CPH POST 16-30 August 2018 by The Copenhagen Post

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CPHPOST.DK 16 - 30 August 2018

NEWS Firefighter heroes spend holiday fighting Swedish flames 3 NEWS

Thinly-veiled contempt ‘Burqa Law’ sparks off fierce debate, at home and abroad

NO TURNING BACK? New citizenship criteria criticised Dagpenge measure singled out for particular scorn

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EW GOVERNMENT legislation prohibiting anyone claiming the dagpenge unemployment insurance from becoming a Danish citizen has drawn the ire of the association for immigration lawyers. “Dagpenge is an insurance we use to finance ourselves,” Jytte Lindgård, the head of the association, told Berlingske newspaper. “We are used to using A-kasser when people are let go due to cyclicals or seasons. We don’t punish the bricklayer for going on benefits during the winter because there isn’t any work.” Tough on violence THE DAGPENGE measure was part of new legislation confirmed by the government in late June,

which was supported by Dansk Folkeparti and Socialdemokratiet. The new laws prohibit anyone who has participated in gang crime, or spent three months or more in prison for violence, from ever gaining citizenship. Gang crime can include simple violence, weapons possession or threats – essentially equating gang members with terrorists and traitors to the nation. Limited benefits THE LEGISLATION also reduces the length of time a citizenship candidate can spend on benefits from six to four months during the five years prior to the citizenship application. However, DF’s demand to insert a ceiling, so only 1,000 people can become Danish citizens every year, has been rejected by the government. (CW)

Pride boycott

Olympic capability

COPENHAGEN Pride, LGBT Denmark and many more are boycotting Wednesday’s Pride reception at the US Embassy due to the current US administration’s decision to roll back LGBT-positive legislation.

IOC PRESIDENT Thomas Bach has suggested Denmark could host an Olympics in the future. “Denmark has proven to be a world-class organiser,” the German noted whilst visiting Aarhus recently.

Priciest in EU DENMARK is the most expensive EU country to live in, according to Eurostat. Danes pay 42 percent more than average, but less than non-EU countries Iceland, Switzerland and Norway. Bulgaria was the cheapest.

Drowning in droves THERE have been a record 39 drownings this year, resulting in 34 deaths. Some 29 were over 40 and male – a failure to acknowledge their physical limitations, said one expert.

Measles threat A DANE returning from the Philippines on August 6 had measles, and it is feared he may have infected others on his flight and at Copenhagen Airport that morning. There have been no cases of measles in Denmark since last year.

Among the most liveable COPENHAGEN is the ninth most liveable city in the world according to the Economist Intelligence Unit. Vienna, the only other European city in the top ten, finished ahead of Melbourne, Osaka, Calgary and Sydney.

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NEWS

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

ONLINE THIS WEEK A MAN WHO jumped out of a third-floor window at an Østerbro hotel on July 18 to escape a robbery was probably set up by a woman he intended to pay for sex, reports fyens.dk. Two men continued to menace the man, who broke some bones in his back, despite him coughing up 3,000 kroner. A woman has been charged with committing the robbery, but her accomplices remain at large.

Hockey fan sentenced A 34-YEAR-OLD Slovakian ice hockey fan received a 40-day prison sentence for assaulting Josue Medina Vasquez, the partner of the justice minister, Søren Pape Poulsen, on May 17 outside a city nightspot. By the time of the trial, the defendant had already served his sentence – plus another ten days.

Winning the battle against congestion City hails impact of Nordhavnsvej motorway exit and Havneringen harbour route CHRISTIAN WENANDE

RAFFIC numbers passing through the spine of Østerbro have fallen significantly since the December 2017 opening of the new Nordhavnsvej exit on the Helsingør Motorway, which is located just before the major route hits town. As of July, close to 2.8 million vehicles had used the new road, leading to traffic decreasing on the likes of Strandboulevarden (down 23 percent), Strandvejen (29), Kalkbrænderihavnsgade (20) and Tuborgvej (21). There have also been smaller drops on Østerbrogade, Jagtvej, Sejerøgade, Øster Alle and Nørre Alle, and there is less noise pollution as well.

More noise in city

Six more months THE JETSKI rider who caused the deaths of two US students in Copenhagen Harbour in May 2017 has had his two-year prison sentence increased by six months by the Østre Landsret high court. The prosecutor appealed the original city court judgement.

Large cannabis expo BELLA Center is hosting the North Grow Cannabis Expo 2018 from September 7-9 – the Nordic region’s largest ever fair on cannabis and hemp. Editorial offices: International House, Gyldenløvesgade 11, 1600 Copenhagen Denmark

Waterside wanderings A SIMILAR success story is being told about Havneringen, a 13 km-long route following the perimeter of a large section of Copenhagen Harbour, which was officially opened in May 2016. A 75 percent rise in the number of cyclists choosing to cycle next to the water and 200 per-

cent increase in pedestrians has been observed, according to the 2018 Copenhagen City Cycling Report. Plans are being considered to extend Havneringen to Holmen, Nordhavn and Refshaleøen, where a new all-year round harbour bathing zone, Badezone Søndre Refshalebassin, opened on August 13.

More leaving city than moving here The capital’s municipalities reported a net loss of nearly 2,000 people in 2017

OR THE first time since the financial crisis hit some ten years ago, more people are leaving Copenhagen and its neighbouring municipalities than moving there. Last year 43,261 people moved to Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Tårnby and Dragør, while 45,077 left – mostly, say experts, to capitalise on the value of their property and upgrade. However, most are moving to municipalities within Greater Copenhagen, such as Rødovre, Hvidovre and Gladsaxe. More luxury flats STILL, the news should offer

ONLINE THIS WEEK Escalator accident FOUR PEOPLE were injured at Central Station on July 29 when a piece of ornamental metal trim came loose from an escalator. A Finnish ten-year-old girl and her father both broke a leg, while two others were badly injured. DSB then shut down all the escalators to carry out checks and found faults on four of them. The inspections were long overdue, it concedes.

Tivoli #8 in world

A swift exit will ensure a swifter journey

PIXABAY

THE NUMBER of noise complaints in Copenhagen in June was 48 percent higher than a year earlier, according to City Hall. The city centre saw the most complaints with 784, followed by Nørrebro (304), Vesterbro (287), Copenhagen S (148) and Østerbro (113).

LEIF JØRGENSEN

Victim of sex ruse

16 - 30 August 2018

TIVOLI Gardens has been voted the eighth best amusement park in the world by reviewers on tripadvisor.com – and third best in Europe. Some 84.5 percent of its reviews were excellent or very good. Orlando in Florida, the home of Disney World, dominated the list with four parks in the top six.

Pricey airport taxis COPENHAGEN is the third most expensive airport in Europe to catch a taxi, according to an AirMundo.com study of the continent’s 50 busiest. A taxi cost five euros/km, trailing only Geneva and Zurich. Fortunately the airport is barely 10 km from the city centre.

Bid to ban gang

Who would want to leave this? Thousands apparently

some respite to students struggling to find housing in the capital, although they won’t be happy to learn that a US capital fund’s new project in central Copenhagen intends to focus on luxury flats. The fund has purchased Holckenhus on Dantes Plads – located between HC Andersens Boulevard, Vester Voldgade and

Sormgade – which since 1892 has been a meeting point, workshop and living space for artists. An application has been submitted to Copenhagen Municipality’s technical and environmental committee and the committee is looking favourably on the scheme despite possible opposition. (CW)

THE JUSTICE minister, Søren Pape Poulsen, has requested the state prosecutor and police to look into whether the government can dissolve the Loyal to Familia street gang by means of the constitution.

Possible canal tour strike CANAL tour workers could go on strike on August 21 should a dispute over pay and working conditions not be resolved by their HK union and companies Canal Tours and Strömma.

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NEWS

16 - 30 August 2018

Heroic Danes fighting Swedish fires

OR MANY Dansh firefighters, this summer has been a busman’s holiday during which the heat has rarely followed the weather forecasts. Around 200 Danes have been heroically helping the Swedes to fight the country’s worst wildfires in living memory – primarily in Ljusdal Municipality north of Stockholm, where the flames have been threatening to engulf a power station. Volunteers from Poland, France, Italy, Norway, Germany and Lithuania have also been present in the country, where road signs proclaiming “We love you”

to the foreign firefighters have become a common sight.

www.cis.dk

Colorado culprit MEANWHILE, a 52-year-old Danish man has been formally charged with starting a wildfire in Colorado that destroyed 47,000 hectares of land in the southern US state. The blaze led to over a thousand homes being evacuated and 141 buildings burning down. The Dane, who was living illegally in the US on an expired visa, denies starting the fire on purpose.

ONLINE THIS WEEK Russian gas sales soar Dane in catch-22 ØRSTED has been criticised for fuelling a six-fold increase in gas purchases from Gazprom, the Russian state-controlled energy company, since 2013. In related news, Russian ambassador Mikhail Vanin has rubbished claims that his country might use cyber warfare to try to interfere in the Danish elections next year.

Who needs Ryanair A BUSINESSMAN from west Jutland booked a private plane when Ryanair postponed its July 27 service from Stansted to Billund by five days. He then invited 34 other similarly-stranded passengers to join him.

Child porn tip-offs THE DANISH police received 3,437 tip-offs in 2017 from their US counterparts that Danish computers were being used to spread child pornography on the internet, reports Politiken. The US first started providing tip-offs in 2012, and 6,000 are expected this year.

BA’s farcical reasoning BRITISH Airways finally agreed to compensate a Danish woman initially refused a refund on fully-insured tickets she was unable to use due to the death of her father – because the death certificate she provided was inadmissible due to it being in Danish.

Cocaine on Maersk ship SOME 1,144 kilos of cocaine has been found on a Maersk ship in Colombian waters. Some 15 people were arrested. The ship was on its way to Antwerp.

Two die in the Alps TWO DANES, a 59-year-old mother and her 20-year-old son, were among the fatalities when a small plane crashed in the Swiss Alps on Friday July 27.

A MAN WITH dual Danish-Turkish nationality who fought in Syria for IS wants to return to Denmark to serve his sentence, but is unable to do so as a Glostrup court has upheld a decision to not issue him with a replacement passport and Turkey won’t extradite him. His lawyer has indicated she will appeal his case to the Østre Landsret high court.

Not keen on returning ONLY A few prisoners wish to relocate from Denmark when Greenland’s first ever prison, the Ny Anstalt Correctional Facility in Nuuk, opens next May. In related news, the 4,000 sq km Aasivissuit hunting grounds in western Greenland have been added to UNESCO’s list of world heritage sites.

Ghetto laws unpopular THE GOVERNMENT’S ‘ghetto’ legislation has been ruffling feathers abroad, with many media outlets voicing their concern about the initiative that requires the children of ghetto residents to have a mandatory 25 hours of daycare a week. Many take exception to the use of the word ‘ghetto’.

IS four to be deported FOUR YOUNG adults, two men and two women, have appealed after being jailed for 3-4 years for supporting a terrorist group. Their bid to travel to Syria to fight for IS was thwarted last year. Three of the four will be deported once they are released.

Dane arrested in Israel A DANISH citizen was one of 22 activists arrested in Israel in July for trying to sail medicaments into the Gaza Strip. Mikkel Grüner is a local politician in Bergen, Norway.

Before long, you’ll belong Settling into a new country can be challenging – especially for the nonworking spouse. We know, from studies and from experience, that a successful posting depends on the happiness of the entire family – and our school is home to a very active, warm and welcoming community. Our PTA offers a wide range of opportunities: newcomers network, Spring Fair, Halloween, Yoga, Activities Fair, Wine and Cheese Evening, Dads’ Club and Ladies’ Night Out. Dedicated parents coach our sports teams, run our boy scouts and serve on the school Board. At CIS the whole family finds a place to grow roots and make friends. So to quote one of our parents: “I came for the job, but we stayed for the school.”

COVER

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

16 - 30 August 2018

The rich LGBT history that inspires next to zero creative works TESS WESTBROOK

INCE THE weekend, tens of thousands have been arriving in the city to celebrate a full week of LGBT festivities that will culminate with the Copenhagen Pride Parade on Saturday. It’s no surprise to see so many rainbow flags. According to the vacation rental search engine HomeToGo, Copenhagen Pride is among the top trending LGBT destinations this year – indisputably the highest-ranking Nordic city despite losing points due to its high cost of accommodation.

Short of LGBT films HOWEVER, despite the high ranking – and creditable history as the home of the first recipient of sex reassignment surgery, the first country to legalise samesex partnerships and one of the first to lower the age of consent in line with other sexualities – it falls somewhat behind its neighbours when it comes to memorialising its LGBT culture. The likes of Norway and Sweden might not have celebrated Pride events, but they have produced many acclaimed LGBT creative works, including youth TV series such as ‘Skam’ and ‘Don’t Ever Wipe Tears Without Gloves’. On the British Film Institute’s list of Top Ten Scandinavian

HUMMEL

Sweden and Norway have produced plenty of acclaimed films, but not so Denmark

Films, for example, while Swedish and Norwegian films dominate, Denmark has one solitary entry, ‘A Soap’. Rich in personalities IT’S NOT like Denmark lacks inspiring figures to make films or TV series about. When Copenhagen had the chance in 2013 to name a square after Axel Axgil, the pioneering founder of LGBT Danmark, who drove the movement to legalise same-sex partnerships in 1989, there were complaints his name was too hard to pronounce and the idea was shelved. “I cannot support a proposal to rename an area of Rådhuspladsen after an old gay activist,” a Konservative councillor said at the time. And don’t forget the inspiration for ‘The Danish Girl’ – the heroic transgender woman Lili Elbe. That was Denmark’s story, but it took Hollywood to tell it. It’s difficult to know what was the bigger insult: changing the nationality of his progressive artist wife Gerda Wegener from Danish to American, or recruiting a Swedish actress to play her! Blame the language THERE could be a simple answer for Denmark’s reticence in this field, according to Professor Peter Edelberg from the University of Copenhagen. He points out that Denmark is “a small cultural and linguistic area” and this makes it difficult

“I don’t remember all their names, but their bedposts, I can describe in great detail.” – Frederick, 1941

Lee Elms (centre) is bringing undeniable vigour to the city’s theatre scene

to make films that appeal to the rest of the world. Making ‘The Danish Girl’ themselves, he explained, would not guarantee the story was shared with the world, nor guarantee much revenue. LGBT history is contemporary, Edelberg continues, so historical movies would not necessarily encompass many events. However, Edelberg does admit that he “deeply regrets” there not being many LGBT movies set in Denmark, and he believes that minorities should be better represented. Leave it to the Brit IT’S PERHAPS fitting, therefore, that a LGBT play being performed during Pride Week and beyond is neither about Danish LGBT history nor the endeavours of any Danes. ‘Queers’, which opens on Friday at Galathea Kroen, is based on a 2017 series of monologues celebrating 100 years of British LGBT history. Many might feel privileged to learn this will only be its second ever run anywhere in the world. Its English director Lee Elms, who last year staged a production of ‘The Pillowman’ at Huset, might not be the most likely spokesperson for the Danish LGBT theatre scene, but the passion he brings to his project is rivalled by none. ‘Queers’ consists of eight stories from different decades that highlight the experiences many LGBT people have endured throughout the last century.

Elms is hopeful his play will start a conversation in society – not only about the play and the monologues, but about the portrayal of the characters (such as Frederick – see below left). Beginning in 1917 and leading right up until 2018, the actors will portray the “pioneers of gender and sexual identities”. Powerful performance ELMS SHOWED me around Galathea Kroen, where ‘Queers’ will be held from August 17-25. The venue is a collection of surprises in all senses, with the downstairs hosting a blues singer and a low ceiling, while upstairs reveals a collection of artefacts from around the world and a cosy, darker vibe. This setting is intentional, as Elms hopes to tear down the fourth wall and allow for an intimacy so “the audience can be in the moment, so it’s believable”. He hopes to create an atmosphere similar to shooting the breeze in the pub with a couple of friends, except these friends could be from the 1940s and discussing their first gay experience. Be warned: this play will be explicit, sometimes shockingly so. It also describes acts in great detail that perhaps more conventional plays would avoid. Elms is looking to shed the outer, polite skin that is presented to society to create a “confessional” experience.

A widening spectrum THE PLAY will feature both trained and completely new actors who, Elms says, have really tapped into a different side to play the characters. He describes one actor as finding his more feminine side, not just for the role, but in general. This awakening and realisation of the widening LGBT spectrum will hopefully be conveyed on stage as well. Heading into Pride Week, hopefully the passion expressed by Elms can be directed into action on the LGBT scene not only in Denmark, but everywhere.

QUEERS - ‘Queers’ consists of eight 20-minute monologues curated by British actor and screenwriter Mark Gatiss, who is best known for co-writing ‘Sherlock’ in which he plays Mycroft Holmes - Gatiss was asked to contribute to the BBC’s ‘Gay Britannia’ last year, which marked the 50th anniversary of the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in the country - ‘Queers’ will be performed from August 17-25 at Galathea Kroen at Rådhusstræde 9 in the city centre - Tickets cost 140kr and are on sale via scenen.dk. For an extra 160kr (can be arranged at the door) audience members can order from a pub menu

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NEWS

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

ONLINE THIS WEEK THE PUBLIC have a new independent tribunal to refer unjustified parking fines to. Parkeringsklagenævn has been set up to receive complaints about tickets issued by private parking companies. Complaining motorists must pay 175 kroner, which is refundable if they are found to be in the right.

Cut the unis again! MANY ACADEMICS would like to see the government further reduce the number of Denmark’s universities in a bid to improve research. Just over a decade ago, the numbers were cut from 12 to eight. In related news, 28 percent of the country’s university courses are now being taught in English, according to ministry figures – an unprecedented level.

Student bus woes RANDOM searches in Køge on the buses used by students to celebrate their graduation have revealed that over half failed to adhere to the necessary standards. The checks followed three nasty accidents in which students sustained head injuries – either due to falling off or the driver braking suddenly.

Pouches in moderation KIRSTEN Mikkelsen Ravnbøl, a child nutrition expert, has warned TV2 News that predominantly feeding your baby quick-food pouches will be harmful in the long-run. Not only are they short in nutrients, but they inhibit the development of the infant’s taste and smell preferences.

Fewer monks and nuns THE NUMBER of Catholic nuns and monks in Denmark is decreasing. Currently, there are only 100 left. Numbers have halved in Europe and the US since the 1980s, according to the Cara centre.

Cost of inflatables THOUSANDS of kroner are being lost in Danish waters due to unnecessary helicopter visits to empty drifting inflatables – as many as two a day. The authorities have warned inflatable users to be more vigilant of losing them in strong winds.

Burqas: Bellowing in Bellahøj, Boris blathering on The contempt either side of the argument has never been this poorly veiled

ROUND 400 people donned horse heads, feather tiaras and all manner of absurd headgear in roasting temperatures in Nørrebro on August 4 to protest against the government’s ban on face veils such as burqas or niqabs, which had become law three days earlier. The protestors deemed the law absurd – not only does it invade civil liberties, they argued, but it also bans people from wearing face masks and false beards. Together the participants marched to Bellahøj, shouting slogans such as “Ingen racister i vores gader” (“No racists on our streets”). And there was also a demonstration in Aarhus.

ONLINE THIS WEEK RACHID NEKKAZ – TWITTER

Parking fine salvation

16 - 30 August 2018

Fortunately we haven’t reached that stage ... yet

north of Copenhagen, for wearing a niqab. Fortunately, a wealthy French-Algerian businessman, Rachid Nekkaz, has announced he will pay all the fines, just like he has done in Belgium, Switzerland, the Netherlands, France and Germany. Earlier this year, he said he had paid 1,538 so far, and he intends to visit Copenhagen on September 11 to pay all the fines – which vary from 1,000 kroner for the first few offences to 10,000 for repeat offenders.

of grievance. You risk turning people into martyrs.” But then he lowered the tone somewhat by comparing the wearers to letterboxes and bank robbers.

Put it on my niq-tab ALREADY by the time of the demonstrations, a 28-year-old woman had become the first person in the country to be charged with breaching the ban. She was fined 1,000 kroner in Hørsholm,

Loopy suggestions? BACK IN July, Ekstra Bladet said it had found a loophole in the law – namely the wording that “excluded from the ban is the covering of the face that serves a legitimate purpose”. The tabloid has interpreted this to mean that events such as a masquerade ball would be a legitimate purpose to cover your face, and accordingly it has decided to launch the world’s longest masquerade ball as a Facebook event, for which people only need to click ‘attending’ to be exempt. Also joining the chorus of disapproval was Boris Johnson, the former UK foreign secretary, who noted that a total ban plays “into the hands of those who want to politicise and dramatise the so-called clash of civilisations; and you fan the flames

Feeling unwelcome? IN OTHER news related to the Muslim community over the summer, it has been announced that from the 2019-20 school year it will be obligatory for pupils aged 5-7 in schools with more than 30 percent of their intake from ‘ghetto’ areas to take a language test. The annual 2016 Global Muslim Travel Index compiled by halal travel authority CrescentRating, in co-operation with Mastercard, revealed that Denmark ranked a lowly 72nd out of 130 nations, but ahead of neighbours Sweden (ranked 75), Norway (77) and Finland (97). Polygamy is still being practised under the radar by some Muslims, according to Fakti, a group that works with refugees and immigrant women, which has come across 30 instances. And finally, an imam at the Masjid Al-Faruq Mosque in Nørrebro has become the first person to be charged with applauding the killing of Jews – under a new law that came into effect on 1 January 2017. He faces a prison sentence of up to three years. (BH)

Fraudster interpreters

Awkward royal moment

Ida and William show

MANY SIGN language interpreters have been defrauding the state out of millions of kroner courtesy of a loophole that has enabled the hard of hearing to claim for 20 hours of paid interpretation on a weekly basis in connection with their work, reports Politiken. The sign language interpreters charge 650-980 kroner an hour, earning the accomplices 78,400 kroner a month.

ROYAL watchers have been debating whether Countess Alexandra indicated to her former husband’s wife, Princess Marie, that only she would be linking arms with her son, Prince Nikolai, during a graduation photo. Alexandra was caught on video brushing her hand across Marie’s back, moments before the princess let go of Nikolai and the countess joined her son at his side.

IDA WAS the most popular girls’ name in Denmark last year, and William number one for boys, reports Danmarks Statistik. New names in the top 50 included Alba, Eva, Hannah, Mynte and Vilma for the girls, and Milas, Villum and Sigurd for the boys. If there was a trend it was the return of the Viking, with Sigurd, Thor, Saga, Freja and Astrid all growing in popularity.

Counter demo ELSEWHERE, Foreningen For Frihed staged a counter-demonstation at Israels Plads in the city centre, where Dansk Folkeparti’s immigration and integration spokesperson, Martin Henriksen, addressed those present. Henriksen received a gift from the organisation for his troubles: a “satirical” drawing depicting a Muslim woman wearing a niqab who following the ban is rendered naked. According to DR, there were approximately 50 people in attendance, including a Muslim woman who told the broadcaster that “it is nowhere stated in the Koran that women should wear burqas or niqabs”.

Feasting in the east THE NUMBER of eastern Europeans receiving the ‘dagpenge’ unemployment insurance benefit has skyrocketed from 850 in April 2010 to 5,000 in April this year. Today, every 14th recipient hails from eastern Europe. Poland (1,617) and Romania (1,439) lead the way, followed by Bulgaria (629), Lithuania (552) and Latvia (245). Some 60,000 Danes are on dagpenge.

Middle East inflection ARABIC and Turkish words are quickly being absorbed into spoken Danish, according to the second volume of ‘Dansk Sprogshistorie’. It singled out ‘yalla’ (hurry up), ‘habibi’ (a term of affection) and ‘lan’ (‘man’ at the end of a sentence) as new additions.

Farmer helps out kids OVER 40 Ukrainian kids taking part in the Dana Cup football tournament in Hjørring were stranded in Jutland for a week in July after the engine on their bus broke down. A local farmer put the kids up in a small restaurant owned by his wife.

Songs to thrive on SONGS before bedtime are a boon for the health of children, according to the University of Southern Denmark and Aalborg University. The results of 14,000 respondents also demonstrated that songs will probably lead to an active relationship with music later in life.

Stress panel appointed THE GOVERNMENT is setting up a stress panel to address how society can reduce the numbers hit by the affliction. The people most at risk are women aged 25-55, while young people, single people, the unemployed, the sick, and people with lower educational levels are also susceptible.

Beggar crackdown success COPENHAGEN Municipality estimates that fewer foreign beggars are arriving since the government’s crackdown was launched. A report in early July revealed that all 52 people sentenced under the new laws were foreigners – mostly from eastern Europe.

NEWS

16 - 30 August 2018

ONLINE THIS WEEK

ONLINE THIS WEEK PIXABAY

Insomniac nation

No disputing the story of the summer

MELATONIN sleep medication usage has risen 7 percent among youngsters over the last year, according to Sundhedsdatastyrelsen. Prescriptions more than doubled between 2011 and 2015. In related news, there were 5,000 more adults in treatment for ADHD in 2015 than in 2012. Some 16,639 Danes in their 20s and 30s have it, and a further 8,042 in the 40-64 age bracket.

Treatment vital HIV-POSITIVE gay men cannot pass on the virus if they are receiving treatment, according to a study of 1,000 homosexual couples from 14 European countries co-authored by Rigshospitalet. In 75,000 sexual encounters not using a condom, there were no infections. AIDSFondet told DR the results would further remove prejudices.

Grow your own surfboard THREE DTU students want to build the first 100 percent biodegradable surfboard. Most boards are environmentally unfriendly and impossible to recycle, but the trio intend to grow theirs in a surfboard-shaped mould using hemp fibre as a core and living fungi as a binding agent – although they still need to solve the problem of finding a hard shell.

Fences and llamas TAKING a lead from Sweden, farmers are keeping llamas amongst their sheep to ward off wolf attacks. Llamas are unafraid of wolves, which they will attack whilst making a lot of noise. In related news, Aalborg Zoo is investing heavily in new fox-proof fences following the demise of several of its inhabitants, including some flamingos, peacocks and rhea birds.

Sclerosis risk varies THE RISK of developing a form of sclerosis is 18 percent higher in some regions compared to others, according to a survey by Statens Institut for Folkesundhed. For example, the risk is higher in Aarhus than in Copenhagen. The authors of the survey blamed environmental factors – most probably the quality of the drinking water.

Families waste most

Listeria in sweetcorn FROZEN sweetcorn from Hungary was suspected of being the cause of a listeria outbreak in late June that killed one person in Denmark, infecting several more. The outbreak also affected Austria, Finland, Sweden and the UK. Meanwhile, the Danish Medicines Agency has recalled several blood pressure medicines that were found to contain potentially threatening impurities

Mostly we’ve been big fans of the summer, but probably best to keep it to yourself in the company of farmers

Cucumber season was unnecessary this year as the weather kept on delivering plenty of news

AST WEEKEND’S rain has probably ruined this summer’s chances of being the driest ever. But it has already had the warmest ever May, the hottest June since 1992 and the sunniest ever July. It can’t begrudge legendary 1976, an epic summer whose shadow many of us have grown up in, holding onto just one of its records. And in all seriousness, Denmark has had more pressing concerns.

feed their animals, and most of their crops are ruined. Since August 1, their animals have been able to graze on fallow fields, but the damage is done. The overall bill will run into billions of kroner. And the timber industry is struggling, not only with wildfires, but with dying trees. Some 2.5 million Christmas trees planted in the spring are at death’s door, along with 5 million newly-planted trees (in the spring and last autumn) – at a total loss of 100 million kroner.

ally get under your skin. The airwaves have been clogged up with ten times as many wasps as normal, and the less said about the toxic oak processionary moth caterpillars sighted on Bornholm, the better! Avoid at all cost! And as well as the bans on open fires, candles in cemeteries have been outlawed.

Death and drought ACCORDING to the State Serum Institute, there have been 250 more deaths than normal due to the weather. The elderly, infants, the weak and chronicallyill people are the most vulnerable. The situation has been deemed so serious that the national emergency crisis staff, National Operativ Stab (NOST), has been assembled. The nation’s farmers are on their knees. They can’t properly

Across air, land and sea OTHER woes might seem more trivial. For example, hotels have received a record number of complaints from guests about the lack of air conditioning in their rooms. Danish consumers face record electricity bills due to the mass usage of electric fans – up an estimated 66 percent on last year, but that’s the price of staying cool. Most retailers sold out of fans early in the summer. Bathers have had to contend with all manner of irritants, from rats and in one case a poisonous snake, to a blue-green algae that causes unsightly rashes, and a lake-residing parasite that liter-

Not all bad news IT’S NOT been all gloom and doom, though. Solar power is understandably having a good year. There have been far fewer ticks, although experts warn that they are most likely hiding in the ground, waiting until the inevitable late-summer rain arrives. A bee not sighted since 1937 has turned up. ‘Dasypoda suripes’, which is more commonly known by the Danes as the ‘golden trouser bee’, has been found on the island of Samsø. But more often than not, new arrivals are invasive species, whether it’s the brush-clawed shore crab, the Asian shore crab, or Tetramorium immigrans, an ant from southern Europe that likes entering homes and damaging plants. (BH)

Costly interpretation

Prehistoric whale found

New forestry rules

VISITING a doctor has become more expensive for those who have been in the country over three years and still can’t speak Danish – although Englishspeakers probably won’t be affected. An interpreter at a cost of 344 kroner a visit, or 1,675 kroner for a course of hospital treatment, will be mandatory. More ‘patients’ will use their kids to interpret, critics of the law warn.

A FAMILY have discovered the remains of a toothed whale that lived 10 million years ago. A brother and sister, aged 8 and 12, discovered the first fossil fragments, before Dad stepped in to uncover six vertebrae. The discovery was made in Gram Lergrav in south Jutland, a clay area owned by Museum Sønderjylland that would have been 100 metres below sea level at the time.

NEW FORESTRY must be grown without the use of pesticides to qualify for state subsidies in the future. In related news, the Development Ministry has set aside 450 million kroner for the Global Environment Facility in a bid to help finance sustainable development, and the government wants to add another 30,000 hectares to the conservation scheme known as Natura 2000.

FAMILIES waste the most food, according to Foreningen Stop Spild Af Mad founder Selina Juul, because they’re busy and forget what’s in their fridge. According to Landbrug & Fødevarer, a family could save up to 7,500 kroner a year by reducing food waste. Meanwhile, REMA 1000 is the best supermarket at combatting food waste, according to a survey by KANTAR Gallup.

First coffee farm PETER Larsen Kaffe is aiming to become the first coffee farm in northern Europe. Initially consisting of two greenhouses, it believes it will be producing coffee within three to five years that has a much higher nutritional value than current products. It is estimated that 50 percent of the world’s coffee-growing areas will have vanished in 30 years’ time.

Down fighting back IN 2015, DOWN Syndrome (DS) was heading for extinction in Denmark after it was revealed that 98 percent of pregnant women carrying an unborn child with DS chose to have an abortion. But last year, 13 women in Denmark gave birth to babies with DS. The pregnant women are now being encouraged to visit families with DS children before making their decision.

Meat most affordable DANES on minimum wage can more easily afford meat than their counterparts in 51 other countries, according to the Meat Price Index compiled by Caterwings. In related news, takeaway sales of non-meat items are soaring. Veggie burger sales at Halifax have tripled over the last year, while McDonalds intends to launch another veggie burger six months after releasing its first.

NEWS

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

ONLINE THIS WEEK

16 - 30 August 2018

Waste of money?

Let’s make Star Wars

Emmy nod for Kingslayer NIKOLAJ Coster-Waldau has finally been nominated for an Emmy award for best supporting actor in a TV drama series – one of 22 nods earned by ‘Game of Thrones’ in which he plays Jaime ‘Kingslayer’ Lannister. He will face competition from his co-star Peter Dinklage, who plays his onscreen brother Tyrion.

Not quite as planned PERNILLE Blume grabbed the wrong kind of headlines at the European Championships in her bid to post a fast 50-metre split in her 100-metre freestyle semi-final. She wanted to better the winning time in the 50-metre final in which she finished second. As she turned above the surface, she lost ground and ended up finishing sixth and missing out on the final.

Europa League joy for trio FC COPENHAGEN, FC Midtjylland and Brøndby have the final Europa League qualification round in their sights on August 16 following impressive first leg away wins last week. Only FC Nordsjælland are struggling after losing 1-2 at home to Partizan Belgrade.

First 8-ball champ BAHRAM Lotfy has become the first Dane to win the 8-ball pool European Championships. He beat three former champs – Dimitri Jungo, Mario He and Alex Lely – on his way to a final in which he defeated Konrad Juszczyszyn 8-2.

Triathlon hosts DENMARK hosted the 2018 ITU World Multisport Championships on Funen from July 5-14. It was only the second edition of an endurance sports event that made its debut in the Canadian city of Penticton last year.

DBU

THE HARRY Potter Festival in Odense has been warned by Warner Bros that it can no longer use the film universe’s trademarks … reports the Daily Prophet. When the festival was launched 15 years ago, it was a non-commercial event run by volunteers, but today it attracts crowds of 13,000.

JONATAN EGHOLM KEIS

KUNSTHAL CHARLOTTENBORG

Who must not be named

Luckiest cup draw ever

ONLINE THIS WEEK Striker’s death threats

Text can be sexy, but not this

Having a blast

And the door closeth forever

COPENHAGEN Municipality remains undecided where to hang its latest art purchase – a series of 20 white A4 pages announcing the deaths of politicians (including the PM), which it has paid 10,000 kroner for. Several politicians have questioned the wisdom of buying Jakob Jakobsen’s 2015 artwork ‘Dødsfald’, which includes inscriptions such as “Lars Løkke er død”. One wag has already suggested it might be placed in an old people’s home. “When you’re there, your days are numbered and you’re reflecting on life,” Endheslisten’s Gyda Heding told DR. (BH)

A KICKSTARTER project has hit its 200,000 kroner target to make a 45-minute pilot set in the Star Wars universe to persuade Disney to fund a fiveseason series. Lars Mikkelsen is attached to the principally Danish project, along with an experienced production team. Danish actor Shahbaz Sarwar hopes to start shooting ‘Shrouded Destiny: A Star Wars Long Tale’ in September. Set 500 years before the original 1977 movie, the plot concerns rogue Jedis and opportunistic bounty hunters. Overall Sarwar expects to spend 800,000 kroner. (BH)

HAD DENMARK beaten Croatia in the last-16 of the 2018 World Cup, they would have faced Russia in the quarter-finals, and then England in the semis. It’s hardly Euro 92, is it? That year they had to escape a group containing England, France and hosts Sweden, then knock out the best Dutch side since Johan Cruyff’s orange army in 1974, and beat reigning world champions Germany in the final. It makes you wonder: had Denmark prevailed from their side of the draw this year, they could have claimed to have had the easiest ever passage to a final. (BH)

READ THE REST OF THESE STORIES AT CPHPOST.DK

Ladies win first gold

The art of winning

Courtship over

AMALIE Dideriksen and Julie Leth secured Denmark’s only gold medal at the expanded European Championships, finishing first in the Madison cycling event. Previously a quadrennial athletics event, the champs now includes sports such as cycling, rowing, golf and swimming. Denmark finished 21st in the medal table with one gold, four silvers and two bronzes.

WHY NOT Theatre Company’s spring production of ‘The Art Of Falling’ – a play by Swedish playwright Sara Stridberg inspired by the classic documentary ‘Grey Gardens’ that had never been performed in English before – has won CPH Culture’s 2017-18 award for best foreign play. Elsewhere, ‘Diktatoren’ at Nørrebro Teater won the best concept and director awards

BADMINTON star Kamilla Rytter Juhl is retiring at the age of 34 to have a baby, bringing to an end her successful women’s doubles partnership with Christina Pedersen, who is also her partner off court – a romance the pair only confirmed last year despite being together since 2009. Earlier this year, the duo won the All England Open, the biggest win of their career.

Hollywood remake

Paying for the peeing

On his way to NHL

PLANS have been announced to make a Hollywood version of the 2014 Danish film ‘Stille hjerte’, reports Variety. Directed by Bille August, it told the story of a family gathering to mark the imminent death of its terminally-ill matriarch. Director Roger Mitchell has confirmed he intends to use Christian Torpe’s original manuscript as much as possible.

AMONG the 59 people arrested at the Roskilde Festival this year were a couple of men accused of agitating women in the act of having an outdoor pee. There is a market for it, apparently. BT reported earlier this year how a US website was profiting from selling footage of women pissing at festivals – including Distortion and Roskilde.

ONE OF Denmark’s biggest ice hockey talents, the center Alexander True, 21, has taken another step towards his NHL dream by signing an entry-level contract with the San Jose Sharks. Meanwhile, the Stanley Cup trophy recently visited Rødovre. Home boy Lars Eller showed off the silverware at the local square and skate rink on August 8.

Kylie coming back

Saints smash record

Reading with the stars

KYLIE Minogue, now fully 50 years old, is returning to Copenhagen after three years away to perform at the Opera House on November 23 (tickets: 450kr). Other recently announced gigs include Steven Wilson (Royal Arena; Feb 21; 400kr), Manowar (Valby Hallen; April 1; 655kr), Jason Mraz (KB Hallen; Feb 28; 380kr) and Saara Aalto (Studie 3; Oct 21; 210kr).

SOUTHAMPTON have signed defender Jannik Vestergaard from Borussia Mönchengladbach for 186 million kroner – a new Danish record. Other high-profile moves have seen Daniel Wass move from Celta Vigo to Valencia, Riza Durmisi depart Real Betis for Lazio, Rafael van der Vaart leave FCM for Esbjerg, and Brighton pay Esbjerg 2 million pounds for defender Andreas Dreyer.

THE DBU football association has published a series of books to encourage children to read more. The stories feature players as characters, often using their real-life back-stories as inspiration – for example, how Nadia Nadim came here as a refugee from Afghanistan after her father was killed by the Taliban. Christian Eriksen and Kasper Schmeichel also feature.

THE DBU football association has formally informed the police that Danish striker Nicolai Jørgensen received death threats after his failure to convert a penalty in the country’s shootout loss to Croatia in the last-16 of the 2018 World Cup. Some even made homophobic slurs about the second-half substitute.

Roskilde ends with a fall US RAPPER Del The Funky Homosapien punctured one of his lungs and damaged the other, while also breaking seven ribs, when he fell off the stage during the final concert on the Orange Stage at this year’s Roskilde Festival.

Løchte close again FREDERIK Løchte Nielsen came within one match of reaching the final of the Wimbledon men’s doubles tournament – a title he won in 2012. Meanwhile, Caroline Wozniacki was knocked out in the second round by an in-form Ekaterina Makarova, as was Clara Tauson in the girls’ tournament.

Learn from Greybeard ‘GAME OF Thrones’ star Pilou Asbæk is looking forward to returning to Denmark to “share his experience with younger actors”, he has told DR. His most recent film, ‘The Guardian Angel’, an English-language Danish/Finnish/Croatian production, hit cinemas on June 28.

Two world champs IN LATE July, Maja Alm won her fourth consecutive sprint orienteering World Championships – the first time anyone has won four in a row. Meanwhile, over the same weekend, teenager Mathilde Helbo Larsen triumphed at the Rope Skipping World Championships in Shanghai, breaking two Danish records in the process.

Mags when it matters KEVIN Magnussen enjoyed an impressive July, amassing 18 points from three top ten finishes: Austria (July 1, 5th), Britain (July 8, 9th), Germany (July 22, 11th) and Hungary (July 29, 7th). He is currently 8th in the standings while his team Haas are 5th.

ADVERTORIAL

16 - 30 August 2018

A decade on from Russia’s military aggression and occupation of Georgian territories EMBASSY OF GEORGIA

N AUGUST 2008 Georgia fell victim to open military aggression by the Russian Federation that resulted in the illegal occupation of the Georgian regions Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia. Russia’s large-scale military invasion in Georgia in blatant violation of fundamental norms and principles of international law served as a direct attack on European security and the international order. A few years later the same pattern was used against Ukraine. Russia’s military invasion RUSSIAN aggression against Georgia was premeditated and thoroughly calculated. Moscow had started preparation long before the actual war. In May-June 2008, the Kremlin started deploying railroad troops, military forces and offensive weaponry in Abkhazia region. These developments sharply escalated the situation on the ground. In the period just before the invasion, in July 2008, Russia conducted a large-scale military exercise, ‘Caucasus 2008’, near the Georgian border. Russian troops did not leave the area after the exer-

cise was finished. Vladimir Putin himself did not try to hide the fact that the plan for military invasion existed about two years before the war. Ten years ago the provocation started with massive attacks on Georgian-controlled villages by Russian-backed Ossetian volunteers who used machine guns and grenade launchers against the local civilian population. The escalation of the armed conflict was directly preceded by units of Russia’s 58 Army crossing the international border of Georgia through the Roki Tunnel on 7 August 2008. At the same time, Russian forces crossed the state border of Georgia into the Abkhazia region. With an artificial pretext of protecting the Russian citizens on Georgian soil (i.e the residents of Georgia who became victims of Russia’s illegal passpartsation), Moscow started a large-scale attack against the sovereign country via land, sea, air and cyberspace. On 12 August 2008, the EU Presidency successfully mediated a ceasefire between Georgia and Russia. The Ceasefire Agreement laid a foundation for stopping Russia’s large-scale military aggression against Georgia. However, despite continued

calls from the international community, Russia has continued to violate the agreement. While Georgia has implemented all of the provisions of the ceasefire, Moscow has further reinforced its illegal military presence in both Georgian regions, destabilising the security environment in the whole of Europe. Following the military invasion, the Russian Federation recognised the so-called independence of Georgia’s occupied regions in gross violation of the fundamental norms and principles of international law, such as the inviolability of internationally recognised borders and territorial integrity of sovereign states. Situation after 10 years TEN YEARS since its military aggression Russia still continues to illegally occupy 20 percent of Georgian territory. Moreover, Russia has intensified steps towards the factual annexation of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/ South Ossetia, seeking full incorporation of Georgia’s indivisible regions into its military, political and economic systems in full disregard for international law. For the past 10 years the security and human rights situation in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, as well as in adjacent territories to the occupation line, has further deteriorated. The Russian Federation has been strengthening its illegal military presence on Georgian soil. In violation of the Ceasefire Agreement it holds a considerable number of military personnel in both regions. Russia’s illegal military

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bases in the Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions are equipped with contemporary and sophisticated offensive weaponry. Russia has also been provoking Georgia with its continuous fortification of the occupation line, employing barbed-wire fences and other artificial barriers to divide families and deprive the local population of access to their property and agricultural lands, healthcare and emergency services, as well as religious sites and cemeteries. Continuous illegal detentions and kidnappings along the occupation line have become another demonstration of grave human rights violations on the ground. Russia and its occupation regimes are making the lives of ethnic Georgians living in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia unbearable and there are no international mechanisms on the ground to effectively address these challenges. Georgia’s peace policy IN RESPONSE to all these concerning developments the Government of Georgia is trying to fully utilise peace negotiation formats to achieve tangible results for the lasting peace, security and human rights protection of the conflict-affected population on the ground. Georgia spares no effort in facilitating substantial negotiations in the Geneva International Discussions, a unique and inclusive format with co-chairmanship of the EU, UN, OSCE and participation of the US, established to duly address the security and hu-

manitarian challenges stemming from the unresolved conflict between Georgia and Russia. In addition, Georgia firmly pursues its co-operation with the EU Monitoring Mission (EUMM), which is the only international mechanism on the ground providing the international society with accurate information about the situation on the ground and violations of the 12 August 2008 Ceasefire Agreement by Russia. Although the EUMM has no possibility to enter the occupied regions and fully implement its mandate, the mission’s activities are decisive in preventing the escalation of tensions. The Government of Georgia has introduced a new peace initiative, A Step to a Better Future, with the aim of improving the humanitarian and socio-economic conditions of people living in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia and fostering people-to-people interaction and confidencebuilding between the divided societies. More specifically, the package seeks to enhance and simplify trade along the dividing lines, creating additional opportunities for quality education and access at every level of education, both at home and abroad. The initiative also envisages the creation of mechanisms for simplifying access to the benefits and services available to Georgia resulting from the country’s development and progress on its path to European integration.

10 BUSINESS

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

ONLINE THIS WEEK

Heat turned up on Danske Bank

ONLINE THIS WEEK FINN ÅRUP NIELSEN

Parken offloads chain

16 - 30 August 2018

PARKEN S&E has sold Fitness DK for 100 million kroner to Altor og Tryghedsgruppen, the owner of the Sats fitness chain. While Fitness DK has 125,000 members at 47 centres in Denmark, Sats has 560,000 members and 200 centres in Sweden, Norway and Finland. Fitness World is the Danish market leader with 450,000 members at 158 centres.

Formaldehyde concerns DANISH insulation producer Rockwool has come under heavy fire in the US for its plans to establish a factory in Ranson, West Virginia. Some 5,000 citizens have joined a Facebook group opposing the factory, questioning what effect its use of formaldehyde will have on their health and the environment.

Digitalisation hailed DENMARK has the best public digitalisation in the world, according to the biennial UN EGovernment Development Index, which surveys 193 counties. In 2016, it was ranked sixth. Australia, South Korea, the UK and Sweden completed the top five.

Wind investment THE GOVERNMENT intends to invest 300 million kroner into Bolivian wind turbine parks built by Vestas.

MICRO businesses – companies with fewer than ten full-time employees – have accounted for 70 percent of the job growth in Denmark between 2009 and 2016, according to Danmarks Statistik.

The tax haven drain SOME 40 percent of surplus revenue from multinational companies ends up in tax havens, according to a University of Copenhagen PhD study. The practice costs the EU an estimated 450 billion kroner every year – 20 percent of company tax income.

New richest individual WITH A fortune of 44.4 billion kroner, Coloplast supremo Niels Louis-Hansen is Denmark’s wealthiest individual, according to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index. He overtakes Lego kingpin Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, who falls to third after transfering some of his wealth to his three children. Bestseller founder Troels Holch Povlsen ranked second.

The future is micro

Prefer older bosses

It’s getting tropical in Tallinn

Both Denmark and Estonia have launched investigations into money laundering claims at its Tallinn branch

HE PUBLIC prosecutor for serious economic and international crime, SØIK, has launched a criminal investigation into money laundering allegations at the Estonian branch of Danske Bank – claims that first surfaced in September 2017. A recent leak estimated that as much as 53 billion kroner from countries such as Russia, Azerbaijan and Moldova has been laundered – a “colossal” amount, SF’s Lisbeth Bech Poulsen told Politiken, which represents “the biggest money laundering case we have ever seen”. It is believed the branch made a gross profit of 1.5 billion kroner from its non-resident portfolio between 2007 and 2015, but Danske Bank has said it will forgo all the earnings.

Allegation of theft JUST LAST month, the British businessman and CEO of Hermitage Capital Management (HCM), William Browder, reported Danske Bank to the Danish and Estonian police for its role in the theft of 1.4 billion kroner from HCM in 2007. SØIK’s decision follows a similar one by the Estonian authorities in late July, and the results of Danske Bank’s own inquiry are expected in September. Nordea’s busy summer IN RELATED news, Danske Bank was one of five banks fined by the European Securities and Markets Authority for issuing credit ratings between June 2011 and August 2016 without being authorised to do so. Nordea, which was also fined, has had a busy summer, first forking out 4.5 billion kroner to acquire Gjensidige Bank, a Norwegian online enterprise

that specialises in loans to buy cars, from the insurance group Gjensidige Forsikring. And then it learned that the US central bank, the Federal Reserve, has approved its application to run a department in New York State in the wake of a merger between its Swedish and Finnish banks. Class action fails IN OTHER banking news, a class action involving 454 Amagerbanken shareholders has failed at the eastern high court, Østre Landsret, to recover 30.5 million kroner in compensation after helping to raise funds to aid the bank’s recovery in late 2010. However, despite a two-year state guarantee and funding, the bank was shut down 88 days later in February 2011, and the shareholders allege they were misinformed by the FSA. (CPH POST)

SOME 58 percent of Danish employees prefer their superiors to be older than them, according to a Randstad survey conducted in 34 countries, although 88 percent said that age had no significant bearing, as long as their boss was able to inspire and motivate them.

Ørsted getting greener IN LINE with its new focus on offshore wind energy, Ørsted wants to divest large portions of its other assets, including its electricity distribution business Radius, which currently supplies around 1 million Danes.

Cemented future DANISH engineering firm FLSmidth has landed two big cement plant contracts in Central America worth a combined 1.9 billion kroner

New refugee data centre WORLD Bank Group and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees are setting up a Data Center on Forced Displacement at the UN City building in Copenhagen.

Dutch taking over

New fingers on switch

New state lawyer rules

SAS jumps rankings

Foreign worker woes

FOUR OF the C25 Index companies have Dutch chief executives: Cees’ t Hart (Carlsberg), Cees de Jong (Chr Hansen Holding), Hans Savonije (Royal Unibrew) and Jan van de Winkel (Genmab). In related news, at companies with more than 200 employees, every fifth CEO earns at least ten times more than the median salary, according to the Finance Ministry.

THE 144-YEAR-OLD designer lamp company Louis Poulsen has been sold to the Italian capital fund Investindustriel for an undisclosed figure estimated to be in the region of 1.5 billion kroner. In related news, Debenhams is considering a sale of Magasin du Nord, according to the Guardian. Valued at 2 billion kroner, the British giant paid just 100 million kroner in 2009.

THE GOVERNMENT intends to introduce ten new initiatives regarding how defence lawyers are hired and paid by the state. The new guidelines are partly in response to Ekstra Bladet’s exposure of the vast sums the lawyers are paid by the taxpayer. Among the initiatives are recommendations to tighten their supervision, promotion of services and salary guidelines.

SAS JUMPED five spots up the annual Skytrax World Airline Rankings to 60th position. Finnair was the best Nordic airline at 27th, followed by Norwegian at 32nd. In related news, the Norwegian state has sold its 10 percent stake in SAS (37.8 million shares at 17.25 Swedish kroner per share) to institutional investors, earning around 450 million Danish kroner.

INGER Støjberg concedes it should be easier for Danish companies to employ suitably-qualified foreigners. A prognosis from the IDA society of engineers predicts a shortage of 10,000 workers in the fields of engineering and natural science by 2025. An increased university focus has not paid off sufficiently, and critics say the companies encounter too much bureaucracy.

BUSINESS OPINION

16 - 30 August 2018

TINY MAERSCHALK LIVING IN AN EXPAT WORLD

A plan for all seasons UPON ARRIVAL in Denmark you will see bicycles, bicycles ... and more bicycles. Danes use them as a means of transport to work and studies and for leisure. But cycling is apparently also in high demand during the summer holidays. A recent VisitDenmark study shows that 9.6 million pedalling tourists stayed overnight in 2017 – 6.6 million internationals and 3 million Danes holidaying at home.

Belgium’s Tiny Maerschalk, who has worked for the International Community networking platform since its foundation in 2008, knows how it feels to settle in a new country. Dedicated to improving conditions for new arrivals, here she shares her insights about the business issues that mean the most to internationals in Denmark.

SØREN BREGENHOLT THE VALLEY OF LIFE As the chairman of the Medicon Valley Alliance – the gold-labelled Danish-Swedish life science cluster organisation – Søren will address current trends and challenges in the sector.

A new flagship THIS IS the exact reason why substantial investments have been made in recent years in the region’s science parks, incubators and accelerators. The new flagship, the BioInnovation Institute (BII), was launched this year at COBIS in central Copenhagen. Funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, it has a budget of 392 million kroner dispersed over three years. The initiative has its origins in a sombre realisation: too few new companies were emerging from the life science research carried out at the universities.

This explains why you see Danes in colourful tights along the roads. But what does it tell us of the Danish summer? It definitely confirms that Denmark is a cycling nation for Danes and internationals alike – even when temperatures rise. In my opinion, cycling provides expats with an opportunity to explore the coastline, small-talk with Danes and taste Danish summer treats. The guf of legends ALTHOUGH there are many treats in Denmark, I will focus on one: ‘gammeldags isvafler’. The word might be tricky to pronounce, but to Danes it is a must-eat in the summer. Usually, it consists of an ice-cream cone, icecream, jam, ‘guf’ and a ‘flødebolle’. Personally, I am not yet fond of ‘guf ’. But I have found that ‘flødeboller’ are somewhat of a cornerstone in Danish food culture. Often served at schools and

That’s the Danish summer in two massive bites

workplaces as birthday treats, they are also part of the summertime menu. Drought discussions SO THERE you have three topics: exceptional temperatures, cycling and ice-cream. To internationals these might function as advice on what to do in Denmark or even as conversation-starters. Sometimes Danes are referred to as

reserved, closed-off and difficult to befriend. Yet, this does not mean we can’t try? So as things get warmer in the state of Denmark, internationals might have to go with the flow, grab a bike and a helmet, have an overwhelming ice-cream and strike up a conversation about the ongoing drought. To me, these are three goods ways of exploring Denmark and the Danish summer mentality anno 2018. PIXABAY

O REALISE the full potential of the Danish-Swedish life science cluster and harvest the fruits of the R&D investment, university research in the region needs to generate more new companies, while large-scale companies need a hand breathing new life into their innovation endeavours.

SAIMA RAZA - FACEBOOK

N MY EXPERIENCE, Danes associate summer with rain, wind and low temperatures. However, that is not the case this year. On the contrary, DMI has confirmed that July 2018 was the hottest and sunniest month in Danish history. As temperatures have continued to increase, I have come to ask myself: what does a Danish summer entail and what do you do in a nearly tropical Denmark?

Continued investments in the region’s science parks are crucial if Medicon Valley is to hold its own against life science clusters all over the globe. The most successful clusters are the ones that attract the best researchers and the most important investors. Relocating and listing THE FIVE science parks in Medicon Valley fully or significantly focused on the life sciences are: COBIS, DTU Science Park, Ideon, Medeon and Medicon Village. Together, they and a few others have contributed to a fresh flow of new companies to the stock markets. This is particularly true of Stockholm, and more recently Copenhagen. Lower taxes on shares and a long tradition of saving privately in stocks in Sweden have led to more Danish companies deciding to list their shares in Stockholm. Expansion in southern Sweden

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continues because it is an attractive location for Danish companies seeking to list in Sweden that have to move at least part of their operation there. The Malmö-based Medeon Science Park is a popular choice as it enables them to keep their R&D in Copenhagen – a less likely choice should they move to Stockholm or Gothenburg. Firm roots THE IMPORTANCE of the

science parks is often underestimated. They are not only extremely valuable as such, but also serve to ensure that life science innovation and entrepreneurship can take a firm root in the Medicon Valley region and benefit optimally from a unique combination of Danish and Swedish opportunities when it comes to academic collaboration, access to funding and intra-industry partnerships.

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Startup Community

Danish Capital in 2016

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Economics Explained

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12 OPINION

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

16 - 30 August 2018

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it

Winning by default JUST LIKE last time, Venstre’s chances of victory rest on others, but that is often the way in Danish politics. You could say this election is the opposition’s to lose, not Venstre’s to win, even if it is likely it will be among the three best-supported parties. It remains to be seen if one of the three, its ally Dansk Folkeparti, will this time be confident enough to seek governmental seats. They are not doing all that well in the polls, and the momentum grounded in austerity against asylum-seekers and immigrants – legal or otherwise – is flagging. The latest law against burqas marks an absolute nadir for ideas

Living Faith

with which to impress the electorate. More measures of that sort will be counterproductive and then there is little political room left.

Born in India, adopted by Britain, Smitha (chaplain@ st-albans.dk) is the new chaplain of St Alban’s Church. In the UK, along with being a Church of England priest, she travelled Europe working as an English teacher, trainer and examiner. Smitha continues to work in an advisory and advocacy capacity at a national level on matters of liturgy and social justice

Too big to relate to DEFENCE is getting more funding than ever, as are healthcare, education and senior citizens – and there will be more areas added to the list. None of these issues are much more than budgetary ones with numbers too big for the individual voter to relate to in detail. We will see when the budget for 2019 is on the agenda in October. Even the tax reliefs are dead in the water after the chaos of the last elections and Anders Samuelson’s posturing. Steady as she goes? EU ISSUES won’t be on the table until we learn what kind of deal the British land in the Brexit negotiations. President Trump has awoken an understanding for solidarity, so no more countries will be allowed to enter the EU for now. All this leads to a general desire among the political establishment that is just wishful thinking: we should skip the election and go on for four more years with the constellation we know. Alas, this is just not possible. When everything is going well and nothing is broken, then there is no reason to fix it, so even if it looks like a draw we still give the better odds to the team that has the ball. (ES)

PIXABAY

HE NATION’S politicians have enjoyed the long hot summer along with the rest of us. Now it’s time for them to prepare for the constitutional inevitability of the next general election. It could be this autumn or, at the latest, next spring. That is up to PM Lars Løkke Rasmussen, who is not very popular or particularly respected. If he loses it is unlikely he will get another chance, so he will be dragging his feet and waiting if possible. In the meantime he will be looking at international job options that he stands a better chance at landing than continuing in his current job. It could be as one of the EU commissioners, or as a UN executive, or even the general-secretary of NATO like his predecessor. Time will show.

REVD SMITHA PRASADAM

James and John from Club Zeberdee will be along soon with the boat to Tiberius

OME TO me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest,” are some of the most enduringly comforting words in the Bible. As I write my very first contribution to the Copenhagen Post, I hope you will have had time to take advantage of that very unusual of Danish delights: scorching hot weather! You might even call it an Indian summer, and I feel I’m on holiday with new things to experience, see and do! Rocking the cradle ALLOW me to introduce myself: I was cradled in the Church of South India where Anglican, Methodist, Congregational, Presbyterian and Reformed churches come together. “May they be one,” is the motto. I experienced this powerfully in the African ‘ubuntu’ (“I am; because we are”) when I travelled there. My hallmarks are creativity, hospitality and service, and I take seriously my vow at ordination to preach the gospel afresh to every generation. I’m married to Peter who has until now been a headteacher of a junior school. We have a grown-up daughter and my mother Jemima, herself a priest, joins us on our big Danish adventure.

While the sun shines SO WHY, when I have come to a new post with new responsibilities and challenges do I feel like I’m on holiday? Perhaps it’s because it’s a change from what I was doing. This is something different, fresh and energising – all in Mediterranean sunshine and sea breezes! I love that in my new job at St Alban’s Church, we welcome visitors who may have heard those very words “Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest” – for these are holiday-makers arriving in their hundreds. Holidaying like Jesus I HOPE you too have found a place to rest and relax this summer – whether it’s somewhere to recharge your batteries, spend time with family and friends, escape to the summerhouse or seaside, or to do something unusual or simply do nothing at all. From the very beginning of the world there has been an urgency in God’s demand for renewal. Following the Creation, after six days of hard work, there was the Sabbath rest. After weeks and months of strategic work, Jesus took the disciples away on a boat for some real rest and relaxation.

This all-important time away, which we call a holiday, is a time of reorientation – a way of drawing inspiration, energy and strength for the work ahead. From rest to restoration AT ST ALBAN’S Church it means a commitment to ‘building a welcome for all’. Building work is underway for new kitchen and toilet facilities before Christmas. Through kindness, concerts, hard work and prayer, temporary difficulty will surely give way to something that will not only be a new look physical building but a place where hospitality and welcome attention can be offered in God’s name. So it’s from rest to restoration we go! As part of those efforts you can imagine how, more than any year before, the church is busy fundraising. One activity is the annual ‘fun-raising’ St Alban’s Summer Fete on Saturday 25 August from 10:00-17:00. I myself can’t wait for it! With marmalade, English books and Jane Austen dancers it is quintessentially English, but with a bouncy castle, bottle stall, tombola and cakes there’s something to delight everyone. Come along, make friends and make merry, and leave the rest to God!

OPINION

16 - 30 August 2018

IAN BURNS

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A resident here since 1990, Ian Burns is the artistic director at That Theatre Company and very possibly Copenhagen’s best known English language actor thanks to roles as diverse as Casanova, Shakespeare and Tony Hancock.

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S A NATION Iceland can hold its head high. Pia Kjærsgaard’s disastrous visit to its shores to address its Parliament on July 18, where she was boycotted and booed, was akin to Donald Trump’s embarrassing European tour on which he only succeeded in pissing off most of his current allies. An icy reception HAVING Pia as the face of Danish politics is unwise as she represents that dark swing to the ultra-right taking place across Europe. Iceland refuses to look the other way as fascism tries to sneak its way back into Europe, arguing that apathy only serves to help the forces that encourage discrimination to flourish. Its football team has showed you don’t need a team full of tattooed superstars to succeed, merely one that plays together along with an awesome chant that fans everywhere now try to emulate. Iceland, I applaud your efforts to focus on debate, dialogue and the improvement of human rights over hate and intolerance. Abandon Boris! IT STRIKES me as bizarre that the people originally behind Brexit have mostly abandoned ship – take Boris Johnson, for

IN 3 ISSUES

example, who recently resigned as UK foreign secretary before he was sacked. This untidily dressed, sinisterly dangerous and ambitious Etonian upper-class twit, whose eyes remain fixed on becoming PM, appears to be getting advice on how to be even more obnoxious from the equally untidy and unshaven Steve Bannon, the ultra-right wing, white supremacist maniac who wants to turn the clock back to those KKK days – is that what attracted them to each other, I wonder? Is it a coincidence that Boris came out with his reference to women wearing burqas looking like “letterboxes” and “bankrobbers” days after spending time with Bannon? (Of course it would be good to see both of them doing time.) Johnson’s supporters want us to believe it was all jolly and in jest, but it’s the association with the notion of unacceptable and silly foreign behaviour and the terms he used about women wearing burqas that matters. He is encouraging racism. He is openly wooing the UKIP vote. Imagine having him as your PM – what an awful but sadly possible scenario. Similar in name, not in nature KING CNUT tried to stop the tides and waves, but with soak-

ing wet feet robes failed, showing us there are powers greater than those of a monarch. If only we had leaders like him. It’s a global world now and that clock of yours Bannon, me old mate, has been digitalised with working parts from all over the world. Britain might have been alone fighting the Nazis for a few years and can hold its head high with its resolute defence of the realm (with the aid of soldiers enlisted from its Empire), but to try and use this fortress mentality in 2018 strikes me as ostrich-like. Do we need to commit this foolish and stubborn act of collective suicide called Brexit to prove our mettle? Johnny Foreigner ain’t the root of all our problems. Look closer to home. Fracking hell ANYONE noticed it’s getting hot? Everywhere! Temperatures are soaring to unprecedented levels. This has nothing to do with global warming at all, just too many people on the planet and their body heat, according to oil and gas corporations and toxic Trump. The planet’s pissed off and rightly so. We’ve raped and pillaged its seas and minerals for personal gain and have put nothing back. It’s not a proud legacy.

A Dane Abroad KIRSTEN LOUISE PEDERSEN IN 4 ISSUES

Mackindergarten ADRIAN MACKINDER

Straight, No Chaser STEPHEN GADD

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16 - 30 August 2018

PHOTOS BY HASSE FERROLD

Many ambassadors – including (left-right) Amro Alhourani (Palestine), Amadou Tcheko (Niger), Rui Macieira (Portugal), Maria RotheiserScotti (Austria) and Kastriot Robo (Albania) – were in attendance at a celebration to mark the South African Embassy’s 100th birthday of Nelson Mandela at Helligånskirken on July 18

Switzerland and Benin once again held a joint celebration of their national days. The diplomatic corps were out in force at the Benin Embassy on August 1 to enjoy Alpine horn and Beninese drum renditions, as the countries’ respective ambassadors, Benedikt Wechsler (left) and Eusèbe Agbangla (right), locked arms

Lithuanian ambassador Ginte Damusis (left) and Japanese ambassador Toshiro Suzuki (second left) were among the guests of Moroccan ambassador Khadija Rouissi at her country’s national day celebration on July 30 at her residence in Charlottenlund

Pakistani ambassador Zulfiqar Gardezi (second right) was among Chinese ambassador Deng Ying’s guests at a celebration to mark the 91st anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army at the Chinese Embassy on July 18

The Filipino Culture Festival at Island Brygge on July 29 proved to be a hugely enjoyable celebration of the island nation’s culture, heritage and traditions

While most theatres shut down over the summer, it was full steam ahead for Improv Comedy Copenhagen and its co-founder Stefan Pagels Andersen, who oversaw a busy schedule of classes and shows

16 - 30 August 2018

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THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

The Thai Embassy had a busy summer. First off, it hosted a reception to mark the 160th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Diplomatic Relations between Thailand and Denmark at the residence of ambassador Vichit Chitvimarn in Hellerup. And then three days, the public were ut in force at the Thai Festival at Islands Brygge

Bulgarian ambassador Roussi Ivanov (right) is leaving these shores. He took the opportunity at the formal conclusion of his country’s EU Council Presidency on June 29 to say goodbye to his peers. The deputy dean of the diplomatic corps, Russian ambassador Mikhail Vanin (left), delivered a farewell speech

Cuban ambassador Yiliam Gomez (centre right) was the proud host of a screening of ‘Sergio and Sergei’ on June 26 at Cinemateket. Her guests included Chilean ambassador Flavio Tarsetti (second left) and Russian ambassador Mikhail Vanin (centre left)

CPH POST was present as world leaders including US President Donald Trump gathered for a Nato Summit Working Dinner at the Museum at Parc du Cinquantenaire in Brussels on July 11. A day later the Brussels Summit Declaration was announced

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Copenhagen Pride ongoing, ends Aug 19; various venues; copenhagenpride.dk The largest human rights festival in Denmark is mostly held at Pride Square and Rådhuspladsen, offering a week of free concerts and shows that accumulate in a huge parade on Saturday the 18th. (TW)

Louisiana Literature Aug 23-26; Gl Strandvej 13, Humlebæk; louisiana.dk Louisiana Lit is returning to celebrate the best in contemporary literature from around the world. Various authors will be positioned around the museum in different settings, taking part in readings, songs and discussions. (OR)

Copenhagen Cooking Aug 24-Sep 2; multiple venues in CPH; copenhagencooking.dk Definitely one for the foodies, this festival includes hundreds of events, classes and tours – you could say it has an emphasis on learning as you eat. Many of the events are already sold out, so book your tickets now. (TW)

Arabian Nights Festival Aug 18-Sep 10; Cinemateket, Gothersgade 55, Cph K; 80kr; dfi.dk For the fourth consecutive year, this festival will be celebrating good storytelling, acting and scenery through the medium of film. Alongside the viewings, there will be lectures, debates, music and more! (TW)

Copenhagen Yoga Festival Aug 24-26; Tiøren, Amager Strand, Cph S; 595-795kr; copenhagenyogafestival.dk Running over three days, the festival is the perfect time to either try yoga for the first time or enhance your ongoing practice. This is a festival to share the joy of yoga across all levels and nationalities. (AJ)

Cocktails and Cakes Aug 24-Sep 9, 13:00-17:00; Skt Petri, Krystalgade 22, Cph K; 150kr Enjoy organic cocktails paired with Danish petit fours during the Copenhagen Cooking festival. Danish berries, chocolates and pies are unmissable, especially when paired with artfully crafted cocktails. (AJ)

KMD Ironman Copenhagen Aug 19; Amager Strandparken, Cph S; 4300kr at eu.ironman. com Watch some of the country’s fittest athletes push themselves to the limit in this world championship qualifier on a route that takes in some of Zealand’s most picturesque tourist spots. (TW)

Malmö Festival ongoing, ends Aug 18; malmofestivalen.se If you’re looking for a getaway from Copenhagen life, head across the Øresund to a festival that bridges music, art, food and culture. With over 1.4 million visitors a year, it is the largest culture festival in Scandinavia. (OR)

Læsk Brewery Open House Aug 25, 12:00-18:00; Læsk Brewery, Holmetoften 17, Hørsholm; free adm Peak inside the Læsk Brewery where the latest health food fad, kombucha tea, is made. Participate in tastings and buy Kombucha at an extreme discount. (AJ)

Friday Night Skate Aug 24, Sep 7 & 21, 20:00-22:15; starts at Solbjerg Plads, Frederiksberg; free adm; fns-cph.dk A fun way to experience the city on a summer evening, Friday Night Skate through 20km of Copenhagen is a great way to hang out with friends.

CPH World Music Festival ongoing, ends Sep 5; multiple locations; tickets available from locations; cphworld.dk Copenhagen World Music Festival is back with a stellar line-up of world music at locations all over the city. (TW)

Make your own schnapps Aug 28-31, 16:30-17:30; Torvehallerne, Frederiksborggade 21, Cph; 250kr Learn how to make your own schnapps while exploring Danish history. From this event, you will take home your own handmade bottle of seasoned schnapps. (AJ)

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CPH Songwriters Festival Aug 29-Sep 2; Onkel Dannys Plads, Cph V; csf.dk Celebrating its 10th anniversary, this festival focuses on the craft of songwriting, both in Denmark and abroad. Cited as Denmark’s ‘most hyggelig event’, this is one for music lovers looking for something different. (TW)

Zulu Comedy Gala Aug 30-Sep 9; multiple locations; ticketmaster.dk Now in its ninth year, Copenhagen’s funniest week is back with more shows than ever. Choose your favourite comedian or go with a ‘comedy surprise’ – either way you’ll be laughing. (TW)

CPH Harbour Festival Aug 24-26; kulturhavn.kk.dk With its long coastline and checkered history at sea, waterborne activities come second nature to the Danes. This festival will shine a light on the best that the city’s harbour areas have to offer with activities, games, music, dancing and water sports galore. (OR)

Coming Soon: Quality Street Sep 20-22 & 27-29; Teaterhuset Bastionen, Norra Vallgatan 28, Malmö; playmatetheatremalmo.co Playmate Theatre Malmö presents storytelling from the likes of Harold Pinter, Roald Dahl, Willy Russell and Christopher Durang. With Vanessa Poole in the cast, and Jeremy Thomas-Poulsen directing, it’s worth the trip!

Queers Aug 17-25; Galathea Kroen, Rådhusstræde 9, Cph K; tickets via scenen.dk or this link Leftfield Theatre presents ‘Queers’, a 2017 British play charting a century of LGBT history. The play is set in a pub, so theatre-goers will sit down with a ploughman’s right in the middle of the action.

Swoop Freestyle World Champs Aug 24-25; Dronning Louises Bro, Cph N; free adm The Copenhagen Lakes will once again serve as the setting for this freestyle parachuting competition. Competitors from around the world will fly in and show off their skills to prove who is the best in the world. (OR)

Finders Keepers Design Market Aug 25-26; Øksnehallen, Cph V; finderskeepers.dk This huge indoor market brings together designers and traders in one place with an emphasis on design. The vendors are carefully selected by a panel of experts. It’s a great place to find furniture, jewellery, photography and more. (TW)

Tug of War: Battle of the Bars Aug 26 from 12:00; CSR Rugby Pitches, Arsenalvej 2 near Holmen, Cph K; 200kr per team It’s not too late to enter a team – call Paul at 9197 2001 – or simply stroll down and watch the teams sweat it out as they try to pull one another over the line, as you enjoy beer and a BBQ. All funds go to the Danish Cancer Society.

BLAM! Aug 30-Sep 3; Refshalevej 167, Cph K; 340kr Kristján ingimarsson Company’s internationally successful performance BLAM! will be back in Copenhagen for the first time in six years. Don’t miss this comedic tale of four office workers transforming themselves into action heroes. (AJ)

New York City Ballet Aug 15-19; Tivoli, Cph K; 335kr; tivoli.dk The New York Ballet will perform in the concert hall of Tivoli. Work from 12 ballets will be shown for what is sure to be an unforgettable night. Be sure to book soon – tickets are selling out fast and this is sure to be a sellout. (TW)

Copenhagen Soul Weekender Aug 30-Sep 2; various locations; for tickets email cphsoul@gmail.com This year marks the second ever Copenhagen Soul Weekender. Spread over four days at four different venues, Copenhagen is treated to an international line-up of gifted DJs playing music late into the night. (AJ)

Day at the Races Aug 23 & Sep 2, from 12:00; Klampenborg Galopbane, Klampenborgvej 52; 60kr; galopbane.dk Enjoy the fun and competitive spirit of Klampenborg Racetrack. Enjoy a flutter or two, listen to music and enjoy some great food and racing at the track. (MA)

St Albans Church Fete Aug 25, 10:00-17:00; Churchillparken, Cph K; free adm This year’s affair includes all the regulars: brilliant bargains at the mostly English-language bookstore, homemade Anglo goodies, cream teas, burgers and bric-a-brac, a bouncy castle and the Jane Austen dancers.

Macbeth at Rosenborg Aug 28, 18:00; Rosenborg Castle gardens, Cph K; 100-265kr; adg-europe.coms Enjoy more Shakespeare-in-acastle when a Munich-based troupe, the American Drama Group Europe, performs ‘Macbeth’ in the grounds of Rosenborg Slot. (AJ)

Pierrot the Sorcerer ongoing, ends Aug 29; Tivoli; adm with entry; tivoli.dk A fantastic tale of magic, love, and greed, this play is sure to please adults and children alike. Follow Pierrot on his quest to win Columbine’s heart, which is made all the harder by her evil father. (AJ)

Presenting Joaquin Palmares Aug 29, 19:30; Julius Thomsen Gade 1, Cph N; free adm; copenhagenphil.dk Great things are expected of this Royal Danish Academy of Music graduate, the violinist Joaquin Palomares, whose two-hour concert will feature works by Bach and Mendelssohn. (TW)

Rita’s Blue Flea Market Aug 19, 12:00-17:00; Kulturhuset Indre By, Cph K Rita’s market attracts a younger crowd searching for vintage and second-hand clothing. Fight your way through the crowds to seek out some of that Scandi style. (TW)

Christianshavn turning 400 Aug 17-19; c400.dk To mark the 400th birthday of the Copenhagen city centre neighbourhood, the locals are celebrating their diverse culture with three days of concerts, choir singing, debates, city walks, crafts, activities and communal dining.

The Steadfast Tin Soldier ongoing, ends Aug 19; Tivoli, Cph K; adm with entry; tivoli.dk This HC Andersen fairy-tale ballet is the story of a one-legged tin soldier who loves a ballerina on the musical box next door. Immersed in a world of fantasy and adventure, audience members are sure to fall in love with this ballet. (AJ)

Hamlet Live ongoing, ends Aug 31; Kronborg Castle, Helsingør; 140kr; kongeligeslotte.dk Guests walk the corridors of the castle, watching scenes of the play Hamlet performed in the very rooms in which the Shakespearean drama is set. (OR)

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16 - 30 August 2018

Museums Corner: So much more than small beer KATHRINE MARIA AMANN, EDITOR AT COPENHAGEN MUSEUMS AND ATTRACTIONS

HE JACOBSEN family have left their fingerprints on Danish culture, and they’re particularly visible in Copenhagen. And no, we’re not just talking about beer! JC Jacobsen, the founder of

the world-renowned brewery Carlsberg, along with his son Carl Jacobsen, maintained close relations with the great thinkers, artists and scientists of their time. The Jacobsens were driven by a strong determination to give

back to society in the shape of buildings, artwork and numerous sculptures. Let’s take a closer look at the Carlsberg Family’s contributions to the city of Copenhagen.

Dantes Plads 7, Cph K; open 11:00-18:00, until 22:00 on Thu, closed Mon; 115kr, under-18s: free adm; glyptoteket.com

ARL JACOBSEN (18421914) was one of the 19th century’s principal tycoons and patrons of the arts. He created one of his era’s greatest private art collections. The brewer was a

GLYPTOTEK

NEW CARLSBERG GLYPTOTEK houses one of the world’s largest collections of Impressionist art. The collection includes works by Manet, Monet, Degas, Sisley, van Gogh, Cezanne, Rodin and Picasso. Particularly noteworthy is the Paul Gaugin collection, which is among the world’s finest.

tive to those interested in beer, history, art and architecture. The visit takes you through the history of the brewery and shares fascinating stories about JC Jacobsen’s lifelong journey to develop a world-class beer, Carlsberg’s unique role in research, and the Jacobsen family’s personal dramas – not to men-

tion the iconic architecture of the brewery. You can also marvel at the world’s largest collection of unopened beer bottles, which have been sourced from all over the globe. See the original delivery vans on display in the exhibition and challenge your brain and sharpen your senses in the aroma room.

VISIT CARLSBERG Gamle Carlsberg Vej 11, Cph V; open daily 10:00-18:00; 100kr, under-18s: 70kr, under-5s: free adm; visitcarlsberg.com

HE CARLSBERG family is renowned for the great Carlsberg brewery, which was founded in 1847. A tour with Visit Carlsberg is impera-

Bredgade 68, Cph K; open 10:00-18:00, until 21:00 on Wed, closed on Mon; 115kr, under-26s: free adm; designmuseum.dk

HEN DESIGNMUSEUM Danmark was first founded in 1890, patron Carl Jacobsen was allegedly so excited that he climbed

Langelinie, Cph Ø

N 1913, CARL Jacobsen donated The Little Mermaid statue to the city of Copenhagen. The sculpture, designed by Edvard Eriksen, was reputedly modelled on royal solo ballerina Ellen Price de Plane. Visit the national icon at Langelinie.

the museum exhibits the world’s largest collection of Danish design and has established itself as a central exhibition forum for industrial design and applied arts in Scandinavia. The collection includes works by three major masters of Danish design: Arne Jacobsen, Poul Henningsen and Kaare Klint.

WILSON HUI - FLICKR

THE LITTLE MERMAID

the ceiling of the newly built museum building on what is now known as HC Andersens Boulevard. Carl Jacobsen donated several pieces to the museum’s collection, along with a large sum of money. In 1926, Designmuseum Danmark was relocated to its current site, a former hospital on Bredgade. Today

DESIGNMUSEUM DANMARK

VISIT CARLSBERG

passionate collector and nearly squandered his entire fortune on creating his exceptional collection of art and artefacts. At the New Carlsberg Glyptotek, Carl Jacobsen managed to bring together works from leading contemporary artists, creating a magnificent collection of modern French and Danish art. As a consequence Glyptoteket

ON SCREENS

16 - 30 August 2018

How the spoof replaced the sequel as the scourge of movieland BEN HAMILTON

’M NO ADVOCATE of fratricide, but I’m going to tell you something ‘scary’ that will make you want to ‘scream’ and change your mind: Marlon Wayans has nine siblings, most of them work in the movie industry, and they’re breeding fast. One of them, his regular collaborator Shawn, is listed as a comedian on Wikipedia – “years active 1988-2009 and 2014-present” with time for a five-year sabbatical when he was presumably making the Scary Movie films. I jest, of course, as the Scary fromage started in 2000. But I’m deadly serious about the fratricide. Sequels, spoofs, shite UNTIL ‘Wayans’ came along – they’re constantly multiplying, one clone after another, so I prefer to just think of them as one entity – I thought sequels were the scourge of our time. Now it’s spoofs. Wayans took a genre that had given us the comedic highs of the 1970s and 80s – Monty Python, Blazing Saddles, Airplane!, The Naked Gun and then the documentary approach pioneered by This is Spinal Tap – and with his weak parodies gave us the cinematic version (to borrow a Spinal Tap line) of choking on someone else’s vomit. No doubt, Wayans doesn’t have a creative bone in his body. But if his film, Fifty Shades of Black, hadn’t been a direct imitation of the vomit that is Fifty shades of shite, and instead was a recollection of his own sexual escapades … what’s that you say … his next film was exactly that (Naked) and scored 36 on Metacritic.

Beware of fangirl films WAITING in the wings this August is another film indebted to ‘Fifty shades’, and worryingly it is threatening to spawn a sub-genre than could be even more toxic than the Wayans spoofs. Rather than avarice, Book Club (53 on Metacritic; released on Aug 9) is made out of love. It’s a fangirl’s dedication to a franchise that has inspired millions of women to hook up to watch Shades films – walking, shrieking handbags and gladrags high-fiving their way through bubblicious vacuousness. Starring Jane Fonda and Diane Keaton, you could write this script about 60-somethings rediscovering their post-menopause mojo in your sleep, but then you’d want to kill yourself when you wake up. We recently had a wave of origins films that portrayed the creation process behind classic works of literature, and I now fear Book Club could spawn a similar procession dedicated to meaningful 1980s movies like Dirty Dancing or, and this would be the worst, Steel Magnolias. Two trusted helmsmen THE 1980S WEREN’T all bad as they launched the careers of some of the directors who would go on to reinvigorate cinema in the 1990s, and two of them have films coming out this month. In 1989, the same year that Steven Soderbergh shot to prominence with Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Gus Van Sant gave us the mesmeric Drugstore Cowboy, and he went on to light up the 1990s. Van Sant’s latest, Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot (66; Aug 9), the true story tale of

a paraplegic cartoonist (Joaquin Phoenix), avoids both the cliches of inspirational biopics and the heights of some of the director’s other films. Richard Linklater (Boyhood, Dazed and Confused), meanwhile, brings us Last Flag Flying (65, Aug 16), a tale rich in conversation but short on originality, as three Vietnam vets (Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston and Laurence Fishburne) revisit old wounds and wombs in what is a predominantly roadtrip movie. Outstanding Outback fare THIS MONTH’S highest-rated film is Sweet Country (87; Aug 9), a powerful film set in the Australian outback in the 1920s that follows a lawman’s hunt for an Aboriginal who killed a colonist in self-defence. There’s no mistaking the anger in this film at the racism modern Australia was founded on. And the high drama continues in Richard Eyre’s The Children Act (67, Aug 23), a dramatisation of the ruling of a high court judge (Emma Thompson) in the case of a child refused a life-saving blood transfusion by his parents for religious reasons. Andrea Riseborough, meanwhile, delivers another strong performance in Nancy (67, Aug 16), the tale of a woman who might or might not have been abducted as a child. Let down by his leads? ELSEWHERE, we’re guessing plenty of people will go and see ‘massive shark’ thriller The Meg (Not Released Worldwide, Aug 9), safe sequel The Equalizer 2 (50, Aug 16), goofy caper The Spy Who Dumped Me (46, Aug 16), which is as unoriginal as its

You can keep your club and save your book for the next bonfire

title, and big screen epic Papillon (46, Aug 23). The latter is the work of Danish director Michael Noer, and while many have questioned the wisdom of remaking the 1973 classic starring Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman, Noer has been praised in some quarters, though perhaps he hasn’t been helped by the casting of divisive actors Charlie Hunnam and Rami Malek in the lead roles. Best since Borat SACHA Baron Cohen is no stranger to getting the Marmite treatment. His new show Who is America (HBO Nordic), in which he interacts with the great and the good dressed up in a number of different disguises, has been courting unprecedented controversy – even by his standards. While many find his humour infantile, and it is mostly, in Colonel Erran Morad, an Is-

raeli anti-terrorism expert, he has created his finest character since Borat. The sketch on arming kindergartens is truly astounding. Elsewhere on the small screen, August’s most keenly-awaited return is Ozark (Netflix; Aug 31), back for a second season after a pulsating conclusion to the first that killed off half the cast, including some of the most intriguing characters. Time will tell whether the right ones met their demise. Ballers (S4; HBO Nordic; Aug 13) and Insecure (S3; HBO Nordic; Aug 13) also return, while new series The Innocents (Netflix; Aug 24) looks like supernatural twaddle. A young woman from a long line of shapeshifters … yawn … without the nostalgia of Stranger Things, these things quickly tire. Are you listening, Wayans? You’re building a dynasty but your legacy will be dysentery.

LAST FLAG FLYING film OF THE moNTH AUGUST 16th-26th experience the latest work of Richard Linklater. A bittersweet comedy-drama with exceptional on-screen chemistry between Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston and Laurence Fishburne. We present some 50 films with English dialogue or subtitles every month. See what’s on at cinemateket.dk or visit us in Gothersgade 55

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