---
name: "Joachim Holbek"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/joachim-holbek"
fi1m_id: "joachim-holbek"
imdb_id: "nm0389996"
tmdb_id: 1637
wikidata_id: "Q17096832"
roles: ["Music arranger"]
born: "12 November 1957"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 2
average_fi1m_score: 78
average_over: 2
updated: "2026-09-26T02:23:44.283432+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Joachim Holbek

## Identity

Joachim Holbek

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/joachim-holbek
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** joachim-holbek
- **IMDb ID:** nm0389996
- **TMDB ID:** 1637
- **Wikidata ID:** Q17096832
- **Same entity:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q17096832, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0389996/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1637

Music arranger. Born 12 November 1957 in Kongens Lyngby, Danmark.

## Details

- **Work:** Music arranger
- **Born:** 12 November 1957, Kongens Lyngby, Danmark
- **Active:** 1994–2003
- **Frequently works with:** [Lars von Trier](https://film.one/person/lars-von-trier.md)
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 82 (1), 2000s 74 (1)
- **Elsewhere:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q17096832, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0389996/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1637

## Streaming the US now

- **MUBI:** [*Breaking the Waves*](https://film.one/film/breaking-the-waves.md) (82)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Joachim Holbek is a Danish composer born on 12 November 1957 in Kongens Lyngby. He studied at the Musikakademiet in Copenhagen and worked in theatre and ballet before entering film.

Holbek's film scores include Lars von Trier's *Medea* (1988), *Europa* (1991), *Breaking the Waves* (1996), *The Kingdom* (1994), *Dogville* (2003) and *Manderlay* (2005). He has also composed for Ole Bornedal's *Nightwatch* (1994) and *Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself* (2002). He is the brother-in-law of Lars von Trier.

Holbek has received several Robert Awards for best original score, including for *The Kingdom* (1995), *Heart of Light* (1999) and *Russian Pizza Blues* (1993).

*Sources: dfi.dk, imdb.com, snl.no, no.wikipedia.org.*

## On Fi1m (2)

- *Dogville* (2003), Fi1m 74, Music Arranger — [page](https://film.one/film/dogville.md)
- *Breaking the Waves* (1996), Fi1m 82, Music, Orchestrator, Music Arranger, Original Music Composer — [page](https://film.one/film/breaking-the-waves.md)

## Complete filmography (35)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Way to Mandalay* (2018), Original Music Composer
- *Small Town Killers* (2017), Original Music Composer
- *Turtle* (2014), Music
- *Zeit der Helden* (2013), series, Sound
- *Eskil & Trinidad* (2013), Original Music Composer
- *Daisy Diamond* (2007), Original Music Composer
- *Just Another Love Story* (2007), Original Music Composer
- *Europa: The Faecal Location* (2005), Music
- *The Emotional Music Script* (2005), as Interviewee · Music
- *From Dreyer to von Trier* (2005), Music
- *Manderlay* (2005), Music Arranger, Original Music Composer
- *Anecdotes from Europa* (2005), Music
- *Jeg er bare den logerende* (2005), Original Music Composer
- *Day and Night* (2004), Original Music Composer
- *Tintin and I* (2004), Music
- *Dogville* (2003), Music Arranger — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/dogville.md)
- *Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself* (2002), Original Music Composer
- *Detector* (2000), Music
- *Misery Harbour* (1999), Music
- *Toast* (1999), series, Music
- *The Kingdom II* (1998), Original Music Composer
- *Heart of Light* (1998), Original Music Composer
- *Junk Mail* (1997), Original Music Composer
- *Nightwatch* (1997), Original Music Composer
- *Charlot og Charlotte* (1996), series, Music
- *Breaking the Waves* (1996), Music Arranger, Orchestrator, Original Music Composer — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/breaking-the-waves.md)
- *Pyrus: Alletiders Nisse* (1995), series, Music
- *The Kingdom* (1994), Original Music Composer
- *The Kingdom* (1994), series, Music
- *Nightwatch* (1994), Original Music Composer
- *Family Matters* (1993), Music
- *Pretty Boy* (1993), Music
- *Russian Pizza Blues* (1992), Original Music Composer
- *Europa* (1991), Original Music Composer
- *Medea* (1989), Original Music Composer

## Awards

### Other awards — 5 won, 1 nominated

- European Film Award for Best Composer 2005: European Film Award for Best Composer (nominated), for *Manderlay*
- Robert Award for Best Score 1999: Robert Award for Best Score (won)
- Bodil Honorary Award 1998: Bodil Honorary Award (won)
- Robert Award for Best Score 1995: Robert Award for Best Score (won)
- Robert Award for Best Score 1993: Robert Award for Best Score (won)
- Robert Award for Best Score 1992: Robert Award for Best Score (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/joachim-holbek