'Girl with the Needle's chilling true story will haunt you
What's the story
The Girl with the Needle, a black-and-white drama directed by Magnus von Horn, has been making waves since its US and Canada release on December 6.
No, it's not a traditional horror movie, but a true crime drama set in 1920s Denmark.
It tells the chilling tale of Karoline (Vic Carmen Sonne), who finds employment with Dagmar (Trine Dyrholm), a woman running an illicit adoption agency under the guise of aiding impoverished, unwed mothers.
Historical character
Dagmar Overbye: A notorious figure in Danish history
Dagmar, played by Dyrholm, is inspired by a real-life Danish historical figure, Dagmar Johanne Amalie Overbye.
Between 1915 and 1920, Overbye ran an underground business like the one shown in the film.
But behind her kind facade was a much darker truth.
This dark secret was ultimately uncovered by Karoline Aagesen (Sonne), just like in the movie.
Grim reality
Overbye's dark secret: A child murderer
Over the years, Overbye was entrusted with several children from underprivileged backgrounds, born to unmarried women shunned for getting pregnant.
However, instead of finding them homes as she promised, she was actually murdering these infants.
She was charged with the murder of nine children but confessed to 16 killings.
Some believe that her victims may have numbered up to 25.
Legal proceedings
Overbye's downfall and subsequent trial
Overbye's horrific deeds came to light when Aagesen.
Aagesen had give up her newborn daughter but soon after, regretted her decision and went back.
However, she was told that the child had already been adopted and Overbye had "lost" the information about the adoption.
Alarmed, Aagesen alerted the police who discovered baby clothes and human remains in Overbye's home.
Overbye was arrested and sentenced to death in 1921, becoming Denmark's first woman to receive such a sentence since the 1860s.
Director's view
Overbye's life and director von Horn's perspective
King Christian X later commuted her sentence to life imprisonment.
Despite her heinous crimes, Overbye had a complicated history.
Before her arrest for multiple murders, she had previous brushes with the law for theft, dating back to when she was just 12.
Director von Horn said he was interested in knowing what drove such a character and the societal conditions that enabled these crimes.
"What she did says so much about society surrounding her at the time."