It’s not a coincidence that “ Families Like Ours ,” the climate change disaster miniseries where Denmark is completely flooded, is premiering in Venice, a city known for its struggle against rising sea levels.

“The abundance of water here made it the obvious choice,” explains Thomas Vinterberg , the Danish director for whom “Families Like Ours marks his first TV series (and first project since his acclaimed Oscar-winning feature “Another Round.”) “Even in my initial correspondence with Alberto [Barbera], I mentioned that there was no other suitable venue to showcase this than Venice.”

In typical Vinterberg fashion, “Families Like Ours” — as the title suggests — deals with family and society dynamics and behaviors, this time as Danish authorities suddenly announce that the country’s citizens are to be evacuated and scattered across the globe to whichever country will accept them.

“The concept was actually conceived several years ago as a wild, futuristic idea, and was dismissed by some of my close friends,” he shares from Venice. “And all of a sudden, it has become a reality, which is a bit unsettling.”

However, the actual disaster — the flooding — is not depicted on screen. It serves more as a looming threat as the drama centers on one family torn apart by the life-altering decisions they are forced to make.

“I wanted to make this realistic, and I believe Denmark wouldn't wait for flooding; we would be prepared,” he says, adding that he thinks a “fair solution” would be found to rescue as many people as possible. “So, in reality, it would be a disaster movie playing out gradually.”

Considering its global themes — and the many other countries facing a very real threat from the climate crisis — “Families Like Ours,” despite being deeply rooted in Danish society, feels like a drama with strong potential for global adaptations.

“From my experience, when I try to make something more general, nobody shows any interest,” says Vinterberg. “But when I create something very specifically Danish, it gains international appeal.”

As it turns out, Vinterberg’s highly specific Danish film “Another Round,” a comedy drama described as an “ode to alcohol,” following four friends trying to maintain a certain alcohol level in their blood to improve their lives, is gaining global recognition.

In 2021, it was announced that Leonardo DiCaprio would be producing a U.S. remake, and earlier this year Chris Rock was revealed as the writer and director. Given the vastly different relationship America has with alcohol compared to Europe, many questioned how the story could be translated for the U.S., and Vinterberg admits he “had many of the same questions.” But he points out that the film has “an underlying theme, the story of an experience, which could be placed anywhere,” and that the best approach to the remake would be “placing it in a different setting and making it truly American.”

Despite this, when Rock was linked to the project, Vinterberg playfully mocked the star, telling a Danish newspaper that, “If it's a flop, he'll get slapped again.”

“I confess I said that,” he admits. “But I sent him an apology because he might not have appreciated it.”