Sune Sorensen & Jung von Matt/SAGA: A Christmas story told perfectly

Another wonderful Christmas story about an older person from a Jung von Matt agency. This one far more joyful throughout than Jung von Matt DONAU’s Christmas spot for financial group, Erste, but it will make you cry nonetheless.

This story, by Jung von Matt/SAGA for pharmacy giant, Doc Morris, is masterfully told by director, Sune Sorensen.

When both characters are introduced they are solitary and a little sad. But Sorensen’s musters his own motivation. He takes himself on a fitness journey. Nuanced suggestions to his motive keep the viewer wondering. Is he trying to rekindle his youth or accomplish something for himself? Is it all perhaps even for the disapproving woman who lives next door? The reveal at the end is glorious.

Sorensen commented, “I was immediately attracted to the lone portrayal of the protagonist as well as the dynamics of viewing him from both inside-out and outside-in. Delving into his development and motivations, the stages of conviction, failure, disbelief, comic relief, recovery, and so on, lends itself with quite a few rewards – not least when working with the actors.”

London actor, Carl Welch, who plays opposite local star, Evelin Pang, was put to the test by Sorensen. “I wanted to push Carl a bit. To find sides of him, and the character, that we couldn’t foresee. It’s hard to establish a complex character for an audience in minutes, so I felt a need to explore and challenge the role. That meant getting very personal and working closely with the actors, especially Carl, to achieve an authentic portrayal of a lovable, vulnerable, and real character,” Sorensen commented.

Like its sibling, Doc Morris’ film ends without product placement, just a tagline to cement the emotional bond the film has laid in place with the viewer. Sorensen, noted, “I was excited to find that the agency and client had agreed not to cloud the story with clumsy product scenes. It’s tremendously rare that a client, or even an agency, is brave enough to believe that much in the story and on the long-term effect of great branding. It made the project feel special.”

Credits:

Idea: Paolo Tresoldi

Director: Sune Sorensen
DoP: Franz Lustig
Production Company (Germany): Markenfilm Hamburg
Head of Production & Executive Producer: Marc Strass
1st AD: Alan Finlay

Agency: Jung von Matt SAGA

Chief Creative Officer: Dörte Spengler-Ahrens
Creative Director: Alex Schmid
Copywriter: Olasumbo Pinheiro
Art Director: Ibrahem Ghhareib
Senior Producer: Dennis Wendt
Client Service Director: Natalie Martens
Senior Project Manager: Tasja Oldach
Junior Project Manager: Viktor Mahé

Casting UK: Hammond Cox Casting
Casting Estonia: Agency Icon
Casting Latvia: /laik/a casting agency
Service Production Estonia: Münchhausen Productions OÜ
Executive Producer & Managing Director: Niko Mihailsin
Managing Director: Elen Kallas