Bastarden (2023)

Art Direction (Denmark) · Jesper Clausen

Directed by Nikolaj Arcel
Production Design by Jette Lehmann
Art Direction by Jesper Clausen (Denmark), Seth Turner (Germany) and Frantisek Weber (Czech Republic)
Produced by Zentropa

Set in 1755 Denmark, The Promised Land follows Captain Ludvig Kahlen as he attempts to cultivate the barren Jutland heath, confronting both the unforgiving landscape and the powerful landowners who seek to control it.

As Art Director in Denmark, I was responsible for the development and construction of the King’s House and its surrounding sets on the Jutland heath, translating the production design into full-scale physical environments. I also produced the technical drawings for the house’s interior set, which was built in Halle, Germany, under the supervision of German Art Director Seth Turner.

FILM STILLS

DESIGN & DRAWINGS

BEHIND THE SCENES

Timber framework of the King's House set under construction on the Danish heath for The Promised Land (2023).

Aerial view of the King's House and adjacent barn under construction on an open heathland location.

Carpenters working on the timber roof structure and facade of the King's House set, surrounded by scaffolding.

Completed timber-framed King's House exterior set with thatched roof, period details and film crew on location.

Close view of the King's House exterior set, showing timber framing, windows, thatched roofing and period surface finishes.

Carved wooden sign reading "Kongenshus" on a workbench during prop production for The Promised Land.

Full-scale King's House interior set constructed inside a German film studio, with surrounding studio equipment and rigging.

Period farmhouse interior featuring an open stone hearth, suspended cooking pot, timber beams and furnished kitchen area.

REFERENCES

Selected pages from the production design research developed in collaboration with Production Designer Jette Lehmann, documenting historical buildings, traditional construction methods, materials and architectural details that informed the design of the King’s House set.