The actor Viggo Mortensen presents his new Spanish film Alatriste in his father's home region.

Tonight TV2 will show the third part of the Lord Of The Rings - The Return Of The King, with our own Danish Viggo Mortensen in the leading role. But people in Ringsted - and others if they are quick - can actually meet Viggo Mortensen face-to-face when, just for tonight, he shows his new Spanish epic Alatriste at an exclusive presentation in Ringsted Kongrescenter.

Before the film Viggo will talk about working on Alatriste, and after the presentation he will answer questions from the hall and give autographs. And then you can definitely say that "The King of Ringsted has returned."

Viggo has elected Ringsted on Midtsjælland to have this exclusive opening night because he has lots of family in the neighbourhood, including his beloved uncle Henry, who his own 19-year-old son is named after. And according to Ekstra Bladet's information both his Aunt Tulle and other sisters of Viggo's father also live in the neighbourhood.

"I look forward to showing Alatriste on the large screen, where this beautiful film is at home. That it is happening in Ringsted is no coincidence because here I have stayed with my family for many, many years," the King of Ringstead, Viggo Mortensen says, about the Spanish film which has not been shown in Danish cinemas but has appeared on DVD.

Ekstra Bladet's envoys have already watched the most expensive Spanish film ever at the Toronto Film Festival last year, where Viggo Mortensen was received like a true superstar by thousands of screaming women from that Canadian city. The press are waiting to see whether the Midtsjælland girls can squeal just as loudly.

In the film Viggo Mortensen plays the lead role of Captain Don Diego Alatriste in Flanders, who is already a war veteran of fifteen years. At 17 he fought his first duel and killed his opponent and at 18 he received the title of Captain. Later, when his purse is a little empty he lets himself become a hired killer for the nobles of Seville and Madrid.

The film contains all the elements of intrigue and treachery, war and love, mortal enemies and bloody fencing matches that a modern musketeer film should have.

In Canada Viggo Mortensen told Ekstra Bladet that working in the film was like when he studied Spanish at university but this time he was getting paid for it.

"There were lots of experts on the camera crew who I drew knowledge from, and before I began filming I visited the Prado museum in Madrid in order to see the artist Velazquez's fantastic paintings. Spain's history has been told before in films by Hollywood, and the Spaniards are often portrayed as stereotypes. But, luckily, this film is told by Spaniards, and it has been very liberating to participate in it.

The way the world looks today in Europe, North and South America, is due to Spain's Golden Empire in the 17th Century, the very history that interested me," says Viggo Mortensen.

There is no doubt that there will be a demand for the 800 tickets for this occasion, which from yesterday could be collected at Ringsted Bibliotek.