EXCLUSIVE: Désirée Nosbusch’s emotionally raw drama Poison, pairing award-winning actors Tim Roth and Trine Dyrholm on the big screen, world premieres at the Munich International Film Festival on Friday and Deadline can reveal a first clip.
The feature, which heads afterwards to Ireland’s Galway Film Festival, where Roth is set to put in an appearance, is adapted from an award-winning play by Dutch writer Lot Vekemans.
Roth and Dyrholm co-star as a former couple who meet up several years after the devastating loss of their young son tore them apart, and embark on a painful dissection of what happened and where they are now in their lives.
Related Stories
The film’s shoot in early 2020 took on unexpected resonance for Roth when he learned of his own son Cormac Roth’s diagnosis with stage 3 germ cell cancer in November 2021, just months before filming was due to take place in the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
Talking to Deadline about the production, Roth said he decided to continue with the role nonetheless.
“I talked to Cormac about it,” said the Reservoir Dogs and Rob Roy actor . “It felt like it was an important piece to do, and these things can help you in a way, although nothing prepares you.”
Danish Margrete: Queen of the North and Queen of Hearts star Dyrholm said she was initially drawn to the project for the challenge of transferring the original play to the big screen.
“I was interested in the process of putting grief into words and talking about emotions in a cinematic way. I’m not used to playing a character who actually talks about how they feel,” she explained.
Poison is Luxembourgish actress Nosbusch first theatrical feature in the director’s chair after more than 75 acting credits include Bad Banks, Sisi and the recent German hit thriller Süsser Rausch.
She is is also producing under the banner of Deal Productions, her Luxembourg-based joint venture with Alexandra Hoesdorff. U.S. sales company Hyde Park International handles international sales.