The Hollywood Foreign Press Association allows production credits from numerous more than one country, while producers and actors from different backgrounds often cooperate. The King’s Choice is a case in point. This World War II story was a co-production between Norway and Ireland. Danish and Swedish funding also helped build the budget, while actors from different countries came together on the set. It turned out to be a successful international project. An eery and tense drama, The King’s Choice (Kongens Nei) from director Erik Poppe beat two other films to become the country’s entry for the Golden Globes and the Oscars, where it has made the initial shortlist of nine finalists.The film tells the famous tale of King Haakon VII, who along with his son in 1940 was confronted with the German invasion of his country. His family’s choice to not cooperate with the nazis had, of course, major implications for the Norwegian people, and it changed the course of the war.The role of the King, suffering from debilitating back pain while battling the nazi incursion, is played with a subtle intensity by the well-known Danish actor Jesper Christensen. At age 68, he will be familiar to any James Bond lover: Christensen appeared in Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace and Spectre as the mysterious Mr. White. Ironically, he is also on record as a fierce critic of the monarchy; in 2006 he rejected a royal Danish distinction, the Knight’s Cross, saying the monarchy did not fit in modern times.The slow-moving film’s run time is more than two hours, but that has not deterred audiences in Scandinavia, where it has been a critical and box office success.