Wednesday March 13 will be the first day of CPH:DOX, the annual documentary festival held in the Danish capital. With 12 days of screenings and activities, the event brings people together in one of Denmark’s favorite artistic formats: film. But how much do you know about it?
In June 1896, the first Danish film was screened in Copenhagen’s Rådhuspladsen – this was only half a year after the Lumière brothers had screened their first production. Some years later, Ole Olsen was the mastermind behind the creation of Nordisk Film, standing today as the oldest production studio in the world to still be in operation.
During the ‘60s, the country took the headlines by legalizing pornography and getting rid of adult censorship. With fans and opponents, this measure was overall regarded as a symbol of Danish attitudes around freedom, encouraging rawer and riskier forms of film. Three decades later, four Danish directors created the “Dogme 95 Manifesto” (1995), a set of production rules that intended to bring back the traditional values of filmmaking which they felt technology was erasing. The movement resonated with many and became popular all around the world.
Although other countries lead the current scene, Denmark’s values of honesty and bluntness have made its film unique in its own way. The straight-to-the-point tone of normal Danish interactions can be seen in production, where directors often prioritize building characters and addressing “difficult” subjects rather than developing big plots. With four academy awards for Best International Film and one very iconic Mads Mikkelsen, Denmark remains relevant in worldwide screens. 3.1% of its GDP is spent on “leisure, culture and religion”, so a good amount of public spending goes into making art accessible to all. To break the language barrier, many cinemas in the country have started to offer English subtitling. You can also find a large amount of Danish content for free on DRTV’s website.
