Oct. 9 film fest offers engaging glimpse of Danish cinema
CREATED in partnership with the Film Development Council of the Philippines and the Embassy of Denmark, ShangriLa Plaza gives everyone the opportunity to witness the wonders of Danish cinema with the Danish Film Festival on October 9 to 13 at the Red Carpet.
For decades, Denmark has captivated the world with its arresting, understated films. With the beautiful Scandinavian landscape often serving as backdrop, Danish movies are known for their realistic storylines and naturalistic camera techniques, reactions to the artificial approach of big-budget blockbusters. Lars von Trier, the renowned Danish director, is known internationally for his films Melancholia and Dancer in the Dark. Danish actors have also made names for themselves abroad, from Mads Mikkelksen (“Casino Royale, Hannibal”) to Nikolaj Coster- Waldau (‘ Game of Thrones”).
Headlining the festival is the psychological thriller “Nuuk,” the first Filipino film to be shot in Greenland (the autonomous territory under the Kingdom of Denmark). Directed by Veronica Velasco and produced in cooperation with the Embassy of Denmark, the movie marks the reunion of Aga Muhlach and Alice Dixson since their last film together in 1991.
Widely lauded as a masterpiece of Danish film, the 1955 black- andwhite fantasy “Ordet” follows the three sons of a farmer, who all have different belief systems. While the eldest has lost his faith and the youngest agrees with his father, the middle child believes that he is the living manifestation of Jesus Christ. “Ordet” won the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1956.
Watch a story of survival in “Across the Waters.” Set in 1943, it is a plight of a family of Danish Jews who flee their home to seek refuge to escape the deportation by the Nazis.
The 2017 dramedy “I Am William” is ‘I Am William’ about a child who becomes entangled in his uncle’s gambling debt. When gangsters come to collect, William must find a way to save them both, all while dealing with school bullies and his crush, Viola.
“Darling” is a riveting drama about a ballerina who suffers a lethal injury. When she is told that she will never dance again, she throws herself into training her replacement, Polly, to dance just like her. When Polly begins to soak in the spotlight however, Darling’s sanity begins to unravel.
Set in the 1960s, “The Day Will Come” follows the lives of two young brothers separated from their ill mother. When they are thrown into a neglectful boy’s home, they decide to turn their situation around and wage war against their headmaster.
“A Fortunate Man” is a touching historical drama about Per, a man who uproots himself from his oppressive home and sails to Copenhagen. He manages to conceptualize a new energy invention and marries a wealthy woman. Despite his ambition however, his pride, childhood experiences, and disapproving family threaten to ruin everything.
The 2018 drama “The Charmer” tackles the issue of immigration in Denmark, focusing on an Iranian man who picks up different women with the goal of marrying one and gaining citizenship to avoid deportation.
The coming of age film “Team Hurricane” follows eight teenage girls over the course of one summer as they navigate the confusing turns of adolescence. It combines punk chick flick aesthetics and documentary footage to tell the stories of the rebel teenagers.
“Circleen, Coco and the Wild Rhinoceros” is an endearing animated children’s film about an unlikely group of friends as they journey to Africa and learn that even the tiniest rhino can be a great hero.