Petrolheads
Emil Langballe / Denmark / 2026 / World Premiere / 77 min
Two very special friends on a road trip through Denmark in search of a used Honda Civic that might make life just a little bit more normal. A warm 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 9, he was diagnosed with a challenging cocktail of serious conditions, and now all he wants is to become the happy owner of a 1994 Honda Civic. He shares his overwhelming 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 the community because of their challenges. Only when they are behind the wheel do they feel normal.
Together, they set off for a used car dealer in Germany to fulfill Martin’s dream of becoming a car owner. But their friendship is put to the test by drug abuse, identity theft, and, not least, a near-death experience. In the back seat is filmmaker (and Martin’s older brother) Emil Langballe. He has created a true buddy movie: a funny, genuine, and touching film about a friendship that endures when everything else falls apart.