CPH Post 19 October - 5 November 2020

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At the heart of what is sacred in this country, let’s crack the code of the Danish birthright

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Diplomacy Magazine’s autumn edition touches base with the ambassadors of Uruguay and the US

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DANISH NEWS IN ENGLISH VOL 23 ISSUE 14

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CPHPOST.DK 19 Oct - 5 Nov 2020

LOCAL

Swan off to the sticks!

Scooters no longer welcome here, warns City Hall

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POLITICS The biggest casualty of #MeToo so far is ...

4 CULTURE

Porn in Borgen?

Parliament office home to exhibition of nude photos

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BUSINESS India deal a boon for Danish energy expertise

10 ON STAGES

Tales of isolation Autumn theatre season couldn’t be more apt

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Mette’s Trump concerns

More English courses

Tornado hits suburb

Huge cuts at Maersk

PM METTE Frederiksen condemned the “harsh words” of the US Presidential Debate, before offering her best wishes to Donald Trump and his wife Melania, after they both contracted the coronavirus. Danish researchers suggested he had a 10-20 percent chance of dying, but he swiftly recovered. According to the polls, 80 percent of Danes hope he loses the election.

THE UNIVERSITY of Copenhagen has a policy in consultation to provide more English-language tuition to better prepare graduates “for an increasingly globalised job market”. Its main focus will be master’s courses relating to job markets primarily in English. Danish students will accordingly be offered courses to improve their academic English.

THE COPENHAGEN suburb of Albertslund was hit by a tornado on the afternoon of Friday September 25. One house had its roof blown off and it left a trail of destruction nearing two km in length, but no injuries were reported. It was judged to be of the category EF-0 to EF-1, in which wind speeds can reach up to 170km per hour.

DESPITE upgrading its 2020 expectations due to strong demand, Maersk intends to cut 2,000 jobs as part of an organisational restructuring strategy. In related news, the shipper is Denmark’s biggest company in terms of turnover, according to Berlingske’s ‘Top 1,000’ report with annual revenue of 259 billion kroner. Novo Nordisk (122) came second.

Don’t ignore it Bro!

Low mortality rate!

‘Mole’ fallout immense

Animal brothel prank

NØRREBRO is one of the coolest neighbourhoods in the world, according to Time Out magazine. It ranked 28th overall and was praised for its great culinary, music and bar options. In related news, Copenhagen is the world’s 17th most expensive city to live in, according to Housing Anywhere’s 2020 list.

It ranked second dearest for restaurants. San Francisco topped the list.

DESPITE the coronavirus death toll of over 600, Denmark’s mortality rate over the first seven and a half months of the year hit its lowest rate since 2015, according to the State Serum Institute.

COVID-19 restrictions have proven effective, it concluded, in countering influenza and a range of other viruses.

THE PROTAGONIST in Mads Brügger’s new documentary, 'The Mole – undercover in North Korea', has been summoned by the UN to answer questions about alleged UN sanction violations committed by the rogue state.

Retired chef Ulrich Larsen reveals how North Korea sent delegates to Copenhagen in 2019 as part of a prospective arms deal.

RUSSIAN satire duo Vovan and Lexus were behind the prank call to Parliament’s high-security foreign policy committee recently.

Somebody pretending to be Belarusian opposition figure Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, with a broken PC camera, spoke to the committee for 25 minutes before suddenly asking about the country’s “many animal brothels”.

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LOCAL

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

19 October - 5 November 2020

Scooter pavement ban on the way

ONLINE THIS WEEK COPENHAGEN’S plans to open a state-of-the-art skating rink near Østre Gasværk Theatre in Østerbro are on course. Scheduled to open in March 2021, the rink is part of significant expansion plans in the area, which include new private and affordable housing, an elderly care centre, a parking area and lots of green park and recreation areas.

Portable pools THE CAPITAL has its first mobile dipping zone. Particularly suited to winter bathing, it has a 6x6 metre octagonal construction and is fitted with a bottom.

Another slightly larger one will be ready later this autumn.

Hire companies seeking leeway in meeting next week

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OI, TIER and Lime, the three dominant scooter companies in the capital, expressed their disappointment last week after City Hall banned the rental of their vehicles from pavements and squares in large parts of the city.

City Hall will only permit the hire of scooters from designated shops, with the users obliged to return them afterwards.

The rental companies remain committed to finding a solution to retaining a presence in Copenhagen, ahead of a meeting of the relevant parties on October 20.

Slow to take action PREVIOUSLY, the trio, follow-

Two fatal shootings

Pakistani fightback THE CORONAVIRUS rate has plummeted among the Pakistani community in Copenhagen from 25 percent of all new infections to just 3 percent.

The Danish-Pakistani Council worked hard with mosques to stop the spread.

Hooligan arrests POLICE recently arrested 13 people in connection with a large street brawl in Vesterbro on July 12 following a Brøndby IF vs FC Copenhagen game.

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Sunk with its owner

DRAGØR Municipality, the home of Copenhagen Airport, still has no confirmed cases of coronavirus. In other local COVID-19 news, four individuals stand accused of fraudulently claiming 1.5 million kroner in salary compensation at Glostrup Court, driving tests have resumed, and Vestegnen youths are the most at risk of infection.

MONTMARTRE Jazz Club hopes to reopen in November after a rescue package was found thanks to both private and public donations. The funds secure its future until 2024.

result in continued charges until the scooter is picked up.

Voi acknowledges it has been too slow to take action – particularly given the number that end up discarded casually on pavements, squares and even in the city’s canals. (CW)

CHRISTIAN WENANDE

Editorial offices: International House, Gyldenløvesgade 11, 1600 Copenhagen Denmark

CHRISTIANIA has cancelled its Christmas market, a fixture since the 1970s, due to coronavirus restrictions.

ing Voi’s lead, had agreed that it would no longer be possible to use their scooters after midnight at the weekends or park in the city centre.

Additionally, special zones were proposed for the inner-city areas, and failure to do so would

The Amarmino is a new 24 km hiking path from DR Byen to Dragør

A CHRISTIANSHAVN houseboat, previously used by the now closed Michelin star restaurant 108, recently sank.

Xmas market cancelled

Last year’s ‘most wanted’ is this year’s ‘wanted’

Pilgrimage across the wilds of Amager

AST WEEK, a new 24 km hiking path marked by tear-drop shaped markings – which stretches the length of Amager through a birch forest, a bird-sanctuary and large beach meadows – was opened.

The Amarmino – a nod to the famous Spanish pilgrimage – will take walkers through the island's beautiful and varied landscapes, from DR Byen in the north to Dragør in the south.

No cases in Dragør

Lazarus act completion

GUILLAUME BAVIERE

THE CAPITAL has sustained two fatalities in gang-related shootings in the last month.

A 20-year-old man, the owner of Salon Ørn, was killed on Mørkhøjvej in Brønshøj on September 29, and an 18-year-old student with no gang links was shot in the head on Dirch Passers Allé in Frederiksberg on September 11. Two teenagers have been charged with his murder.

NEWS ØRESUND

New rink on course

ONLINE THIS WEEK

Trolling to stop And to think some people still call it the ‘Shit Island’

Wild horses IN OTHER nature news related to the city, four wild horses have been released in Amager to graze with the free-roaming Scottish highland cattle.

And the Danish Society for Nature Conservation has entered into a collaboration with Copenhagen Municipality to encourage its residents to boost the capital's biodiversity.

THOMAS Dambo has unleashed yet another troll - this time in Stejlepladsen in Sydhavn.

‘Ivan Evigvår, the smallest so far at a measly 320 cm in height, is his tenth and final troll for the capital.

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POLITICS

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

19 October - 5 November 2020

Finally making the cut … on Al-Qaeda’s Hit-list

KAUKAB TAHIR SHAIRANI

R

ASMUS Paludan, the leader of the far-right political party Stram Kurs, has lambasted Danish media for ignoring his inclusion on the infamous Al-Qaeda Hit-list – which pretty much makes this story an exclusive, if his claims are to be believed.

"Very recently Al-Qaeda called on all Muslims to kill those named on the list including me," the lawyer told CPH POST. "French, Finnish and other European newspapers wrote about it, but Danish media refrained.”

24-hour protection ON SEPTEMBER 25, knife attacks on Charlie Hebdo staff in Paris – the satirical magazine is a longtime entry on the hit-list – raised the threat level, according to Paludan.

"The security services have upgraded my safety until they figure out whether or not there is a connection between the attack and being on the list," he said.

According to Paludan, this includes a 24-hour bodyguard service.

Swedish entry issues IN THE meantime, Paludan is adamant that being on the hit-list will not impact his mobility: “I've been under threat from Muslim terror groups for a long time.”

Nevertheless, Sweden has done its best to curtail his movements, preventing him from entering the country, where he wanted

FUNKMONK

Rasmus Paludan may have missed out on winning a seat in Parliament, but his efforts have not gone unnoticed

Inclusion explains extra security, contends Paludan

to protest that its immigration policy is a threat to the security of Denmark. In his absence, delegates burned the Koran at various rallies, including one in Malmo, which ended in a riot.

However, Paludan has applied for a passport as one of his parents is Swedish, and the Swedish migration board has already indicated his application is being processed.

Aware of the threat PALUDAN is aware of the dangers of going to Sweden, as it has a large Muslim population,

and it will be up to the country’s security services to protect him.

"If I were to travel to China, for instance, I believe there will be little security, as the risk of being killed in China is low because there are hardly any Muslims there," he said.

Other Nordic members on the Al-Qaeda Hit-list include Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard, who drew the ‘bomb in a turban’ Mohammed cartoon, and Swedish artist Lars Vilks, whose presence in Copenhagen led to its 2015 Terror Shootings.

Morten: Yes … and Yes ... me too again

#MeToo movement gathering momentum as Morten Østergaard resigns as leader of Radikale after admitting to sexually harassing student … and at least three other women CHRISTIAN WENANDE

M

ORTEN Østergaard, who recently resigned as the leader of Radikale after owning up to inappropriately groping Radikale MP Lotte Rod in 2011, has taken sick leave.

According to Radikale’s new

leader Sofie Carsten Nielsen, this will postpone an investigation into three unresolved harassment claims made against Østergaard, which he admitted to on October 9, two days after resigning. One was an intern he harassed in 2016.

Nielsen denies covering up for him, even though she recently told DR she knew there were harassment claims before Østergaard's resignation – with prominent Radikale politician Ida Auken contending she has known for years.

Nielsen contends that the women should, at the very least, get

ONLINE THIS WEEK

feedback in the meantime. Not contacting them, she told DR, would be "unacceptable".

It was me all along ØSTERGAARD had previously denied sexually harassing her when Rod went public with the case without naming who was responsible, claiming it had been dealt with internally with a verbal warning and exclusion of ministerial posts in the future. Østergaard was outspoken about the foreign minister Jeppe Kofod sleeping with a 15-year-

old some 12 years ago, saying he should have been given a ministerial position.

The developments come in the wake of 322 current and former female politicians signing a letter that they have been a victim of, or a witness to, sexism in Danish politics. It included 79 personal accounts.

However, several well known politicians, including Nye Borgerlige leader Pernille Vermund and Venstre acting chair Inger Støjberg, have said that the #MeToo movement has already gone too far.

Ghetto List timeout?

RIGHT-WING party Dansk Folkeparti has called for a timeout regarding the Ghetto List, an annual line-up of Denmark’s most vulnerable neighbourhoods, as recent measures do not appear to be working.

Konservative success KONSERVATIVE is now the third most popular party in Parliament with 10.6 percent of the voters – its highest share since March 2010. It has been taking support away from the leading Blue Bloc party, Venstre (17.7).

PM out in time PM METTE Frederiksen came out of a coronavirus quarantine, following a trip to Brussels, to deliver her address at the opening of Parliament on October 7. The pandemic dominated her speech.

Ambassador summoned JUST DAYS after reports confirmed the government is cracking down on imams who propagate Sharia Law divorce documents, Iranian ambassador Afsaneh Nadipour was summoned to the Foreign Ministry to explain her embassy’s involvement in such cases.

Efterløn deal agreed THE GOVERNMENT has reached an early retirement agreement with support from its left bloc allies, which will enable worn-out workers to quit work before the national retirement age. The ‘efterløn’ will come into effect in 2022.

INTERNATIONAL

19 October - 5 November 2020

Pandemic on PM’s mind at UN Aid vindication FACEBOOK/METTE FREDERIKSEN

If the UN had known that Antonio Banderas was coming ...

Mette Frederiksen puts Denmark forward as leader in the fight against climate change CHRISTIAN WENANDE

D

ENMARK is ready to play its role," Mette Frederiksen declared in her speech to the UN's General Assembly on September 25, in which she put the country forward as a leader in the fight against climate change.

"We are ready to take the lead," she said, referring to the UN's sustainable development goals and the Paris Agreement, outlining Denmark's plans to reduce emissions by 70 percent "in the years to come".

"We insist on using the [coronavirus] pandemic as a wake-up call," she added.

ambitions" are urgently needed.

She drew attention to the huge financial assistance Denmark has provided to some of the most vulnerable communities, and she questioned whether the pandemic risked turning back the clock on the fight for gender equality.

In reference to Denmark's policy of disincentivising immigration, she called for an updated asylum system that "is more fair and actually also more humane".

Global co-operation FREDERIKSEN stressed the growing need for global co-operation at a time when the world faces more challenges than ever before, urging that "political leadership and high

Domestic failings IN RELATED news, refugee and migrant children do worse at school in Denmark than any other Nordic country, according to a new report from the Nordic CAGE project.

For refugees arriving at a late school age, the school drop-out rate is over 30 percent: almost twice what it is in Sweden.

In light of the findings, researchers have suggested a re-evaluation of national policies regarding the education of refugees in order to maintain the twin principles of educational quality and equality.

New embassy in Iraq

Aid to Albania

A DANISH embassy is expected to open in Baghdad in the autumn as part of Denmark heading NATO’s mission in Iraq at the end of the year. In turn, the embassy in Malaysia will close.

DENMARK is loaning 30 respirators to Albania to help it treat COVID-19 patients. In related news, Denmark has pledged 22.4 million kroner in extraordinary aid to Greece following the fires that ravaged the Moria refugee camp, signed a draft declaration signalling support for the reforms undertaken by the Sudanese transitional government, and agreed to send around 25 communications specialists to Afghanistan as part of NATO’s Resolute Support Mission.

More approval for pipeline THE DANISH Energy Agency has given Nord Stream 2 pipeline permission to operate once it has been laid over the Danish seabed in the Baltic – a construction project it had already approved.

ONLINE THIS WEEK

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WHO aid doubled

A GOVERNMENT-COMMISSIONED study by PEM Consult vindicates the state’s 2015 decision to change the way it gave aid to developing countries by investing in development co-operation, thus encouraging sustainable growth by collaborating with the public authorities. Since then, it has spent just under 200 million kroner – money well spent, concludes the study.

IN 2021, DENMARK’S contribution to the international development branch of the World Health Organisation will be doubled to 70 million kroner. In related news, Søren Brostrøm, the head of the Danish health authority, has been nominated as a candidate for the WHO’s executive board.

Tough on Belarus

IN COLLABORATION with COWI, the Greater Copenhagen Committee, which oversees an area encompassing the Danish capital region and most of southern Sweden, has adopted a new charter with goals and frameworks for co-operation on climate and green change.

DENMARK has been vocal in the EU’s refusal to recognise Aleksandr Lukashenko as the leader of Belarus, and it was quick to condemn Cyprus for refusing to endorse sanctions unless the EU ushers in sanctions against Turkey for drilling for gas near the Cypriot coast. The foreign minister, Jeppe Kofod, called the move “completely unacceptable”.

Warship collision A RUSSIAN warship was involved in a collision in Danish waters near the Øresund Bridge on September 23 in heavy fog. On its journey to Gothenburg from St Petersburg, it collided with the 145-metre long freighter ‘Ice Rose’ just south of the Drogden Channel.

New charter

Home to Russian culture DENMARK will host the ‘Russian Seasons’ culture festival in 2022. It was confirmed after a meeting between the foreign minister, Jeppe Kofod, and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, during which Kofod complained about Russia’s recent violation of Danish airspace. Meanwhile, Kofod has also met the French foreign minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, and two of his cabinet colleagues.

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NATIONAL

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

Confidence in corona controls contracting PIXABAY

Nevertheless, second wave could be diminishing faster than elsewhere, according to recent figures BEN HAMILTON

A

N ONGOING Aarhus University study of the public’s perception of the government’s handling of the Coronavirus Crisis, based on the daily responses of 500 participants since May 13, reveals that attitudes have changed of late.

Initially, they were proud of the government’s response, but now they feel that its direction has been less effective, more costly and more difficult to adhere to.

Many question the current restrictions – which advocate working from home, prohibit gatherings of more than 50, require all bar and restaurant visitors to wear facemasks whilst standing, and require all venues to shut by 22:00 – which are in force until October 30.

And many cite the lower death rate, as most of the cases now being registered amongst young people. This is reflected in hospital admissions, with the under-45s accounting for 28.3 percent, the 46-69 bracket 37 percent, and over-70s just 34.8 percent – down from 54 percent in April.

Bubble and grief SCEPTICISM soared when the Statens Serum Institut suggested that people should only interact with five to ten others in ‘social bubbles’ throughout the autumn, although it conceded it was “not super sharp on the concept”.

But a day later the Sundhedsstyrelsen health authority rejected the SSI's recommendations, reminding the public that they

More vulnerable MENTALLY-HANDICAPPED kids are three more times likely to be sexually abused than kids who are not, according to a VIVE report based on 8,000 police reports concerning children aged 7-18 between 2001 and 2012.

Could be a fishing crisis FISHING rights continue to be the subject of difficult discussions between the UK and the EU following Brexit.

Failure to reach a deal could jeopardise a sector that supports 16,000 jobs. Last year Danish fishermen caught 3.3 billion kroner's worth of fish. Meanwhile, 30 million kroner has been earmarked for making the maritime industry greener.

He’s an ugly little bastard, isn’t he

should follow its advice, not the SSI’s.

But the restrictions appear to be working.

It’s too early to crack open the champagne, but it looks like the second wave of the coronavirus peaked in late September with daily infection rates surpassing 600.

Those figures were similar to those experienced in late May/early June, but considerably more people are being tested today, with Denmark leading the way in Europe with around 4,000 daily tests per 100,000 people.

19 October - 5 November 2020

ONLINE THIS WEEK Compensation order

Mysterious seeds

TRAFIKSTYRELSEN has ruled that the passengers of 12 airlines need to be fully compensated for flights cancelled due to the coronavirus, providing the flight began or ended in Denmark. The airlines are SAS, Norwegian, easyJet, Ryanair, Aegean Airlines, Air France, Brussels Airlines, KLM, Lufthansa, TAP Portugal, Thai Air and Vueling. The first deadline to pay is November 15.

SOME 15,000 small envelopes with various seeds have been intercepted by København International Postcenter. It is believed that nobody ordered them.

The seeds might be part of a ‘brushing scam', which involves the senders of the products giving companies fake reviews.

Crackdown on crime

YOUNG people have seen their disposable income plummet in recent years. Workers under the age of 18 have experienced an 11 percent drop, while 20 to 24-year-olds have seen a 3 percent fall. Over-25s, meanwhile, have experienced a 25 percent increase.

PM METTE Frederiksen has warned criminals that failure to pay fines will result in their personal effects being confiscated, with repeat offenders facing 30 days in prison. Night-time violence could earn you a two-year curfew, she added, and the descendants of non-western immigrants, in particular, need to improve their record.

Hate crime increase

THE NUMBER of registered hate crimes increased by 27 percent to 569 between 2018 and 2019. Racially-motivated hate crimes accounted for 312 of the reports, Good mortality rate TODAY, far fewer people are being hos- followed by religion (180) and sexual oripitalised, probably because young people entation (76), and the reports resulted in account for the majority of the cases and 117 people being charged. they are less likely to be severely affected.

Mobile phone ambition Just 104 people are now hospitalised in Denmark, of which 17 are in intensive THE GOVERNMENT is aiming to obcare. The death toll stands at 675. tain data from the mobile phones of rejected Overall, Denmark has a pretty good mor- asylum-seekers in a bid to hasten their repatality rate, with only 37 percent of those triation. Another proposal suggests offering being admitted to intensive care dying – well them 20,000 kroner to drop their appeals below the one in two ratio seen in the likes with the Refugee Board. Denmark has over of the UK, Italy and the US. 1,000 rejected asylum-seekers.

The mortality rate among young paAcademia: #MeToo tients is low. Among the over-50s it is just 5 percent, compared to 64 percent SOME 698 women from academia have among the over-80s. signed a letter confirming they have experienced sexism, or been a witness to it.

112 app scrapped

THE 112 EMERGENCY app is closing down at the end of the year. Available since 2013, citizens are urged to wait until January 1 before deleting the app, unless their phone supports AML, in which case they can delete it immediately.

Sex worker ad questions

A POLITIKEN article has criticised Ekstra Bladet for earning money from adverts for sex workers, alleging that the tabloid, together with both newspapers’ owner JP / Politikens Hus, could be involved in money-laundering. It also criticised Nordea for Lower SU ambition servicing Ekstra Bladet’s sales – an account THE GOVERNMENT wants to reduce that Danske Bank dropped earlier this year. the 520 million kroner it paid out in SU Historic Page 9 concerns funds to foreign university students in 2019. Back in 2013, it ruled the total DR ARTICLE questions why Ekstra Blashouldn’t exceed 442 million kroner after det’s Page 9 girl database contains photos the EU ruled EU students could receive of naked 15-year-old school-girls taken in grants on a par with Danish students – as the 1970s when such images were legal. long as they work 10-12 hours alongside Some of the photos have ended up in their studies. age-specific compilations on different sites.

Youths out of pocket

Pepper spray banned again THE GOVERNMENT has again banned pepper spray. Legal since January 2018, the stats suggest it is not aiding the public. In 2019, it was used by civilians nine times in self-defence and 1,660 times by criminals.

BIG plans for Moon homes DANISH architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group has won a contract to design homes for human habitat on the Moon. As part of NASA's lunar project 'Artemis', the homes could be ready by 2030, according to Bjarke Ingels.

Rural resident shake-up DANISH rural areas have seen an increase of 38,500 eastern European residents over the last decade, according to Danmarks Statistik. Over the same time period, 79,000 ethnic Danes have left the areas.

Best broadband DENMARK has the best broadband access in the Nordics and Baltics. Some 94 percent of homes have a fast connection.

Additionally, Denmark is top in regards to mobile phone and fixed broadband subscriptions per capita.

Early Xmas present SOME 2.2 million people in Denmark who were on some kind of public support in April 2020 have been given 1,000 kroner to kickstart consumption. The amount is not offset against money they have received.

Holiday money bonanza MOST PEOPLE have accessed their frozen holiday pay by now, but just in case you haven’t, you need to log on at borger.dk to unlock the funds that the government hopes you will spend, “preferably with Danish companies for the benefit of the entire economy".

SCIENCE

19 October - 5 November 2020

ONLINE THIS WEEK Slimy food future

A UNIVERSITY of Copenhagen study suggests the rotation of the Earth has slowed down over time to the extent that 500 million years ago a day would have been just 21 hours and 47 minutes in length. The days got longer because the Moon is edging away – at the same rate that nails grow.

A UNIVERSITY of Copenhagen study recommends that humans source more food from the seabed, such as sand-eels, sprat, cuttlefish, algae and seaweed. Food production, it contends, is one of the biggest contributors to climate change.

King’s gowns stolen ARCHAEOLOGISTS have made three big discoveries this past month. The burial gowns of Canute the Holy in Odense Cathedral probably belonged to his brother because his own was stolen. The bodies in the Gerdrup Grave at Roskilde Museum were mother and son, possibly the sorceress Katla and her son Odd who were persecuted and executed. And the long-lost warship 'Delmenhorst' has been found near Rødbyhavn.

Top environmentalists DENMARK has the best environmental performance in the world, according to the EPI Index compiled by Yale University. It ranked first for Ecosystem Vitality, Climate Change and Pollution Emissions.

Luxembourg, Switzerland, the UK, France, Austria, Finland, Sweden, Norway and Germany completed the top 10.

Costly problem-solving THE NOVO Nordisk Foundation is allocating 348 million kroner over six years to three areas – biodiversity, quantum technology in green energy, and the use of waste in green fuels – in a bid to solve some of the world's most pressing problems. The foundation is also giving 14.4 million kroner in support to 15 initiatives in poor countries to ease the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Cold to hot = heavy rain RESEARCHERS from the University of Copenhagen have shed new light on the formation of thunderstorms and downpours. The impact of large temperature changes between night and day is crucial, they have found.

Car sale surprise HALF OF all car sales in August were electric or hybrid. However, they only accounted for around 13 percent of all newly registered cars.

World-beating research DTU HAS been ranked second in this year's World University Research Rankings. MIT topped the list.

Dropping … but beware of the droplets

PIXABAY

The speed of nails

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Exercise fights dementia A HEALTHY lifestyle can almost halve the risk of age-related dementia, according to a University of Copenhagen (KU) study. In related news, an Aarhus University study suggests Parkinson’s is caused by two different illnesses with two different origins, while a KU team has identified glucagon resistance as a key factor in the fight against diabetes.

Storing energy underwater AARHUS University has received a grant from the Energy Technology Development and Demonstration Programme to build a 100 sqm underground testing facility to test whether giant balloons can store surplus energy underwater. In related news, a DTU team is exploring whether electrodes can be used to ensure higher oxygen content near the seabed.

AI heating systems DTU RESEARCHERS are using AI to assess the demands placed on district heating systems, with a view to being able to predict potential system failures. Progress in the area could drive down prices and reduce the environmental impact.

Fighting cancer RESEARCHERS at DTU have found a way to increase the body’s natural immune response to fighting off cancer cells, thus increasing the effectiveness of chemotherapy.

Camel milk solution A DTU TEAM have created a freezedried solution of camel milk, which should cut out the dangers associated with its consumption. Notoriously hard to store due to hot conditions, the souring process is a breeding ground for micro-organisms like E coli and salmonella.

Naturally selfish A JOINT study by the University of Copenhagen and Lund University has revealed that if no clear guidelines are provided, people tend to assess situations in favour of themselves.

A corona outbreak on the bridge to Nyhavn

Amid falling coronavirus cases, public warned about the dangers of air transmission

cro-droplets generally have a range of two metres and can linger in the air for several hours.

LUKE ROBERTS

Ideal conditions PETER V Nielsen from Aalborg University contends that air purifiers can remove up to 99.97 percent of particles from the air whilst keeping humidity down at about 45-55 percent.

Such conditions can decrease the risk of infection by the flu virus by up to 80 percent.

At the time of going to press (October 14), Denmark had woken up to the news that it had recorded its lowest number of daily infections in over a month.

T

HE SUNDHEDSSTYRELSEN health authority now acknowledges that people can be infected by COVID-19 micro-droplets in the air.

Its updated guidelines recommend frequent ventilation, particularly with the approaching winter likely to drive more people indoors.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US contends that mi-

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CULTURE

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

ONLINE THIS WEEK

19 October - 5 November 2020

Reclaiming their bodies in Christiansborg MATHILDEGRAFSTROM.COM/CHRISTIANSBORG)

Cinema shortfall CINEMAS are struggling despite their inclusion in a share of a 300 million kroner activity pool set up by the Ministry of Culture.

In the summer package that enabled most culture venues to offer half-price tickets, they were overlooked. And they haven’t been helped by the postponements of many big films, including the new 007 film ‘No Time to Die’.

Prize for Belarusian author THE UNIVERSITY of Copenhagen has awarded Belarusian author Svetlana Alexievich with its Sonning Prize.

Elk freezes over A NEW DANISH video game, 'Welcome to Elk', is courting controversy, as it features a lot of unusual stories, often laced with dark humour and macabre images, such as sexual harassment at a julefrokost.

Goliath pumpkin A MAN GREW a vegetable as big as a car to set a new Danish-Nordic record in the Giant Pumpkin Championship at Tivoli last weekend. It weighed 970.4 kilos. Tivoli’s Halloween season will continue until November 1.

Missing Madsen … not MOST DANISH critics have praised ‘Efterforskningen’, a new TV2 miniseries about the murder of journalist Kim Wall, which debuted on September 28 on TV2. It reunites ‘Borgen’ stars Pilou Asbæk and Tobias Lindholm. It has been lauded for not mentioning Peter Madsen by name, or depicting him.

NY Times a fan

Emmy triumph 'THE CAVE', a Danish-produced documentary made by Syrian director Feras Fayyad, has won two Emmys. Fayyad is a recent victim of #MeToo, as his former production assistant has accused him of sexually harassing her.

ONLINE THIS WEEK

Sometimes nothing beats a good rub in nature

Venstre MP permits exhibition in his office

Haarder when minister GRAFSTRÖM is well known for her nude photo exhibitions,

which as part of ‘Female Beauty: The Project’ seek to empower the many women who let their self-image compromise their happiness.

A major display in the middle of Strøget in 2016 had the backing of another Venstre politician, the then minister of culture, Bertel Haarder.

The display at Christiansborg encompasses 10 “female beauty” photographs and five nature pictures, and the exhibition will be open until the spring of 2021.

Tell me … next year

He’s got X Factor

When it rains, it pours

THE CRAZY Christmas Cabaret, which has been held in Copenhagen every year since 1982, has been cancelled. Its next show, ‘Tell me about it’, will premiere in November 2021. All tickets purchased for the 2020 show will be valid.

DJ-PRODUCER Martin Jensen will become X Factor’s youngest ever judge when the series returns for its 14th season in 2021. The 29-year-old, who is well known for his 2016 track ‘Solo Dance’, replaces the rapper Ankerstjerne.

FOLLOWING the success of ‘The Rain’, Netflix is again collaborating with Miso Film on ‘Nisser’, a horror series about bloodthirsty goblins. Most of the action is set on a remote Danish island. 'The Rain' is currently airing its third and final season.

BEN HAMILTON

O

NE OF THE biggest ironies of Danish politics is that the country’s leading right-wing party, Venstre, translates as ‘Left’.

But maybe there is a good reason, as nothing is ‘left’ to the imagination in a new exhibition opening today at the

Danish Parliament in the office of Kim Valentin, a Venstre MP elected last year.

According to its creator Mathilde Grafström, it could very well be the first time in history that nude photos will have been exhibited within the walls of Christiansborg.

THE NEW York Times is in awe of TV show 'Ultra smider tøjet’ (Ultra strips off), in which adults appear completely naked before an audience of kids. The headline and lead-in read: “A Danish children’s TV show has this message: ‘Normal Bodies Look Like This’.”

English newspaper The Sun was disgusted, though.

Roskilde 2019 profits DUE TO coronavirus complications, Roskilde Festival has only just confirmed its 2019 figures. Its profits came to 18.2 million kroner, and it will be donated to initiatives and charities supporting opportunities for children and young people.

YouTube deal signed DANISH music has returned to YouTube following the conclusion of a deal between the channel and Nordic rights organisation Polaris. The previous deal expired on August 1, after which Danish rights organisation Koda and the channel were unable to reach an agreement.

The new deal also covers licensed music across most of the world.

19 October - 5 November 2020

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THOMAS Sandgaard, the owner of medical equipment manufacturer Zynex, has completed his takeover of English League 1 club Charlton Athletic. In related news, the Platek Family from America have purchased Danish Cup winners SønderjyskE, but the deal will not include the handball and ice hockey activities, just the Superliga football club.

Gold for Faroese sculler SVERRI Nielsen won gold for Denmark in the singles sculls at the European Rowing Championships in Poland on Sunday. The Faroese rower, who competes for Denmark, won a world silver in 2019 and will now fancy his chances at the Tokyo Olympics.

Eggert’s exit HANDBALL legend Anders Eggert has retired at the age of 38. In over 160 games for Denmark, he won the Euros in 2012 and World Cup silvers in 2011 and 2013.

Podium in Italy MIKKEL Bjerg and Mikkel Honoré have both grabbed third-place finishes in the ongoing Giro d'Italia.

Coronavirus hits Kasper NATIONAL team striker Kasper Dolberg is back in action after testing positive for coronavirus.

Stale air hanging over Parken Supporters taken by surprise as long-term coach is sacked CHRISTIAN WENANDE

S

UCCESS is temporary.

Loyalty is forever,” reads FC Copenhagen’s motto, and it’s true that the heights of its 201920 Europa League campaign, in which it made the quarter-finals in August, was largely forgotten in the stampede to decide the groups for this season’s campaign.

But “loyalty is forever” sounds like a blatant lie given it has dispensed with the services of its Norwegian coach Ståle Solbakken barely two months after those heroics.

Hard to keep your focus when the season never ends

average.

Followed out by his assistant Bård Wiggen, William Kvist and Hjalte Nørregaard have taken temporary charge.

9

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Dane buys Charlton

SPORT

the second time in 15 years.

Unparalleled success IN TWO spells at the club, from 2006-11 and 2013-20, Solbakken won eight eight Superliga titles and four Danish Cups, as well as guiding FCK to unprecedented triumphs in Europe, including the Champions League knockout stages in 2011.

In 420 Superliga games, he managed a 2.07 points-per-game

Lions to the slaughter THE FINAL straw for the board came when FCK failed to make the Europa League group stage as a result of a 0-1 loss at home to Croatian side Rijeka.

A bizarre own goal following some ludicrous team-mate collisions saw the Lions miss out on a European group stage for only

Wolves on the rampage ELSEWHERE, FC Midtjylland has been rewarded with a tasty draw after reaching the Champions League group stage for the first time in their history: Liverpool, Ajax and Atalanta.

After a 0-0 draw in the first game, the Wolves scored three times in the final ten minutes to beat Slavia Prague 4-1 in Herning.

The group stage will be contested between October 20 and December 9.

Under-21s qualify

Peerless Pernille

Historic Wembley win

THE DANISH U21s have qualified for the 2021 Euros night thanks to a 2-1 win over Finland in Aalborg on October 13. Needing just a point to win their group, Ajax Amsterdam talent Victor Jensen got a double to see off the Finns. The Danes now sit six points ahead of second-placed Romania, who they meet in the final group match.

PERNILLE Harder has again been named Europe's best footballer by UEFA, following up on her win in 2018. Meanwhile, while the Danish women’s team still have a 100 percent record in Euro 2021 qualifying after seven games, so do Italy, who they face in Empoli on October 26. The return game, in Viborg on December 1, will likely determine the group.

DENMARK secured a historic 1-0 win at Wembley Stadium over England on October 14 in the Nations League. An early red card to England defender Harry Maguire and a penalty shortly thereafter by Christian Eriksen was enough for the Danes. It is the first time since 1983 that Denmark has beaten England at the famous stadium.

Clara’s big scalp CLARA Tauson, 17, impressively beat Jennifer Brady, a semi-finalist in the US Open, in the first round of the French Open, before bowing out in the second. Frederik Løchte Nielsen, with his doubles partner Tim Pütz, made it to the quarters.

Meanwhile, Holger Rune, 17, has won another ITF title: the Klosters Tournament in Switzerland.

Fulham on loan JOACHIM Andersen, a 225 million kroner signing by Lyon in 2019, has joined English Premier League club on a one-year loan deal. Meanwhile, another Danish defender, Mathias 'Zanka' Jørgensen, has signed for FC Copenhagen on loan from Fenerbahçe.

Mountain task HAFTHOR Björnsson, 'The Mountain' in ‘Game of Thrones’, has been training at SIK-Fight in Nørrebro. The Icelander is preparing for a boxing fight against strongman rival Eddie Hall next year.

Kessler’s kingmaker cops it MIKKEL Kessler’s coach Ricard Olsen has died. Olsen only retired in 2017, and his death followed a long illness.

16th in world DENMARK is the 16th best side in the world, according to the latest FIFA rankings.

10 BUSINESS

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New jobs at Danish Crown

Charged in Estonia

SLAUGHTERHOUSE group Danish Crown has announced 375 new job openings across the country, while food delivery platform Wolt is increasing the number of its riders to 1,225.

Pump magnate Grundfos, meanwhile, has cut 85 jobs in Denmark out of 600 worldwide.

ELEVEN employees from Danske Bank's branch in Estonia have been charged in connection with the money laundering case that rocked the banking world in 2017. In related news, Sydbank is purchasing Danish competitor Alm Brand Bank for 1.83 billion kroner.

Mink turnover halved THE NATIONAL mink industry had a 2018/19 turnover of 5.2 billion kroner – less than half the revenue generated five years ago. However, Denmark remains the world's largest producer of mink fur.

Bilka’s big birthday DENMARK’S oldest supermarket, Bilka, celebrated its 50th anniversary last weekend.

Staycation boom AUTUMN holiday staycations have risen 50 percent on last year. Most people who head abroad go to Germany. In related news, Parliament has agreed to a 485 million kroner to boost exports.

Grilled in the US KÅRE SCHULTZ, the Danish CEO of Israeli pharma giant Teva, was recently grilled in the US House of Representatives over rising med prices. In related news, Ambu has won a contract to resource 20 percent of America's hospitals, while Novo Nordisk wants its suppliers to make deliveries using solely green power from 2030.

Housing shortage FOR THE first time since 2007, there are fewer than 30,000 houses for sale in Denmark according to Finans Danmark – a 15 percent decrease on last year. The number of apartments (down 18 percent) and holiday homes (33) have led the downfall.

19 October - 5 November 2020

State signs huge deal with India Wind power, water tech and energy efficiency exports expected to benefit enormously BEN HAMILTON

A

T THE TOP of every world leader’s list of countries to do business with are China and India.

They’re the BRIC nations with serious clout: one billion-plus people and rapidly growing middle classes, identified many decades ago as the serious players of the 21st century.

PM Mette Frederiksen might be standing on the shoulders of some of her predecessors, but the news that she has signed a far-reaching green strategic partnership with Indian PM Narendra Modi is a tremendous boost for Denmark and her standing within the business community.

Not least because India is not messing about. With a goal to increase its renewable energy capacity to more than 300 gigawatts by 2030 – 40 times the current Danish capacity – it will need all the help it can get.

And this partnership has pushed Denmark to the front of the queue of countries poised to benefit.

In a special position FOLLOWING a virtual summit on September 28, the two PMs confirmed that their new

Pharma drives growth

Clue: the Dane is down to his last layer

partnership will place Denmark in a special position in relation to delivering the green solutions that India demands.

Denmark specialises in providing solutions in the areas of wind power, water tech and energy efficiency, and the partnership should pave the way for increased Danish exports and investments in these areas.

“It is precisely in areas where Denmark has a leading position. These are new opportunities in a market where there is a large untapped potential,” commented Frederiksen.

The deal also includes strengthening multilateral co-operation in priority areas such as the climate and green transition, trade, and human rights.

Vestas believes that its new turbine model, which is suited to areas with low wind conditions, is the perfect fit for India’s needs.

Its plans to service the country will generate 1,000 jobs in Chennai next year.

ONLINE THIS WEEK Total withdrawal?

DANISH production grew by 5.9 percent in August thanks to a 19.5 percent increase in the pharma sector. However, an ECLM report suggests that only 60 percent of the jobs lost this year will return by the end of 2021. Worst hit are Copenhagen and Tårnby, which have lost 40 percent of the 42,000 full-time jobs lost nationwide.

FRENCH oil and gas extractor Total has withdrawn its application for a North Sea licence beyond 2046 – a signal that Denmark’s oil adventure is coming to an end, say MPs. The government’s latest tender round is granting licences up to 2055, despite Denmark’s pledge to be totally fossil-fuel free by 2050.

Pulling out of China

Cycling hassle-free

AKADEMIKERPENSION divesting its shares in Chinese companies and government bonds due to the country’s dubious human rights record – the first big Danish pension firm to do so.

DUTCH ‘bicycle as a service’ company Swapfiets is gaining momentum here. Its customers rent fully-serviced bikes for a monthly subscription, with a 48-hour repair guarantee. It already has 10,000 subscriptions in Copenhagen – of which 34 percent are internationals.

Huge passenger dip JUST 614,000 passengers flew with SAS in September – 2.3 million fewer than in the same month last year. Meanwhile, the airline is taking part in a project to see if planes flying in a 'V-formation', similar to how birds travel, can save fuel and cut costs.

Big Apple launch OVER 200 partners have signed up since Danish food waste app Too Good To Go recently launched in New York last month.

19 October - 5 November 2020

JUST SAY IT AS IT IS A Brit married to a Viking who landed on Danish shores 13 years ago, Leslea is the communications director of English Job Denmark. With over 20 years’ communications experience in both the business & not-for-profit sectors, Leslea is passionate about coaching professionals & businesses in effective communication.

A

RRIVING in Denmark nearly 13 years ago, I thought it would be an easy transition from the UK. The Danes speak great English, say it how it is and understand irony – should be easy for a northerner to fit in, hey!

I had been working in communications for years, and I had great plans to find a similar role and build my network in the same way as in the UK. As a people person and extrovert, it had always been easy, but like many internationals who arrive with similar hopes, I hit a brick wall in finding a job and building my network in Denmark.

Not for the faint-hearted THE BIGGEST challenge in the early days was looking for a job. My trip to the job centre was unhelpful, to say the least (cue lots of tears and a phone call to HE MORE families I speak to – whether they are located in Copenhagen, San Francisco or Shanghai – the more I am convinced that providing bilingual education (Danish/English) in Denmark provides a unique platform for giving expat and repat families mobility, continuity, stability and flexibility in one swoop.

This has a direct impact on mitigating the factors that make moving to and from Denmark less attractive.

Decades of research have documented the gift that bilingual education is. Students participating in bilingual education have improved memory function, greater awareness of the nature of language itself, the ability to identify ambiguity to a greater degree, and improved inter-cultural skills.

With benefits like these, why hasn’t bilingual education taken on a more widespread role in Europe?

Time to go Dutch!

IT HAS! Bilingual education is certainly not a new idea in the educational sector. It is spreading in countries like Sweden, Italy and Spain. In addition, the Netherlands has over 150 bilingual schools with instruction both in Dutch and English.

However, to date, Denmark has not overseen the spread of bilingual education as a viable alternative to standard monolingual education.

This lack of choice has put many expat, repat and multicultural families in the difficult position of having to choose between a Danish or an international school.

Many times, this choice has felt like, and has been, a choice between assimilation or segregation in the expat bubble. This has the consequence of making it more difficult for Danes to internationalise and global Danes and expats to integrate.

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THOMAS MULHERN GLOBAL DENMARK Thomas Knudsen Mulhern, the managing director of Globally Local (globallylocal.dk) and former head of the International Department at Institut Sankt Joseph, is a passionate advocate of bilingual education in Denmark.

In addition, Thomas co-hosts the Global Denmark Podcast (globaldkpodcast.com).

Don’t make a mess out of your social media accounts

SoMe’s your homie REMEMBER that communicating what you have to offer does not end with your CV and cover letter. How you present yourself on social media will play an important role. It’s worth considering your job prospects every time you post something, as a hiring manager will want to make sure you fit in with their organisation!

Danes are polite and don’t

mind swearing, but be mindful, even on your so-called private social media accounts like Facebook, of how you communicate and respond to others.

More companies are considering future candidates based on how they appear across all public platforms. Get the right advice when applying for a job and communicate in a way that shows an organisation you are the perfect candidate!

PIXABAY

T

my Danish husband as soon as I left the building). It seemed that unless you were ‘officially’ unemployed, no help was available.

In my experience, internationals don’t expect benefits, but they do need help communicating what they have to offer. Brushing them aside with no advice seemed counterintuitive when there is a wealth of international talent here.

Fast forward to today, it’s my experience of my own struggles searching for work that enables me to help others. A big part of my role is helping job-seekers to communicate their skills and experience in an effective and dynamic way – helping them to stand out for the right reasons.

Job searching is tough, especially during these COVID-times, and you need the know-how to get your CV to the top of the pile.

11

PIXABAY

LESLEA PETERSEN

BUSINESS OPINION

Embracing diversity is key

Breaking down barriers THE QUESTION then becomes: how can Danish society break down these self-erected barriers that stand in the way of authentic integration and global mobility?

The short answer is to launch a national and international bilingual education movement, taking inspiration from what the Dutch have done so successfully. This hybrid model offers a unique recipe that calls for simultaneous integration and internationalisation for the diverse groups that make up Danish society.

What does simultaneous integra-

tion and internationalisation look like? These concepts taken together can be seen as the process whereby people from diverse backgrounds can learn, form meaningful relationships, and participate in a fuller way.

To integrate fully in Denmark, one needs to cultivate Danish skills, but this does not need to be at the expense of one’s English language competencies.

To be international in Denmark, one needs to cultivate a global perspective, but this does not need to occur at the expense of understanding and participating in the Danish culture.

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12 OPINION Oh, Lucky, lucky Arne THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

P

ancing the bill for the COVID-19 support – most notably perhaps with measures to benefit the service and entertainment industries, which are bleeding heavily, and also the travel and aviation industries.

The latter, including SAS, has already received massive support, but the forecast indicates a very long winter for them.

How worn out exactly?

SOCIALDEMOKRATIET suffered heavily in 2001 when they rolled back the early retirement plan, the efterløn, in spite of the promise of Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, the PM at that time, not to. It ended up costing him the election.

No such problems for Frederiksen! She has a working majority, with all the left-wing parties and also Dansk Folkeparti at her disposal to establish legislation at this point.

However, her early retirement criteria still remains a little vague.

It doesn’t seem to really identify who is eligible. Working, training, studying, parental leave, unemployment benefits … just as long as they’ve racked up more than 40 years.

It would appear that many people will be able to make a strong case. Worn out or not.

Power to the people THE LOCKDOWN opened the eyes of many to the value of working at home, and higher productivity, less traffic, less office space, and less travel time and expenses will ultimately contribute to the nation’s goal of cutting CO2 emissions by 70 percent by 2030.

And public attitudes to air travel are changing, with many favouring a more climate-friendly lifestyle.

With such will at large, the government hasn’t really needed to invest much yet in its climate ambitions, which is just as well as Arne and COVID-19 have done their best to cloud most political minds.

But of course, that is next year’s problem.

Balancing the bill NOW THE struggle is how to finance this generosity. New taxes on banks and property are in play, but it remains to be seen what and how much it will cost when it eventually surfaces as the new norm.

The PM is happy because it would have been unbearable had she failed on this point.

And now she can return to the much more critical work of bal-

Shot down in flames THE PRESENT budget law proposal will probably be a walk in the park as the opposition only has confusion to contribute.

While Radikale, which has proffered such high demands for financial responsibility, is in chaos with its leader shot down in flames over some very old, and rather diminutive, sexual harassment accusations.

The higher you hold your moral banner, the harder you fall when you trip.

But at least Arne is happy. (ES)

ADAM WELLS

Early Rejser Adam is a nanny, a multi-sports fanatic and a budding ultra runner. He was faster off the mark than his fellow Brits, quitting England for Denmark moments before they voted to stay out of Europe. When he isn’t caring for kids, screaming at a screen or tearing up his feet, he writes unsettling poetry and prose.

D

ENMARK has a vegan party. And like the unappetising social event it sounds like, Veganerpartiet is unlikely to be affected by current restrictions on how many people can gather in one place.

Despite being few in number and short in the tooth, they don’t seem worried about biting off more than they can chew.

But why do they think the medister-munching Danes will let go of their meat and support them?

High steaks I WOULDN’T have backed that horse when I moved here four years ago – and not because of a moral objection to equestrianism.

Vegetarian options were nowhere to be found, and the few Danes who knew what ‘vegan’ meant associated it with a deficiency in masculinity or sanity.

There has been a global trend towards meat-free eating since, driven by a growing awareness of the environmental impact of animal agriculture and the nutritional merits of plantbased diets. And Denmark has reflected this, with a wave of vegetarian options, vegan eateries, and meat and dairy substitutes.

Veganerpartiet hope that exposing the underbelly of Denmark’s wickedly efficient meat production will swell this wave by influencing the consumer choices Danes make.

Unfortunately, habits and emotions often override knowledge in decision making, especially when it comes to food. Just ask former minister for the environment, Jakob Elleman-Jensen. When Veganerpartiet founder Henrik Vindfelt asked him if the plight of piglets was on his agenda, he replied: “I really can’t express with

PIXABAY

M METTE Frederiksen won the last general election on her promise to establish a right to early retirement for worn-out hard workers personified by Arne – a brewery employee in his 60s who had worked since his teens.

On 5 June 2019, it was just as much Arne’s day as Mette’s.

19 October - 5 November 2020

“Sorry Peppa Pig, but bacon butties is a price worth paying”

words how much I love bacon.”

Loving bacon is understandable.

As is the reluctance or inability to give up something you love, especially if you’ve had a taste for it since early childhood. The moral case I would make to non-vegans isn’t about their choice to consume animal products, but about denying their children the choice not to.

They fork you up SOME THINGS are okay to impose on children too young to decide for themselves, like polio vaccines. Others, like circumcision, not so much. Giving up meat (pun intended) may be easier than growing a new foreskin, but with significant ethical and environmental costs involved, and no practical, nutritional or existential imperative, forcing children to develop habits they have to break and loves they have to shake, or else continuing to contribute to those costs, seems immoral to me.

It’s natural of course. If you’re aware of the downsides of animal agriculture but support it nonetheless through your consumer behaviour, then you’re likely to leave some inconvenient truths off the table when serving your kids meat and milk. But in protecting your children and your cognitive harmony, you’re doing

more harm than good.

I’m not suggesting you sing about Old McDonald tossing off his prize hog, or other less pleasant parts of pig farming. All you have to do is tell them what pork is and where it comes from, and that the pigs don’t enjoy the process. Kids love animals, and I suspect that, unprompted, they would never ask to eat a dead one.

Saving our bacon REGARDLESS, asking people to be ethical consumers is a losing strategy. It may lead to individual vindication, but not systemic change.

Hopefully Veganerpartiet’s confidence isn’t misplaced, because systemic change begins with policy. They’ve amassed enough signatures to be eligible to compete for parliamentary seats at the next election. Win a few and they could find themselves influencing policy should the PM’s party find themselves a few seats short of a majority.

In a world of climate crises, zoonotic diseases and industrial-scale atrocities, we need governments that view policy through the lens of environmentalism, ecology and compassion, not profitability, partisan politics and a penchant for bacon.

OPINION

19 October - 5 November 2020

ZACH KHADUDU

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many unflattering events to fit in just one piece.

Off on the perpetual journey of the modern universe

G

RANTED, 2020 should be written off as a bad year. And, at the time of writing this, it’s hard to see why the last quarter will not disappoint, as the theatre of the absurd that is the US election will inevitably compound a year that has been like no other.

The lows have been numerous: the coronavirus pandemic that continues to ravage most of the world’s people and economies, the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in late May that sparked

the global Black Lives Matter demonstrations, the contested elections in Belarus, and the Armenia-Azerbaijan bloody conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, to name but a few. The list goes on and on.

And don’t forget the deaths of so many globally-admired individuals, from basketball legend Kobe Bryant and civil rights leader John Lewis, to US Supreme Court trailblazer Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the King himself, Chadwick Boseman.

All in all, there are just too

13

Perennially thorny issue HERE IN Denmark we have had our fair share of reckonings: not least, the perennial discussion regarding refugees and asylum-seekers, which is like a cancer that refuses to go away.

Discussion is a misnomer, in fact. The correct word is demonisation. There is an insatiable appetite in Denmark to demonise and disparage refugees for their political mileage. And it is derision solely founded on racism and Islamophobia.

The new poster-child for refugee-phobia is the current immigration and integration minister, Mattias Tesfaye. This man, it seems, will always find a new low to sink to. His rhetoric on asylum-seekers during his term of office has been both combative and extreme. And to think he is supposed to be a social-democrat.

Playing to the gallery SPEAKING to Jyllands-Posten newspaper (choosing the rightwing newspaper as his oracle says it all really) Tesfaye revealed that his latest bright idea is to propose

MRUTYUANJAI MISHRA

Crazier than Christmas VIVIENNE MCKEE legislation that will allow the government to monitor and tap the phones of rejected asylum-seekers due for deportation.

The minister contends that this move is aimed at modernising deportation policies to match the 21st century. Really, Sir? The man lives in a parallel universe if he indeed believes that surveillance is a trait that should be admired, not frowned upon, in the 21st century.

The universal right to individual privacy means nothing to Tesfaye. Just as they mean nothing to any tyrant or despot, cue Kim Jong-un. The man is playing to the gallery with utter disregard for democratic principles.

Day of reckoning coming IT IS ESTIMATED there are about 1,100 rejected asy-

lum-seekers in Denmark due for deportation. Over 200 of those have been living with their deportable status hanging over them for at least five years.

Tesfaye believes he will clean Denmark of these pests by any means necessary. Good luck, Sir. Like your predecessor, Inger Støjberg, you may enforce inhumane policies with no consideration for human rights.

And you may even succeed in deporting all of the 1,000-plus rejected asylum-seekers. But a time for accountability will come.

It’s difficult to recall a time when Martin Luther King Jr’s words have ever been more pertinent. As the great man remarked: “The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice.”

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14 GUEST OPINION THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

XANDER BRETT

I

N 2012, BBC FOUR broadcast ‘The Bridge’. It opened British eyes to the cool chic of the cold north. IKEA’s popularity replaced John Lewis.

Scotland announced a vision for independence in line with the ‘Nordic model’. We bought Volvos like never before.

My love of Scandinavia began that year too. Landing in southern Norway, Scandinavia’s joie de vivre was infectious. But there were unanswered questions.

Why were Brits not drawn to Canada’s liberalism? To France’s cop shows? Why was everything magic with a Nordic touch?

Five years later, I started a blog to find out. Now in its third year, and with a podcast running alongside, it’s attracted readers and listeners across the world. To me, it seems Britain’s Scandinavian interest is strong but confused. Our lust for Nordic noir sits alongside a love of ‘fika’ and ‘hygge’. Comforting cosiness and cold crime in one.

The sum of its parts OVER THE past three years, I’ve asked countless people about Britain’s obsession with Scandinavia. Someone who summed it up best, though, was Norwegian talkshow host Fredrik Skavlan.

He told me how the Nordic DAVID ZEPERNICK

M

Y MOTHER, with her half-African background, was Albertslund’s very first non-western immigrant, and that bloodline has been diluted one more time with me. So it was a pretty easy choice to make when I heard about the Black Lives Matter march in Copenhagen on June 7.

But even though I support the cause – and am utterly against racism and racial discrimination, and am both angry and indignant about police violence against black people in the US, among other things – I will be staying home the next time there is a demonstration.

countries are a similar set-up to the UK. “With a Norwegian and a Swede on my show, our differences are clear,” he explained.

“But when I bring on a foreign guest, our differences disappear.

We become a unit.”

All too often foreigners ignore the fact that there are three countries in the Scandinavian diaspora, not one. Norwegian may be a similar language to Swedish.

Swedes may drink as much coffee as the Danes. But they are separate nations, with distinct identities to match. Scandinavia is the sum of its parts, like the four corners of the UK. Lubed up by Luther THE ENGLISH and Danish language are similar, and driving around the north of England the place names tell of its proximity to Norway and Sweden. This is, given our Viking heritage, no coincidence.

Unlike much of Continental Europe, Britain rejected the ‘flashy’ Roman Empire, accepting instead the culture of ‘minimalist Norse’. We rejected Rome’s religion too, later on. Boxed in by Ireland and France we, like Scandinavia, are a bastion of Protestantism in a Catholic continent.

That ever growing uniqueness has pulled us close to the Lutheran north. Both us and Choosing sides THOSE who have both black and white parents or grandparents – the results of often complex bridge-building between races and cultures – often become homeless and alienated in the racial division that the organisers of the BLM march insisted on, whereby black participants were asked to stand at the front and white people at the back.

Can my mother – half black, half white – lead the demonstration? Or can I, a person who has been diluted one more time – and what if I bring my kids along. They barely divert from the ‘average Dane’ as far as looks are concerned? Where does my family fit in at this demonstration? The answer is nowhere, and

19 October - 5 November 2020

Scandinavia embrace a minimalist impression and a pragmatic mindset. Protestantism breathes the cool order we both crave.

Norwegian parrot envy IT WOULD, of course, be wrong to assume this admiration is one-way. The Scandinavians love Monty Python and ‘Midsomer Murders’ as much as we do. But rarely will a Swede tell you of their admiration for our society and politics.

When I first visited Copenhagen, I was struck by how easy it was to strike up conversation with the prime minister in the street. It was symptomatic of the bonds that bind leaders and citizens.

Scandinavians know their countries are the best in the world. But while they count their blessings, it seems at times we Brits are almost too jealous of Scandinavia’s success.

This has been most apparent recently with the systemic criticism of Sweden’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic. When Britain was placed in lockdown, we were envious of Sweden’s relative freedom. With each increase in cases, we longed for Sweden to join our struggle. It’s as if when dents appear in Scandinavia’s welfare state, ours appears all more efficient.

Northerly and a cut above IT’S INTERESTING that, dethat is exactly why we’re staying home the next time around, though we support the cause.

'Well-meaning' division?

MANY OF my ethnic Danish friends arrived at the same conclusion, and I understand them.

It’s hard to protest for equal rights and equal treatment, or against racial discrimination, if you don’t feel like you’re welcome, or seen and heard as an equal, or if you even feel you’re being discriminated against.

This ‘well-meaning’ racial division is thus alienating for both us, the ‘mixed products’ (I myself use the term ‘nougat Danes’), and for the ethnic Danes who sympathise with the cause. And, by the way, the indignation and anger

The saga continued without Martin, but his work was done

spite our taste for Scandi drama, dishes and design, Norway, Sweden and Denmark are seldom holiday destinations. When summer hits, we head south – to Italy, France and Spain. We love these countries for their sun and sangria. It’s a different kind of love to our love of Scandinavia.

Unlike Italy, France and Spain, in Scandinavia we search for a more perfect version of ourselves. We’re nations of monarchies, introverts and temperamental climates. But Scandinavia has done everything just a little bit better. They’re classless, cleaner and more close-knit. We long to be Scandinavian, but we never will be.

It makes Scandinavia just a little bit boring … but in a dependable sort of way. of these Danes, concerning police violence in the US, is just as real and heartfelt as mine or that of Bwalya Sørensen, the spokesperson for Black Lives Matter.

Listen to Hørup IN THE 1880s, Radikale founder Viggo Hørup asserted that, in a democracy, people must divide themselves according to their views and opinions. This point is just as valid today as it was back then, and it also applies to the protests that are now, as before, a part of the political debate.

The idea of dividing people according to their race is leading us in a dangerous direction, no matter which side pushes this agenda. Some dig trenches and others build bridges – extrem-

Xander is the editor of Fika Online (fika-online.com), a blog dedicated to Nordic lifestyle, culture and current affairs. The Nordic Podcast is available via various streaming platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts. ists on each wing belong to the former category.

Since his election in 2017, David has represented Radikale on the Frederiksberg Municipal Council.

He is also the chair of the Safe and Alive Foundation.

FEATURE

19 October - 5 November 2020

15

Healthy competition that embraces inclusivity, fairness and international scope

CIS

Dedicated to catering to all abilities, Copenhagen International School is rightly proud of its standout sports program

seriously, with strict regimes for teams competing in the inter-school competitions that they so covet. In many ways, the result is put before the child.

LUKE ROBERTS

Picked last ... again THE HARMFUL effect of prioritising competition is becoming increasingly well documented. Children regularly report anxiety, in both PHE lessons and team sports, about being the last one picked from a group, or about receiving a vitriolic half-time team talk. Many dread the fallout of being on the losing team.

It is this kind of outcome that Danish schools hope to avoid. When the focus is shifted to health and well-being, it becomes clear that nobody should be discouraged from sporting endeavours. Victory loses its shine when it comes at the cost of anyone’s physical or mental health.

This is best demonstrated by looking at the theory in practice. Copenhagen International School is typically Danish in this regard, despite being an international school with a different curriculum. Toni Heisterberg Andersen, one of the school’s PHE teachers, described the Danish system as one that actively seeks to stamp out sources of stress, as "ultimately that’s the kind of system we’re trying to mirror at the school".

D

ENMARK is known for its inclusive approach to education, but in something as naturally competitive as sport this might appear to pose a problem.

No longer is there any debate surrounding the importance of sport and exercise in a child’s schooling. Many studies have shown that an active lifestyle helps support happy, healthy kids who perform better on the pitch and in the classroom.

Nowhere in Europe would this be considered breaking news, and yet not every country has put this theory into the same practice. In typically Danish fashion, sport in and out of school is approached in a free-flowing and egalitarian manner, with greater emphasis on the health and social elements than competitiveness.

The Danish way OUTSIDE of school, sport in Denmark is structured around the club system. Kids and adults alike can be confident that they will find a local club that will support them, regardless of experience or talent.

This approach is largely mirrored in the school system.

Emphasis is placed on keeping healthy and socialising with your peers rather than being on the winning team. In practice this means limited talent-based class structuring and a greater focus on soft-skills such as communication, leadership and empathy.

For Brits, this approach will be especially alien. Schools in the UK are known for rigid talent-based separation and the encouragement of competition in physical and health education (PHE) lessons. Private schools in particular take sports very

Inclusivity is key AT COPENHAGEN International School, the least and most talented are coached equally. The focus instead is on “participation, engagement, skills improvement, and the social component”, according to Heisterberg-Andersen, and this extends to after-school activities too.

Gilbert Grant, the athletics & activities director, describes a system of total inclusivity: “Kids can always join a team, and they are free to choose if they want to compete.”

Physical and health education teachers Toni Heisterberg Andersen and Gilbert Grant

Heisterberg-Andersen concurs. “The focus is not on winning, but how to be a good winner or a good loser,” she added – the kind of life-skills that are going to be of use in all pursuits.

For some, however, this might appear inadequate. Why not teach these kinds of skills whilst retaining the segregation that ensures that the most talented are pushed to improve? This is not an element that Copenhagen International School has lost.

“In coaching the ‘best’ kids, we encourage them to build on leadership and communication skills,” contended Grant. So, even within an inclusive system, talent shines through.

The same but different COPENHAGEN International School is therefore typically Danish in its ethos. But, with its international edge, the school stands apart. This is apparent not only in its facilities – boasting four gyms and catering for a total of 50 after-school activities – but also in its approach to teaching.

Heisterberg-Andersen describes every moment as a “learning moment”, and in PHE this means a depth and structure to education that is atypical in a country known for its free-form approach to learning.

“PHE is not just limited to the gym,” she explained. There is a real focus on transferable skills,

and the department – made up of seven dedicated PHE teachers – works alongside other subjects to provide a more integrated and holistic sports experience.

It is after school, however, when the differences really come to light. Due to the transitory nature of many of the students, Gilbert states that every year is treated like a ‘time capsule’, where the focus is on creating a renewed environment. A huge amount of resources are pumped into a great range of activities, supporting a bustling environment that is busy every afternoon.

Every year, a few former students return, eager to give back and help coach current students – a testament to the positive atmosphere cultivated there.

Victory still as sweet FOR THE teams that emerge from these after-school clubs, the world really is their oyster.

Although now on hold due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, Copenhagen International School teams have fantastic travel opportunities. Partnering up with other international schools, there are typically three tournaments a year: within Denmark, across the Nordics, and throughout Europe. The school is international in both theory and practice.

It is impossible to deny that kids (and coaches) love to win.

There is a minimum level of competitiveness that can never be removed from sports, nor would it be desirable to. Only the hardest working and most talented athletes can go on these trips, and nothing makes them happier than bringing a trophy back to Copenhagen.

Despite this, the Danish ethos remains. Copenhagen International School only partners with like-minded schools, meaning that there are often rules in place dictating that a certain number of players must be used – thereby opening the experience up to as many as possible.

The students lucky enough to go are on a strict regime: sticking to healthy eating habits and limiting mobile phone use during the day. “It’s still great fun!” Heisterberg-Andersen and Grant insist.

Copenhagen International School, then, holds a unique position. Upholding the twin Danish principles of healthy living and equality, the school is committed to promoting healthy practices off the field as well as on it.

At the same time, it is committed to being international.

It is well integrated beyond Denmark’s borders, making it easy for their students to transfer across international schools, whilst at the same time retaining many of Denmark’s more positive educational directives.

16 ON STAGES

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

19 October - 5 November 2020

To isolate is to resonate: theatre has never been more relevant

Y

OU’D THINK we wouldn’t want to watch films and TV series about pandemics, but nothing could be further from the truth.

The 2011 film Contagion was ranked 270th on the Warner Bros catalogue list in December 2019. Three months later it was at number two, while piracy websites reported a 5,609 percent increase in interest in the film in January: the ‘this is what could happen’ effect.

So given all the lockdowns, enforced absences and general drudgery of the last eight months and counting, it’s kind of fitting that the international theatre community are choosing plays that deal with isolation.

The O’Byrne/Burns show FERGAL O’Byrne is the author of Extremophiles (Oct 21-Nov 21, Mon-Fri 19:30, Sat 17:00,Tue & Thu 13:00; Krudttønden, Cph Ø; 205kr, teaterbilletter.dk, concessions available; that-theatre.com), That Theatre’s autumn production, and the Irishman freely admits that its central premise of a group of people living remotely on an Antarctic research station was dreamt up long before the coronavirus pandemic started.

“I really did not envisage how apt the whole idea of people living in isolation would be,” he said.

“A few drafts had been finished before the true understanding of how COVID would impact our lives kicked in.”

For O’Byrne, Extremophiles will be the first of a trilogy That Theatre will produce over the next two years, with the second play, ‘Rub-a-Dub-Dub’, where the isolation is equally frosty but this time in the British countryside, slated for next spring.

“This is as good as it gets quite frankly. It is hard enough to get a production company interested in one play but to commit to a trilogy is fantastic,” he enthused - and with good reason, as That

Theatre stalwarts Sira Stampe and Benjamin Stender have been cast alongside Burns under the direction of Claus Bue. “The plays are all thematically linked and it is great to have the consistency of vision that Ian and his creative team will bring to the productions.”

The primary theme of Extremophiles – “the effects of climate change and the impact of geo-political tensions on the likelihood of us continuing to exist as a species” – couldn’t be more time-sensitive either.

O’Byrne cites Interstellar, The Day After Tomorrow, Contact and (perhaps a little worryingly) Alive as influences on his script, but it is perhaps Ian Burns, cast member and artistic director, whom he owes the biggest debt to.

“Ian is a breath of fresh air,” he affirmed. “He read another play of mine and was straight up and said it was not for him, but he liked the writing style. He left the door open and when I sent him ‘Extremophiles’, he immediately got what I was hoping to achieve.”

Burns remembers the first script well. “I liked it, but couldn't see who the audience would be. Then he sent me three plays that got my juices flowing,” he recalled.

“It's rare that a writer and a theatre company click in the way that we have. He is a great talent, and I'm proud that we'll be the first theatre company to present his plays. I have no doubt that other theatre companies will produce his plays for years to come.”

It started in Sarajevo SUE HANSEN-STYLES and Serbian playwright Tanja Mastilo might contend that good chemistry is not that rare, although they’d struggle to match the wordplay of the Burns/O’Byrne connection.

This column heralded them as Copenhagen’s answer to Robert DeNiro/Martin Scorsese in 2019, and Mastilo duly delivered the goods with Mairead, a thrilling, inventive play that delighted audiences with its in-

trigue and wit.

It was her third play for Hansen-Styles, the creative director of Why Not Theatre Company, and next month they are returning with number four, The Cheyenne are Leaving (Nov 13-Dec 5, Mon-Fri 20:00, Sat 17:00; Teatret ved Sorte Hest, Vesterbrogade 150; 205kr, concessions available; whynottheatre. dk).

And just like Extremophiles, isolation is at the heart of this psychological drama. Set in a world destroyed by war, a reclusive, reactionary writer feels invaded by the arrival of a mysterious young man: an analogy of Europe’s struggle to welcome the recent surge of refugees.

“I finished this text in December 2019, so the isolation theme wasn’t a deliberate choice really,” revealed Mastilo.

“We had a first read-through in February, and then again in May, and the two experiences were wildly different; it was almost surreal. We realised that the play had got a new dimension that we weren’t really aware of before or in control of anymore.”

But Mastilo hopes it won’t distract from her main theme: the consequences of war, and most notably the loss of home.

“When the Migrant Crisis began [in 2015] I found it interesting to see that the dominant discourse in European media was ‘They’re coming’,” she recalled.

“But very rarely would anyone bother to tell the story of ‘They’re leaving’ – how absolutely horrible and frightening it is to be forced to leave your home; to see your home destroyed and burned down.”

Sarajevo-born Mastilo had to leave her homeland as a child when the Yugoslav Wars broke out.

“I’ve personally been through something similar – and that kind of experience scars you for life,” she said.

“I’ve lived in different places ever since, and although I feel at home in quite a few of them, I often can’t shake the feeling that home is something I’m yet to

ALEKSANDER S MASTILO

BEN HAMILTON

The Cheyenne are coming!

find. And it will probably always be like that: the endless search for something long lost.”

Tour-de-force alert A SENSE of home and isolation is also explored in the 80-minute LGBT monologues Harry Clarke (ongoing, ends Oct 31, mostly odd number nights; Bøssehuset, Christiania; 175kr, teaterbilleter. dk; houseofinternationaltheatre. dk) and The Shy Manifesto (ongoing, ends Oct 31, mostly even number nights) that HIT is staging on alternate nights until the end of October. Both plays promise tour-de-force performances, with the actors effectively taking on multiple roles.

In the first, a 2017 thriller about sex, alter-egos and identity

by David Cale, Jeremy Thomas-Poulsen directs Jody Fish as the American living a double life as a Brit, and in the second, a 2019 coming-of-age black comedy by Michael Ross, Joseph Sherlock helms Daniel Neil Ash in the role of Calum – a young man dealing with bullying, humiliation and being an outsider – in what has been described as a “one-man showstopper”.

According to Thomas-Poulsen, the plays complement one another perfectly.

“Both are living a form of denial. Harry Clarke feels that he is living in the wrong nationality, so he creates a British persona which he uses to explore his inner truth, while Callum rejects the label that the community gives him,” he contended.

“Callum rejects society limiting his social footprint, while Harry rejects the limitations of society by becoming who he has always wanted to be. Although they might seem at odds with each other, they are actually both stories about coming out and coming to terms with your inner truth.

Thomas-Poulsen is confident the contemporary stories will “show an interesting new angle to the question of what is LGBTQ+ theatre” – progress from the “tropes of ‘gay men being effeminate best friends’ and ‘butch lesbian handywomen’ to fuller more developed characters central to the storytelling”.

“Harry Clarke as a character is conspicuously free of worry about issues of sexuality, and it’s that absence which brings questions to the minds of the audience,” added Sherlock.

“They provide and project their own thoughts into that empty space, which encourages reflection and thought.”

Likewise, The Shy Manifesto is a coming out story, but not like ones you’ve seen before, explained Thomas-Poulsen.

“It deals less with the struggle of a character coming out to society and being shamed for it, instead focusing on the character’s internal struggle of coming to terms with his identity in a world that will accept him no matter what.”

We were making great progress … but then 2020 came along, and the isolation has returned!

EVENTS

19 October - 5 November 2020

17

Extremophiles

English Comedy Night

Spooky Space

Spanish Cinema Nights

Expat Friday Bar & Comedy

Oct 21-Nov 21, Mon-Fri 19:30, Sat 17:00, Tue & Thu 13:00; Krudttønden, Cph Ø; 165kr, teaterbilleter.dk In this new play by Fergal O’Byrne, That Theatre Company takes us to a remote Antarctic Research Station, where a group of researchers find themselves in a near-death situation. How many moral absolutes are there when survival is at stake? (NJB)

Nov 12, 20:00; Copenhagen Admiral Hotel, Toldbodgade 28, Cph K; 110kr, billetto.dk This edition’s guest comic is Scott Capurro from the USA. (NJB)

Oct 27, 18:30; HUSET, Rådhusstræde 13, Cph K; free adm, registration required The event is part of the Astronomy on Tap series, which aims to make astronomy and space accessible to the public through fun talks and quizzes. With Halloween around the corner, this month’s theme of black holes and dark matter is extra spooky. (NJB)

Oct 21, 19:30; Husets Biograf, Rådhusstræde 13, Cph K, 70kr Featuring ‘La Colmena’, a 1982 classic directed by Mario Camus set in postwar Spain. (NJB)

Oct 23, 18:00; Bræt, Frederikssundsvej 92A, Cph NV; free adm Enjoy a true Danish Fredagsbar with a bit of comedy on the side courtesy of Thomas Ahlbeck.

(NJB)

Harry Clarke ends Oct 31; Bøssehuset, Mælkevejen 69D, Cph K; 165kr, concessions available, teaterbilleter.dk A sexual thriller about an American man who decides to start his life over as his British alter-ego: Harry Clarke. But how long can he lead a life of an imposter? (NJB)

The Shy Manifesto ends Oct 31; Bøssehuset; 165kr, teaterbilleter.dk Have you ever revealed a little more about yourself than you wanted after a drunken night out, because 17-year-old Callum certainly has. This is a tale of coming to terms with yourself, accepting yourself for whoever you happen to be: shy, gay, you name it. (NJB)

The Cheyenne are Leaving Nov 13-Dec 5, Mon-Fri 20:00, Sat 17:00; Teatret ved Sorte Hest, Vesterbrogade 150; 205kr Tanja Mastilo’s brand new play is set in a fictional world destroyed by war. The protagonist, an isolated writer, welcomes an interloper into his home. The story explores the idea of ‘home’ and how far we will go to hang on to what was once familiar. (NJB)

MIX Copenhagen Oct 23-Nov 1; various venues & events; mixcopenhagen.dk Running since 1986, it is one of the world’s largest LGBT film festivals in the world.

As well as screenings at Cinemateket and Empire Bio, it includes various workshops and events, such as bondage classes. (NJB)

BlaBla Language Exchange Nov 5, 20:00-23:30; online event; free adm, registration required; blablalanguageexchange.com Join the BlaBla experience and share languages with people from all over the world. Come in and practise your Danish, English, Italian, you name it! Come and share your knowledge with others. (NJB)

Play reading Oct 19, 18:30; Globe Irish Pub, Nørregade 43, Cph K; free adm Have you always wanted to try acting, but were too shy or busy to join acting classes? Here is your chance! (NJB)

Annual CPH Film Festival Oct 23-24; Husets Biograf, Rådhusstræde 13, Cph K; free adm; annualcphfest.com Entrance is free and it works on a first-come-first-served basis.

(NJB)

Face Drawing Bootcamp Oct 25, 15:30; Copenhagen Center, Strøget, Cph K; 250kr Learn how to draw the structure, shape, proportions and expressions of the human face in this introductory course. Beginners are more than welcome.

All material will be provided alongside snacks and refreshments. (NJB)

Borscht Community Dinner Oct 24, 17:00-20:00; One Bowl, Borups Alle 205, Cph NV; pay as you can One Bowl is a non-profit community restaurant with a pay-as-you-feel concept based on equality and inclusivity.

This event will feature botsch – a hearty beetroot soup and mushroom and sauerkraut rolls – and all the food is plantbased. (NJB)

Bachata Tuesday Classes

Institute of Broken Hearts Oct 29-31; Christianshavns Beboerhus, Dronningensgade 34, Cph K; 140kr An immersive, interactive and performative art experience inviting all visitors down the journey through the nine circles of the broken heart. Similarly to Dante’s and Virgil’s journey through the nine circles of inferno in the Divine Comedy, the performance will move through nine rooms. (NJB)

Make your own dumplings

Nov 1, 14:00; Ingemannsvej 3A, Frederiksberg; 1,200kr This four-week improv course will enable you to acquire new social skills, strengthen your creativity and improve your communication – all while beating the autumn blues. It’s three hours a week. (NJB)

every Tue, 18:00-20:00; Idrætsfabrikken, Valdemarsgade 12, Cph K; from 40kr Join weekly bachata classes to have fun, meet new people and move your body. No partner needed, no registration, no special equipment and no fuss. All the profits go to WaterAid – an organisation bringing water to the poorest and most disadvantaged communities in the world.

(NJB)

CBS Entrepreneurial Day

Curry & Couscous

Menopause Café

Nov 5, 12:00-18:00; online event; free adm The largest free student startup event in Denmark aims to explore transformational entrepreneurship. Guests will talk about how they transformed businesses in ways that benefited them, the company, the environment or all together at once. (NJB)

Oct 20, 18:00-21:00; Hverdagen, Onkel Dannys Plads 9, Cph V; 40kr Come with good vibes and join the communal kitchen. This time around it’s creamy curry with fried veggies and couscous.

The event has limited seating, so come in good time, or take the food home with you. (NJB)

Nov 5, 19:00; My Beautiful Gallery & Wine Bar; Rungsted Station; 75kr; rungstedgalleri@ gmail.com Come and discuss all things menopausal in a relaxed, respectful and confidential safe space. There is no agenda. The events are held in both Danish and English. (NJB)

Improv for Beginners

Oct 24, 12:30-15:30; Hot Pot Republic Copenhagen, Vesterbrogade 146, Cph K; 435kr During the workshop you will be able to learn how to make your own Asian dumplings from scratch. Learn how to make the filling – both meat and vegan – and how to fold your creations and cook them.

(NJB)

mix copenhagen LGbtq+ Film festival Welcome to MIX Copenhagen’s 35th anniversary festival celebrating diversity with events, talks and films. The festival takes place from 23 October to 1 November.

Most of the films have English subtitles and many of the talks are in English as well.

See what’s on at cinemateket.dk or visit us in Gothersgade 55.

18 ON SCREENS

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

19 October - 5 November 2020

Turning the corner on scary kids? That’s our prerogative, after all!

BEN HAMILTON

T

HERE ARE three types of child actors.

There are the ones who go on to great things: Saoirse Ronan (Atonement), Natalie Portman (Leon), Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot), River Phoenix (Stand By Me), Tom Holland (The Impossible), Jodie Foster (Taxi Driver) and Elijah Wood (The Ice Storm).

There are those whose careers stall when they hit puberty – think MacCaulay Culkin (Home Alone), Haley Joel Osment (The Sixth Sense), Spencer Treat Clark (Gladiator) and Mark Lester (Oliver!).

And then there are the onehit wonders: Tatum O'Neal (Paper Moon), Linda Blair (The Exorcist), Douglas Silva (City of God) and the kid in ‘The Omen’.

Somebody, many years ago, once told me the ‘Omen kid’ was a dick at school, so it amused me to see he got a conviction in 2017 for attacking a pair of cyclists who didn’t previously know each other … but had probably both shat themselves when they saw Damian’s nanny hang herself.

He’d love it here in Denmark.

Jude’s invisible kids OF COURSE, Damian did most of the terrifying in The Omen, but these days we’ve had enough of scary children. Back to basics, this month’s assortment is a wide array of haunted country estates for kids who have their kittens instead – although The Nest (CMore), another for-

ay into TV for Jude Law, has the manor but mostly kids who are unseen, presumably because he sent them off to boarding school so he could shag their nanny.

Azhy Robertson (Marriage Story, The Plot against America) is the new Jacob Tremblay (Room), and as if he didn’t have enough ghoulies to deal with, the writer of Come Play (Not Released Worldwide; at cinemas on Oct 29) has made him autistic.

The Haunting of Bly Manor (Netflix; 65 on Metacritic) is atmospheric enough but can’t quite match its sister show, The Haunting of Hill House, but as a bonus it has the king of all child actors: Henry Thomas, who played Eliott in ET. The Binding (Netflix) treads similar fare, but poor production values and too much affected whispering let it down. Even the child actors don’t look frightened.

While The Witches (NRW; Oct 28) looks like an ill-advised remake with Anne Hathaway hamming it up in Angelica Houston’s role.

Hathaway’s day is done as a leading lady with the likes of Anya Taylor-Joy, who plays a former child chess prodigy in series The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix; Oct 23), in her rear window.

Flashback scenes for the kids come thick and fast, just as they do in Viggo Mortensen’s directorial debut Falling (Nov 5; 59).

In an inspired piece of casting, 80-year-old Lance Henriksen (Aliens) plays Viggo’s Alzheimer’s-suffering papa, but the critics have been unkind thus far.

Sea Biscuit with soul CHILDREN, albeit teenagers, also figure heavily in four of this month’s top picks.

In The 40-Year-Old Version (Netflix; 76), they act as a catalyst for inspiring the catharsis of Radha Blank (a 44-year-old writer and stand-up, who dug into her own experience of unfulfilling her early promise). The classroom scenes are hilarious.

The authenticity is also strong in Charm City Kings (HBO Nordic; 62), a coming-of-age tale about black kids who love doing wheelies in Baltimore.

In Lean on Pete (Netflix; 80), a 15-year-old boy falls in love with the title character – no, not a paedo, a horse – and takes for the road to escape his abusive home. With strong support from Steve Buscemi (look out for his Boardwalk Empire co-star Kelly Macdonald in Puzzle on Netflix) and Travis Fimmel from Vikings, it’s an extremely touching film.

And in The Good Lord Bird (HBO Nordic; 84), the teenage protagonist is freed from slavery by unstable abolitionist John Brown (Ethan Hawke) to fight the good cause … events that many contend were a contributor to the outbreak of the Civil War. Part absurd, part tragic, it’s another quality series repainting the Hollywood picture of 19th century America dominated by cowboys and Indians. And it’s a great dark comedy.

Elsewhere, the comedians are out in force as Palm Springs (released; 83) sees Adam Samberg

Jude Law just can’t let Nanny go

and Cristin Milioti in fine form in what is probably the funniest ever Groundhog Day rip-off; Sacha Baron Cohen and Frank Langella are superb on either side of the dock in the Oscar hopeful The Trial of the Chicago 7 (released; 75); Bill Murray brings his magic formula to On the Rocks (released; 73) as the father assisting a daughter who suspects her hubby of having an affair; and comic actor Paul Walter Hauser plays it straight in Richard Jewell (released; 68), Clint Eastwood’s take on the man falsely accused of bombing the 1996 Olympics, which last year was compellingly adapted for the Manhunt anthology.

Still up the creek WITH FILMS dropping like flies due to corona, there isn’t much else coming out at the cinema, particularly not James Bond, who has scarpered, although long-time new 007 favourite James Norton is finally hitting the screens with Mr

Jones (Oct 22; 68), the story of the Welsh journalist who met Stalin.

Equally long awaited are all six seasons of Emmy jackpot winner Schitt’s Creek (CMore; 64) and Susanne Bier’s miniseries The Undoing (Oct 26; HBO Nordic) starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant. Somebody dies, or do they? Something like that.

The same is always the case with the classic Rebecca (Netflix; Oct 21), redone again with Kristin Scott Thomas as the creepy housekeeper.

With Halloween coming, there are a host of films, from promising British asylum tale His House (Netflix; Oct 30) to awful looking Adam Sandler mess Hubie Halloween (Netflix; 54), and finally Emily in Paris (Netflix; 63), a travelogue disaster that unfortunately doesn’t end with a well deserved slash or two.

That’s why you’re always safer going with kids, as viewers don’t actually want them to die. Unless, of course, it’s The Omen.

In a war-torn world, humanity knocks on your door.

Do you dare open?

Why Not Theatre Company presents the World Premiere of

THe cHeyenne Are LeAVing

by Tanja Mastilo

A story about love and war, friendship and survival.

An intimate, psychological drama with a touch of subtle humour.

VESTERBROGADE 150 1620 KBH V

Directed by NINA LARISSA BASSETT With NATHAN MEISTER and JOE YOUNG

TICKETS: BILLET@SORTEHEST.COM OR TEATERBILLETTER.DK

13th Nov - 5th Dec 2020 Mon - Fri 8pm; Sat 5pm

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TEACHERS FOR ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGY & CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT, KEA

As the Business Support Manger, Nordic, you will be working both on long-term projects, strategies, building of business cases and on the short-term tactics and continuous improvement of our operational efficiency.

Location: Hørsholm Deadline: 15 November 2020 Contact: Simon McMunn, simon.mcmunn@fmc.com

You will have the opportunity to foster, shape and develop ideas and concepts into service products used for our customers across the globe.

Location: Søborg Deadline: 2 November 2020 Contact: Elias Zafirakos, Head of Service Product Development, +45 39 54 54 54

AGILE COACH TO DRIVE CULTURAL TRANSFORMATION, NOVO NORDISK

Your primary role is to promote the agile culture across the organisation. You will engage with the teams in the early stages to help them continuously improve team structures, boards and roles and guide them through Backlog creation, Daily stand-ups, PI plannings and other agile events.

Location: Bagsværd Deadline: 1 November 2020 Contact: Younes Nielsen, Agile Transformation Lead, ynie@novonordisk.com

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ENGLISH JOB DENMARK

The role requires strong strategic thinking, being a solid collaborator in a high-level international context and being pro-active with a ‘can do’ attitude.

Location: Copenhagen Deadline: 1 November 2020 Contact: Julian Marsili, Global Brand Director, julian.marsili@carlsberg.com

You will formulate and execute an Industry Cloud sales strategy within their region, drive revenue growth by driving demand in the current customer base and develop new customers in the enterprise space.

Location: Hellerup Deadline: When filled Contact: HR, +45 77 34 26 00

UNSOLICITED APPLICATIONS FOR DONKEY REPUBLIC

Donkey Republic is on a mission to make the bike the hero of urban mobility around the world. We’re looking for passionate people to use their mind and heart to help us achieve our mission.

Location: Copenhagen Deadline: When filled Contact: jobs@donkeyrepublic.com

SENIOR IOT PLATFORM ENGINEER, ALFA LAVAL

We are looking for a curious self-motivated team player, who is eager to contribute to further improve our systems. It is essential that you thrive being part of a change and is motivated by working broadly, from sensor to user interface.

Location: Søborg Deadline: When filled Contact: Jan Ackalin, Head of Global Automation Development, +45 27 77 86 93

You’ll be a key player in expanding our portfolio of offshore projects across markets in Asia and Europe.

Location: Gentofte Deadline: 25 October 2020 Contact: Arne Matthiesen, Manager, Asset Valuation – Asia & Europe, +45 99 55 21 39

Are you an architect, architectural technologist or engineer, and have experience from the construction industry that you can pass on and use to inspire industry professionals of the future?

Location: Copenhagen Deadline: 2 November 2020 Contact: Claudio Spaziani Testa, Head of Education Programme, cst@kea.dk

INTERNAL AUDITOR, OXFAM IBIS We are looking for an experienced Internal Auditor (IA), who has extensive experience in operational auditing as well as riskbased approach adding compliance understanding.

Location: Copenhagen Deadline: 22 October 2020 Contact: Lars Udsholt, lu@oxfamibis.dk

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