma August, Anders Heinrichsen, and Marie Mondrup. Produced by SF Studios Production and Motor, the movie earned 2 million USD at the worldwide box office. Audience reception is consistent across platforms, with a rating of 6.4/10 on IMDb from 1,100 votes and a matching 6.4/10 on TMDB based on 17 votes.