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FILMLAND FOR CHILDREN COARSE LINES WHO’S KIDDING WHO? “Everybody’s good at something. You just have to A new trend in Danish children’s films is in the offing. Inexpensive and convenient production methods are discover what it is.” (Rubber Tarzan) – in Danish cinema Directors are turning to genre films and new media, the best tactics in the struggle against splatter, violence, childhood is valuable in itself and not just a preparation turning out irony and imagery that are far from blood, pooh and teddy bears. QUERY on pic’s for kids. for ‘real life’. politically correct. PAGE 14 PAGE 24 PAGE 18 # SPECIAL ISSUE/KIDS l1l FILM IS PUBLISHED BY THE DANISH FILM INSTITUTE FILM#SPECIAL ISSUE / KIDS / PAGE 2 4 KIM FUPZ AAKESON DANISH FILM INSTITUTE He loves funny words and hates admonishing pedantries and he is Gothersgade 55 one of the most popular storytellers. It started with the thought, l1l DK-1123 Copenhagen K +45 3374 3400 “To hell with children.” www.dfi.dk SPECIAL ISSUE / KIDS 6NATASHA ARTHY INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS “Children are a fantastic target group. They’re more open than CENTRE FOR CHILDREN & YOUTH FILM: adults to offbeat storytelling,” says Arthy. Charlotte Giese / [email protected] SHORTS & DOCUMENTARIES: 8JANNIK HASTRUP Anne Marie Kürstein / [email protected] Hastrup is a fiery advocate of a unique Danish animation tradition Annette Lønvang / [email protected] and style that couldn’t be more remote from the Disney-dominated FEATURES: Americana school. Lizette Gram / [email protected] Christian Juhl Lemche / [email protected] 10 JESPER W. NIELSEN He thinks it’s absurd to distinguish between children’s films and PUBLISHED BY films for adults, because childhood is the foundation of adult life – Danish Film Institute for better or for worse. EDITORIAL TEAM 12 HENRIK RUBEN GENZ Agnete Dorph Stjernfelt Susanna Neimann The director of Someone Like Hodder and Teis & Nico is an unusual Vicki Synnott visual artist. He empties his pictures of superficiality to make room Front page: Miracle Photo: Lars Høgsted for feelings and thoughts. TRANSLATION Stuart Goodale Jonathan Sydenham 14 FILMLAND FOR CHILDREN FILM #SPECIAL ISSUE / KIDS / 2003 FILM asked film critic Kim Skotte (Dagbladet Politiken) to give his FILM is published by the Danish Film Institute. There are 8 issues per year. SUBSCRIPTIONS view of the paths taken through the children’s filmscape. The catalogue includes films released in 2003 Danish Film Institute and films in-progress. [email protected] 18 QUERY FILM requested two film consultants, a screenwriter and a ART DIRECTORS distributor to reflect on the current situation and to present their The Danish Film Institute (DFI) is the national Anne Hemp agency responsible for supporting and Pernille Volder Lund wishes and ideas for the future. encouraging film and cinema culture. The DFI’s operations extend from participation in the development and production of feature films, DESIGN 24 COARSE LINES shorts and documentaries, over distribution R. Koch&Täckman A new trend is in the offing. Young directors are turning to genre and marketing, to managing the national film archive and cinematheque. films and new media, offering coarse irony and imagery. TYPE Milton Reg + Bold, Cendia, Underton 26 GOOD CHILDREN’S FILMS This special issue of FILM spotlights Thomas Hailer, director of the Berlin Kinderfilmfest: Professionalism, PAPER Danish children’s films: we portray Munken Lynx 100 gr. skilled actors and a unique approach to childhood are the reasons a handful of dynamic personalities behind the Danish success. in the world of Danish children’s PRINTED BY cinema, provide a state of the art Holbæk Centertryk A/S 27 FEATURES FOR KIDS – THE DANISH WAY discussion, describe paths taken Danish children’s films are important features of our cultural through the children’s filmscape, CIRCULATION landscape, and are ardently discussed whenever new film-policy sound out where we are headed, 10.000 initiatives are in the offing. illuminate Danish children’s films from a non-Danish perspective, tell ISSN 29 SHORTS & DOCS FOR KIDS – THE DANISH WAY 1399-2813 the story of how we got here and That Denmark is on the world film map is due to the modern view why, present facts and figures – and of childhood’s intrinsic value and the specific focus of cultural last, but not least, we talk about who policy on children’s films. is currently holding the floor on the children’s film scene in Denmark 32 FACTS & FIGURES and which films are available now and in the near future. 34 SHORT PORTRAITS PAGE 3 / FILM#SPECIAL ISSUE / KIDS THE CHALLENGE CHARLOTTE GIESE crews capable of infusing snug family films with as an audience with a variety of experiences and Centre for Children & Youth Film more gravity, more insanity, more adventure? film tastes. All films – the sensationally popular, Do they have the courage to believe that the deeply existential, the genuinely beautiful, Children keep up with the times. They are the modern children are competent human beings the profoundly emotional and the effectively times. Is the same true of the films they watch? who will grow up – accustomed to and action-packed – are justified. Films of all genres Are the artistic ambitions grand and passionate delighted by the steady flow of electronic must be produced and shown and they must enough to make films that astonish and challenge? imagery – to be the adult film-goers of astound their audiences as a consequence of Are the films challenging the full potential of tomorrow? Is there general faith in the fact that original artistic choices. The films must be in moving pictures at child’s eye level, or is the genre children are interested in everything that occurs contact with their times and avoid conformity. devoid of prestige and visions? within and close to them – as well as in events Since 1982, Denmark’s Film Act has ensured Are we in a situation where films for children that take place in the big wide world? Do we that 25% of the government film support is and young people are either pursuing the Serious remember that children have a sense of and earmarked for children’s films. This provides Epic or sufficing with the cheap thrills of the right to high-quality cinematic narratives; that production continuity. DFI’s two children’s film family film? Could the Danish tradition for documentaries are also fascinating to children; consultants have the artistic responsibility for humanistic stories move in new directions with and that teenagers can be seduced by other choosing film projects that are worthy of support, more humour, more visual intensity and more factors than Hollywood? and the creative, talented film industry must see daring stories? Are film companies and their Children and young people must be respected to it that the films are worthy of their audience Palle Alone in the World (1949) / Photo: Dfi film archive FILM#SPECIAL ISSUE / KIDS / PAGE 4 / KIM FUPS AAKESON Photo: Jan Buus KIM FUPS AAKESON / PAGE 5 / FILM#SPECIAL ISSUE / KIDS ANARCHY AND OFFBEAT HUMOUR He loves funny words and hates strips and many children’s books, some books – you can easily write about an 8-year-old girl admonishing pedantries. He turns the for young people and a little stack of novels whose canary just died.” adult world upside down so children and collections of short stories for adults. and adults alike can learn something. But the life of a writer is a lonely one, so in FOUL FOOD AND Writer Kim Fupz Aakeson is one of the 1995 Fupz applied to the National Film School BLITHERING BANANAS most popular storytellers in Denmark. to study screenwriting. His timing was perfect. Fupz has an unusual flair for children’s repartee; It all started with the thought, “To hell A new Danish film wave was approaching, he assimilates modern slang, but makes up his with children.” bringing with it a demand for dynamic, own, too. He loves to invent funny, offbeat modern stories, and Fupz had what it takes: a words and phrases, such as: up your royal BY CLAUS CHRISTENSEN feeling for the spirit of the times and absurd daily highnesty; blithering bananas; foul food; whack situations, combined with an ability to make in the woolly wigwam, to name a few. He also A down-and-out, unemployed king in his simple, human dramas and powerful dialogues loves to write funny dialogue. Like in Miracle Copenhagen council flat, a mother who inspired by the brevity of the comic strip. when little Dennis P. gets raked over the coals encourages her son to play truant from school His manuscripts for feature film successes by his hysterical mother who asks, “Where and watch porn movies, a kid who eats oatmeal such as The One and Only / Den eneste ene have you been? I was beside myself with fear, and becomes so big and strong that he seizes (1999), Minor Mishaps / Små ulykker (2002) and Dennis. I’m talking knife victim, I’m talking power from his parents and serves them Okay (2002) almost make you forget that Fupz road-kill, I’m talking sexually deranged liquorice-allsorts layer cake every morning. entered the film industry by way of the paedophile...” Nothing is sacred to his sizzling storytelling children’s film. He collaborated with directors The favourite objects of Fupz’s satire are craft when hardworking writer Kim Fupz Wikke & Rasmussen to write Hannibal & Jerry self-important, conceited adults, and he allies Aakeson turns reality and fantasy topsy-turvy (1997), based on his original book of the same himself with children to write about the strange and skewers adult norms and habits. Fupz, as name, a screwy story about an evil toy things we adults do to act civilised.