Norwegian director Ulrik Imtiaz Rolfsenstarts principal photography on BitterFlowers (Bitre blomster) onOctober 10.

Bitter Flowers is the first film in a $12.9 million package of two features and four TVmovies about Norwegian hardboiled private investigator VargVeum. It the largest budget so far realised in Norway.

Norwegian actor Trond Espen Seimwill play the lead in all six films, based on author Gunnar Staalesen's bestsellingnovels about the Bergen-based private investigator.

Bitter Flowers has been adapted for the screen by Thomas Moldestad,and will be produced by Jonas Allen and Peter Bose. Erik Richter Strand, whosefeature debut, Sons (Sønner) wasselected for competition in San Sebastian, will helm all four television films.

'All the stories takeplace in Bergen, exploring the dark side of this scenic west-coastcity's picket-fence-and-cobblestone facade,' said managing director Guttorm Petersson, of SF Norge, the local subsidiary of Swedish major, Svensk Filmindustri.

SF Norgewill exec-produce the series, with financial input from Germany's ARD-Degeto Film,broadcasters TV2 (Norway), TV4 (Sweden), YLE (Finland) and Scandinavian Canal+. The Norwegian Film Fund has chipped in $2 million for the project.