, Mikkelsen hailed his home country as a haven for artistic freedom, describing it as the “naughty little brother” when compared to Sweden, which he referred to as “the good big brother where you have to follow the system.” He noted how up until 2021, artists in Sweden had to obey “diversity requirements” in order to get state funding.
“This is a cast and Danish production that’s entirely Nordic, and, therefore, has some lack of diversity, you would say, There’s also new rules implied in Hollywood,” the reporter said. “I’m just curious: It’s not because of artistic reasons, it’s because of a lack of diversity, that this can’t compete in that competition. Are you worried about it?”