Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value,” starring Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård and Elle Fanning, has achieved success in international arthouse markets, with distributors highlighting localized marketing strategies as key to its performance. Campaigns in Taiwan, Romania, and Czechia demonstrate varied approaches to reaching audiences.
In Taiwan, Swallow Wings’ Albert Yao reported approximately 22,000 admissions from January to April. The distributor timed the release to coincide with awards season and utilized collectible artwork – including different posters and character bookmarks – as a central marketing hook. Yao explained that the scarcity of these collectibles encouraged repeat viewings and social media sharing, tapping into a Taiwanese appetite for limited-edition theatrical merchandise.
Romania’s Bad Unicorn experienced high demand for “Sentimental Value” from the outset, with screenings at Les Films de Cannes à Bucarest selling out quickly. Bianca Maria Roiu of Bad Unicorn organized a “Joachim Trier Winter” retrospective in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, and Timișoara, featuring “Sentimental Value” alongside Trier’s “Oslo, August 31st” and “The Worst Person in the World.” The campaign extended to radio, bookstores, coffee shops, cinema advertising, and Bucharest’s metro network. For a press screening, attendees were asked to bring objects with sentimental value, generating social media content. The film ran in Romanian cinemas for 16 weeks and reached over 29,000 admissions. Roiu noted that while their previous film starring Reinsve, “Armand,” struggled, and “Dreams” performed well, “Sentimental Value” achieved the highest numbers.
Aerofilms in Czechia positioned the film around its ensemble cast, emotional accessibility, and Scandinavian identity. An early showcase at the Karlovy Vary film festival, attended by Stellan Skarsgård, helped build momentum before its winter release.
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