PETROLHEADS (2026)

Documentary, 77 min

Director Emil Langballe

Screenplay Emil Langballe & Christian Einshøj

Producer Julie Friis Walenciak
Associate Producer Claes Hedlund

Director of Photography Anders Nydam, DFF

Editor Christian Einshøj

Music Björn Olsson

Sound designer Kasper Janus Rasmussen

Production designer Gustav Pontoppidan

Produced by Paloma Productions

Supported by The Danish Film Institute

Two very special friends drive the Danish roads thin in search of a used Honda Civic that might make life feel just a little more normal. A film that goes straight to the heart.

Martin’s biggest dream in life is to be normal, but he gave up on that dream long ago. At the age of nine, he was diagnosed with a challenging cocktail of severe conditions, and now all he wishes for is to become the happy owner of a 1994 Honda Civic.

He shares his all-consuming passion for engines with his best friend, Casper. They spend all their waking hours spotting, driving, and talking about cars, and they both feel excluded from society because of their challenges. Only behind the wheel they feel normal.

Together, they embark on a trip to Germany to fulfill Martin’s dream of becoming a car owner. But the friendship is put to the test by substance abuse, identity theft and a near-death experience. Riding in the back seat is filmmaker (and Martin’s older brother) Emil Langballe. He has created a true buddy movie: a film that is funny, honest and deeply moving about a friendship that endures when everything else falls apart.

Selected Festivals

2026

CPH:DOX