Danish FILMs cannes ISSUE 2015 FILM is published by the Danish Film Institute Tsunami Land of Mine David Dencik Beauty and sorrow intermix in Sofie Digging deep into Danish World War II He is a master of doing a lot with a little. Nørgaard Kampmark’s short animation. history. Gold Coast Katja Adomeit Klown Forever Jakob Oftebro and Danica Curcic set to She loves the creative side of producing A humorous X-ray of the modern male. music by Badalamenti. and never tires of finding new ideas. Meet a producer who is all about the Rosita facts & figures non-traditional. When love arrives by mail order. Get all the numbers on Danish cinema 2014. FILM is the Danish Film Institute’s international festival magazine, issued prior to the festivals in Berlin, Cannes and Amsterdam. FILM includes a comprehensive catalogue in the reverse section. DANISH FILMS CANNES ISSUE 2015 FILM Digital Issue is the Danish Film Institute’s Published by the Danish Film Institute online release bringing articles on new films, a catalogue section and useful information about Editors Susanna Neimann (SN) people and companies. Annemarie Hørsman (AH) FILM Digital Issue: www.dfi.dk/film Editorial team Lars Fiil-Jensen (LFJ) Anders Budtz-Jørgensen (ABJ) Freja Dam (FD) The Danish Film Institute is the national agency Lea Mosegaard (LM) that supports and encourages Danish film and cinema culture. DFI Festival team Lizette Gram Mygind Christian Juhl Lemche Anne Marie Kürstein Translations Glen Garner Design Rasmus Koch Studio Art Direction Pernille Volder Lund Type Holton, Swift, Akzidenz Paper MultiDesign White Printed by Centertryk Circulation 2,500 ISSN 1399-2813 (print version) ISSN 1903-7511 (online version) Danish FILMs Cover Cannes Digital issue 2015 Left to right: Gold Coast, photo Michael Haslund-Christensen / producer Katja Adomeit, photo Daniel Joseph Borgman / Land of Mine, photo Gordon Timpen / Find articles from our print Rosita, framegrab / Tsunami, framegrab / magazine, a film catalogue and Klown Forever, photo Per Arnesen / Men & Chicken, photo Rolf Konow. all the basics on Danish films. Danish Film Institute Gothersgade 55 DK-1123 Copenhagen K dfi.dk/film T +45 3374 3400 dfi.dk/english IMAGES OF LOSS Sofie Nørgaard Kampmark was living in Tokyo in 2011 when a tsunami hit Japan and laid 12 waste to vast stretches of coastline. The young director talks about how her encounter AND BEAUTY with the Japanese inspired her to make Tsunami, her graduation film from the Animation Workshop, one of Denmark’s most respected animation schools. ALL ABOUT THE NON-TRADITIONAL DOGME REVISITED DOING A LOT WITH A LITTLE 14 Katja Adomeit loves the creative side of 20 Twenty years ago, Lars von Trier and 24 David Dencik can be understated and producing and never tires of finding new Thomas Vinterberg wrote ten rules that subtle where others feel they have to raise concepts for her films, whether they are would change Danish film forever. FILM their voice. A profile of the Danish actor made in New Zealand, South Dakota, looks back on the rescue action and follows who has more than 60 roles in films and on Ukraine or Afghanistan. the traces in Danish cinema today. television to his name. GREAT CINEMA ON A SHOESTRING? SHORTS FACTS & FIGURES 18 Directors and producers have an appetite + + for making films for little money. FILM asked 04 NEWS & NOTES DANISH CINEMA IN 2014 four film professionals about their views on Discover new films and find stories low-budget filmmaking – a phenomenon on filmmakers and the industry. which is hardly new but is getting increased + CATALOGUE attention at a time when talent is plentiful, 17 CO-PRODUCTIONS IN REVERSE SECTION funding limited and technology more Introducing the Danish partners on Joachim available than ever before. Trier’s Louder Than Bombs and Grímur Hákonarson’s The Rams, selected for Cannes. 28 TO WATCH OUT FOR Three new documentaries each follow a determined individual on a mission. DANISH FILMS | Cannes Issue 2015 Limited News & Notes Budgets, CEO of the Copenhagen Film Fund, which has supported the production unlimited Danish with DKK 6m (EUR 0.81m). Sixty crew members from London Creativity were supplemented by eighty Danish Girl in B-crew members. And the Britons Danish film policy is distinguished by being open and could have easily saved some of the having many avenues to funding. Filmmakers have Copen- plane tickets, says Gammeltoft. “Both parties learned that we would benefit many doors to knock on if they have a good idea for from mixing the teams more and leave a film, TV series or video game. The doors are open hagen some of the prominent positions to to mainstream films with a broad appeal as well as to local crew members.” In future radical experimentation, to new talents and seasoned INDUSTRY STORY. Over a few collaborations, the Danish production auteurs, and to international co-productions. The many weeks in March, the Danish coordinators will try to present some capital formed the backdrop for Danish crew members in London ahead doors ensure diversity and the evolution of Danish the shooting of Tom Hooper’s of the production and keep them as films enriched by a multitude of voices and global The Danish Girl, a venture backed leading crew members in Copenhagen. cultural exchange. by Copenhagen Film Fund. “At first glance, Denmark is an expensive country to shoot in because The new four-year Film Agreement for 2015-2018 is now Not since images of Copenhagen’s of the high wages,” Gammeltoft says. City Town Square traveled round the “But we are used to working with opening even more options for low-budget films. The world in Alfred Hitchcock’s Topaz a much smaller crew, which saves aim is to fund a greater number of inexpensive films from 1969 has a grand Hollywood money in the end – if the teams exploring new narratives and production methods. production had the same opportunity adapt to our method.” Conceived as low-budget films, they are not just cheap to brand the Danish capital as Tom The Danish Girl is a love story versions of “regular” films. Their production concepts Hooper’s upcoming feature, The inspired by the lives of artists Einar Danish Girl. The Oscar-winning are devised in tandem with their content. Ultimately, director (Les Misérable, The King’s the films are inspired, not limited, by the budget. Speech) spent two weeks shooting on location in central Copenhagen at Already, there is huge interest among young, inter- the end of March. Universal Pictures nationally oriented producers who have experience The film marks the first Hollywood production to be supported by the Photo: using a limited budget to boost the creative process. Copenhagen Film Fund, established Meet Jacob Jarek, who highlights the explosive energy in 2013. Produced by Universal and creative freedom that a faster, nimbler production subsidiary Working Title Film, it’s the process can engender. Jarek is the co-producer, with perfect scale for the fund to make a Ditte Milsted, of Grímur Hákonarson’s The Rams, difference, says Thomas Gammeltoft, selected for Un Certain Regard. Producer on the Move Katja Adomeit likewise points of True Detective Season Two. We out, “I’m all about finding non-traditional methods Janus asked Metz about that experience. that can be low-budget and cost-efficient while also Metz on joining True Detective forming a more creative environment.” Producing I know that Nic Pizzolatto, the creator films in New Zealand, South Dakota, Ukraine and Metz of True Detective, was very enthusiastic Afghanistan, Adomeit moves seamlessly across cultures about Armadillo and we had some and borders. This year’s crop of talented producers on True good talks about his script for Galveston, which I’m set to direct. He in Cannes also includes Mikkel Jersin, co-producer of asked me if I wanted to come over and Louder Than Bombs, which is playing in Competition. Detective direct an episode of True Detective. Of course, I couldn’t say no to that. The Danish Film Institute wishes to congratulate Sofie TV VENTURE. The filmmaker shares Nørgaard Kampmark on the Cinéfondation selection his experience directing an episode On preparing in the second season of HBO’s hit I made sure to study the scripts down of her animated short Tsunami, produced at the series, to premiere on 21 June. to the smallest detail and talk a lot with Animation Workshop in Viborg. Nic along the way, so the psychology Janus Metz’s Cannes-winning and the character work would be in We look forward to meeting you in the bustle of documentary Armadillo created a place. Also, I chose to come to Los Cannes. Our doors are open at the Scandinavian stir back in 2010 with its unblinking Angeles a week earlier than I had to. account of festering cynicism among I’ve been there quite a lot, but I wanted Terrace, 55 La Croisette. young Danish soldiers in Afghanistan. to get the city under my skin a bit Now Metz is making his international more, since it’s the frame for the story. Henrik Bo Nielsen, CEO, Danish Film Institute TV debut directing the third episode That also allowed me to spend time on 4 DANISH FILMS | Cannes Issue 2015 news & notes / danish films Steen Brogaard Universal Pictures Photo: Photo: Watch out for Danica Curcic PEOPLE. Denmark’s quickest rising star, Danica Curcic, was the first- ever actor to receive the Nordisk Film Prize talent award at the opening of CPH PIX in April. “I didn’t even know an actor could win this prize,” said a thrilled Curcic in her acceptance speech, where she also encouraged and Gerda Wegener.