[4] Following the creative constraints of the Dogme 95 movement, Scherfig set the film almost entirely on location within a small space, used sound found only at the source, and shot it on video.

This film, not considered a part of the Dogme 95 canon, is a touching movie centered on a suicidal man who is constantly saved and cared for by his brother.

Noted by critics to be a surprisingly lighthearted affair, the movie was praised for Scherfig's ability to craft deep and interesting characters.

But there is an undercurrent of deep and complicated feeling beneath the Scottish reserve; it is signalled by the music, and by Ms. Scherfig's exquisite sense of nuance.

It served as a catalyst for her Dogme 95 related project called the Advance Party, in which both Scherfig and Jensen helped write characters for Lars Von Trier.

"[10] While receiving little commercial or critical spotlight, the film served as a bridge between Scherfig's earlier experiments and her more American successes.

With a screenplay written by esteemed British fiction author Nick Hornby, the movie was based on journalist Lynn Barber's experiences as a teenager in post-war Britain.

Centered on this tender and somewhat morally ambiguous romantic relationship between David and Jenny, the movie was hailed as being subtle and deliberate in its pacing and tone.

[citation needed] On making the film, Scherfig has talked about her focus on the theme of being an American teenager examined throughout the story, saying, "my guess is about America is that it's this combination of innocence and freedom that attracts you.

Based on novel of the same name[14][15] by David Nicholls and adapted by him as a screenplay, the movie marks a more turning point for Scherfig's career in reaching a larger audience than any of her previous films.

The plot and story of the movie has been characterized as somewhat simple and predictable, but critics noted that Scherfig gave the dialogue and tone of the film a distinct freshness.

The film follows two first-year students amongst the privileged elite of Oxford University, determined to join the infamous Riot Club, where reputations can be made or destroyed over the course of a single evening.

[18] Scherfig has come to be recognised as a significant talent in the film industry for her experimentation with creative constraints and astute attention to detail.

[21][22] Kaj's fodselsdag won both the Club Espace Award and the Grand Jury Prize at the Rouen Nordic Film Festival in 1991.