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Estonian Screenwriters’ Guild presents:BUILDING “THE BRIDGE”
Masterclass with Nikolaj Scherfig
How do you build a crime series that can sustain tension, complex characters and long-running narrative arcs across several seasons – while also bringing together two countries, languages and working methods?
In this one-day masterclass, acclaimed Danish screenwriter Nikolaj Scherfig takes participants behind the creative process of the internationally successful Nordic noir series The Bridge (Broen), using the show as a practical case study in series development and writing.
The masterclass explores how the core idea and distinctive tone of The Bridge were developed, how complex characters were created and sustained, and how episodic storylines were balanced with larger season arcs. Scherfig will also discuss the particular challenges and possibilities of telling a story across two countries, including the blending of Danish and Swedish cultures, languages and working practices.
A further focus will be on creative collaboration: how screenwriters work with directors, actors, production designers and other creative partners, as well as with broadcasters across national borders.
Rather than simply looking back at a successful series, the masterclass uses The Bridge to examine practical principles that can be applied to contemporary crime drama and series writing: concept development, tone, character, structure, collaboration and international storytelling.
The masterclass is intended for professional and emerging screenwriters, but will also be valuable for directors, producers, playwrights, novelists and other creatives working with narrative development.
Nikolaj Scherfig is an acclaimed Danish screenwriter and one of the key writers behind The Bridge, for which he wrote a total of 38 episodes across its four seasons.
A graduate of the Danish Film School’s screenwriting department, Scherfig has written extensively for television and film. His television credits include The Bridge I–IV, Heartless, Jesus & Josefine, The Other World, Scandinavian Star, Taxa and Rejseholdet. His feature film credits include Eye of the Eagle.
In addition to his writing work, Scherfig has worked as a freelance film consultant and as a film commissioner at the Danish Film Institute. He served as Chairman of the Danish Writers Guild from 2011 to 2024 and has also been a board member of FSE – the Federation of Screenwriters in Europe.
He has taught masterclasses based on The Bridge both during the series’ original run and more recently for a new generation of writers, sharing first-hand experience of developing, writing and producing one of Europe’s most influential crime series.
Language: English
Participation fee:
Estonian Screenwriters’ Guild members:
Early bird 59 €, regular 75 €
Other screenwriters’ guilds & Estonian Filmmakers Union members:
Early bird 69 €, regular 85 €
Non-members:
Early bird 79 €, regular 95 €
Early bird prices are valid until September 18, 2026.
Payment to: MTÜ Eesti Stsenaristide Gild
Swedbank: EE89 2200 2210 6992 7592
Please indicate on the registration form if you require an invoice.
For those who need accommodation during the masterclass, especially guests travelling from abroad, Tallink City Hotel is kindly offering discounted room rates. If you are interested, please contact us for more information and booking details.
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Event venue
Tallink City Hotel, Ants Laikmaa 5, Kesklinn, Tallinn, 10145 Harju Maakond, Eesti, Estonia
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