NEWS
SUPPLEMENT
Ofelia Plads, an enormous 275 metre pier, has opened in the heart of the city offering culture by the truckload to locals and tourists
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INSIDE
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DANISH NEWS IN ENGLISH VOL 19 ISSUE 25
CPHPOST.DK 1 - 7 July 2016
NOW WHAT? 4
NEWS Celebrating students attacked on the streets
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NEWS
Revenge of the nudie
Unlocking the mystery of the Danes at home and in study
Revenge pornographers could face three years in prison
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New initiative will make it easier for internationals to meet their hosts RAY WEAVER
Maersk loses contract to run Qatar’s biggest oil field
7 OPINION
The union strikes back! Brexit dominates and it remains a little biased!
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Sign up now! THE ORGANISERS of the event include, among others, business coach Henrik Sand Madsen, Mia Olsen from Brandt’s Museum in Odense, journalist Søren Malmose and Henning Lykke, the head of compliance at Nordea Markets, Denmark. Those wishing to attend should email givdetvidere2016@ gmail.com and provide their name, address, age, email address and phone number and say whether they intend to bring a guest.
Difficult to meet Danes “SURVEY after survey and experience has shown that many
Home with the Jensens DURING the first part of the event from 2-3pm, a participant and their partner will be invited to spend time with a Danish family in their home. And then the hosts and guests will meet at Studieskolen,
DIY passport machine
Arming up in Arctic
Decade on the dole
New non-EU spouse law
COPENHAGEN Municipality on Tuesday launched the world’s first self-service passport renewal machine at Ørestad Library in the capital. The machine makes the process of renewing a passport easier and more convenient for citizens, with a consular employee available online should their assistance be required. Appointments can be booked at kk.dk/pas.
DENMARK has announced plans to this year invest 360 million kroner, and then 120 million kroner every year thereafter, in increasing its military foothold in the Arctic. Funds will be spent on improving satellite surveillance, better communication, increased contributions from the Navy, and more patrols in Greenland. Observers believe the plans will ruffle Russian feathers.
AROUND 10,000 Danes have been on kontanthjælp, the basic unemployment benefit, for at least 10 consecutive years, according to the Employment Ministry. Its minister Jørn Neergaard Larsen told Jyllands-Posten it was “totally unacceptable”, but conceded each case must be tackled individually. Some 43 percent have a foreign background.
THE IMMIGRATION Service has announced that Danes bringing home non-EU spouses will no longer be exempt from demonstrating their attachment to Denmark is greater than to any other country if they have held Danish citizenship and lived in Denmark for over 26 years. The change follows a new EU ruling that determined the previous law was indirectly discriminatory.
GROUP of business and education leaders are planning an event to help expats and Danes get together in a unique way. The first edition of ‘Meet the Danes’ is this Sunday, although the sign-up closes on June 30!
denmarks largest carsharing provider Free registration
Borgergade 12 in Copenhagen for a dialogue about cross-cultural understanding and a short presentation by Studieskolen. What’s eating you, newbies? THE ORGANISERS hope that being at home with a Danish family for a short time will be the start of a conversation and encourage greater cultural exchange between the Danes and expats who live in Denmark. For the event at Studieskolen, the expats should prepare one or two questions about Denmark, Danish culture or anything that puzzles them about Denmark.
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BUSINESS
expats find it difficult to meet Danes outside work,” said Henrik Sand Madsen, a business coach and one of the organisers behind the event. “At the same time, many Danes are not aware of how expats contribute to Danish society and culture.”
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NEWS
THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK
1 - 7 July 2016
Celebrating graduates attacked in city
ONLINE THIS WEEK CITY HALL is backing Ghetto Tours, a walking tour arranger in outer Nørrebro launched on Monday, which aims to enlist young residents as guides. Some 14 percent of residents in the district feel unsafe – up from 11 percent last year. “It’s about getting young people to feel they matter to their local area,” said the city mayor, Frank Jensen.
Busy month for airport COPENHAGEN Airport has told Metroxpress that it will be “extraordinarily busy” over the next month following the commencement of the six-week school holidays last week on Friday, warning travellers to give themselves at least two hours to get through the security checks. Some 100,000 passed through on Friday.
ØREGÅRD Gymnasium in Copenhagen has enjoyed initial success with a scheme that drops the grading system for first-year upper-secondary students over their first six months. The school has observed less absenteeism, more class and group participation and increased motivation to learn as students focus on what they’re learning, not what they’re scoring.
Bowls for benefits DANSK Folkeparti has proposed that people on unemployment benefits should clean the filthy school toilets widely reported in Vallensbæk Municipality in Greater Copenhagen. The cleaners should form ‘pee controls’ to monitor the toilets and clean them if necessary, suggests DF.
Students ambushed by mobs brandishing eggs, flour, oil, stones and acid
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S IS TRADITIONAL in mid to late June, the celebrating gymnasium graduates have taken over the city’s streets of late, honking the horns of their trucks, partying the day away. But this year has seen a sharp rise in the number of upper-secondary students attacked, with eggs, stones and even acid being thrown in neighbourhoods such as Avedøre, Tingbjerg and Amager. Eggs, flour … no sugar LAST WEEK on Friday, students from VUC in Hvidovre were pelted with eggs by a group
Top spa hotel in the world
people who then bombarded them with eggs, flour and oil in Amager.
THE KURHOTEL Skodsborg has been named the Best Luxury Wellness Spa in Europe by the World Luxury Hotel Awards. The hotel is located on the Zealand coast, approximately 20 km north of central Copenhagen.
Acid attack AND IT got worse, as two students were sprayed in the eyes with liquid acid by someone wielding a water pistol from a passing car. “Both of my eyes and my
face started to burn wildly,” said 19-year-old Mia. “I could not see anything and I could not open my eyes.” The acid attack has been reported to Copenhagen Police. (RW)
Is it excessive alcohol consumption that some object to?
of “three or four” young men in Avedøre, and then with stones in Tingbjerg. “It was like they were waiting for us,” graduate Steven Knap told BT. “The mood and our clothes were ruined. This is a sad development in society.” And on the same day, graduates from Ørestad Gymnasium were blocked by a group of young
New culture centre opens near Nyhavn Ofelia Plads juts 275 metres out into the harbour close to Nyhavn LUCIE RYCHLA
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HE CITY’S new culture centure, Ofelia Plads, opened on Wednesday, and it promises to be a busy first summer at the 275-metre pier, which is situated right next to the Royal Playhouse just a stone’s throw from Nyhavn. The venue will host a wide range of free cultural events, such as festivals, concerts, sport, parkour and performances, including an afternoon of ballet presented by the Royal Theatre on August 20. Funded and self-sufficient THE 600 MILLION kroner construction costs were paid for by the Ministry of Culture, the Danish real estate firm Jeudan, and Realdania, a philanthropic
At 275 metres long, it’s a massive structure that will quickly become a city landmark
association that supports architecture and planning projects.
An important part of the activities will be funded by parking
ticket revenue generated by a nearby underground car park.
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GUIDE Catch has launched a new app that enables Copenhageners to arrange, promote and sell their own tours and events, which can be booked by tourists online. The startup aims to expand to other European and US cities.
OFELIA PLADS
Learning over scoring
ISTOCK
Ghetto guiding
New app for guides
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1 - 7 July 2016
ONLINE THIS WEEK Terrorising the town
Revenge porn penalties questioned
ONLINE THIS WEEK
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Catching paedophiles A GROUP on social media are creating fake profiles in a bid to identify and capture adult men preying on children in Denmark. Tryg Ungdom, which claims it has helped to catch three paedophiles, believes not enough is being done by the authorities. However, the police are concerned the group may be breaking the law in their bid to stop them.
ISTOCK
A LARGE group of antisocial teenagers continue to terrorise Hundested, a coastal town in northern Zealand. The police are in talks with local schools and parents to curb the problem, which has included vandalism, kids swimming in restricted areas, giving fake details to the authorities when caught and throwing impromptu parties.
NEWS
Eight hours on stand
Washout hits Hans
THE LITIGATION case of Malthe Thomsen, the Danish pedagogue wrongly accused of sexual abuse at a New York nursery school in 2014 who is now suing the NYPD for 43.3 million kroner, has started. He took the stand for a full eight hours on the first day. Thomsen says his main aim is to draw attention to the Reid Technique used by cops to obtain a fake confession.
SANKT Hans Aften last week on Thursday was a washout as torrential rain and thunderstorms descended on the country – particularly in the southeast of the country. Some 18 mm of rain fell on the island of Ærø in just five minutes. Many areas got more than 50 mm, with Køge leading the way with 72.6 mm. The storms had one day earlier caused havoc in the UK.
Something in the drinks
Another resort drowning
MPs agreed that six months in prison is too lenient SHIFA RAHAMAN
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ARTIES across the political spectrum agree that the current punishment for revenge porn, the sharing of sexual images and videos of others without their permis-
sion, is too lenient. MPs agree the offence should carry a minimum sentence of three years behind bars. The current penalty is six months. A lot like violence SOCIALDEMOKRATERNE spokesperson Trine Bramsen told DR she equates the crime with “committing milder forms
of violence, which can result in up to three years in prison”. “Physical wounds can heal, but images shared on the internet can haunt someone’s life for years afterwards.” DF questioned whether three years was enough, adding that it also wants to shut down the websites hosting the images.
Is aid facilitating migration? ISTOCK
AT LEAST three people were hospitalised on Sunday after attending Bubba’s Bar in Middelfart. The patients all suffered pain or a burning sensation after consuming some sort of corrosive content at the bar/nightclub that caused, among other things, sores, peeling of the tongue, mucous membranes, and sore throats. The Funen Police found nothing wrong in the bottles.
Volunteers are aiming to make a big difference
Danish Institute of National Studies warns that assistance is counterproductive RAY WEAVER
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Vocational job fears SØREN Heisel from the trade union 3F has told Ugebrevet A4 it is “a disaster” that enrollment is dropping at vocational schools across Denmark. Reforms in August 2015 now require applicants to have a minimum 02 grade in maths and Danish. Heisel warns that the anticipated drop in skilled workers will see 100,000 unskilled workers without jobs in 2025.
High Court victory
EVELOPMENT assistance to countries in Africa and elsewhere in the world may actually be counterproductive, warns the Danish Institute of National Studies (DIIS). While the aim of the funds is to help people make a better life in their home country, the DIIS contends that the financial assistance may instead help more people to make the trip to Europe.
No quick fixes “FINANCIAL aid is not a quick fix to slow migration,” DIIS spokesperson Ninna Nyberg Sørensen told Berlingske. “On the contrary, development in a country may make it possible for people to migrate.”
New app to aid refugees
Priced out of peeing
Parents behind most abuse Killer nurse gets life
Support for medical weed
A NEW APP to help refugees find their footing in Denmark has just been launched by the government. It contains information about the rights Denmark affords its men, women and children with respect to equality, sexuality, education and employment, and can be accessed in six languages: English, Arabic, Farsi, Urdu, Turkish and Danish.
ACCORDING to a survey by GfK Norm for Katrin, a washroom solutions provider, 35 percent of men would not use a restroom that charges an entry fee, compared to 27 percent among women. Women were more likely not to use a dirty restroom (77 vs 65 percent), one that smells (64 vs 55) and one that doesn’t have toilet paper (58 vs 46).
FATHERS are partly or wholly to blame for 45 percent of all child abuse cases, according to the Social and Interior Ministry, while mothers are culpable in 24 percent. The statistics from the nation’s five children’s homes were reported by Socialstyrelsen. Some 1,086 kids had their cases handled at a children’s home last year – a marked increase on 2014.
A GALLUP poll reveals that 88 percent of Danes want medical cannabis made available to cancer patients and people suffering from chronic pain. Some 45 percent believe the drug should be completely legalised, while 41 percent disagree. The health minister, Sophie Løhde, told Berlingske she opposed legalisation as she was “concerned about abuse among the young”.
A DANISH tourist has drowned whilst on holiday at the Bulgarian tourist resort of Golden Sands in Varna. The young man was on a youth holiday organised by DUF Travel, which has said it is “deeply shocked”. A 45-year-old Danish man from mid-Jutland died at the same resort in 2014 after encountering difficulties whilst swimming in the sea.
Institute questions whether aid helps people to migrate
Lars Engberg-Pedersen, a senior DIIS researcher, agrees. “Development helps people gain an insight into how they can come to Europe and gain the resources to afford the trip,” he said.
A DANISH nurse, Christina Hansen, has been sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty by the Danish High Court of killing three of her patients and trying to kill another. Hansen, who has appealed, must pay damages of nearly 500,000 kroner to the survivors of two of her victims. Her defence argued that her victims were in extremely poor health.
THE HIGH Court on Tuesday dismissed a suit brought by the organisation Med Grundlov Skal Land Bygges that alleges the right of homosexuals to marry in church violates both the constitution and the religious freedom of Danish citizens. The court ruled all people are equal under the law, so gay couples have just as much right as heterosexual couples.
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COVER
THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK
1 - 7 July 2016
What Brexit means for Denmark and for the expats ISTOCK
As the Brits split from the EU, what will happen to the British expats? ANDREAS JAKOBSEN
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OT LONG after the UK decided to end its current relationship with continental Europe on Friday, the Danish media were awash with stories of the repercussions that Brexit will cause for Denmark. Exit on exports FOR INSTANCE, the dramatic result is expected to have an impact on Danish exports to the UK, according to the agriculture advocacy organisation Landbrug og Fødevarer (L&F). “Danish exports to the UK will be immediately affected due to the significant fall in the value of the pound,” said Frank Øland, the chief economist at L&F. “In the coming months we risk being hit by a great uncertainty that could impact growth negatively. The greatest worry, however, is the risk of administrative burdens and a toll wall that could negatively influence Danish exports to the UK in the long run.” Sterling tumble MERE SECONDS after the result was announced on Friday, the British pound fell and hit its lowest level since 1985. There are enormous sums at play here. The UK is Denmark’s fifth largest trade partner and Danish exports to the UK are worth 70 billion kroner annually – around 7 percent of its total national exports. What’s in it for the expats? BUT WHILE most institutions seem certain that the Brexit vote will spell bad news for the Danish economy, at this point it is
Bringing home the bacon? Even that’s in doubt
much harder to say how the vote will affect British expats living in Denmark. “We don’t know. We’ll know a lot more in six months,” Derek Beach, a professor at the Department of Political Science at Aarhus University, told the Copenhagen Post. Around 8,800 Brits live and work in Denmark (other estimates suggest the total number of residents, including spouses and students, is close to 14,000), and it is still hard to say exactly how the Brexit decision will affect the daily lives of the expats living here – at least until the next government has landed a trade deal, which could take take several years. British media have made gloomy predictions of an ‘expat exodus’ in the case of a Brexit, as healthcare and pension concerns drive Brits back to the UK. A la Norway or Canada? ACCORDING to Beach, depending on who will become Britain’s next prime minister in November, the next government will most likely try and negotiate a deal similar to the agreement
that either Norway or Canada has with the EU. “I think the most likely scenario is that the UK will get something like they have in Norway, where they are in, but not formally. Brits would become citizens of the European Economic Area (EEA) and would still be able to move freely within the EU. The Norway deal would be the closest to the status quo.” EEA: In the game BESIDES Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein are also members of the EEA, allowing them to be part of the EU single market. They are not part of the EU and cannot vote on EU matters, but EEA citizens may still live and work in another EU country. “A Norway-type deal is the more likely scenario. It will mean that the UK can’t vote on European law, but will still adopt laws that other countries voted for.” If a more anti-EU politician replaced David Cameron as prime minster, there’s a possibility of another scenario similar to the Canada trade deal with the EU, according to Beach. “Obviously, the issue of free
ONLINE THIS WEEK
movement within the EU has been a big issue. A deal like the one Canada has with the EU will give the UK access to the free market and limit immigration, but it will exclude a lot of financial services.” Rights protected? FOR BRITISH expats living in Denmark, it is unlikely that Denmark will strip them of any social services they acquired prior to the referendum. The law isn’t clear, but some lawyers believe that the Vienna Convention of 1969 would protect rights exercised by expats before Brexit. The question is whether the same rights will apply to newcomers in the future. However, if a EU country decides to limit the social rights of British expats, the UK may respond by limiting access to social services for the 3 million EU nationals living in the UK. “Besides, most Brits in Denmark have stayed long enough to become Danish citizens. I already know a few who will apply for citizenship, but I think they will wait at least six months,” Beach said.
FULL STORIES AT CPHPOST.DK
Stocks in freefall
Saving their bacon?
Kinnock on the charge
Tone down the rhetoric!
DANISH stocks fell by 4 percent after the news of Brexit broke on Friday, and following the weekend the shares continued to slide with the OMX Copenhagen 20, the index of Denmark’s 20 mosttraded shares, sliding by another 1.3 percent. In total, the C20 index has lost more than 6 percent of its value – roughly half the European-wide average.
SØREN Tinggaard, the deputy head of Danish Crown’s export department, has told Berlingske Business that the Brits’ beloved bacon sarnies will probably rise in price following the Brexit. If the UK can no longer afford all the back bacon and has to switch to streaky, markets in Japan, Australia or Scandinavia will step in, said Tinggaard.
STEPHEN Kinnock, the husband of former Danish PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt, has resigned from his post as parliamentary private secretary to Labour shadow minister Angela Eagle. In a letter to Jeremy Corbyn, he condemned the Labour leader’s “half-hearted lacklustre role in the Remain Campaign”. Kinnock is ninth favourite to succeed Corbyn at 25/1.
PM LARS Løkke Rasmussen has criticised the EU for using “high rhetoric” that sometimes serves to scare people away, cautioning the union should work hard to improve its own flexibility and make room to compromise following the Brexit. “It’s no use saying to the British: ‘Go to hell, now we’ll show you how a federal Europe is done right’,” he said.
Dexit on the cards?
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RIK Høgh-Sørensen, a Dansk Folkeparti MP based in northern Jutland, has given Lars Løkke Rasmussen an ultimatum: either hold a referendum on Denmark’s future membership in the EU or step down as PM.
Fighting talk CITING a Epinion poll that found 34 percent of Venstre voters would like a referendum, he condemned Rasmussen’s intent to not call one, claiming it made him unfit to lead the blue bloc. A number of other DF members back Høgh-Sørensen – including Hans Henrik Ramsgaard Sørensen, an MP in Randers, and Arne Nødgaard, the brother of one of DF’s founding members, Poul Nødgaard. No referendum! EARLIER Rasmussen had underlined his intent to not hold one. “The EU is the best way to have a say in this world we belong to, in good times and in bad times,” he said. “We can make some things better on our own, but we are stronger together.” Rasmussen conceded that Brexit had left him sad – for Europe and for Denmark. “I hope the UK still wishes to maintain close ties to the EU,” he said. “We should reflect on the British referendum, but will it lead to Denmark leaving the EU? No, it will not. Our welfare was created by the union. Denmark is not Britain.” Leader more cautious DF LEADER Kristian Thulesen Dahl praised the “brave Britons”, but said it was too early for a similar vote. “Denmark should push that Britain gets the best possible deal, and after that, it will be quite natural to ask the Danish people whether they want to go the way of the British,” Dahl told DR. Praise from left ENHEDSLISTEN political spokesperson Pernille Skipper also praised the Brexit, stating that her party would like a referendum on Denmark’s Constitution Day on 5 June 2017. “That would give us time for investigating other co-operation possibilities with the EU and allow time for a thorough and proper debate by the Danish people,” said Skipper. (CPH POST)
NEWS
1 - 7 July 2016
KU team make cancer breakthrough ISTOCK
Discovery could enable new targeted treatments LUCIE RYCHLA
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GROUP of researchers from the University of Copenhagen (KU) led by Professor Anja Groth have made a discovery that could prove significant in the battle against cancer. The team have identified a molecular mechanism that explains how a specific protein can repair DNA damage without harming healthy cells – knowledge that can be used in the development of new targeted cancer treatment. Linked to DNA “WE HAVE shown how a cellular DNA repair protein is directed to lesions in DNA via modifications of histone proteins that are bound tightly to DNA,” Groth told Medical Express following
ONLINE THIS WEEK
It could prove to be a handy observation
the publication of the results in the science journal Nature. “Cancer cells divide rapidly and experience a high load of DNA damage – without efficient repair systems these cells will die.” Costly business ACCORDING to the World
Health Organisation, the global cost of cancer was estimated to be nearly 6 trillion kroner in 2008, when about 7.6 million people died from the disease. Six years later, the annual number of cancer-related deaths had reached 8.2 million.
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FULL STORIES AT CPHPOST.DK
That’s the Chicago foray
Capital to host forum
ACCORDING to the Foreign Ministry, a number of Chicago-based delegates have already decided to invest in Danish water tech solutions following a recent visit. The delegation was impressed after visiting wastewater facilities in Marselisborg, Egå and Åby. Since 2006, water tech exports to the US have almost doubled.
COPENHAGEN is hosting next year’s Africa Energy Forum, a major conference with about 2,000 attendees. Organised by EnergyNet, the forum serves as a meeting point for energy developers and industry decision-makers regarding investment opportunities for the development of the African power sector.
Officially a uni
Exit for cage eggs
ALTHOUGH it has been called Malmö University in English and Danish for years, in Sweden it only has a status of ‘högskola’ (college) – until now. From January 2018, it will obtain official uni status, giving it greater academic freedom, opening doors to more research funds and enabling it to establish PhD programs.
FROM SEPTEMBER 1, customers at Netto and Føtex will no longer be able to buy eggs laid by caged hens. Several other supermarkets will follow suit over the next 18 months. Concerns over animal welfare and a preference for free-range eggs have hastened the change as sales have fallen by 75 percent over the last three years.
Stocking up on faeces
Wolves under focus
Ever-retiring GPs
New anti-smoking drive
Electric boat incentive
HVIDOVRE Hospital near Copenhagen is looking for healthy faeces donors who can help build a stockpile of stools to be used to fight bacteria. Faeces from healthy people has proven to be a good weapon against recalcitrant bacteria when typical antibiotics fail. Since 2014, over 60 patients at the hospital have been treated with faeces donated by family members to combat clostridium bacterium that often do not respond to common antibiotics. Demand is increasing, so Andreas Munk Petersen, the chief doctor at Hvidovre Hospital, thinks it is a good time to start a ‘faeces bank’. (RW)
IT’S BEEN four years since the sighting of the first wolf in Denmark for 200 years, but scientists remain uncertain how many are living in Denmark. Now, researchers at Aarhus University are using new methods to establish an exact figure. Dogs are used to track wolves by zoning in on any droppings, and cameras are then set up in areas that are likely to harbour the wild animal. Any pictures captured will then be uploaded to a digital database at the Natural History Museum in Aarhus. The most recent estimates suggest there are 40 wolves in Denmark. (SR)
RISING levels of dissatisfaction with working conditions, especially in rural areas, are causing more doctors to close their practices well before they reach the age of retirement, according to the Danish Medical Association (PLO). During the last four years, the percentage of GPs who have sold their practices in such a fashion has increased from 29 to 35 percent. Doctors are simply under too much pressure, contends Gunver Lillevang from the PLO. “I’m willing to bet that many doctors are keeping an eye on the upcoming wage negotiations in 2017,” she told DR. (SR)
THE DANISH national health authority, Sundhedsstyrelsen, is recommending a full-on offensive to get the entire country – especially younger people – to quit smoking. An unreleased draft of its study obtained by Politiken calls for smoking to be fought by “every means necessary”. Leif Vestergaard Pedersen the head of the cancer society Kræftens Bekæmpelse, hailed the recommendations – which include increased taxes, totally neutral packaging, more smokefree areas, increasingly restrictive laws and a better enforcement of current smoking laws – as a “breakthrough”. (RW)
THE GOVERNMENT is considering a change in legislation to promote the use of boats and ships that run on electricity. Energy interest organisation Dansk Energi (DE) praised the proposal, which would mean a lowering of taxes on the use of electricallydriven marine vessels. “It would be good for the local air quality if Copenhagen got more electric boats instead of diesel boats – and also from a climate perspective,” said Stine Leth Rasmussen, a spokesperson for DE. Copenhagen Municipality is positive over the law-change prospect, and the tour-boat industry is reportedly also on board. (CW)
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NEWS
THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK
ONLINE THIS WEEK Who’s that in Thrones! ’KLOVN’ star Frank Hvam popped up in the concluding episode of ‘Game of Thrones’ season six this week, making him the fifth Dane to appear in the series. He played an unnamed bookkeeper who Sam and Gilly meet in Oldtown. The jury’s out on whether he was dubbed.
Swimmers confirmed THE DANISH Swimming Federation has officially announced its 15-member team for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. Jeanette Ottesen, Rikke Moller Pedersen and Mie Nielsen are all ranked in the top five in the world.
NHL joy for teens THE 2016 NHL draft saw three Danish teenagers picked up: Mathias From (18, winger, signed by the Chicago Blackhawks), Nikolaj Krag Christensen (17, forward, St Louis Blues) and Joachim Blichfeld (17, winger San Jose Sharks).
1 - 7 July 2016
The Icemen cometh CHRISTIAN WENANDE
RUNNING FRI JULY 1, 18:30 ETAPE KØBENHAVN - FINAL STAGE AND PARTY AMAGER STRANDPARK, CPH S
T DOESN’T seem too long ago that the last football season ended, and with Euro 2016, there’s been little to no respite for many nations. Denmark, regrettably, missed out and is not one of them. But the ball starts rolling again on Thursday evening when Brøndby – fourth-place finishers in the Superliga last season – take on the Icelandic Cup winners Valur at Brøndby Stadium at 18:00 in the second leg of the first qualification round of the Europa League. The first leg was played on June 30.
New man in charge THE BRØNDBY players will be keen to impress new coach Alexander Zorniger, who has pledged to bring an intense pressure and attacking style to the western suburbs. The club has already shed itself of a number of players deemed surplus to requirements, and fans will be chewing at the bit to catch a glimpse of the new-look team. Valur, meanwhile, will be hoping to take a page out of their national team’s Euro 2016 heroics and stage an upset. Whatever happens, the match promises to be a physical affair. (CW)
Brilliant barista
Wimbledon debut
Mr Eller to Washington
MIKAELA Wallgren, a barista at the Coffee Collective in Torvehallerne in Copenhagen, finished runner-up at the World Brewers Cup in Dublin over the weekend. Her coffee brew was just 0.08 points off the Japanese winner Tetsu Kasuya, who won with 155.59.
THE ‘DANISH’ tennis player Julia Boserup has qualified for the main Wimbledon draw for the first ever time. Boserup, ranked 225 in the world, is actually playing for the US, where she has lived her entire life, but both her parents are Danish and she often comes to Copenhagen.
’DANISH NHL star Lars Eller has been traded by the Montreal Canadiens to the Washington Capitals. Eller, 27, was drafted by the St Louis Blues back in 2007 and has notched up 156 points over 442 NHL games for the Blues and Canadiens.
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FOOTBALL SAT JULY 2, 15:30 DANISH PENALTY CHAMPIONSHIP NYTORV, CPH K CYCLING: TV2 ON TOUR SUN JULY 3, 10:30 TOUR DE FRANCE ON BIG SCREEN MUSIKHUS PARKEN, ÅRHUS FOOTBALL: EUROPA LEAGUE THU JULY 7, 18:00 BRØNDBY IF VS FC VALUR BRØNDBY STADION
POSTCALENDERS.DK
THIS WEEK’S DATES JULY 1 HELLO THERE ‘PAGE 9’ GIRL
ON THIS day 40 years ago in 1976 the first scantily-clad young lady appeared on page 9 of the Danish tabloid Ekstra Bladet. The first ‘Side 9-pige’ (‘Page-9 girl’) was Elin Holmtoft, who was 24 at the time. Initially, the girls were supposed to appear on page 6, but that page was judged to be too lucrative for adverts. In connection with the newspaper’s centenary and falling readership numbers, the page underwent a makeover in 2004.
JULY 5 SVEND SEES THE LIGHT OF DAY
ON THIS day in 1892, Svend Lauge Koch, one of Denmark’s most famous geologists and explorers, was born in Kærby near Kalundborg in west Zealand. Koch led a total of 24 government-funded expeditions to Greenland from 1920 to the late 1950s. Among his many discoveries was the oldest known tetrapod fossil in history during a three-year expedition from 1931-34.
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BUSINESS
1 - 7 July 2016
Maersk Oil loses major oil field ISTOCK
Al Shaheen was Qatar’s biggest
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AERSK Oil has been replaced as a partner in the Al Shaheen oil field in Qatar, which accounts for 40 percent of the country’s production Maersk Oil’s contract as operator of the field expires in July 2017. The owner, Qatar Petroleum, has chosen the French firm Total as its new partner after 24 years with Maersk. Softened blow ACCORDING to Maersk Oil chief executive Jakob Thomasen, the loss will not slow the company’s growth thanks to “improved operations and major projects such as Culzean in Britain and Johan Sverdrup in Norway”. Some Maersk Oil employees in Qatar will be moved to other countries where the group operates, while the majority of the remaining employees are expected to be offered employment by the new operator.
ONLINE THIS WEEK
New Maersk head MEANWHILE, AP MøllerMaersk has a new head. Søren Skou, the CEO of Maersk Line since 2012, will replace Nils Smedegaard Andersen as chief executive on July 1. Andersen has been in charge since 2007. According to Michael Pram Rasmussen, the board chairman at Maersk Group, Skou
has “solid business understanding with extensive knowledge of the group’s various business areas and has successfully restructured the companies he has led so far”. Skou, who joined AP MøllerMaersk in 1983 and has been a member of the executive board since 2006, will also continue in his current post. (RW/LR)
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FULL STORIES AT CPHPOST.DK
IKEA dresser woes
Exhausto snapped up
IKEA US is pulling a dresser off the market due to a risk it could tip over and fall on children – a total of 27 million items. Falling IKEA dressers have killed three children in the US since the start of 2014. The Danish government has questioned why IKEA in Denmark has not followed suit. “We will not recall the dressers. Our products comply with all mandatory safety requirements,” explained Markus Ekewald, a sales manager.
FRENCH company Aldes has acquired 100 percent of Danish heat recovery ventilation firm Exhausto. The company, which has plants in Denmark and Norway, is particularly active in northern Europe – principally in Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Aldes is an international, family-owned group with more than 1,300 employees spanning 13 countries.
New Turkish route
Busy week for Maersk
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THE ISTANBUL-BASED airline Atlasglobal has started a service between Istanbul’s Atatürk airport and Kastrup. The route will be served by the airline six times a week using its A320 fleet. The route will compete with Turkish Airlines, which operates a thrice-daily operation between the two cities. Copenhagen becomes the ninth western European destination for Atlasglobal.
Vestas on the move VESTAS has outgrown its current office space on Hedegårdsvej in Copenhagen and is moving its 200 employees to the recently finished Copenhagen Towers office complex. Vestas spokesperson Christian Buhl Gregersen said that employees will be engaging in a “new way of working” without fixed seats and instead work where it makes the most sense on any given day.
Free access to 73 museums and attractions Free transport by train, bus and metro in the entire metropolitan area one adult can bring along 2 children under the age of 10 for free www.copenhagencard.com
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BUSINESS OPINION THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK
1 - 7 July 2016
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NEIL SMITH DANISH CAPITAL IN 2016 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.
Knock-on effects A LOT OF volatility is the immediate answer. Sterling fell sharply upon the news, and this will make Danish goods more expensive. In the medium term, the uncertainty is likely to lead to a fall in investment, which will have a knock-on effect on jobs and wage increases in the UK. British consumers are therefore likely to have less money to spend, which could affect Danish exporters. Uncertainty to reign IT IS CLEAR the uncertainty will last some time. Article 50 of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty requires two years’ formal notice to be given. However, the British government is in no rush to invoke this. Prime Minister David Cameron has said he will not invoke this himself, so it will fall to his successor (likely to be appointed in the autumn).
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ANISH businesses with significant interests in the UK woke up to an unpleasant surprise last Friday, with the British electorate surprisingly backing Brexit. What are the consequences of this?
Brexit will have a negative impact on Denmark
And despite various EU countries pushing for a quick resolution, there is no legal recourse to push a member out against its will. So it looks like the uncertainty will continue until the end of 2018 – and even then there is no guarantee that all the issues will have been successfully dealt with. Life goes on, but … OF COURSE, business will continue in the interim period – but the ongoing uncertainty will
undoubtedly have an impact. In the long run, much will depend upon the eventual deal agreed with the UK. Leave stated during its campaign that it would like a comprehensive free trade deal. Whether it will get this depends upon what obligations it is willing to accept. The idea, promoted in the campaign, that the UK can have full access to the single market without any corresponding obligations seems hopelessly naïve.
Blow for Denmark IN GENERAL we have entered an uncertain time for both the United Kingdom and Europe. The EU will also lose a loud, and often belligerent, voice pushing the liberalisation of markets – which Danish companies appreciate. The British electorate’s curious decision will not only restrict their own job opportunities but will negatively impact Denmark.
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HE BRITISH electorate have voted by a narrow majority to leave the European Union and Prime Minister David Cameron has reacted by announcing his resignation. Furthermore, there is internal pressure within the Labour Party Shadow Government for the Labour leader to do the same.
MARIANO A DAVIES TRADING KINGDOMS Mariano A Davies is the president & CEO of both the language learning provider Oxford Institute (oxfordinstitute. biz) and the British Chamber of Commerce in Denmark (bccd. dk). BCCD, the Danish arm of a global network of British chambers, provides networking and facilitation through events and other professional services for the business community in Denmark.
Short-term impacts THE IMMEDIATE aftermath of the leave vote sees a sell-off of UK financial assets and a sharp depreciation in Sterling. While the weaker currency provides some support to UK exports during the negotiation period, uncertainty over the future of the UK’s relationship with the EU weighs on business and consumer sentiment and depresses UK growth. Similar, but smaller impacts may be felt in a number of European economies. A potential second scenario may be that the UK referendum fuels a further bout of political and market uncertainty across the rest of Europe, reigniting debt-sustainability concerns as growth slows significantly.
Long term ramifications of Brexit still up in the air
Domestic challenges THE UK government also faces a number of specific domestic challenges. The balance of payment deficit – for 2015 as a whole, the current account deficit hit £96.2 billion (5.2 percent of the GDP), which is the widest since records began in 1948. The trade deficit – the UK trade deficit in the first quarter of 2016 was the biggest since 2008 with a clear decrease in economic growth.
Trade competitiveness – challenges include relative inflation rates, labour productivity growth, levels of infrastructure (transport), the cost of business (levels of regulation), and exchange rates. The north-south divide – a prosperous southeast and an increasingly impoverished north. Health service challenges – mounting deficits, worsening performance and declining staff morale leave the NHS facing its biggest challenges for many years.
Long-term effects THE IMPORTANT questions about the longer-term consequences of the UK leaving the EU include: how will trading patterns be affected by Brexit?; what will be the impact of Brexit on capital flows, including FDI?; how might restrictions on the free movement of people affect migration flows?, and how will this feed through to the labour market and the wider economy?; and what will regulatory freedoms mean for the business environment?
OPINION
1 - 7 July 2016
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KELLY DRAPER
You’re Still Here Kelly Draper is a British teacher who came to Denmark for work. She acts informally as a critical friend to Denmark. This has not gone down particularly well with Danes, who often tell her she should like it or leave it. Her blog is at adventuresandjapes.wordpress.com.
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ENMARK regularly comes out on top of world rankings for low corruption. While reports of police investigations into bribes of public officials are rare, other more insidious forms of corruption are widespread. These rarely make the news or even the courts, so they do not show up in the formulae that decide a country’s placing in the rankings. Lairy landlords AN EXAMPLE that most people have direct experience of is how landlords help themselves to huge rental deposits when their tenants leave. Tenants are on the hook for ridiculous redecorating expenses, whether they caused damage or not. These cases usually end with the tenant just
cutting their losses and moving on. The essential corruption of taking money for nothing is not challenged. The system encourages it. Rules about hiring and firing are not as stringent as you would expect. Nepotism is rife in most Danish firms’ hiring practices. It is not essential to advertise a job and interview all the qualified candidates, so Danish companies are infamous for hiring friends of friends. Same with firing: there are rules but there are enough loopholes that it is almost impossible to prove a case of unfairness without the employer saying something overtly discriminatory. There is nothing anyone can do about any of this, so no-one tries.
Wimpy watchdog THERE are also cases of misuse of public funds and misuse of public office that are ignored and allowed to continue unchecked. Figures are not often fact-checked by the Danish media and so civil servants and politicians can make unsubstantiated claims. The Danish media eschews investigative journalism, so when borough councils do dodgy deals for their friends, no-one says anything. It goes on unchecked. There are also tempting opportunities for volunteer-led organisations to misappropriate funds and engage in less than savoury practices. While this is lower stakes corruption than when a public official engages in similar activities, the
Turning a blind eye when it suits its interests?
lack of oversight allows too many groups of people to get away with squandering taxpayer money. And they do. But hardly anyone notices, and no-one says anything if they find out about it. Hometown courts IN FAMILY courts, the biggest asshole wins the case. All it takes are a few false allegations and the will to brainwash your child, and full custody can be yours. Or throw in a mixed couple, and the Danish courts will favour the Danish parent. This discrimina-
tion has been challenged by the EU and the UN and yet Denmark does not lift a finger. For all we know, even if these cases of corruption were recognised and tallied, Denmark would still have the most transparent society in the world. For people to be able to do anything about a problem, they need to know what it is. It just seems to me, given how passive and accepting the Danish public is about what they are told without difficult questions, there is no way of knowing how corrupt the country really is. ISTOCK
IAN BURNS
An Actor’s Life A resident here since 1990, Ian Burns is the artistic director at That Theatre Company and very possibly Copenhagen’s best known English language actor thanks to roles as diverse as Casanova, Shakespeare and Tony Hancock.
I
COULDN’T vote in Brexit because I’ve lived outside the UK for more than 15 years. And today I sit here in a state of shock and dismay wondering how many of my fellow Brits have a nagging sense of “What have I done?” The UK is now officially in a state of flux. By abroad divided THIS WAS a democratic exercise I was reminded by one of my oldest friends who told me to “accept it and to get on with it for the good of the nation”. The result of this narrowly fought and acrimonious referendum is that it has set us against each other, dividing us 52-48. The younger generation feels let
down, as it was mainly older people who voted for a future they don’t want. At a stroke, 27 possible places to go and work will be denied them. For decades confined to the economic scrap heap, the traditional working classes voiced their anger at the ruling elite. But together they have cast Europe, refugees, foreigners and Muslims as their scapegoats. Immigrants are only welcome if they are good at sport or medicine or are rich. Another criticism aimed at me was that I had no right to voice my opinion as I’ve chosen to live in Denmark for 26 years. Well, I am married with two lovely boys and like to think that
in my own small way I’ve tried to promote what’s best about the UK – namely producing excellent British theatre. Porkie pie patriotism THIS RESULT has depressed me. The jingoistic refrain eagerly expressed as the outers celebrate has come as a bit of a shock. Their mantra now is “We’ve got our country back!” and “We don’t want the Germans telling us what to do.” I can already hear the dulcet tones of some of our football fans chanting “Fuck off Brussels!” The out campaign was characterised by lies on a huge scale. Already some of the promises made by the out team have been
Even WC, on this poster and the five pound note, couldn’t deter them
reneged upon. The main one is that the 350 million pounds we pay each week to Brussels won’t be spent on rebuilding the NHS. Nigel Farage now concedes that figure was “a mistake”. Many believe the NHS will be privatised sooner rather than later. Drifting on sea of tears IN THE tempest our island race is now sailing through, David Cameron’s emotional resignation speech was aptly full of nautical references. He says the ship needs a new leader to negotiate
terms with the EU. Who will that be? The polls suggest Boris Johnson or Teresa May. But do they really want to be the one who picks up this poisoned chalice? Cameron’s legacy is a divided nation, a divided party and a divided Europe. He’s a PM who gambled everything on this referendum and lost. We are in unchartered waters ladies and gentles. It might take years for these wounds to heal and we will need steady heads to see us through.
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THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK
1 - 7 July 2016
ABOUT TOWN
PHOTOS BY HASSE FERROLD
The British Embassy held a garden tea party complete with national favourites including fish ‘n’ chips, pork pies and Eton mess to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday (the official one, not the actual one) on June 9. Providing the entertainment was Hamlet Live – pictured centre left are Polonius (Ian Burns) and Ophelia (Antonia Pipaluk Stahnke) – from Kronborg Castle. Also among those in attendance were (centre right: left-right) British ambassador Vivien Life, US deputy ambassador Karl Stoltz and US ambassador Rufus Gifford; and (right: left-right) Ambassador Life, actress Vivienne McKee, Copenhagen Post managing editor Ben Hamilton and Macedonian ambassador Naim Memeti
The United States on June 22 celebrated Independence Day – no, not the release of the movie, although it did come out last week – but its own July 4, Uncle Sam occasion with a massive fanfare of speeches, food, drinks, music and marching personnel. Proceedings started with Caroline Henderson singing the Star Spangled Banner (left) with US ambassador Rufus Gifford (left) offering able support. Among those present were (centre right) actor Mads Mikkelsen and the minister of culture, Bertel Haarder; and (right) the transport minister, Hans Christian Schmidt, and Swiss ambassador Benedikt Wechsler
The members of International Club Copenhagen were invited to a garden reception at the Armenian Embassy on June 16 in honour of a visit from Karen Mirzoyan, the foreign minister of Nagorno Karabakh (centre left, pictured with Armenian ambassador Hrachya Aghajanyan), a disputed region that Armenia and Azerbaijan have been holding peace talks over since 1994. Guests were treated to cuisine and a performance by the Danish choir Vox Viva (right)
The Swedish Embassy co-organised an event in Sankt Annae Plads in Copenhagen on June 2 to promote the traditions and flavours of Scania (Skåne)
Indian ambassador Rajeev Shahare (centre left) was among those in attendance at ‘100 Smart Cities’, a seminar on Indian business opportunities at Asia House on June 8. Also present was Peter Taksøe-Jensen (centre right), Denmark’s ambassador to India
Argentine chargé d’affaires Marcelo Pujo (centre) was the host as his country celebrated its bicentenary of independence on June 24 at his residence. Among Pujo’s guests were Brazilian ambassador Carlos Paranhos (right)
MARKETPLACE
1 - 7 July 2016
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Lecture by John Adams, CSB New York, USA Saturday April 9th 2016 3:00 p.m. in English and 4:30 p.m. in Danish (free entrance) Hotel Imperial – Vester Farimagsgade 9, 1606 CPH V John Adams is an international lecturer, teacher andpractitioner of Christian Science. He was healed of serious drug abuse by studying Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. This started his healing mission. THE LECTURE IS SPONSORED BY THE CHURCH OF CHRIST SCIENTIST IN COPENHAGEN - KRISTENVIDENSKAB.DK
Join the American Club in Copenhagen, and take part in our exciting and interesting events and excellent networking opportunities! This is a great way to meet others from the international community in Copenhagen! For further information: www.americanclub.dk or contact Vibeke Henrichsen at 3961 7375
Living Church is an international church family – a visionary congregation with a genuine passion for God. Our worship is joyful and vibrant. You will find a church family and a home with us. Sunday Service 12:00 with Children’s Church (ages 2-14); Home Groups Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday Femagervej 39, 2650 Hvidovre (Close to Hvidovre Station) For more information see: www.levendekirke.com; facebook.com/levendekirke
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THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK
1 - 7 July 2016
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CULTURE-BOX.COM
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Travel around South America at Malmo People’s Park, experiencing all rhythms from that continent–salsa, cumbia, reggaeton etc, sampling Latin delicacies, taking part in various activities (July 2, 10:00–July 3, 21:00; Amiralsgatan 35, Malmö; free adm)
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MALMO PEOPLE’S PARK FB PAGE
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Small independent brewery Amager Brewery is releasing this year’s beer selection. You can sample a wide variety of beer on tap, pick your favourite and take them home in bottles. There will also be hot dogs and music (July 2, 12:00-16:00; Egensevej 25, Kastrup)
You’re invited to observe Eid al-Fitr (‘festival of breaking of the fast’) with the Islamic community at Valbyparken. The celebration offers a wide variety of characteristic food, books, clothing and henna tattoos. There’re also fun rides for kids of all ages (July 5, 09:00– July 6, 15:00; Tudsemindevej 39, Cph SV; wakf.com)
Music nightclub Culture Box will be jammed with a solid line-up of international and local artists including Martinez and Louis Petri. If you’re not at Roskilde, you definitely shouldn’t miss this one (July 2, 23:00–11:00; Kronprinsessegade 54, Cph K; 60kr, tickets sold at the door; culture-box.com)
Bachata into a cheerful summer Friday evening at Dansepladsen in Fælledparken. The night starts with an introduction lesson and dancers of all levels are welcome. The event is on every Friday until August 5 (July 1, 19:00-23:00; at the corner of Edel Sauntes Allé and Øster Allé, Cph Ø; free adm)
Indian festival Ratha Yatra celebrates the best of the country’s culture! The program includes traditional music and singing, lectures about Vedic culture, Odissi dance performances, colourful activities in the children’s tent and free vegetarian meals (July 2, 14:0020:00; Nytorv, Cph K; festivalofindia.dk)
Summer Yoga in Absalon will bring the sun inside. Experience calmness and flexibility of body and mind, work on your classical yoga, dynamic variations and deep stretching (July 4, 10:00; Absalon, Sønder Boulevard 73, Cph V; 50kr) ALESSANDRA PALMITESTA
Let’s dance some samba! Suited to beginners, this one-month workshop will teach lots of choreographies while introducing participants to a great dance community (July 5, 18:0020:00; DGI Byen, Tietgensgade 65, Cph V; 250kr/4 lessons)
At this dance workshop, Lacina Coulibaly, a choreographer from Burkina Faso, will inspire dialogue and creativity, bringing together artists from different parts of the globe (July 1, 16:00-19:00; Pasteursvej 20, Cph V; 200kr, members DH free adm; billetto.dk)
COURTESY OF RATHA YATRA 2015
Copenhagen Contemporary’s summer program includes Carsten Nicolai and his light and sound installation ‘Unidisplay’; the art and design duo Pettersen & Hein and Yoko Ono’s art installation ‘Wish Tree Garden’ (June 30, 16:00- 18:00; Trangravsvej 10–12, Cph K; free adm)
Enjoy delicious street food on the quay in front of Fisketorvet! The stunning views of Copenhagen’s canals on Friday summer evenings is the perfect framework for this yummy street food event series (July 1, 11:30-20:00; Fisketorvet, Entrance B, outside the quay, Kalvebod Brygge 59, Cph V)
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Experience Syrian hospitality and cuisine at Cinemateket, and see how different ingredients are used in the Middle East. Profits will support war refugees in Greece (July 1, 12:00; Gothersgade 55, Cph JUNYI QI K; free adm)
SCHOOLS
1 - 7 July 2016
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INOUT:FILM
THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK
1 - 7 July 2016
Jake kills it as an unorthodox southpaw MARK WALKER FILM EDITOR
DEMOLITION Dir: Jean Marc Vallée; US drama, 2015, 101 mins; Jake Gyllenhaal, Naomi Watts, Chris Cooper, Judah Lewis PREMIERED JUNE 30 PLAYING EMPIRE BIO
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HE LAST time we saw Jake Gyllenhaal in cinemas was in Antoine Fuqua’s Southpaw, which also dealt with the grief of a man losing his wife. Donnie D delivers again IN THAT film, the protagonist was a boxer who’s life unravelled following his loss and we spent the film watching every painful step he took back to the top. Despite its conventions, that film was eminently watchable, in a large part thanks to Gyllenhaal’s performance – and the same is certainly true here. Gyllenhaal is not only one of the most interesting artists working in cinema, but he takes admirable risks too, preferring to stay on the fringes of Hollywood. Most recently, Enemy and Prisoners, both collaborations with the Ca-
AT CINEMAS FOR BRITS seeking to escape the Brexit hysteria and what some are labelling the systematic dismantling of the European Union, you’re unlikely to have your anxiety soothed by Demolition. Following the tragic death of his wife in an automobile accident, an investment banker discovers he has a penchant for smashing things to pieces. The director’s previous films, Wild and Dallas Buyers Club, scored highly with us – see how this one fared in this week’s review. The only other (English language) release this week is a CIA spin on the buddy cop genre starring Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Kevin Hart. Central Intelligence concerns a pair of old school pals who reunite via Facebook,
nadian Denis Villeneuve, and Nightcrawler, Dan Gilroy’s searingly brilliant satire of television journalism, have been some of the most compellingly atypical cinema of late. Demolition from Jean Marc Vallée (Dallas Buyers Club) continues that trend. In grief he became a Luddite INVESTMENT banker Davis loses his wife in a terrible car accident. While all around him, people are falling apart from grief, Davis is unmoved, strangely disconnected from his immediate environment. For much of the film he floats across the screen seemingly unhindered by gravity or reality. He complains to his doctor of a mysterious numbness around his head and chest that he has endured for over a decade. Immediately following his wife’s death he becomes obsessed by a malfunctioning candy vendor in the hospital and promptly writes a letter to the firm responsible for the machines, demanding a refund, but ends up embellishing the complaint with, amongst other things, an admission that he had never loved his wife. Many more letters follow, leading to a curious relationship with a single mother Karen (Watts), of the firm’s customer services operatives, and her son Chris (Lewis).
Dismantled before our eyes DEMOLITION describes a man who has allowed himself to become cut off from his own instincts. He’s enabled this with his own passivity as structures were being built around him, such as a house that he hates, a career in his father-in-law’s banking firm that was arranged for him, and a marriage to a woman he never loved. When we first meet him, it’s pertinent that he’s sitting in the passenger seat while his wife drives. Piece by piece, we see him revisit his life, putting this all together. The titular Demolition comes both literally and
of whom one may or may not be a rogue CIA agent. Reviews have been middling. At Gloria you can still see the excellent Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures documentary that does a commendable job of summarising the life and times of controversial American photographer Robert Mapplethorpe – screenings start at 14:30 and 19:00. Over at Cinemateket (dfi. dk/Filmhuset) there’s the continuing season of films by the late Polish master Krzytof Kieslowski and plenty to recommend in the Fik du set set, du ville? season – a second chance showcase for the best of last year’s cinema that you may have missed first time around. This coming week there’s Denis Villeneuve’s Oscar-nominated Sicaro (Fri
21:15) in which an FBI agent (Emily Blunt) has her idealistic take on the War on Drugs tested when she’s posted at the US/Mexico border; Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (Sat 16:45) is a dramedy that follows high school friends after one is diagnosed with cancer; and Louder Than Bombs (Sat 21:15) from Norway’s Joachim Trier – his first feature in the English language is a powerful existential drama. At Vester Vov Vov, you can catch Heart of a Dog (vestervovvov.dk) – a documentary ode to a terrier by Swedish musician and performance artist Laurie Anderson. The film has been incredibly well received, with many critics hailing it as something utterly unique in cinema. Screenings are at 15:30 every day and tickets are 80kr. (MW)
“Excuse me sir, but if it’s Tivoli o’cock, then it’s a yes please”
metaphysically when Davis develops a penchant for dismantling things – this starts with his refrigerator and evolves into destroying houses with a sledgehammer. Does it best to demolish itself LIKE MUCH of Gyllenhaal’s recent output, Demolition should be credited for finding an unusual approach to its subject. It manages to tell the story of a man dealing with grief without wallowing in the emotions. Instead the film tackles the mourning process in an intelligent, analytical way that differs greatly from Southpaw, but los-
es little in humour and heart. There are several touching and funny moments, particularly between Davis and Karen’s teenage son Chris, who himself is undergoing a metamorphosis. As the demolitions progress, Davis finds freedom in honesty. Lies he told, both big and small, to others and himself, are also gradually dismantled. It’s a shame then that in this fairly sophisticated study, its final moments are rendered awkward, culminating in an unnecessarily feel-good freeze frame (à la Rocky) that seems entirely at odds with the careful work that came before.
“I don’t care if you weren’t in Tower Heist, you’re going off ”
INOUT:TV
1 - 7 July 2016
THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK
THE AMERICAN WEST SVT2, SUN 21:45
PICK OF THE WEEK
ROBERT Redford has always held an affinity with The American West partly thanks to his involvement in the likes of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, A River Runs Through It and The Horse Whisperer. Bob’s stagecoach love affair rumbles on in this eight-part series that explores some of the most renowned characters who roamed the rolling prairies and border towns during of one of America’s
It was an era of guns first and buns later
THERE was no escaping Pablo Escobar in Colombia during the 1980s, and now there’s no way to avoid him on the telly with countless series documenting the depressing details of his life – maybe he was ahead of his time and better suited to a life in pre-crash Wall Street or post-Brexit Britain? Leading the way this week (is it his birthday? we hope not, DR) is The Two Escobars, “a riveting examination of the intersection of sports, crime, and politics” accord-
ing to the LA Film Festival that juxtaposes his life with the unfortunate defender murdered for scoring an own goal at the 1994 World Cup. The 2010 doc Pablo’s Hippos (DR2, Thu 23:05) then completes the overview of the absurdity of this man’s life. It makes Lance Armstrong’s look blameless in Stop at Nothing (DR2, Tue 20:45). Elsewhere, we’ve got S2 of Happy Valley (SVT1, Mon 21:00) and Indian Summers
(SVT1, Sat 21:35); the premiere of Dennis Leary’s drama series Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll (all week on 3+ from Thu 30 June, 00:50) expected a few arched eyebrows as Basil nearly Eighty digests Danish humour in Jan Gintberg meets John Cleese (DRK, Fri 19:25); How the rich live longer (DR2, Mon 20:45) will make you rethink your daily fry-up; and The Murder Detectives (DR2, Mon-Thu 23:05) is a gripping doc series. (BH)
She’s 26 going on 13 ... normally it’s the other way round
DR2, Fri 23:05 The Two Escobars
NO, THIS isn’t some fumble behind the bikeshed involving girls who should still be playing with their Barbie. The protagonist is a 26-yearold snatched as a teenager who was denied a normal development. With 71 on Metacritic, the critics were impressed with this British miniseries – or at
UEFA.COM
SPORT OF THE WEEK TV2, from Sat 12:10 Tour de France
TV3 Sport 1 & 2, all week Wimbledon
FILM OF THE WEEK
DR3, Thu 21:45 Snowpiercer
least in the US! “Jodie Comer’s performance – as a 26-year-old stunted as a 13-year-old – is beautiful,” praised the Boston Herald. “She can be endearing, mystifying and aggravating, sometimes in the same moment. She’ll keep you coming back to a mystery that grows darker with every revelation.” (BH)
WIMBLEDON.COM
JOSH HALLETT
BAGSY the armchair for the Tour de France, timed every year to coincide with the start of the Danish working man’s holidays. Wimbledon and Euro 2016, meanwhile, are reaching the business end, heading into the quarter-finals (Tue & Wed 13:00, women’s and men’s; ThuSun 21:00) and then the semis respectively (Thu & Fri 13:00; Wed & Thu 21:00). (BH)
The police want to establish they’re not to blame
most interesting and violent eras. It offers unique insight into the unforgiving frontier mayhem prevalent following the Civil War and up until the West was ultimately won … or lost, depending on the viewpoint. Each episode focuses on a legendary figure, from the lawman Wyatt Earp and notorious outlaws Jesse James and Billy the Kid to the blood-thirsty General Custer and the heart-wrenching demise of Native American leaders Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse. CHRISTIAN WENANDE
ALSO NEW
THIRTEEN
COMING SOON
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TV3, Sun 21:00 The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
TV3, Fri 23:15
A Case of You
DR1 & TV2, all week ...Euro 2016
WITH THE Euros still going strong, A Case of You, Admission (TV3, Fri 21:00) and Extract (DR3, Sat 20:50) should tick the footy-abhorring, romcom-hoarding brigade. But for an unexpected buzz, climb on board Snowpiercer, while The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is a safe bet for a well-arced journey, even if it is somewhat predictable. (BH)
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THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK
1 - 7 July 2016
Learn DANISH in the centre of COPENHAGEN At Studieskolen we help students break down the wall between their own culture and the Danish way of life. We are language teachers! Our new Danish courses start July 4th and August 15th.
The pace is fast and you learn a lot quickly. Register today and you will get close to Danish culture in no time. Read more at studieskolen.dk.
DANISH FOR FOREIGNERS