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DANISH NEWS IN ENGLISH CPHPOST.DK VOL 21 ISSUE 03 23 February - 15 March 2018

NEWS That was fast! Street Food finds new home

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FEATURE

First new, then a muse Five authors recall how Denmark inspired them to write

AU REVOIR, HENRI

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Mette in the mixer over north African asylum plan NEWS

Tunisia and Morocco both shoot down asylum centre ploy

Free Danish classes to bite the dust in sweeping tax reform

BEN HAMILTON

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INOUT

The promise of spring Don’t miss CPH:DOX and a festival of chocs this March

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OCIALDEMOKRATIET leader Mette Frederiksen may be the bookies’ favourite to form a government following the next general election, which will take place no later than June 2019, but she’ll have to brush up on her asylum strategy before then.

On February 4, Denmark’s biggest opposition party proposed a complete overhaul of the current asylum process by seeking to put a ceiling on both asylum and family-reunification approvals – as agreed each year

by Parliament – whilst adhering to UN refugee quotas.

According to the plans, ‘Retfærdig og Realistisk’ (fair and

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realistic), asylum-seekers will no longer be able to apply in Denmark, thereby lessening the incentive to traverse treacherous waters and all the way across Europe.

Instead the application will need to be made at a centre in another country – north Africa was mentioned as a possible location. But that strategy doesn’t look very realistic at all now.

North African naysayers THE TUNISIAN Embassy in the Netherlands – which is also responsible for affairs in Denmark – was quick to shoot down Frederiksen’s plan, telling DR that the country was unequivocally against any ideas that would lead to refugee camps or centres in Tunisian territory.

A few short days later Morocco followed suit, maintaining

that it too would not entertain the notion of hosting asylum centres within its borders.

Need the power FREDERIKSEN has since countered that some other country, not situated in north Africa, could be a prudent host for the asylum centres, as long as they have a democraticallyelected government that adheres to international agreements on refugees.

“But clearly, a bilateral agreement between Denmark and another country – in north Africa for instance – can only be reached if you are part of the government,” Frederiksen told DR. “If we are being honest, we only help a few of the world’s refugees when we help them in Europe.”

3 Nuclear war fears ACCORDING to a YouGov survey for Metroxpress, 31 percent of Danes believe growing tensions between North Korea and the USA will lead to the use of nuclear weapons within the next year. Just 6 percent firmly believed the world was imminently heading towards a nuclear war, but only 19 percent vehemently disagreed.

Ongoing train problems HARD-PRESSED train commuters in Zealand will have to wait until at least March 23 before normal services are completely resumed due to a fear over cracked bogies (wheel frameworks). DSB has accordingly withdrawn 33 diesel-electric ME locomotives and sent them to Aarhus to be checked. Trains to Copenhagen from Kalundborg, Holbæk and Nykøbing Falster are most affected.

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NEWS

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

ONLINE THIS WEEK NINE TRIALS of youngsters accused of the online sharing of videos featuring under-18s engaged in sexual activity have been conducted over the last fortnight to establish legal parameters ahead of punishing 1,000 accused of the same crime. The circumstances of the cases varied, and most of the defendants were handed suspended sentences and orders to pay the victims compensation.

Green card assistance LAWYER Aage Kramp of Immigration Law held a meeting in Gladsaxe in association with Greencard Denmark and the Indian Telangana Association on January 28 to underline some of the new challenges being encountered by green card holders – most particularly those caused by unpublicised changes to the law.

Near miss for Denmark

Copenhagen Street Food is hopping islands from Papirøen to Refshaleøen DOUGLAS WHITBREAD

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HEN COPENHAGEN Street Food closed its doors on Paper Island (Papirøen) at the end of 2017, many lamented the end of an era. But from May, they will have a new place to call home: ‘Reffen’ on the nearby party island of Refshaleøen.

The street food market will occupy a 1,042 sqm warehouse known as ‘Maskinværkstedet’ (engine repair shop), which will house a range of food and drinks venues, with the capacity to cater to 1,150 guests.

Creative playground PLANNERS describe the future site as a “creative playground”

Sustenance, stores and stairs through winding Reffen

where gastronomy will combine with entrepreneurial endeavours, pop-up projects, large cultural events, and design workshops.

In total, the hub for food, art

and crafts will occupy an area over 10,000 sqm in size – three times the size of the previous site on Paper Island.

After a wait rivalling Berlin’s, Copenhageners can once again enjoy a view of Kongens Nytorv CHRISTIAN WENANDE

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WELL-WISHING Danes responded to a plea by Konservative MP Mette Abildgaard to raise 485,000 kroner for Ali Parnian, an immigrant baker whose shop was vandalised in Tingbjerg in Brønshøj, in January. But following complaints, the money was returned when it emerged Parnian was facing charges of car arson. Within a week, he was found not guilty.

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Allerslev under scrutiny COPENHAGEN Municipality has asked the law firm Horten to investigate new allegations that Anna Mee Allerslev abused her position as deputy mayor.

Allerslev has labelled a report in BT, which claimed she got a 25,000 kroner freebie from a renovator, as “grotesque”.

Songstress streets sited

When the wall came down HE CAPITAL’S largest square, Kongens Nytorv, was founded in 1670 by Christian V, who drew on inspiration from Paris. At its centre is a statue of the former king on horseback, surrounded by a garden named Krinsen.

However, due to a wall erected six years ago as part of the long-running City Ring Metro construction odyssey, many Copenhageners have never seen it.

For some, the wait was beginning to rival Berlin’s.

But on January 29, the wait came to an end when the wall was replaced by a wire fence.

Half-baked response?

ONLINE THIS WEEK

METROSELSKABET

ACCORDING to Swedish newspaper Expressen, terrorist Rakhmat Akilov, who killed five people with a truck in Stockholm in April 2017, had initially planned a bomb attack in Denmark. However, the rejected Uzbek asylum-seeker was convinced by Islamic State to choose Sweden instead.

Paper, scissors, stepping stone

COPENHAGEN STREETFOOD

Sex video precedent

23 February - 15 March 2018

THREE streets in the south harbour district Sluseholmen have been named after female singers: Etta Cameron, Grethe Ingmann and Monica Zetterlund. The municipality said the names would go some way to “reducing the inequality” seen in place names.

However, even more male musicians were honoured.

Pepper spray on the way A WEEK after the government announced that over-18s will soon be able to keep pepper spray, and in special cases carry it in public, a police officer was attacked with a spray in Christiania. Also in the freetown in January, a fire that killed two men is being investigated by the police.

Headteacher sees off mob MICHAEL Gravesen, the head of Den Islamisk Arabiske Friskole in Nørrebro, has told media that he twice thwarted attempts by a parents group to forcibly remove him from the school grounds.

Copenhageners had started to question whether the square still existed

Ich bin ein berliner WHEN THE Metro stop opens in the summer of 2019, about 80 new emperor lime trees and 900,000 cobblestones will be placed in the square.

A new main stairwell and underground pedestrian tunnel between the new station and existing Metro stations at Kongens Nytorv still remain to be built.

Tragic drowning CAV BØGELUND, 39, a wellknown name in the animated film world, tragically drowned in Christianshavn on January 28 after a night out. The former Robert nominee suffered from depression.

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23 February - 15 March 2018

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RIP expat #1: Prince dead at 82 after short illness

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always encountered a lively and engaged prince.”

And Putin too THE SWEDISH Royal House, which has long enjoyed close ties with the Danish Royal House, was also quick to offer condolences, as did the Norwegian Royal House, which flew all its flags at half-mast.

François Zimeray, the French ambassador to Denmark, and French President Emmanuel Macron passed on their deepest condolences. “Prince Henrik was the most French of the Danes, the most Danish of the French,” Zimeray wrote on Twitter.

And Russian President Vladimir Putin also sent a message of condolence to Queen Margrethe.

“I sincerely share your grief. I wish you and all members of the Danish Royal Family strength and courage at this difficult time,” he wrote.

Happy for 50 years til death did them part DOUGLAS WHITBREAD

A country in mourning HENRIK’S body was taken back to Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen for a funeral service on February 20 after which he was cremated.

Over a thousand people lined the streets to pay their respects as his body was driven to the palace, and many laid flowers and letters at the base of ‘Shack’s Palace’ on the south corner of the site.

At his request, his ashes will be spread at sea and in the garden of Fredensborg Castle.

An official period of mourning will now continue until March 14. (CPH POST)

The mood was sombre as the royals gathered together KONGEHUSET

PM’s praise A LONG line of dignitaries have offered their condolences to the Danish Royal Family and the Danish people.

The Danish PM Lars Løkke Rasmussen wrote in a press release that the Royal House had lost an “anchor” and Denmark a unique representative for the country.

“He showed an excellent mastery of Danish humour and self-irony. He had a passion for fine French gastronomy and had a charm and sense for poetry, music and art. With his international viewpoint, he helped open the eyes of the Danes to the world,” wrote Rasmussen.

“Prince Henrik made his mark on the world around him throughout his life. He dared to put himself and his person on the line and refused to be a spectator of life. Life was to be lived and experienced, so one

A fixture in Danes’ lives for more than half a century HASSE FERROLD

Interesting life BORN IN Talence, France in 1934, Henri spent his early years in Vietnam before returning to the family estate in Le Cayrou, France in 1939.

Until 1947, Henri attended a Jesuit school in Bordeaux before graduating from secondary

Into Danish hearts ON 10 JUNE 1967, he took the biggest step of his life and leapt into the hearts of the Danes by marrying the Danish Crown Princess Margrethe. From then on, Henri de Monzepat became known as Prince Henrik of Denmark.

The Royal Couple went on to have two sons, Frederik (1968) and Joachim (1969), who eventually gave him eight grandchildren.

Aside from representing Denmark in exemplary fashion over the past decades, Henrik enjoyed spending his spare time producing his own wine on his estate in France, as well as writing poetry, some of which has been published.

He officially retired from his Royal duties on 1 January 2016.

HASSE FERROLD

Passed away at home PRINCE Henrik, who was diagnosed with dementia in September, was initially hospitalised on January 28 after follow-up tests on his stay in hospital in August last year. He had only just returned from a holiday in Egypt.

His condition deteriorated to the point it was feared he would not recover and he was transferred 16 days later from Rigshospitalet to Fredensborg Castle to spend his final hours in peace with his family.

He died at 23:18 on February 13 in the company of his wife Queen Margrethe II and their two sons: Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim.

school in Cahors in 1950. He then moved to Hanoi where he studied until 1952.

He then moved back to France to study law and political science near Sorbonne in Paris, as well as Chinese and Vietnamese at the École Nationale des Langues Orientales. He later also studied oriental languages in Hong Kong and Saigon.

After serving in the military in Algeria from 1959-62, he was employed in the French foreign ministry’s Asian department, and from 1963-67 he was a secretary at the French embassy in London.

HASSE FERROLD

S ANY EXPAT who has lost a parent whilst living in a foreign country knows, it must have been a difficult flight home for Prince Frederik from the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang to the bedside of his dying father, Prince Henrik.

Following your instinct that this could be your final chance to say goodbye – and also the opinions of those you trust – it is just as much a journey into your past and the recesses of your mind as over land and ocean.

It will have provided Frederik an insight into what it must have been like for his father when he left his native France for Denmark – an experience most members of the international community can also easily relate to.

The perils of ruining the hygge, the difficulty of speaking the language and the pitfalls of breaking the Jantelov – we’ve all been there, treading in the footsteps of the French count who married the Danish queen to become her consort.

And now he’s left us ‘alone with the Danes’ at the age of 82.

KONGEHUSET

Tributes fly in from home and overseas, with even President Putin finding time to pen his condolences

Touching tributes everywhere

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FEATURE

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

23 February - 15 March 2018

Denmark through fresh eyes: a recipe for a book CPH POST asks five published foreign authors about how they came to be inspired to write about Denmark BEN HAMILTON

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ORDIC noir and cuisine, Danish design and pastries, Scandinavian women and Vikings – inspiration comes in many shapes and forms in this fair country, and for some it isn’t enough to stay quiet.

Denmark might initially confuse, irritate, delight or intrigue newcomers, but as many make sense of it, they feel that age-old adage metamorphosing in their very being: everyone has a book in them!

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PARENTING LIKE A PRO Name: Jessica Joelle Alexander Nationality: American Book title: The Danish Way of Parenting Number of published books: 1 (second on the way) Publisher, issue date: Penguin Random House, August 2016 Available via: Amazon, most book stores Could you introduce yourself and your book?

I am an author, columnist, Danish parenting expert, speaker and

CAREER-CONSCIOUS CHOICES Name: Kay Xander Mellish Nationality: American-Danish Book title: How to Work in Denmark Number of published books: 3 Publisher, issue date: KXM Group, 9 February 2018 Available via: Amazon, Saxo. com, iTunes, Google Play, selected bookstores

True, nine times out of ten these days, the result in Denmark is a book on hygge or lykke.

But CPH POST has steered clear of the happiness brigade to document the experiences of five authors whose books wouldn’t be in circulation had they not stumbled across a Danish catalyst.

Experience is everything FOR SOME, it was their own experience. Kay Xander Mellish felt compelled to provide the help she’d only wished she had when she first started negotiating the Danish job market.

American mom Jessica Alexancultural researcher who wrote ‘The Danish Way of Parenting; What the Happiest People in the World Know About Raising Confident, Capable Kids’. I have written for TIME, the Atlantic, Salon, Huffington Post and many more. I am deeply inspired by Danish culture and how we can apply some of their ‘ways’ across the globe for more well-being.

What inspired you to write a book about Danish parenting?

I have lived in several different countries, but I have been married to a Dane for 17 years. After I had children I realised how special the Danish parenting model was and how much it had improved my life as a person and a parent.

I was convinced it was the reason the Danes are constantly voted the happiest people in the world.

Happy kids grow up to be happy parents and the cycle repeats itself.

Could you introduce yourself and your book?

I’m a public speaker, journalist and podcaster based in Copenhagen, and I’ve blogged at howtoliveindenmark.com for several years. ‘How to Work in Denmark: Tips on finding a job, succeeding at work, and understanding your Danish boss’ is based on my own experiences in the Danish job market, as well as the emails I receive every day from foreigners in Denmark and foreigners on their way to Denmark.

Why do you write about Denmark?

When I first came to Denmark, I made a lot of avoidable mistakes in the workplace and made a fool of myself on a regu-

der, meanwhile, couldn’t wait to share what she’d discovered about Danish parenting.

Others drew inspiration from the experience of others. For Apple Gidley, it was the ordeal and retribution of slaves on the former Danish island of St Croix, and Kevin John Scott, the birth of his child in Copenhagen and an earthquake.

And sometimes, as in the case of Heather Gartside, it can be a mixed bag: her own and others’ experiences, and the good and the bad.

After all, Denmark might have awoken that dormant book inside you, but nobody said extracting it would be easy.

Were there any elements related to Danish parenting you struggled to comprehend?

It took me a long time to comprehend how ‘hygge’ really works in a family. I experienced it with my Danish family for 13 years before I finally understood there were unspoken rules that Danes know because they grow up with it. Once I understood the ’hygge oath’, everything changed for the better. Even taking 20 minutes a day to hygge with the family can be life-changing. I always say: “Hygge isn’t mindfulness, it’s we-fulness.”

What was the single biggest insight about Denmark that you discovered?

I would say using empathy and a ‘no ultimatums’ approach rather than an authoritarian style of parenting. The motto is “Teach respect, be respectlar basis. I figured I could help other newcomers avoid making the same mistakes I did.

Have there been any elements related to Denmark that you have struggled to comprehend?

I think Danish humour is tricky for anyone who didn’t grow up in a country with very dry, cutting humour. There’s a chapter about it in the book, but I’m still not sure I understand it fully.

What advice would you give to somebody writing a book set in or about Denmark?

Think about how you can best serve the person reading it. Is it for information, entertainment, or maybe reference? It’s all about the reader.

Prosper, parent and peruse the past and present

ful and you will be respected”.

This has altered my parenting and relationships dramatically.

What advice would you give to somebody writing a book set in or about Denmark?

I would say an authentic voice is always a good place to start.

How does your book stand out from other books written about Denmark by foreigners?

I think the insider/outsider perspective is very relatable to parents and non-parents alike.

Many people say: “This isn’t just a parenting book.” It’s a book that can improve happiness for anyone, if they are willing to try it.

How different do you think Denmark is to other countries?

I felt like I discovered a treasure chest in my backyard being married into the Danish culture Do you think you would have ended up writing books had you not moved to Denmark?

Yes. I was a journalist in the US and used to run literary readings in New York City.

How different do you think Denmark is to other countries?

I think that the Danes have survived as a small country in a rapidly-changing world by creating a cohesive and mutually supportive culture, and I commend them for it.

Do you think Denmark has changed much over the last decade?

Over the past decade, Denmark has become much more international, and some of its traditional

and I love sharing all the gems I discover through writing and presentations. Most of what I write about is completely normal to Danes. They don’t even understand why the rest of the world finds it so interesting. That is usually when I know creativity has struck and I need to write about it!

Do you think Denmark has changed much over the last decade?

I think, like all places, it has changed. However I think the fundamental values have stayed the same. Denmark is not a commercialised country and it genuinely cares about the good of its people. This is why the way they view children is really just common sense, and in our ever changing world of choice and commercialisation, common sense is worth its weight in gold!

Jantelov pettiness has faded, but so has some of its cohesiveness.

As annoying as paying taxes can be, I would rather pay 52 percent income taxes and have a reliable health service than 51 percent and face the consequences of staff shortages and other cutbacks.

What is your biggest objective writing about Denmark?

My greatest objective is to help foreigners feel more comfortable in the Danish workplace and in Danish society as a whole.

Denmark needs foreigners, but it doesn’t always know how to make them feel entirely welcome. Now that I’m officially a Dane – I became a citizen last year! – I’m doing my best to help foreigners help Denmark.

FEATURE

23 February - 15 March 2018

CURVEBALL AMID THE TWISTERS Name: Apple Gidley Nationality: Anglo-Australian Book title: Fireburn Number of published books: 2 Publisher and issue date: OC Publishing (Canada), 2017 Available via: Amazon.com, saxo.dk Could you introduce yourself and your book?

Growing up in four countries and then living in another eight as an adult instilled me with an

BORN IN A BABY’S BASKET Name: Kevin John Scott Nationality: British Book title: Frederik Sandwich and the Earthquake that Couldn’t Possibly Be Number of published books: 1 Publisher, issue date: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, 6 February 2018 Available via: Amazon Could you introduce yourself and your book?

I’m a US-based writer of business

HYGGE’S ANTI-HEROINE Name: Heather Gartside Nationality: British Book title: Rice Pudding In A Duvet Number of published books: 1 Publisher, issue date: Mill House Publishers, Nov 2017 Available via: saxo.com, Books & Company

interest in different customs and cultures. Work has been a somewhat random affair, though it has mostly revolved around writing of some sort, but choosing to live on St Croix was serendipitous. If it were not for the annual threat of hurricanes, it truly would be paradise. With its history all around me, such as the beautiful old buildings built with ballast bricks and coral stone cut by slaves, or the willingness of its inhabitants to answer my endless questions, writing ‘Fireburn’ was an engrossing pleasure.

Why did you choose to write about this period of history?

I attended a Transfer Day celebration at the Lawaetz House on St Croix in 2014 and, as I listened to dignitaries from both the Virgin Islands and Denmark, I wondered what it had been like and fiction who lived in Frederiksberg for three years while working for Microsoft in Vedbæk. I spoke very little Danish and on the day my son was born I began writing a story about a boy raised by inept foreign parents unable to correctly pronounce his name. The book – the first in a series, with the second one due out next February – follows 11-year-old Frederik, and his eccentric neighbour Pernille, 13, as they investigate the cause of a mysterious earthquake (inspired by one in Copenhagen in 2008).

They discover an underground railway and then a labyrinth of pipes and tunnels leading to Cisternerne and Copenhagen Zoo. Why have you written about Denmark?

Arriving as an expat, I was bomCould you introduce yourself and your book?

I’m a British writer, designer and photographer. When I was in my 20s I looked over the garden fence and liked what I saw, and I’ve been travelling and taking notes ever since. To date I’ve lived and worked in nine different countries with my family. Being a writer suits me as it’s portable and my wanderlust is a great way of changing the plot. The title of the book comes from a recipe given to me by my Danish mother-inlaw, and every chapter is named after a dish. ‘Rice Pudding In A Duvet, a journey home with snacks’ is based on Danish soil, but from her warmly-insulated

to live in the Danish West Indies in the 1800s. I originally planned to write a novel about the lead-up to the transfer but research led me to ‘Fireburn’, a pivotal event in 1878 that led to a change in the Labour Laws. And so ‘Fireburn’ the novel was born, with the sequel, ‘Transfer of the Crown’, due to be published in March 2019, taking the same characters through to the Transfer in 1917.

What’s the reaction been so far, and have you generated interest in Denmark?

I have been thrilled with the global response to Fireburn, and it seems to have sparked an interest in Denmark, particularly within the Danish West Indian Society and on St Croix with Danish visitors.

Before you wrote it, did you know much about Denmark? barded by such rich settings, quirky characters and bizarre behaviour. I fell in love with the country, but it was challenging too. We seemed to be forever breaking rules, and we couldn’t pronounce a word of the language!

Were there any elements related to Denmark that you struggled to comprehend – beyond the language?

We were forever breaking unwritten rules that everyone knew except for us. We got told off in supermarkets, trains, the workplace, the vuggestue. I remember some expat friends being told off for not riding their bicycles correctly! At a deeper level, I found myself exploring and writing about the tension between Scandinavia’s tolerant, liberal culture and a new undercurrent of intolkitchen, the main protagonist shares her favourite recipes along with her charming, observant, sexy, mystical and downright stupid adventures from here and around the world.

How does your book stand out from other books written about Denmark by foreigners?

It’s realistic about the reception you’ll get. I think that when I first moved here I was stunned by how roughly I was treated.

Hygge just wasn’t on the menu.

I felt hurt on a daily basis and became something of a Danbasher. It was only when my Danish husband and I went to live in the UK for a year and he started Britbashing

I knew little about Danish involvement in the Caribbean, and so a whole new area of history, which I have found fascinating, has drawn me in.

Have there been any elements related to Denmark that you have struggled to comprehend?

Not really. It is important to remember that actions and events, which might seem abhorrent now, were of a time and place. That does not mean excusing the past – rather it means learning from it so that the present can be understood and the future embraced.

What’s been the single biggest insight about Denmark you have discovered?

I have been surprised at the level of interest, and involvement, from Denmark in their former colonies, both on a personal level and with ongoing support. For erance that was rising in response to greater migration. It struck me that if a nation as tolerant as Denmark was struggling with that, the impact on less kindly nations might be a real problem.

Sadly, that has proved to be true – particularly in Britain, where I’m from, and America, where I live.

What advice would you give to somebody writing a book set in or about Denmark?

Just immerse yourself in the place and write down everything. The stories tell themselves.

And make sure you have lots of paper. You’ll need it!

How do you think it is different from other countries?

Our colleagues and neighbours made us feel welcome. But on the other hand, I found Denmark to the bread, crisps, rotten teeth, roads, trains and lack of bikes that I began to realise that I’d been a little snarling! Denmark is just a small part of the whole dysfunctional world family after all. Nevertheless, I hope I nimbly side-step the sickly hygge bandwagon with some painfully-honed observations, issued albeit with a ladle full of love.

Have there been any elements related to Denmark that you have struggled to comprehend?

The weather is bleak, dark and dismal in the winter, so why do the Danes insist on wearing matching clothes?

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example, BYFO, the Association of Historical Houses in Denmark, is actively engaged with the conservation and renovation of wonderful old ruins in Christiansted, which were originally the Danish army barracks. Though because of this interest from Danish visitors to the islands, I was surprised when I visited Copenhagen for research how little there was on display at the museums about the colonial past.

What advice would you give to an aspiring writer?

Read, read, and read some more. Then stop talking about writing and just do it. It can be lonely, it without doubt brings rejection, but it is the single most satisfying thing when those stray words come together and you have a piece with which you are moderately, though never entirely, happy. be a tight-knit, somewhat insular culture. I felt more consistently foreign in Denmark than I do in America, for example. We never fully belonged. However, I believe that is one of Denmark’s strengths, and I hope it continues. Danish culture is a rare and wonderful thing and deserves to be protected from our uncouth interventions.

Why have you targeted the books at 8 to 13-year-olds, as opposed to a younger age group?

This was my first book for kids, inspired in part by having my first child. I ended up in that 8-13 age group because I like the balance it gives me. The readers are ready for richer language and wordplay, which I love. But they are also young enough that my stories can be unlikely and odd, as befits the Danish setting.

What advice would you give to somebody writing a book set in or about Denmark?

Include the prefix ‘Dan’ in your title! Next to Danbashing, my next favourite activity is Danspotting! Play it on car journeys with small children and see how many names you can see that have the word ‘Dan’ in them.

The list is endless! Come to think of it, maybe calling my second book ‘Into The Middle Distance’ – which deals with grief, hope and transformation – was a mistake. Perhaps if I put Dan in the title, I’d sell loads of copies to the Danes?

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NEWS

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

ONLINE THIS WEEK

23 February - 15 March 2018

Danish IS fighters unwelcome, says minister DEFENCE MINISTRY

Falling crime rate

ONLINE THIS WEEK

CRIMES rates have fallen in Denmark’s list of 22 disadvantaged neighbourhoods to the extent that only two fail to live up to government targets. Seven years ago, 25 out of 29 failed to. In other statistical news, the average Dane is now commuting 9 percent further than the 39 km travelled in 2008, and the number of winter tourists visiting Copenhagen has risen 70 percent since 2010.

Cut off the network ACCORDING to a study of five Syrian families conducted at Roskilde University, spreading out immigrants to different parts of the country could be doing more harm than good.

The study found that families, who face losing their benefits should they leave the municipality they are sent to within the first three years, missed the networking possibilities of the asylum centres.

Fewer road deaths JUST 183 people were killed in road accidents last year compared to 211 in 2016. The number of injuries also fell, from 3,228 to 3,097. There was also a notable dip in the number of killed or injured motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians.

Aggro in Aarhus POLICE arrested seven men in Aarhus on January 29 after extensive fighting broke out in the Brabrand neighbourhood, which included gunshots and at least two stabbings. In related news, 130 arrests were made during a raid on Bazar Vest in Aarhus on January 24 with charges expected to cover undeclared labour, poor hygiene and social fraud.

TWO TEENAGE girls ended up in intensive care over the weekend in Esbjerg after taking a drug purported to be MDMA. The incident follows the death of a 15-year-old boy from Haslev on February 2. MDMA (also known as ecstasy) can be lethal when cut with caffeine. It is also often mistaken for PMA, a far more dangerous substitute that is easier for dealers to obtain.

Uni #MeToo effort

Low at heel, high at wheel RADIKALE head Morten Østergaard recently spent three days living in the vulnerable Odense neighbourhood of Vollsmose to draw attention to wealth disparity. Meanwhile, there’s no return for Venstre politican Jakob EngelSchmidt who has admitted to being caught driving under the influence of cocaine last year. It explains why he resigned as an MP last September.

MDMA menace

Claus Hjort Frederiksen met James Mattis in Rome

Following the UK’s lead, Claus Hjort Frederiksen would prefer the Islamic State members to be prosecuted in the country where they committed their crimes CHRISTIAN WENANDE

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HE DEFENCE minister, Claus Hjort Frederiksen, has revealed there is currently a “small” group of Danish citizens imprisoned in Syria and Iraq for fighting on behalf of the jihadist organisation Islamic State.

Frederiksen informed DR that Denmark may be forced to bring back one or more of the jailed fighters and to prosecute them in Denmark.

partner in the area, the Syrian Democratic Forces, which is currently holding hundreds of foreign fighters as captives.

But not by UK and DK HOWEVER, Frederiksen would rather see the Danish IS fighters prosecuted in the nations where they committed their crimes.

Previously, the UK has rejected the notion of prosecuting foreign fighters from the UK back in Britain.

According to the national intelligence agency PET, around 150 Danish citizens have joined militant jihadist organisations in Iraq and Syria since 2012, and a handful have been informed they are no longer welcome in Denmark.

extremism in Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon in 2018.

The funds will be allocated to a pilot program aimed at preventing radicalisation at a local level, halting the financing of terror, countering online IS propaganda, and ensuring that terror investigation follows human rights and judicial guidelines.

Fighting extremism MEANWHILE, the foreign minister, Anders Samuelsen – a recent visitor to Moscow to meet his Russian counterpart – has set aside 20 million kroner to help fight and prevent violent

More than weapons “THE FIGHT against terrorism and violent extremism can’t be won using weapons alone. It’s also necessary to employ a long-term and broad-spectrum strategy in order to prevent people from developing into terrorists in the first place,” said Samuelsen.

“We need to strike early and make sure the youth of the Middle East aren’t caught in the twisted net of terror propaganda. We must prevent radicalisation all the way out in the local communities and deprive the terrorists of their sources of finance.”

PM under the cosh

Neighbourly love

High on dopamine

JUST SIX months after sacking Esben Lunde Larsen, the minister for food and environment affairs, for failing to adequately shoehorn the fishing industry’s quota kings, PM Lars Løkke Rasmussen has found himself in rough seas after he was reported for allegedly accepting a summerhouse stay worth 10,000 kroner from one of the ‘kings’ in 2014. He managed to steady the ship … for now.

DENMARK is backing German plans to implement a road tax system in 2019 that will be costly for foreign drivers, but not its own – a similar set-up to the one Denmark plans to introduce in 2020. Austria is taking Germany to the European Court over the plans. In related news, increasing numbers of Danes are travelling to Germany for cheaper dentist options. The average saving is 33 percent.

CHILDREN are forgetting how to play, claim Danish experts who blame the apps and screens designed to feed dopamine to their brains at the expense of their imagination. In related news, one in ten children have taken a photo of a classmate in a state of undress and uploaded it onto social media without their consent, according to a Red Barnet survey of teens at 15 schools.

Plan backed by US DURING a recent coalition meeting in Rome, the US secretary of defence, James Mattis, urged the coalition partners to bring back their own citizens who have fought for IS. The US plea is an attempt to provide relief to the coalition

DENMARK’S universities are teaming up with the student organisation DSF to investigate the extent of sexual harassment on their campuses. In related news, rape victims are having to wait as long as 12 months to see a psychologist at one of the nation’s four specialist centres. The centres blame a lack of resources and an increase in patients. Rape reports rose from 791 to 900 in 2017.

Help for experts THE GOVERNMENT is intent on helping highly-qualified foreign workers recently hit by heavy fines for contravening restrictive immigration laws.

Some 14 cases concern academics working outside the boundaries of their employer – in some cases helping Parliament! – while others involved musicians such as the Australian fined 33,000 kroner for making a guest appearance.

Tobacco ban welcomed SEVERAL health organisations have made a joint call to banish tobacco products from the counters in supermarkets, and Coop – which owns Kvickly, Irma, Fakta and the Brugsen outlets – is open to the idea and will change its practices should politicians enforce the ban. The organisations believe the ban will lead to fewer sales to youngsters.

Ads mean war SOME 34 Capital Region municipalities recently linked up to buy ads in several national newspapers to voice their displeasure at the udligningsordningen, which aims to reduce the economic differences between Danish municipalities.

The amount has doubled since 2007 and this year will increase by 1.5 billion kroner.

NEWS

23 February - 15 March 2018

Language classes and benefits targeted in new tax reform

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ANGUAGE classes will no longer be free for foreigners in Denmark, once the government’s new tax reform agreement is approved by Parliament.

The compromise agreement on reducing taxes by 5 billion kroner, which was announced on February 6, will be partly financed by charging for the classes.

2,000 kroner per module EACH MODULE will cost 2,000 kroner, so classes will still be subsidised, which means the six-module course will cost 12,000 kroner.

In addition, students will still be required to pay a 1,250 kroner deposit per module, which will be refundable upon completion.

The government said the change was an incentive to ensure that only financially selfsufficient people who are highly motivated start courses.

Benefits hit as well MEANWHILE, the compromise agreement has also introduced new rules regarding earning the right to benefits.

For unemployment benefits, the rules will be changed so that a member of an A-kasse unemployment scheme must have legally remained in Denmark or another EU/EEA country for seven out of the past eight years to receive benefits.

If a foreigner does not fulfil the criteria described above, they may still be entitled to the lower integration benefits, provided they are entitled to them.

Playing harder to get THE RIGHT of access to education and benefits is also being changed. At present, you have to have been in Denmark for 7 out of 8 years in order to qualify.

That is being changed to 9 out of 10 years. On top of that is a supplementary demand that the

person has to have worked 2.5 of the last 10 years.

The new regulations will come into force from 1 January 2019 for anyone who has entered Denmark after 1 January 2008 – both foreigners and Danish citizens – but will not apply to people already receiving benefits from 1 January 2019.

The organisation Danes Worldwide criticised the effort, arguing that the new rules for earning the right to benefits,will also affect Danes working abroad.

Other points THE AGREEMENT also includes reducing the basic tax rate by 0.02 percentage points and increasing the incentive for people to work rather than remain on social benefits.

Other key points of the agreement featured tax breaks for people who earn less than 350,000 kroner (pension not

Government tougher on family reunification

T

HE GOVERNMENT has teamed up with Dansk Folkeparti and Socialdemokratiet to unveil tougher rules for family reunification applicants.

Applicants will be required to fulfil four out of the six new criteria (see fact box) for integration, thus replacing ‘Tilknytningskravet’ criteria – the requirements determining how strong a person’s attachment is to Denmark – which has long been a scourge of Danes living abroad who wish to bring their foreign spouses

back home to Denmark.

Bane to immigration AMONG other things, the rules say that in order to obtain family reunification the couple’s joint attachment to Denmark should be greater than that to any other country.

Weight is placed on the length of time a couple has spent in Denmark compared to their homeland.

Turkish delight?

IN AN ALMOST unprecedented step, Denmark’s Eastern

High Court has approached the European Court for an evaluation of the rules that apply to people of Turkish nationality.

The outcome could result in thousands of cases having to be reopened.

Between 2004 and 2015, more than 14,000 cases were rejected and the state could have acted illegally in 7,000 to 8,000 cases.

The problem lies in Turkey not being a member of the EU, but having an association agreement with the EU.

Burking up wrong tree PIXABAY

Expats and Danes abroad up in arms over new deal

No more free classes

included), while earnings paid into pensions will also be encompassed by the employment deduction (beskæftigelsesfradrag).

A new job deduction of 4.5 percent of income over 187,500 kroner per year – up to a maximum of 2,500 kroner – will also be ushered in, as will a new pension deduction. Moreover, the maximum beskæftigelsesfradrag attained will be increased by 1,000 kroner to 38,400 kroner.

The measures are set to come into force on 1 July 2018. (SG)

THE SIX NEW CRITERIA Applicants must: - Pass Danish at level 3 - Have been employed or selfemployed for at least five years in Denmark - Have had at least five years of education in Denmark - Speak reasonable English or pass Danish at level 1 - Have been in full-time employment or self-employed for three out of the last five years.

- Have been in education for at least one year at a level comparable to a Danish higher education or Danish trade school education

Child support and joint custody in the spotlight

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HILDCARE support can be a contentious issue among divorced couples, as the money is paid to the mother regardless of the custody arrangement.

But now the government wants to change this so the payment is divided – a measure that will affect 651,000 married, cohabiting and divorced parents.

More gender equality KARSTEN Lauritzen, the tax minister, said the move was part of plans to add more gender equality into the tax rules so that they “reflect current family patterns”.

With Socialdemokratiet backing the bill, it has the necessary majority to get passed by Parliament. However, there could be a delay, as the change will be part of a proposed bill regarding family law that is not yet close to completion.

Families receive between 11,000 and 18,000 kroner per child per year depending on their age.

In custody: lose custody?

ELSEWHERE, the children minister, Mai Mercado contended that parents who have been convicted of committing

a serious crime should lose the right to shared custody.

Mercado mentioned murder, attempted murder and paedophilia as examples of what might constitute a serious crime.

Mercado made her comments in connection with the case involving a nurse who was recently given 12 years in prison for four counts of attempted murder on patients at Nykøbing Falster Hospital, as well as the illegal medication of her own daughter.

Despite the convictions, she still shares custody with the child’s father.

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And while child aid organisation Red Barnet didn’t back her position, Mercado intends to bring up the issue with Parliament to see if there is a majority to support her plan.

Tough daycare proposal ON FEBRUARY 1, Mercado also unveiled a new proposal that will force immigrants to place their infants in daycare in a bid to tackle integration problems in Denmark.

About one-third of all one to two-year-old children of immigrants are minded at home.

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HOSE BREACHING the government’s new proposal to ban facial-covering burka and niqab headwear will not face prison time after all.

Instead, those who fail to adhere to the law will face a fine of 1,000 kroner, whilst subsequent offences will result in fines of 2,000, 5,000 and 10,000 kroner. It will be up to the police to ascertain whether someone’s face is covered.

The U-turn came barely two weeks after a pre-proposal draft in late January suggested that those not complying with the ban could face up to three months in prison.

Subject of ridicule THE BAN proposal has been criticised as being awkward and “crazy” as it extends to items of clothing that cover the face, such as hats, masks and fake beards.

The proposal does include exceptions for “approved purposes”, such as Santa Clauses working in shopping centres.

It would also be permitted to drive while wearing facial-covering headwear, as it is considered a private space.

Defence deal done

A

BROAD cross-party agreement has been reached on making a substantial increase in the amount that Denmark spends on defence.

The defence minister, Claus Hjort Frederiksen, and the government’s support parties have argued that a more aggressive Russia demands greater military expenditure in response.

To that end, a new agreement has resulted in a package that will see 12.8 billion kroner spent on defence up to and including 2023, which includes a new fully-equipped brigade to be used with NATO forces, plus upgrading anti-aircraft capabilities on Danish ships in the Baltic.

Vanin vexed HOWEVER, Russia’s ambassador to Denmark, Mikhail Vanin, argues that this is totally misguided and urged Danish politicians and experts to read the Russian military doctrine, which would make it clear that Russia has no intention of attacking the Baltic countries or NATO. The ambassador sees the allegations as a political weapon.

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NEWS

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

ONLINE THIS WEEK IT’S BEEN a busy month for the Danish space industry. In January, an Arctic satellite was launched into space to test the monitoring of ships and aircraft in the region. The Ulloriaq satellite will orbit at a height of 540 km. And just this week, a DTU team has used NASA data to identify 95 new exoplanets – planets outside our solar system that orbit stars.

Greener cows A GENETICS project has determined how the amount of methane produced by cows is genetically-determined, paving the way for the future breeding of greener cows. In other animal news, a ‘pesty’ butterfly has been confirmed as a new species with the name ‘anarsia innoxiella’, and polar bears are increasingly searching for food in Greenland’s urban areas.

News with wings OVER THE past 40 years almost 3 million birds have disappeared from the Danish countryside. In other bird news, a rare ‘Easter Imperial Eagle’ has been spotted in southern Jutland, Aalborg Municipality is using owls to kill rats, a finch made a record 6,953 km journey from China to Skagen, and red kite numbers rose from 306 to 371 in 2017.

AI future beckons SCIENCE AI Centre at the University of Copenhagen could propel Danish research into the stratosphere, claim researchers in the field. The new centre will address problems too complex for human minds – interesting news for the DTU, which despairs of human slowness in areas such as clean energy technology. Robots are, they claim, also better at thinking outside the box.

Not the warmest JANUARY’S ‘warmest ever day’ has been scratched off the record books due to a malfunctioning thermometer in Sønderborg.

On January 24, a roasting 12.7 degrees was initially reported – 0.3 degrees warmer than the previous record in 2005, which was also recorded in Sønderborg.

Look who’s top of the tree for research

ONLINE THIS WEEK PIXABAY

Success in space

23 February - 15 March 2018

But how much of it is pie in the sky?

THE ENVIRONMENT and Food Ministry in collaboration with Aarhus University has developed a method to measure microplastics in drinking water sources, and so far the results are more encouraging than last September. Only one fibre was found in three 50-litre samples in the capital region. The final results are due out in June.

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ENMARK ranked fifth in the OECD for cited research from 2012-16 according to annual research barometer review Forskningsbarometer 2017, which is published by the Education and Research Ministry.

A fifth of Danish publications rank among the 10 percent most cited in the OECD with particular success within humanities and social science. Only Switzerland can rival that potency.

And in terms of research productivity per capita, Denmark placed third in the OECD from 2012-2016, behind only Switzerland and Iceland.

Fudging the figures HOWEVER, maybe they should hold off from the champagne, because a Politiken Research survey of 1,200 researchers who do government work revealed that 8 percent have seen their final report altered, often through omissions.

Some 13 percent said they had experienced the research project parameters being skewed in such a way that it was only possible to reach the politically desirable conclusion.

Berlingske recently revealed that researchers at Aarhus University were pressured when they were due to deliver a report on nitrates in agriculture to the Environment and Food Ministry.

Organic world leader “Use a magnet ... anything to get the results they want”

cerns have been raised about the stress of diving into freezing water, despite obvious benefits.

Researchers at Rigshospitalet, though, are confident that the body can instinctively recover from the stress.

Children are more responsive to greenery than previously assumed, according to a Roskilde University study. When four-year-olds were asked to photograph things that made them happy, they predominantly chose bushes, flowers and trees.

Religious people are less likely to commit suicide, reports the University of Southern Denmark, which attributed the finding to the worshippers’ clear meaning of life and sense of community.

And female musicians are far more healthy than their male counterparts, according to a research project. They smoke and drink less than the norm, eat more fruit and veg and are more active in their leisure time.

Additionally, certain types of music – including heavy metal, hip-hop, rap and some kinds of jazz – tended to have a higher mortality rate.

brain, according to the University of Copenhagen, as small amounts help to clean it.

It also helps to remove waste matter, including substances connected to Alzheimer’s Disease, which Aarhus University researchers believe they may have developed a treatment for.

And in related news, DTU researchers have managed to convert lactose obtained from the whey left over from milk production into ethanol. The researchers have patented their technology and founded a new company called Alcowhey.

Alcohol fights back ALCOHOL can be good for the

Not allergic to success AND FINALLY, researchers from Aarhus University have made what could be two significant breakthroughs.

One team has discovered a new antibody that could prevent reactions in patients who come into contact with allergy-triggering pollen, food and animals – of all varieties in fact.

And another has devised a method of identifying bacteria that is 1,000 times faster than existing procedures, which could lead to the creation of a complete ‘tree of life’ that includes all types of bacteria and other microorganisms. (CPH POST)

No need for doctors

Measle milestone

City doctors in pain

DOCTORS face competition from two unlikely sources: Facebook and football. DTU uses data obtained from social media and smartphones to identify individuals in most need of vaccination. Meanwhile a university study has demonstrated that football could replace medication of in terms of treating illnesses – particularly in the prevention of diseases like Type2 diabetes.

THERE were only four cases of measles registered by Statens Serum Institute in 2017, down from 85 in 2011. The dip is in stark contrast to European figures, which rose from 5,273 to 21,315, causing 35 deaths.

In September, Denmark was officially considered to have eliminated the disease. However, MMR vaccination rates are steadily falling.

SENIOR doctors association Overlægeforeningen blames Sundhedsplatformen, the patient record database, for an increase in Capital Region medics suffering from muscle and joint pains: 21 percent compared to 11 percent elsewhere. The system, which apparently involves lots of clicking, was introduced in 2016 at selected hospitals before being rolled out across the region.

Bathing, praying, playing SO WE’RE not too sure how much we can trust the last four weeks’ worth of research results, which includes findings regarding activities, customs, fluids, and disease and allergy prevention.

First off, there are now 40,000 registered members at winter bathing clubs, and con-

Monitoring microplastics

DENMARK’S supermarkets have the highest percentage of organic food produce in the world, according to a FiBL report. With 9.7 percent in 2016, Denmark finished ahead of Luxembourg, Switzerland, Sweden and Austria. The Danes ranked second behind the Swiss for per capita consumption of organic food with 210 euros.

Icy pollution woes THE COLD weather has been bad news for urban pollution as traffic fumes tend to stick near the ground – particularly when the sun is shining as well. In related news, fears are mounting over carcinogenic chemical leakages from a Dupont factory in Grindsted in Jutland, and how more methane is being released from shallow lakes due to fewer plants and climate change.

Cancer concerns FEWER women are getting screened for cervical cancer.

The rate has fallen from 68.5 to 64.2 percent since 2012 – well short of the desired 75 percent.

In related news, doctors are better at diagnosing and treating cancer, according to a new international report. The prostate cancer survival rate, for example, has risen from 63 to 85 percent in 13 years.

Forest focused THE GOVERNMENT has teamed up with Dansk Folkeparti in a bid to increase the amount of pristine and untouched forest in the country. Overall, some 13,300 hectares across 45 forests in Denmark will be part of the new plan, making use of 90 million kroner in funding earmarked for 2016-19.

NEWS

23 February - 15 March 2018

ONLINE THIS WEEK CAROLINE Wozniacki beat Romania’s Simona Halep to win her first grand slam title at the Australian Open on January 27. She triumphed 7-6, 3-6, 6-4 and is once again the world number one. Both players needed medical attention in sweltering conditions, with Woz eventually prevailing in a final set that included seven breaks of serve.

FCK humiliated twice FC COPENHAGEN could not have made a worse return from the winter break. First they lost 1-4 to Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Europa League tie on February 15. And then, three days later, they lost away at Brøndby in the fourth round of the Danish Cup.

Ireland again!

DENMARK have drawn Wales and the Republic of Ireland in the inaugural UEFA Nations League, which will be contested over six games and ten weeks in the autumn of 2018. The winner will be promoted to the top tier. As a result, future major championship campaigns will be shortened from 14 to eight months.

Thor at number four ANDREAS ‘Thor’ Knappe is now training with the Denver Broncos – his fourth NFL club as he continues with his bid to become the first Dane since Morten Andersen to play pro ball in the States. Previous bids with the Washington Redskins, Atlanta Falcons and Indianapolis Colts failed.

‘Stolen’ in 1380 SUPPORT is building for the return of a Norwegian artefact held in Danish hands since the two countries’ kingdoms united as one in 1380. An opinion piece in Morgenbladet newspaper made the case for the Kongshornet decorative horn to be returned in time for the opening of Oslo’s new national museum in 2020.

No Mandela museum PLANS to establish a museum dedicated to Nelson Mandela in Randers have been shelved by the Long Walk to Freedom Initiative after 18 months of talks with the local municipality. The museum will be built elsewhere.

EMINEM

Woz queen of Oz

Eminem ignites Roskilde stampede Liam Gallagher, Van Morrison, Kendrick Lamar, Justin Timberlake, Bryan Ferry, and Simon and Garfunkel (but not together!) are also coming over this year AMANDA MASSOUMI

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IS NAME is (what?) His name is (who?) His name is … Slim Shady!

That’s right peeps, this summer Roskilde Festival will get buzzed, get drunk, get crunked, and get fuuuuuucked up when US rapper Eminem comes to Denmark for the very first time.

Fittingly, the iconic US rapper will be performing on the Orange Scene on July 4 and already the Wednesday tickets have sold out, with full festival tickets also selling fast.

ONLINE THIS WEEK Lego’s sad birthday A BRITISH study did its best to ruin the 60th birthday of the iconic 2x4 Lego brick on January 28. The University of Plymouth study of 200 toys found nine dangerous elements – including lead, barium and bromine – in 20 of them. Red, yellow and black plastic items from the 1970s and 80s were the worst culprits, and Lego bricks were singled out by the study.

Guilty of brilliance

The flags will be sagging on July 4

play Royal Arena on September 30 as part of their eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour (300kr).

Lady Gaga, though, ended up cancelling her Royal Arena concert on February 17 after cutting short her European tour.

Over troubled waters AMONG the other big music names to confirm dates are Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, but not together! Simon is playing Royal Arena on July 3 (550kr) and Garfunkel is visiting VÆR-

KET in Randers on June 10 (365kr) and DR Koncerthuset two days later (475kr).

Bryan Ferry is gracing Musikhuset Aarhus with his presence on June 13 and 15, before playing at RoskildeHallerne on June 17 (400kr), while 82-year-old British folk singer Shirley Collins is playing Kunsthal Charlottenborg on March 25 (250kr).

Elton John has confirmed his next global tour will be his last, meaning it is likely his appearance at the Royal Arena on 18 May 2019 will be his last performance in Denmark.

Queen and Adam Lambert are performing at the Jyske Bank Boxen on June 15 (470kr) as part of their One More Around the Block! summer tour, while Demi Lovato is bringing her Tell Me You Love Me tour to Forum on May 30 (360kr).

Justin Timberlake has announced an additional date at Royal Arena on August 5 (450kr) after his first concert a day earlier quickly sold out.

And likewise U2 will also

Popcorn precedent

Looks like a record

Biased Bodils warning

A DANISH man has become the first European to be convicted of taking part in the promotion of an illegal online film site – Popcorn Time via his website popcorntime.dk.

The 39-year-old was handed a six-month suspended sentence and 120 hours of community service, and the court confiscated 500,000 kroner in earnings from advertising income via the website.

CRYSTAL Palace have paid 75 million kroner for FCM striker Alexander Sørloth – a fee that could rise to a record 140 million. Other prominent transfer window moves included Viktor Fischer (Mainz 05 to FCK), Rasmus Nissen (FCK to Ajax), Michael Krohn-Dehli (Sevilla to Deportivo La Coruna) and Martin Braithwaite (Middlesbrough to Bordeaux on loan).

FILM DIRECTOR Peter Schønau Fog has informed Danske Filmkritikere that he does not want to be nominated for the Bodil for Best Screenplay this year because he fears the voting might be biased against Zentropa due to sexual harassment allegations made by critic Nanna Frank Rasmussen about co-founder Peter Aalbæk. The screenplay award traditionally has no nominees.

Have it NorthSide!

IN OTHER festival news, former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher is appearing at NorthSide – his first performance in Denmark as a solo artist.

Legendary Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, a Copenhagen resident in the 1980s, will take centre stage as a headline act at the Heartlands Festival on June 1.

Influential German electronic group Kraftwerk are coming to Copenhagen for the Haven Festival in August.

And the line-up for the 2018 edition of the Smukfest festival includes hip-hop superstar Kendrick Lamar and local legend Kim Larsen.

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Is he irresistible?

NOT TO be outdone by the musicians, a trio of North American-based comics are heading to Denmark.

A visit by The Kevin Hart Irresponsible Tour has been rescheduled from August 16 to 20 (455kr). Those who purchased for August 16 have until March 2 to get a refund.

Canada’s YouTube sensation Russell Peters will be gracing DR Koncerthuset on May 7 (440kr), while Trevor Noah, the South African star of ‘The Today Show’, is performing at Forum on June 8 (420kr).

And finally, one of the UK’s most popular sports podcasts, ‘Football Weekly Live’, is on its way to Bremen Teater on May 10 (230kr).

‘DEN SKYLDIGE’ (‘The Guilty’) won the Audience Award in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festival. Scheduled for release in Denmark on June 14, early reviews are positive.

Let’s talk about sex HOT ON the heels of a school textbook accused of comparing circumcision to baptism comes a book that addresses love, sex and masturbation. Sabine Lemire’s ‘Hvad er sex’ is aimed at 10 to 12-year-olds.

Eight would be great THE HISTORICAL Museum of Northern Jutland is trying to get the Cold War nuclear bunker Regan Vest approved as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Completed in 1969, it is situated 60 metres underground just south of Aalborg in Rold Forest.

Roberts bromance HLYNUR Pálmason’s ‘Vinterbrødre’ (‘Winter Brothers’) won nine Robert film awards, including Best Feature Film and Best Actor for Elliott Crosset Hove.

Newcomer Amanda Collin won Best Actress as ‘En frygtelig kvinde’ (‘A Horrible Woman’). And Oscar nominee ‘The Last Men in Aleppo’ took Best Documentary.

Ball-buster dies THE DANISH acting world is in mourning following the passing of Ole Thestrup, 69, a much loved character actor. His best known role was as a children’s football coach in the 1984 film ‘Busters verden’ – a role reminiscent of the one played by Brian Glover in the 1969 film ‘Kes’.

10 BUSINESS

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

ONLINE THIS WEEK New digital strategy THE GOVERNMENT has unveiled plans to implement new digital infrastructure to reduce business admin costs. It includes a single support system for online platforms Digital Post, NemLog-in and NemID, which is estimated to save Danish companies somewhere in the neighbourhood of 200-400 million kroner annually.

Posties under pressure IT WASN’T long ago that national postal service PostNord Denmark was outlining plans to break even by 2020 by delivering post and parcels together. But now it faces competition from Dansk Supermarked, which will enable its customers to send packages from 365 selected Føtex, Netto and Bilka stores – at a reported discount of 30-50 percent on PostNord Denmark.

700 could lose jobs

Mixed bag as results come rumbling in DSV, Nykredit and Lundbeck leading the way with record figures

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ILL 2018 be looked back on as the beginning of the boom or another recession? If some of these results are anything to go by, it will be the former, although there was also plenty of gloom as many Danish companies posted their results this past month.

Record results TRANSPORT company DSV’s turnover rose by 7 billion kroner to 74.9 billion, resulting in a 4.9 billion kroner operating profit.

Mortgage company Nykredit reaped the benefits of lower costs and fewer impairments to post a record 8 billion kroner profit – a rise of 51 percent on 2016.

Pharma company Lundbeck hailed its “best result ever” as revenue rose 10 percent to 17.2 billion kroner and its net profit soared 117 percent to 2.6 billion kroner.

And Ørsted, which changed its name from DONG in the early autumn, also fared well as its operating profit rose 18 percent to 22.5 billion kroner for 2017 – mostly thanks to selling some lucrative shares in offshore wind farms.

Slightly disappointing JEWELLERY company Pandora’s total sales rose 12 percent to 22.8 billion kroner in 2017, as EBITA increased from 7.4 to 7.8 billion kroner – results that were slightly below expectations.

Likewise a 4 percent rise in sales for enzyme producer Novozymes from 14.1 to 14.5 billion kroner was slightly below analysts’ projections.

Poor weather over the summer didn’t help Carlsberg as total sales fell by 2 percent in 2017, but disaster was averted thanks to a good performance

Treasure in the junk

Watch and learn

Artland makes it ‘appen ARTLAND

DANSKE Bank will officially open a new HQ at Postgrunden, the former home of Post Danmark, in 2023. Danske Bank sold its current HQ at Holmens Kanal in 2016, its home for 147 years.

In related news, the bank is on the verge of offering customers with multiple accounts at various banks a complete overview of all their holdings.

in some specialty areas such as alcohol-free beer.

Chemist chain Matas revised its 2017-18 fiscal expectations after a set of disappointing Q3 results despite a healthy Xmas.

TIIMO

Bank eyes new HQ

ONLINE THIS WEEK

A busy season for all LAST MONTH was also a busy one in the world of mergers and acquisitions.

US investment bank Goldman Sachs has together with Coller Capital bought two Danish companies: oil platform manufacturer Bladt Industries and goods chain Sportmaster.

Subject to approval Alm Brand has paid 360 million kroner to take a majority stake in the banking unit of Saxo Bank.

Two weeks ago, it emerged that English Premier League club Brighton was considering a rescue package for financiallystricken Superliga club Lyngby, and now DR is reporting that another EPL club is interested.

And TDC is pursuing a 3.6 billion Swedish kroner takeover of MTG Nordic, which if approved could be significant for Danish TV viewers, as the two media giants own Yousee, Viasat and TV3. Together, at least 10 million households in the Nordic region subscribe to one of their packages.

Huge online potential DANES could triple the amount of goods they buy on the internet from 12.5 to 49.7 percent of total household consumption, according to a Kraka analysis. Over a third is spent on foreign sites, up from a fifth in 2012, reports Politiken. The prediction is bad news for the country’s 109 commercial towns, whose numbers could shrink to 29 in just a decade.

Steady progress AT THREE of Denmark’s biggest companies, the results were encouraging but unspectacular.

Novo Nordisk confirmed an operating profit of 49 billion kroner on turnover of 112 billion – figures on a par with the previous year.

Maersk steadied the ship as turnover rose 13 percent, enabling it to post an underlying profit of 356 million dollars compared to a loss of nearly 500 million dollars in 2016.

Vestas’ revenue fell from 10.24 to 9.95 billion euros and its net profit by 70 million to 894 million euros. Its order book remains healthy though.

SHOPGUN

SOME 700 workers at Tvilum have been laid off for two weeks following reports that the furniture manufacturer – which is split between plants in Fårvang and Kjellerup in east Jutland – has gone bankrupt. Tvilum, which primarily supplies to Jysk, reportedly owes 17 million kroner to SKAT. Not long ago it had 1,800 employees, but it has been struggling for the last six years.

23 February - 15 March 2018

Taking a gun to the waste

A friend in need indeed

A boundary breaker

‘SHOPGUN’, an app and website founded in 2009, aims to make the junk mail stuffed through Copenhagen residents’ letterboxes a thing of the past.

Its service enables users to search and compare promotional material, presented by a range of major stores, in countries throughout Europe. “When we started out in 2009, 18 percent of the Danish population said ‘no’ to receiving print commercials in their mailboxes. Today, the figure is at 50 percent, and in many parts of Copenhagen it’s about 75 percent,” Christian Birch, the co-founder & CEO of ShopGun, told CPH POST. (DW)

A CHILD with ADHD is a disruptive force in the classroom, concludes popular thinking in many Western countries.

Medicate and the problem will go away. In Denmark, this can also be a cheaper option for the state, as children with a diagnosis will often receive extra support to navigate the challenges of their school day. A 2014 master’s thesis written in Copenhagen, which has spawned the Danish tech startup Tiimo, suggests children with ADHD can enjoy a normal school day by wearing a smartwatch – without or in combination with medication. (BH)

NEGOTIATING the contemporary art market can be hard.

Specialist dealers, based in local settings around the world, often trade works via closed networks that encompass only a select number. However, ‘Artland’ has created an app designed to consolidate this process so users can both buy and sell works through a single digital platform. “Our mission is to support the existing eco-system and create the best way possible for galleries and collectors to establish and maintain mutually beneficial relationships,” Artland chief executive Mattis Curth told CPH POST. (DW)

READ THE REST OF THESE STORIES AT CPHPOST.DK

Panama paying dividends THE TAX authority SKAT is cracking the whip on those implicated in the Panama Papers leak in April 2016. After paying 6 million kroner to get its hands on the papers, SKAT has revealed that 12 companies and 19 individuals have been hit with tax fees totalling millions of kroner. And an additional 46 tax payers have been asked to raise their payments.

Still top for talent DENMARK has been ranked number seven on the 2018 Global Talent Competitiveness Index, an annual list compiled by INSEAD – a rise of one place on last year. However, Copenhagen has lost its place at the top of the Global Cities list, slipping three places to number four.

Lucrative China deal DENMARK has signed a deal to export its heat-treated pork products to China worth 250 million kroner a year. In related news, Chinese tourists made 226,000 overnight stays in Denmark last year, although most of these were in Copenhagen. The provinces, therefore, are taking measures to attract more, with Vejle looking to capitalise on its Viking past.

Uber saga continues FOLLOWING another defeat, this time in the eastern high court, four Uber drivers look set to take their case to the Supreme Court. As an unprecedented case, the defendants question the size of fines that range from 40,000 to 486,000 kroner, along with the uncertainty over whether Uber is illegal. Once the test case is settled, a further 1,500 Uber drivers face similar fines.

Airports thriving SOME 17.5 million passengers flew from Danish airports last year, with 29.1 million passing through Copenhagen’s, reports the Trafikstyrelsen traffic authority. In other air travel news, Ryanair has said it is interested in opening a base at Copenhagen, and a regional aerodrome at Holeby on the island of Lolland has taken one step closer to becoming an airport.

BUSINESS OPINION

23 February - 15 March 2018

NEIL SMITH DANISH CAPITAL IN 2018 Neil is a Scottish-educated lawyer with 15 years’ experience in corporate structuring and general commercial matters. Based in Copenhagen, he primarily advises on international deals.

Out of the office his interests include sport and politics. His column explores topical international financial and economic issues from a Danish perspective.

Make America … wait THE MESSAGE is simple: America is back economically; growth is up, the stock market up and unemployment is down; and the credit should go to the president. It is clear that Trump, and Republicans in general, think this is their strongest card and will repeat it relentlessly as the mid-terms approach.

That the American economy is performing strongly is not in doubt. However, it is a stretch to say all credit should

THOMAS N HORSTED STARTUP COMMUNITY Thomas (@thomas_hors) is the former co-founder of Startup Guide – The Entrepreneur’s Handbook and a former startup scout for IKEA Bootcamp. He is currently the growth & business development manager at the Danish startup tiimo, the creator of an education app that helps special needs kids. He is also a limited partner in The Nordic Web Ventures, which invests in early-stage Nordic startups.

Internet of things YES, THIS ‘old’ trend is back, as I believe smart devices and their interconnectedness will get smarter and take over more aspects of today’s lifestyle. We see them more and more in our homes, cars and cities, as chips and sensors become the norm.

The next step will be for these devices to collaborate more and further personalise your lifestyle.

Can blockchain be a part of this next step? Maybe, we will have to wait and see.

NEXT ISSUE

go to the new administration.

Most economic experts believe changes in policy take years to fully work their way through.

With this lag time, if the economy is in such rude health at the moment, the Trump administration is implicitly admitting they were handed a strong position by Obama’s team.

Obliged to Obama A CLOSER examination of the numbers shows this to be the case. The increase in employment in 2017 was undoubtedly good news, but actually far fewer jobs were created last year than in most years under Obama.

And, whereas the unemployment rate has fallen from 4.8 to 4.1 percent, the big fall came from its peak of around 10 percent in 2010.

An Analysis of the stock market shows a similar picture – it is impressive that the Dow has risen by 30 percent since the election, but less so compared to Blockchain and cryptocurrencies SPEAKING of blockchain, this hot technology is pushing towards becoming more mainstream this year and in the years to follow. Obviously cryptocurrencies have gained massive interest as a potential investment with the soaring value of Bitcoin and other cryptos late last year. However, a more interesting development in the blockchain space will be the actual real-world applications that emerge from being able to share, distribute, decentralise and tokenise data. I believe we will see a wider adoption in the internet of things and in payments and transactions.

Augmented Reality AUGMENTED Reality (or just AR) has been slower to take off than expected. However, I do believe that it will have a breakthrough year for both investments and user-applications.

The reality star and the actor

the trebling in value under the Obama administration. Additionally, the 2017 appreciation should be seen in an international context, where other major indices, notably Tokyo’s Nikkei and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng, have shot up.

This comparison is also useful for the GDP figures.

Whilst growth of around 2.5 percent for 2017 is solid, this is the same level as the supposedly sclerotic Eurozone – and significantly under other comparable developed economies like Australia and Canada.

Sold a fast one THIS IS not to say Trump’s policies have had no effect – his constant cheerleading may have boosted confidence, and the Republican tax cuts may provide a short-term hit (although they fail to address the major, structural issues).

Overall, though, his impact is being oversold. The administration inherited a solid economic base and has ridden mostly benign winds in the global economy since the financial crash.

PIXABAY

H

APPY NEW year to all you entrepreneurs, startup employees, innovators, community builders and investors. You all make up the startup community and act as the agents of change who will make things happen in 2018 and beyond. As always, enthusiasm is high as we enter a new year, so let’s look at some of the key trends in technology that I believe will shape business this year.

DONALD TRUMP - TWITTER

W

HAT HAVE the modern medium of Twitter, the quaint Swiss mountain village of Davos and Washington’s grand Capitol building got in common?

At first sight, not a lot; but that’s the point. President Donald Trump’s ubiquitous economic cheerleading is so constant that these three disparate items have all been used as backdrops to his hard sell.

11

The agents of change

From facial recognition, to educational purposes and smart cities, more startups and developers will push this forward as it slowly sneaks into our daily lives.

Artificial Intelligence YUP, ARTIFICIAL Intelligence (AI) is no longer theory on a piece of paper, but is being implemented with serious implications for businesses. I believe it will continue to push the limits

of what is possible. 2018 will see startups use it in a range of business applications like robotics and automation, but also to create more revolutionary solutions to real and complex issues.

Now, that you have read this, get ready for 2018 and the entrepreneurial landscape that will be a part of shaping society. Ready for it? Yes, that is a Taylor Swift song! But seriously, are you ready for it?

IN 2 ISSUES

IN 3 ISSUES

IN 4 ISSUES

Mind over Managing

Living in an Expat World

Union Views

Startup Community

21st Century Alchemy

The Valley of Life

Give Yourself a Chance

CPH Career

12 OPINION

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

23 February - 15 March 2018

Prince Henrik – in memoriam

KIRSTEN LOUISE PEDERSEN

HASSE FERROLD

A Dane Abroad Born and raised in Denmark, Kirsten jumped ship in her early 20s to spend the next 12 years living in New Zealand. A physiotherapist, acupuncturist, yogini and foodie, she has a passion for life and well-being.

After a few stints back in the motherland, Kirsten is once again travelling, on her way to Colombia.

KIRSTEN LOUISE PEDERSEN

No second fiddle: Henrik took centre stage as the curtain came down

I

N HANS Christian Andersen’s fairy-tale ‘The Ugly Duckling’, a swan’s egg landed in a duck’s nest. When the eggs hatched, it was clear there was a peculiar specimen in the nest. As in real life, it was bullied because it was different.

Eventually it developed into a beautiful swan, leaving us with the moral that no matter where you are born, you may become a beautiful swan if you have it in you.

More a handsome dandy HENRIK was, however, no ugly duckling. He came as a handsome, well-educated French aristocrat and our future queen was so in love with him that everybody could see it. After all, she also has French blood in her by the way of Napoleon’s marshal Bernadotte, who became king of Sweden. It was seemingly perfect, but because of the manner he presented himself, he got his share of Danish bullying.

Why was that? He was a poet with an elegant command of the French language. He was a talented sculptor. He improved the wines of Cahors so people started buying them. He wrote cookery books on many topics other than goose liver. He was a gifted musician and played piano

concertos with the royal chaplain and his father-in-law as conductor. He planted the garden with vegetables from the French and Nordic kitchens, and it is there somewhere that a portion of his ashes will be interred.

Own man to the end HENRIK travelled the world and with his command of six languages was a high-profile ambassador for Denmark. He acted as protector for more than 50 organisations and, by all accounts, was a good one.

On top of that he fathered two intelligent and good looking sons, which is a gift to any monarchy. Aside from a Gallic twang, his Danish was perfect, and vocabulary-wise he spoke better than most Danes.

Henrik followed his convictions in the tradition-bound world that he married into.

His Gallic pride would not allow him to play second fiddle in the entourage or chain of command.

In the way of his departure Henrik had the final word. He would not be laid to rest in a sarcophagus but cremated and his ashes spread at sea and interred in the garden.

Honi soit qui mal y pense.

(ES)

Norwegians at sea, and for once they’re not looking for oil

P

ERCHED on the deck of the world’s oldest fullyrigged sailing ship still in operation, I watch a bunch of 16 to 20-years-olds crawling like monkeys up the ship’s towering masts and through the rigging, setting the sails as we wave goodbye to the island of Bequia in the Caribbean Sea. Following a successful sailpowered exit manoeuvre, we head for Columbia. For a moment I forget that the youngsters currently hanging from the rig – looking tanned, free and a bit scruffy – are actually students completing the second year of their high school education.

Floating education THE 210-FOOT Sørlandet was built as an educational ship in Norway in 1927 by a passionate sailor as a gift to Norway.

After surviving a world war, being sunk, and almost being sold off, Sørlandet was finally bought back by the grandson of the original founder and once again re-established as an educational ship.

In 2015, the non-profit Foundation Sørlandet established the A+ World Academy, and today, the grand old lady

and a team of dedicated crew and faculty take up to 60 students a year through 12 months of high-level academic tuition.

Some 45 of the students are Norwegian, and the remaining 15 students, plus the teaching faculty, are international, providing an exciting mix of cultures on board. As I board the ship in Barbados, the students are already five months into their 10-month immersion journey during which they will visit a total of 17 countries spread over four continents.

To the untrained landlubber’s eye, the ship appears a maze of ropes and sails: more than 250 ropes and 27 sails to be exact.

Every day the students have a set schedule of activities and responsibilities, such as being at the helm steering the ship, helping in the galley, being on night watch, doing the dishes, setting sails, non-stop maintenance, and the endless cleaning of the ship. All of this is on top of their daily school program.

Back to basics STUDYING in this way is a rare opportunity. Captain Sune Blinkenberg knows of no other institution in the world

that offers this experience at such a high academic level. He is passionate about delivering education in this way.

“In today’s school system, students go to school to read about other people’s experiences. Here, they go and get those experiences for themselves,” he told me, adding that this is how study and education used to be: learning by doing, and going out in the world to discover for oneself.

When I asked a Canadian student whether being part of this program has improved her academic achievements, she said no. But then she added that what it has given her in terms of life experience, confidence, perspective, adventure, interpersonal skills and maturity is priceless and second to none.

Perhaps it’s time to re-evaluate what we consider ‘good education’. From where I’m standing, it’s clear as a bright blue sky that more alternative educational initiatives like the one on Sørlandet would do our young generations (i.e all of us) a world of good. If you are curious about this program, check out aplusworldacademy.org.

OPINION

23 February - 15 March 2018

13

NEXT ISSUE

ZACH KHADUDU

Straight Up Zach Khadudu is a Kenyan by birth and a journalist by choice. He is a commentator and an activist with a passion for refugee and human rights. He may share a heritage with a certain US president, but his heart lies elsewhere – in the written and spoken word.

Mackindergarten ADRIAN MACKINDER

Straight, No Chaser STEPHEN GADD

SOCIALDEMOKRATIET

An Actor’s Life

IN 2 ISSUES

IAN BURNS

Fashion Jam JENNY EGSTEN-ERICSON IN 3 ISSUES

The Road Less Taken JESSICA ALEXANDER

Mishra’s Mishmash

Half-devil, half-child, or more half-witted, half-baked?

T

HERE IS a glaring common denominator between Donald Trump’s perception of Africa as a “shithole” and Danish politicians’ view of the continent as a dumping site for what they see as a reinvention of the white man’s burden.

Myopic ignorance BOTH NARRATIVES exhibit a myopic ignorance of the continent, its people and culture – and, most worrisomely, of the pertinent issue of our time: immigration.

While Trump’s view clearly demonstrates a skewed view of a continent whose tears, sweat and blood built the house he now calls home and the country he leads, the Danish politicians’ perception of Africa is contemptuous and condescending.

To borrow a description from Rudyard Kipling’s 1899 poem ‘A White Man’s Burden’, they might as well have described Africa as “half-devil, half-child”.

The recent proposal by Socialdemokratiet leader Mette Frederiksen to acquire a refugee camp in north Africa and send would-be Danish asylum-seekers there is, prima facie, testimony to the expanding intolerance in the West. It is also evidence of a gaining traction, even among

self-proclaimed globalists, of bigoted alt right ideals of cleansing the west of ‘infiltrators’. In simpler terms, it’s racism on steroids.

Delegating your international obligations by trapping people in places they do not want to be, where they cannot lead dignified lives, is not just ill informed – but morally nauseating.

Worsening the situation IT SEEMS camps from both sides of the political divide have zero concerns about contravening international law and conventions regarding the rights of displaced populations.

Furthermore, the thought of enticing African nations with the goodies of development aid – in exchange for shouldering your refugee burden – is a deal dead on arrival.

Sure, a few dictators will gladly fritter away your aid money and tango with you at refugee camps. However, sooner or later the tides will change and you will have a disposed tyrant, another failed state, another spring and a crisis once again at your doorstep.

Chasing a rainbow THE IMAGINED dreams of a Denmark free from refugees, Muslims and their burqas will

provide neither security nor the utopia dreamt of. In plain words, it is 2018 in case someone missed the memo.

As a person from a Sub-Saharan “shithole” I say build your camps anywhere, as migration is here to stay. Neither Trump’s Mexico wall nor Mette’s African camps will change that fact.

The bitter truth is that violent conflicts will be with us for a long while. Waves of refugees will keep amassing and the Global South will have neither the incentive, ability nor will to shoulder all of the world’s problems. Their nations will buckle and the pressure like that witnessed in 2015 will resurface.

The sooner we wake up to this reality and smell the coffee, the better for us all.

For starters, treating nations, African or not, like allies – whilst sharing the refugee burden, rethinking the nature of violent conflicts and working towards a more just world – will go a long way in helping to contain the crisis.

As Oscar Wilde notes, “a map of the world that does not include Utopia is not worth even glancing at, for it leaves out the one country at which humanity is always landing”.

MRUTYUANJAI MISHRA IN 4 ISSUES

Crazier than Christmas VIVIENNE MCKEE

Early Rejser ADAM WELLS

Do you want to learn to play the piano or even the violin but don’t have time to leave the house?

No stress, more fun – I can teach you at home.

A very experienced teacher with a good sense of humour is looking forward to hearing from you. neitinokkonen78@gmail.com

14 COMMUNITY

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

23 February - 15 March 2018

ABOUT TOWN

PHOTOS BY HASSE FERROLD

Chinese ambassador Deng Ying (left and centre right) has been busy this past month presiding over her country’s new year festivities, which included a lavish affair at City Hall on February 18. Among the many guests were Mette Bock, the minister of culture (centre right). Happy Year of the Dog!

Not many national days to celebrate, but it’s still been a busy month for the city’s diplomatic corps. Nepalese ambassador Yuba Nath Lamsal got the ball rolling with a special tourism event at Asia House on January 16 where the attendees learned about what the unique mountain-top country has to offer (left). A day later it was Spanish ambassador Enrique Pastor de Gana’s turn to take centre stage – at a new year concert at Christians Kirke in Christianshavn on January 17 (centre left). Two weeks later, Albanian ambassador Kastriot Robo was proud to host an exhibition of rare books at his embassy to mark the 550th anniversary of the death of esteemed Albanian nobleman George Kastriot Skanderbeg (centre). Looking very much to the future is the Benin Embassy, who on February 8 held an event to mark the commencement of the MARIA GLETA II Power Plant Project, which will be overseen by BWSC (centre right).

Among the guests were (left-right) Niger ambassador Amadou Tcheko, Ghanaian ambassador Amerley Ollennu Awua-Asamoa, Burkina Faso’s ambassador Maria-Goretti Blandine Agaleoue, Benin’s ambassador Eusebe Agbangha, Lithuanian ambassador Ginte Bernadeta Damusis, BWSC chief executive Anders Heine Jensen and Estonian ambassador Mart Volmer. And on February 15, we finally had a national day. Lithuanian ambassador Ginte Bernadeta Damusis celebrated 100 years of independence with a concert at Sct Ansgar Church, which was heavily attended by members of the diplomatic corps

British ambassador Dominic Schroeder and his wife were among the attendees at the St Andrew Society Denmark’s celebration of Burns Night on January 27 at Cirkel-Ordenen, where they were welcomed by the society’s president Kaj Larssen, who is also the head of KUKS

French ambassador Francois Zimeray was among the guests at ‘Think Pink!’, a Copenhagen Fashion Week exhibition of vintage dresses curated by Pauli Tvilling, which are inspired by Hubert de Givenchy’s sketches of Audrey Hepburn

Crown Princess Mary handed over this year’s Women’s Board Award, which every year recognises a Danish woman who has made an indelible impact in the business world, to CSM Bakery Solutions chief executive Marianne Kirkegaard

British comedian Adrian Mackinder (left) was the compere of an English Comedy Night at the Downtown Dubliner on February 8, where the line-up included comedian Sean McLoughlin

Princess Benedikte was the guest of honour at the 40th birthday of the International Women’s Club of Copenhagen at the Admiral Hotel on January 25, where guests included former KUKS president Eleanor Bomholt (centre, glasses)

Pia Kjærsgaard, the speaker of the Parliament, was among those in attendance at the gala premiere of Fifty Shades Freed at Imperial Bio on February 2. She had her hands full, not tied

COMMUNITY

23 February - 15 March 2018

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

N

EVER MIND Mardi Gras and the dancing girls, you haven’t lived on Shrove Tuesday until you’ve taken part in a pancake race.

And two days prior to the

15

shovelling down of fats and eggs in anticipation of the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday, the parishioners of the Anglican church St Alban’s and friends gathered on Sunday February

11 to commence battle.

Pancake racing is a British tradition dating back to 1445 when legend has it that a English woman in the Buckinghamshire town of Olney

realised she was late for church whilst making pancakes.

Ever since, many races have required competitors to wear aprons and toss the pancake as they run.

As you can see from the pictures, it’s British pan-demonium at its finest.

long gone due to a huge overhaul of the facilities at Valby Idrætspark, but the numbers gathering for the indoor session demonstrate the international football club is clearly in the ascendancy.

As a hotbed of 20-plus nationalities, including Scottish trainer Andy Christie (centre left), the atmosphere is always welcoming, and the club is particularly keen to find players for its seven-a-side teams playing

over-18 and 33 football.

So why not get in touch via the club’s website, copenhagenceltic.com, to find out more about the club’s pre-season schedule, which currently involves sessions on Monday

and Tuesday evenings ahead of the new season kicking off in April, which will once again include the club’s legendary summer football tournaments (right) in early August.

DAVE SMITH

ALL PHOTOS: BEV LLOYD ROBERTS

OUT AND ABOUT

DAVE SMITH ALL PHOTOS: CPH CELTIC

O

VER 50 BRAVED the cold to turn up to Copenhagen Celtic’s pre-season training on Monday.

Granted, the days of playing outside on the gravel are

Oluf Borbye Pedersen and his research team are here to educate us about avoiding type 2 diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disorders (March 8, 15:45-18:30, Novo Nordisk Fonden, Hellerup; register via eventbrite.com, free adm)

If life is a cabaret ol’ chum, maybe this is the calling you’ve been waiting for. Copenhagen Theatre Circle is staging the legendary musical and looking for the next Liza Minnelli (March 3 & 4, 10:00-17:00; Huset, Rådhusstræde 13, Cph K, free

Experience the lives of others as people from different backgrounds share their SpisDating life-stories.

Among them is photographer Jacob Holdt (March 1, 17:00-20:00; Crossing Borders, Købmagergade 43, Cph K; register via crossingborders.dk)

Get stuck in at this cooking class where the focus is seasonal ingredients. The end result is a three-course meal fit for a king (March 2, 17:00-21:00; Herluf Trolles Gade, Cph K; 975kr)

MIHAI DAN MUSTEA

SAS SCANDINAVIAN

CURRYSTRUMPET / FLICKR

Mouthwatering surprises lie in store on this CPH food tour. Learn about the history of the food culture and methods of cooking (Feb 24, 14:30; Baresso Coffee, Bernstorffsgade 4, Cph K; book via urbanhouse.me)

PEXELS.COM

SPISDATING FACEBOOK PAGE

COMING UP SOON

Enjoy a night of laughter with Improv Comedy Copenhagen, where we defy you not to fall off your seat with laughter (March 7, 20:00; ICC, Frederiksholm Kanal 2, Cph K; 80kr) CLODAGH CUNNINGHAM

16 COMMUNITY

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

23 February - 15 March 2018

Happy Birthday Mr President … ready for your close-up?

Photos: Henrik Hildebrandt Words: Ben Hamilton Before you accuse International Club Copenhagen president Hasse Ferrold, our esteemed About Town columnist, of overdoing it on the occasion of his advancement into the septuagenarians club, let it be said that having two parties is perfectly normal in Denmark, where birthday festivities are often known to last a whole week. Among the well-wishers bearing gifts at the premises of Vin Hjornet in Herlev on January 22 were Bulgarian ambassador Roussi Ivanov

In attendance at both parties in a display of the stamina that has been required to keep up with their patriarch all these years were Hasse’s family

Nobody found out whether Hasse paid the piper for his excesses, but there was no denying the impact of KUKS president Kaj Larssen (left), who graced both parties with his enchanting, ear-splitting chimes. Party Number 2 also included a ICC Copenhagen Wine Trade event hosted by Vin Hjornet (centre) and a performance by musicians from the Royal Academy of Music (right)

As a well-known face within the diplomatic corps, it was touching to see so many of the city’s ambassadors turn out to salute Hasse, including (left) Toshiro Suzuki (Japan) and Mina Balde Laurent (Ivory Coast), the dean of the diplomatic corps; (centre: left-right) Amadou Tcheko (Niger), Muhammad Abdul Muhit (Bangladesh), Fahad Alruwaily (Saudi Arabia) and Gigi Gigiadze (Georgia); and (right) Tone Kajzer (Slovenia)

Hasse’s February 20 party at Ankara Restaurant on Vesterbrogade was a more Danish affair, although the speeches did get increasingly international as the evening progressed. Among those addressing the president were (left-right) Tom McEwan and Ian Burns via a medley of hits from Hasse’s childhood; Barry McKenna and Sue Hansen Styles with some superb Shakespearean sonnets reflecting on the wonders of adulthood; and old friend Bertel Harder, the former minister, with a witty poem about getting old

HISTORY

23 February - 15 March 2018

17

Just for laughs? How Denmark conquered the comedy scene in Europe The ground breaking Danish comedy duo who projected the funny side of Denmark to the world DOUGLAS WHITBREAD

T

HE DANISH media-industry has, in recent times, become defined by the rise to prominence of a selection of acclaimed T.V. dramas series.

The first was the award-winning ‘Forbrydelson’, later re-made for English-speaking audiences as ‘The Killing’. This was followed a few years later by the joint Swedish-Danish show, ‘Broen’ or ‘The Bridge’. Productions such as these demonstrated the prodigious talent of writers, directors and performers, to create work through a set of visual aesthetics and plot characteristics known as ‘Scandinavian noir’.

This crime sub-genre often features anti-hero police detectives, dark and gruesome subject matter and the prominent display of colorful knitted sweaters. However, the success of this style of content has not simply influenced the style and output of Danish cinema. It has also go on to define the way that Scandinavian has been presented to audiences around the world.

Countries such as Denmark have consequently been depicted, within these shows, as harsh, dangerous and populated by a range of emotionally disturbed individuals.

Despite this, Denmark hasn’t always been represented through this cinematic context. In fact, the first media-export which introduced the country to the world was the work of a pair of comedians, who’s brand of slap-stick’s humor characterized Danish people as both silly and care-free. The story of their lives as performers demonstrates how a country, now associated with serious dramatic performances, taught Europeans people to laugh again following the horrors of the first world war.

‘Erik’ who was a struggling artist. Both individuals are forced into poverty due to actions of an evil lawyer, who denies them the right to Ethel’s inheritance.

However, Ethel later finds out that to escape this predicament she must steal the last remaining will in testament of her farther, which is hidden in the evil lawyer’s home. To do this, Ethel asks Fy and Bi to help her and in the scenes the follow, they attempt to revover the document. Fy and Bi were already internationally successful when Gad asked them to perform in his film.

However, global success of the

film meant that the pair’s brand of comedic performance was cemented into cinematic history.

Danish icons THE DUO performed as a pair up until the 1940s. However, their routine didn’t evolve or adapt in the same way that other comedians managed within the same period. This was due, in part, to the lack of creative control large studios gave them following their initial success. But, their age also began to affect their ability to perform in the same physical

manner from earlier in their career. Despite this, Fy and Bi left their mark on a generation of Europe people. They became the recognizable faces of the Danish people to many throughout the world and demonstrated, for many years, that Scandinavian people were skillful comedic entertainers.

A deft combination THE FORMULA they developed for their routine, was based on the both difference in physical appearance and performance abilities of each man. Schenstrøm was a talented actor who could convey meaning and emotion to audiences, whilst Madsen had a professional background as a circus performer meant he had skills which allowed him to perform physical stunts.

Their acts had simple plots, in which either Fy and Bi would enter a difficult or personally challenging situation. In each scenario, one man (often Fy), would take the role of the trickster, who would set up problematic situation, whilst the other (often Bi) would remain unaware of what would befall him. The comedy act’s success rested on the abilities of both actors to gain laughs through their slap-stick performances.

Global success THE PAIR greatest international success came when they featured in Urban Gad’s film, Lykkehjulet (‘Wheel of fortune’.) The plot of the film is based on a romantic relationship between ‘Ethel’, a young woman of little wealth and

TONNY NIELSEN – YOUTUBE)

Fi and Bi THE SILENT film era of the 1920s was a ground-breaking time for the Danish film-industry. However, much of its phenomenal success should be attributed to the work of two performers: Carl Schenstrøm and Harald Madsen. They were known, for most of their

careers, under their stage names of Fyrtaarnet and Bivognen, or ‘Fy’ and ‘Bi’ as they were fondly called by Danish audiences.

Other silent acts, such as Charlie Chaplin, gained international success prior to Fy and Bi. However, the pair broke new ground as the first comedy duo to be widely viewed and acknowledged across Europe.

Their double-act was founded in 1921 after producer Lau Lauritzen put the two solo performers together. From this point onward, they embarked on a career which spanned over twenty-years – lasting until the actors were well into their fifties.

The legacy of the act which they developed, inspired the routines of future comedy duos, such as Laurel and Hardy and Abbot and Costello. In this respect, not only did they break new ground amid Danish entertainment, but they also created a blue-print for future generations.

More like Little and Large than Laurel and Hardy

18 FOOD AND DRINK THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

23 February - 15 March 2018

Making a noise for the bar where experience is everything ALL PHOTOS: THE BARKING DOG

THE BARKING DOG

Sankt Hans Gade 19, Cph N; open daily from 16:00, until 02:00 Fri-Sat; cocktails 90-130kr; 3536 1600; thebarkingdog.dk DOUGLAS WHITBREAD

I

WAS AWARE when I stepped down unaccompanied into the sunken premises of The Barking Dog on a non-descript Monday evening that I was breaking a taboo. In cities like London or New York the presence of a ‘lone-drinker’ in a bar would be accepted and perhaps even thought of in vaguely romantic terms. But despite this, my three years of ‘going out’ in Denmark have taught me that solitary drinkers in this city are viewed as strange, out of place or even potentially subversive.

However, as I stood awkwardly on the threshold I was taken aback by the reaction that my appearance provoked.

A beaming bartender twirling a translucent ice-cube in a high-ball glass caught my eye and gestured at me from across the room.

“Hey, welcome,” he called out to me as I hovered by the door.

“Come in and have a seat.” In the same time it took to hang up my coat and take a stool by the bar, he had neatly placed a bottle of chilled water and glass in front of me. “This isn’t like the other bars in Copenhagen,” I thought. “This is something different.”

Relaxed ambience THE DÉCOR hints to the experiences of co-owner Carl Wrangel in South America where he gained an in-depth understanding of the methods used to produce the agave-based drink Mezcal. However, it also demonstrates how his many years as a publican have given him knowledge of how to put guests at their ease.

For example, the bar is designed to accommodate, whether it is individuals, couples or groups, with seating that ranges from raised platforms to tuckedaway benches. This allows each person to catch a glimpse of others sat in different parts of the venue, but it also offers plenty of privacy for those who desire seclusion.

The consequence is that guests can leave their anxiety

You’d be barking mad to pass this one by

and predispositions behind and instead focus on the spellbinding cocktail-experience that The Barking Dog facilitates.

Smooth service THE CARE and attention with which the bar is spatiallydesigned is also mirrored in the approach bartenders take in their roles as hosts. Guests are provided with a drinks menu that they can use to select and purchase drinks.

However, the bartenders are the key custodians of this process. They possess both extensive, knowledgeable and bountiful skill, which allows them to curate unique alcoholic beverages to suit a diverse range of customer needs and requirements.

This means guests are not required to pick the first drink they recognise off a complex or incomparable list. Rather, they can offer up a few examples of the flavours or spirits of which

they’re particularly fond, or even describe their mood when they order.

The bartender will then shoulder the burden of serving them with something that he knows they will enjoy: from a classic Negroni to one of the many signature cocktails the establishment offers.

A price worth paying THE PRICE for this service isn’t cheap. Cocktails are on average

100 kroner each – a competitive if not slightly expensive rate compared with other restaurants and bars based in the local area.

But the quality and experience that customers receive at The Barking Dog in my opinion is unsurpassed by its competitors.

The bar exists as a true renegade in town where conformity is king, allowing customers to sample some of the finest drinks around.

A NUMBER

by CARYL CHURCHILL

Ian Burns Rasmus Emil Mortensen

Photo: Simon Dixgaard

director Helen Parry

Krudttønden 21 February – 24 March teaterbilletter.dk 70 20 20 96

www.that-theatre.com

That Theatre Company – telling good stories passionately for 20 years

20 INOUT: ONSTAGE THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

Feb & March,; Operaen (Ekvipagemestervej 10) & Gamle Scene (Kongens Nytorv), Cph K; price range 100-925kr, kglteater.dky GIUSEPPE Verdi’s mid-life masterpiece La Traviata (performances March 7 & 8) is an opera classic beloved the world over.

Set in 18th century Paris, it follows the love affair of Violetta, a courtesan, and her admirer, the young and romantic nobleman Alfredo.

Missing this opportunity to enjoy this story of high society and narrow minds would indeed be a travesty.

Likewise, everyone should see Swan Lake (March 15, 18 & 24) at least once – not just ballet fans. It is an undisputed classic and one of the most beautiful performances to behold in any field.

69 POSITIONS Feb 28-March 3, 20:00; Dansehallerne, Tordenskjoldsgade 10, Cph V; 165kr; 105 mins THE 69 in the title not only refers to the sexual position, but also the year, a significant one in the history of Danish youth and a time of increased eroticism, audience involvement and political commitment.

Brussels-based solo performer Mette Ingvartsen will take us on an odyssey to understand modern day sexuality, using her body as a petri dish for sensorial experiments, as she moves amongst the audience.

Hailed as a “brave presentation of sexuality and nudity in a historical perspective” by Berlingske, are you brave enough to attend?

THE URBAN HUNT March 15-18; HIT, Huset 4th floor, Rådhusstræde 13, Cph K; 150kr DIRECTED by Down the Rabbit Hole Theatre’s resident director Jeremy Thomas-Poulsen, this solo performer (Malte Frid-Nielsen) act confronts the hypocrisy of eating meat without being

MUSIC

Tyga Feb 23; Vega; 340kr This US rapper of Vietnamese and Jamaican descent, Michael Ray Stevenson, chose the stage name Tyga (thank you god always) because he’s religious, so it’s got nothing to do with Tiger Woods or ‘Winnie the Pooh’.

Touring to promote his album Bugatti Raww, this will be his first visit to Denmark. (DW)

willing to kill an animal.

The play is inspired by an article by Brendan Kiley in which the American journalist confronted his own demons by picking up his spear and embarking for the hunting grounds.

But instead of the wilderness, he opted for the urban jungle, preying on squirrels, pigeons and even garden snails.

MUSIC

The Killers Feb 25; Royal Arena; 480kr Frontman Brandon Flowers was inspired to found a band in 2001 after watching Oasis. Since then the LA rockers, famous for hits such as ‘Mr Brightside’ and ‘Smile Like You Mean it’, have made the century their own.

The gig is part of their tour to promote their album Wonderful Wonderful. (DW)

STEFAN BRENDING

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike ends March 4; Tue-Sat 19:00, Sun times vary; HIT, Huset 4th floor, Rådhusstræde 13, Cph K; 150kr Immerse yourself in Christopher Durang’s 2012 Tony Awardwinning dramedy as two siblings (Vanessa Poole and David Barrett) face a threat of eviction from their movie star sister (Dina Rosenmeier, above).

ARTS

DENHUD

THEATRE

MICHELLE G

A Number ends March 24, Mon-Fri 20:00, Sat 17:00; Krudttønden, Cph Ø; 165kr; that-theatre.com In Caryl Churchill’s 2002 drama, a neglectful father (Ian Burns) is confronted by his three sons: Bernard and two copies. This examination of human identity rings true with a modern age that started with the birth of Dolly.

DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE

THAT THEATRE

THEATRE

It’s funny to think Tchaikovsky died in 1893 believing he wrote a flop because the ballet’s premiere in 1877 was a fiasco. Witness the gripping story of unattainable love for yourself, all set to Tchaikovsky’s haunting music.

Continuing the late winter procession of well-loved classics is Gioachino Rossini’s beloved 1816 opera The Barber of Seville (March 10 & 14), whose original story was a prequel to the one that spawned The Marriage of Figaro.

Like Swan Lake, the Rome premiere was a disaster, but today it is the ninth most performed opera in the world.

Completing the quartet is Breakfast with Bournonville (March 14, 16 & 23, 10:00 or 12:00), a ballet matinee aimed at teenagers.

Keen to connect with their audience, Kompagni B explores themes such as anxiety, stress and identity crisis.

MIKLOS SZABO

KGL QUARTET

23 February - 15 March 2018

MUSIC

Rag’n’Bone Man Feb 26; Forum; 350kr Acclaimed soul singer-song writer Rag’n’Bone Man won ‘British Album of the year’ at the 2017 BBC Music Awards, along with two BRITs. The demand was so high for this concert that they moved it from Vega to Forum.

Support acts scheduled to appear at his show include Grace Carter and Thales. (DW)

INOUT: EVENTS

23 February - 15 March 2018

all exhibitions ongoing bar one; various venues in CPH DOUGLAS WHITBREAD

THIS COMING month’s art schedule provides a range of options on themes stretching from contemporary food culture to an examination of the human condition.

A retrospective of Jesper Christian paintings from the last six years will combine with new pieces in an exhibition entitled Touchstone (Feb 3-April 22; GL Strand, Gammel Strand 48, Cph K). The established Danish artist’s work accompanies text taken from major literary works. The exhibition will also give visitors the possibility to review Christian’s archival material, such as past sketchbooks and initial drawings.

Claus Carstensen seeks to give art

CPH: DOX March 16-26; across multiple venues THE ANNUAL ten-day Copenhagen documentary film festival will present more than 200 films at venues across the city this spring, along with a selection of musical performances, art displays and seminars.

If we had to choose just one high-

light, it would be the opening of a new exhibition space at Kunsthal Charlottenborg, which will house three separate temporary cinemas.

But running it a close second is a selection of films curated by the British band the XX. Their program ‘I see you’, taken from the title of their recent album, will encompass themes of identity, gender, performance, youth culture and LGBT. (DW)

CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL Feb 24- 25; Tap1, Raffinaderivej 10, Cph S; over-18s: 130kr, under-18s: 90kr; chokoladeselskabet.dk LET’S FACE it; this is a female target customer affair. After all, no woman in history has ever looked at a man with the same desire they save for a Marks and Spencer chocolate refrigerator square.

DRINK

French Wine Days Feb 23-24, 14:00-16:30 & 17:30-20:00; Pressen, Politikens Hus, Vester Voldgade 33, Cph V; 220kr Taste hundreds of French wines at this popular annual event. Find out why the country continues to rule the scene in the face of fierce competition.

Women don’t just prefer chocolate to sex, they prefer it to every conceivable form of hedonism ever known.

The ladies can enjoy activities, lectures and demos from chocolatiers in their element, and even chocolate massages if they’re lucky.

Most men will eat the six tasting vouchers that come with entrance in the first five minutes, and then look to leave like Augustus Gloop. (BH) VOX 13

Oscar shorts shortlist Feb 27 & March 6, 19:00; Cinemateket, Cph K; 80kr Watch the five contenders in the race to win the Oscar for best short film on March 4. Thanks mainly to the heroics of M&M Productions, Denmark has a great record in the category, but hasn’t made the shortlist this year.

TOPART THEATRE

PALLE BO NIELSEN

FILM

PIXABAY

English comedy night March 8, 19:00; Lygten Station, Rentemestervej 76, Cph NV; 175kr, billetto.dk Canada’s Tony Law and Britain’s Paul Foot are a cut above the norm we usually welcome to these shores. Foot, in particular, is a comedian who is hard to forget. In his folly and satire is a burning, undeniable truth.

PRAYITNO

USER OF WAFFLE TV YOUTUBE CHANNEL

THEATRE HISTORY COMEDY

patrons his perspective of what it is to be human. Becoming Animal (March 3-April 29; Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Kongens Nytorv 1, Cph K) approaches this existential question through the work of various artists taken from between the 19th and 21st century.

Hot Pot Republic has created a pop-up restaurant in Copenhagen (ongoing, ends March 4; Borgergade 17F, Cph K) to coincide with the Chinese New Year. The concept is created with Asian artists currently working in the city. This is designed to provide guests with a social dining experience – where food and beer is combined with art displays.

And in a solo show, Yazan Khalili will use new video and photographic work to examine everyday life in his home town in Palestine (Feb 3-March 11; GL Strand, Gammel Strand 48, Cph K).

GALERIE MIKAEL ANDERSEN

WINTER ART QUARTET

21

ART LEARN

Historic Days March 10-11, 11:00-18:00; Øksnehallen, Halmtorvet, Cph V; over-18s: 140kr, under-18s: 60kr; historiske-dage.dk Stalin, the Nazis and Danish football are three of many subjects that will be discussed and digested at this annual history fair. Be warned though: all the speaking is in Danish.

MUSIC

Jazz at Møbelfabrikken March 8, 17:00-22:00; Nørrebrogade 45D, Cph N; from 125kr; mogs.dk The atmosphere is intimate, the room cosy, and the main attraction the sophisticated Jazz Child singing live. Food, a reasonably-priced bar and DJ Nuplex ensure fun and frolics all night. Dancing is allowed!

houseofinternationaltheatre.dk / Tickets : teaterbilletter.dk / @

21.02.-04.03.2018 A HIT comedy inspired by the work of Christopher Durang

Production

22 INOUT: MUSEUMS CORNER THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

23 February - 15 March 2018

Begin as you mean to go on: Let there be light!

KATHRINE MARIA AMANN, EDITOR AT COPENHAGEN MUSEUMS AND ATTRACTIONS

W

INTER getting you down? You’re not alone.

As the season ploughs on with its grey and drizzly days, more and more people are getting the winter blues.

After all, the cold, dark, and gloomy weather’s lack of daylight can easily make you feel down and despondent.

Fortunately, Copenhagen Museums and Attractions is here to guide you with a handful of

enlightening and delightful experiences that will surely lift your mood if you’re struggling with gloomy feelings during these dark days of winter.

Experimentarium, Tuborg Havnevej 7, Hellerup; open 09:30 most days, until 17:00 Fri-Wed, until 20:00 on Thu; over-12s: 195kr, under-12s: 115kr; experimentarium.dk

L

IGHT FASCINATES and surprises. Some light can create the most beautiful,

glimmering colours that are reflected in surfaces. And where there is light, there is often a shadow – perhaps even several.

In The Labyrinth of Light at the Experimentarium in Hellerup, you can experience and experiment with the many fascinating properties of light. In the labyrinth you can play tunes on the

laser harp, examine the colourless room and try moving faster than your own shadow. Everyone will learn something from visiting The Labyrinth of Light, but the exhibition is primarily targeted at families with children aged 8-14.

JF Willumsens Museum, Jenriksvej 4, Frederikssund; open Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00, closed Mon; over-18s: 65kr, under-18s: free adm; jfwillumsensmuseum.dk

T

HE RENOWNED Danish painter JF Willumsen (1863-1958) is famous for his vibrant use of colour and light. Throughout his life Wil-

lumsen sought inspiration for his work abroad, and pictures from his travels testify to a fascination with the life of the streets and public places, the strong light of the South, and Alpine landscapes. From March 3-May 21 at the museum the exhibition Pictures from Travels in North and South follows Willumsen’s travel itineraries and takes the

K

ROPPEDAL Museum in Vestskoven (the Western Forest) links the past with the present, providing an experi-

remains of Rømer’s fascinating observatory. During the winter Kroppedal Museum invites you for night walks in Vestskoven to look at the stars and other fascinating phenomena of the sky together with the Copenhagen Astronomy Society. The next star walk is on March 7 from 19:30-21:00.

error, particularly by means of mathematics, medicine and the physical sciences. The fascinating and enlightening exhibition The Body Collected at the Medical Museion presents for the first time a large selection of historical collections of human remains from the 18th century to the modern day in order to showcase the history of how medicine examines the body and how far

we have come medically. The human body has been increasingly collected for medical research and teaching purposes over the last few centuries, and body parts have been prepared, preserved and conserved. The collections have however switched focus as our understanding of health and disease has improved, and as a consequence of technological advances.

ENLIGHTEN ME Medical Museion, Bredgade 62, Cph K; open Tue-Fri 10:0016:00, Sat-Sun 12:00-16:00 closed Mon; over-16s: 75kr, under-16s, students & OAPs: 50kr; museion.ku.dk

T

HE 18TH CENTURY notion of the Enlightenment emphasised the emancipation of human consciousness from ignorance and

FOR MORE INSPIRATION FROM THE MUSEUMS, VISIT COPENHAGEN MUSEUMS & ATTRACTIONS AT CPHMUSEUMS.COM

MEDICAL MUSEION

ence that will leave you starry eyed – quite literally. The museum describes both the ancient and more recent history of the Vestegn (the western suburbs of Copenhagen) along with the history of Danish astronomy and especially the world-renowned Danish astronomer Ole Rømer.

In walking distance from the museum you can also see the

KROPPEDAL MUSEUM

STARRY, STARRY NIGHT

Kroppedal Museum, Kroppedals Allé 3, Taastrup; open TueSun 12:00-16:00, closed Mon; free adm, star walks 50kr for over-18s, 25kr for under-18s; kroppedal.dk

visitor to Norway, Switzerland, France, Italy, Spain and Tunisia – among other destinations.

At the exhibition you can also experience Dark Matter’s virtual-reality work ‘Qualia’, which forms the setting for a journey into a virtual version of Willumsen’s mountain landscapes.

JF WILLUMSENS MUSEUM

WILLUMSEN’S VITALISM

EXPERIMENTARIUM

THE LABYRINTH OF LIGHT

ON SCREENS

23 February - 15 March 2018

23

Is the shape of things to come statuesque?

BEN HAMILTON

W

ITH 13 OSCAR nominations, The Shape of Water (86 on Metacritic; released on March 1) is in select company, as only 12 other films in the history of cinema have earned as many. So it’s no surprise to see it’s challenging Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri in what is becoming a clear twohorse race to win Best Picture.

However, of those 12, seven failed to deliver. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring would have to bide its time, while the other four were a little too topheavy in a certain element: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (acting), Mary Poppins and La La Land (music), and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (prosthetics).

The Shape of Water’s Achilles heel is its genre. Fantasy isn’t a favourite with the Academy. Only Lord of the Rings and Birdman have triumphed before, although you could argue that most musicals have heavy elements.

But don’t dismiss the Game of Thrones factor. It took many viewers a lot of convincing to give it a chance – and conversely the show’s biggest fantasy element, the dragons, which had initially dissuaded them, has ended up being one of their biggest thrills.

Length the wrong shape IT’S HARD to remember a year when the Best Picture nominee line-up was so untypical and inclusive of so many normally overlooked genres. And they’ve all got such short running times.

Five of the ten are less than two hours in length, and the longest running film is only 132 minutes. In the 1990s, the average

duration of the Best Picture winner was 154.5 minutes.

It’s like Hollywood doesn’t want to make those kinds of films anymore, even if it did work out (a decade too late) that it can charge you extra to see them. Making it as a miniseries or series is the most likely reasoning, which ultimately leaves the film industry with a shallower pool of content to choose from.

If anything sums up the seismic shift, it’s how The Shape of Water is being described as Guillermo del Toro’s best film since Pan’s Labyrinth – a 2006 fantasy (albeit in Spanish) that didn’t even make the shortlist for Best Picture despite three wins from five nominations. Such a film would probably walk it now.

According to the director, this is his most mature film yet, addressing issues such as trust, otherness, love and our very existence. Set during the Cold War (there will be parallels) a mute janitor (a career best from Mike Leigh regular Sally Hawkins) develops a relationship with a sea monster held by the US government. They want to vivisect it, she wants to give it a chance of la vida loca.

Dead like Zed baby UPSIDE down inside out is how most action film protagonists feel these days as 90-plus minutes of convoluted plot break and remake them, and Bruce Willis in Death Wish (Not Released Worldwide; March 8) and Jennifer Lawrence in Red Sparrow (NRW; March 1) are no exception.

Willis, revisiting the role made famous by Charles Bronson, has surely been here before as the homicidal maniac hell-bent on revenge – 39 times before

according to the viral mashup Everybody Wants to Kill Bruce, which is well worth a watch. Few actors have changed as little over the last three decades.

Meanwhile, will Lawrence’s outing be the latest vehicle banned by Russia, as its plot suggests they still train waifs as killers in their bid for global superiority.

We’ve lost track of the number of Nikita wannabes in recent years: Salt, Lucy, Hanna, Atomic Blonde, Haywire, Colombiana … but have any of them been any good?

There’s no disputing the quality of The Florida Project (92; March 1) in which rising star director Sean Baker (Tangerine) not only cast inexperienced six-year-old child actors in key roles, but also a woman who he came across on Instagram as their poverty-stricken mother in a part he had initially imagined Britney Spears playing.

With Willem Dafoe offering strong support as the manager of the Orlando motel where the kids run riot daily, this is one of the films of the year, while Baker is clearly one to look out for in the future.

Network and Steve Jobs), but not for the rest of us.

More dumbed down is Game Night, a comedy starring Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams from the double-act who brought us the ridiculous Horrible Bosses. From the trailer, it looks a bit like David Fincher’s The Game but with laughs instead of gasps. We’re thinking horrible dross.

Last but not least, Mute (Neflix; Feb 23), which is heading straight to the small screen, has the pedigree to sing its praises. According to director Duncan Jones (David Bowie’s son), it’s a sequel to his brilliant debut Moon that has heavy Blade Runner influences.

Game on or not ALSO BRINGING their ‘A Game’, or should that simply be game face, are Molly’s Game (71; Feb 22) and Game Night (NRW; Feb 22).

The former is based on the memoir of the organiser of a high stakes poker game (Jessica Chastain) who ended up becoming an informant for the FBI. Unfortunately, the film is scripted and directed by Aaron Sorkin, so every character sounds implausibly intelligent – a way of writing that might work for internet billionaires (The Social

This Heather’s on fire YOU WOULD have thought the influence behind new series Heathers (HBO Nordic; March 8) would be obvious, but if its trailer is anything to go by, it’s more Mean Girls than Scream Queens. It has to be said that serialising this beloved film is a massive risk, so it’s no surprise to see the trio of venomous vixens bear no resemblance to the original lineup thanks to a stereotypical twist.

“Fat kids can be popular?” a teacher asks of Heather #1, who together with an Asian girl and gay boy mercilessly bullies the

It’s how Titanic should have ended ... without the jewel

kids who should according to the high school manual be popular, but aren’t. Not immune to risktaking, it’s even cast Shannen Doherty as a teacher.

Staying in school, Everything Sucks! (Netflix; out since Feb 16; 62 on Metacritic) combines classic high school film ingredients – outsiders, kids making movies and the 1980s – to give young teens hooked on Stranger Things a new darling.

Released stateside meanwhile, which is no guarantee they will arrive anytime soon, are The Looming Tower (Feb 28), a compelling looking miniseries that charts the US intelligence agencies’ failure to stop 9/11; Good Girls (Feb 26), a dramedy series in which three moms rob their local supermarket in disastrous fashion; and Life Sentence (March 7) in which a woman in remand must answer for all the ill-advised decisions she made with only weeks to live.

And don’t forget the UK, or should that be make a swift Brexit? Troy: Fall of a City is another poor Games of Thrones wanabe, while ‘dramatic’ miniseries Trauma is a damp squib best avoided.

Suffice it to say, the only way either will get 13 nominations is as ballast in a plummeting balloon.

A MAN OF INTEGRITY FILM OF THE MONTH

March 1st-11th experience the Cannes-awarded drama about corruption and injustice in the Iranian society. Be the suppressed, or join the suppressor to survive!

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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