Let me take you to the best films Danish cinema has ever produced. With a large number of extraordinary young directors, Denmark is one of the most exciting film countries today. Where Denmark used to be known mainly for children’s series and movies, it now produces highly relevant and high-quality live-action dramas.
In the early 2000s, Danish cinema was probably at its peak, but it is still considered to be among the most popular European films. Just two years ago, Susanne Bier once again reminded us of what Denmark is capable of. With ‘In a Better World’ she won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 2011. In addition, Lars von Trier’s awkward press conference at the Cannes Film Festival caused a worldwide incident. His beautiful film ‘Melancolía’, however, managed to win the award for best film. Interested in Danish cinema now? A great way to get to know Danish cinema is by watching the following modern Danish classics.
Party (1998)
The most famous and celebrated Danish film was shot in the Dogma 95 style with a handheld camera. ‘Festen’ or ‘The Celebration’ is one of the great Danish classics. The story is about a wealthy Danish family who get together to celebrate the birthday of the family patriarch. On this joyful occasion, his son intends to tell everyone what kind of man his father really is. Director Vinterberg achieved another great success with his critically acclaimed drama film ‘Jagten’.
After the Wedding (2005)
This is Susanne Bier’s international hit starring the great Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen (famous for his role as the bad guy in James Bond’s Casino Royale). It is one of the best-known Danish films of recent years. Anyone who thinks of the Danish art house will immediately mention this amazing film. He is a Danish supervisor of an orphanage in Africa. When the orphanage is about to close due to financial problems, he receives a donation from someone in Denmark. The only condition for receiving the donation is that he return to Denmark to attend a wedding. There he learns all kinds of secrets from his past.
In a Better World (2011)
Last year’s Academy Award winner. It won the Oscar for best foreign language film and is one of Susanna Bier’s best works. The film is about two boys exploring the concept of revenge (the Danish title ‘Heavnen’ means revenge). Extremely well shot and directed movie with great acting and strong story. In 2012, Susanna Bier followed up this heavy film by directing a much lighter romantic comedy starring Pierce Brosnan.
