PRINT VERSION ISSN: 2446-0184 ONLINE VERSION ISSN: 2446-0192 Take your PAPERFREE 16 AUG - 1 SEP 2022 VOL 25 ISSUE 10 DANISH NEWS IN ENGLISH | CPHPOST.DK SPECIAL EDITION INDIA@75 SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT AUGUST 2022 As India turns 75, relations with Den mark have never been closer – so who better to provide the inside scoop than its ambassador, Pooja Kapur POLITICS Autumn general election likely with red and blue blocs level-pegging and several parties queuing up to play kingmaker, but who will they support? OBITUARY
It’s with sadness that we confirm that long-time contributor and friend Ste phen Gadd, a columnist since 2015, has lost his battle with cancer aged 64 Pride is a much-celebrated bea con of fun, but on the occasion of the first parade since 2019, it’s worth asking how inclusive Denmark is of its international LGTBQ+
FEATURE CPH
community INSIDE18-19157 DENMARK’S BUSIEST AMBASSADOR: POOJA KAPUR OF INDIA
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Geranium accordingly joins Noma in the ‘Best of the Best’ selection, a eld that includes the eight previous winners of an award that began in 2002. Like Noma, Spanish restaurant elBulli has won it ve times. Raining stars IN RELATED news, two recently opened restaurants in Denmark have won Michelin stars within 12 months of opening.Restaurant Mota, which is located in Nykøbing Sjællandwhich, opened in November, while Jatak, which is located in Nørrebro, opened in January. Denmark now has 26 Michelin restaurants, which hold 36 stars in total.
City’s longest cycling street IN 18 MONTHS' time, Østerbro will open its rst cycling street, which will also be Copenhagen's longest. It is a long-standing issue that the residents of Nordre Frihavnsgade have to send their children out on bicycles between trucks and cars. But its transformation into a modern bicycle street means they won't need to worry anymore.
The Northern Irishman has not made contact with close family or friends since JulyFrank11. is approximately 165 cm in height and of slim build. The photo above was taken recently. His sister Niamh McCaughey is anxious to hear from anyone who might have seenReporthim. any sightings to the Danish police via 3314 1448, quoting case number 5100-10279-00259-22, or the Police Service of Northern Ireland via 0044 28906 50222, quoting reference number 1666-21/07/2022. (BH)
MISSING IRISHMAN SIGHTED IN BERLIN
FACEBOOK/GERANIUM RAMBLERSEN2
You
Baths are 20 years old
Barbara Mensah SOCIAL MEDIA hearts at or are they artichokes? can never tell with
No escaping the divers
Aquarium’s light touch BEFORE the corona crisis, over 60 percent of The Blue Planet's guests came from abroad, but the aquarium has increasingly been targeting Danish visitors of late. The best method so far has been humorous videos, such as one about an eel that has received over 440,000 views.
Geranium,
11 or email sales@cphpost.dk To tell us your story –
Further a eld were Copenhagen double Michelin star duo Alchemist in Refshaleøen and Jordnær in Gentofte, which placed 18th and 38th.
01 or email news@cphpost.dk For all other inquiries – email info@cphpost.dk Editorial o ces: Holbergsgade 24 kld 1057 DenmarkCopenhagen Founded in 1998 by San Shepherd All rights Publishedreservedbycphpost.dk ApS. Printed by Dansk Avistryk A/S BenEDITORHamilton Christian NEWS/LAYOUTWenandeEDITOREjvindCO-OWNERSandal
Lynetteholm guided tour
THE ISLANDS Brygge Harbour Bath celebrated its 20th birthday on July 18. The baths were the rst such swimming zone to open in Copenhagen Harbour this century. Up until the 1950s, it was possible to swim in the harbour, but the last spot closed in 1954 due to pollution caused by heavy industry.
Shots on Pusher Street THREE shots were red on Pusher Street in Christiania shootings on July 24, but nobody was hit. The area was cordoned o , but so far the police have been unable to establish what happened.
Lots of
veggies LOCAL
DIVERS found several thousand kroner in a Christianshavn canal last month. A suspect being pursued by police along the promenade discarded the money in the hope it would escape detection.
Divers from Hovedstadens Beredskab were then recruited to nd the money.
Frank McCaughey still
Frank McCaughey was last seen in a German hospital on July 25 T HE FAMILY of a man with UK-Irish nationality are concerned for his safety after he went missing in Denmark on July 13. Twelve days later, Frank McCaughey was sighted at a hospital in Berlin, but since then there has been no word on hisInwhereabouts.Denmark,McCaughey was last seen at Aalborg Railway Station, where he said he was intending to take a train to Copenhagen.
WEEK
advertise – call 24
To 20 24 call 93 93 92 Hans HermansenCEO Stephen Gadd RIP Hasse PHOTOGRAPHERFerrold
THE FIRST guided walking and sailing trip around Lynetteholm was held on June 21 by By & Havn. It gave the public an opportunity to ask questions about the construction of the man-made island, which one day will house a new city district with its own Metro station. New NY pizzeria THREE former chefs from the renowned pizzeria Bæst have opened a new restaurant in Nørrebro. Diamond Slice at Blågårdsgade 27 sells 'New Yorker style' pizza – a thin bottom, crispy crust, sweet tomato sauce, cheese and a little pepperoni – at 60-75 kroner a slice. Stolen stones recovered STONES stolen from the country's most expensive villa, at Poul Møllers Vej 7 in Frederiksberg, have been returned. Some 800 kilos were stolen from the 27 million kroner property, which led to a 5,000 kroner reward being o ered. Two months later an anonymous letter provided the location. Two construction deaths A YOUNG builder employed by MT Højgaard passed away after an accident in Nordhavn at the end of June. The fatal accident happened just one day after a Zurface employee lost his life in a work accident involving a concrete block on Prøvestenen in Copenhagen. Fire onboard BA ight THE ENGINE of a British Airways jet caught re shortly after it touched down from Heathrow at Copenhagen Airport on July 6. The plane was evacuated, the re extinguished and return ight cancelled. No-one was injured.
DANISH NEWS IN ENGLISH | CPHPOST.DK THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK 16 AUGUST - 1 SEPTEMBER 2022 2
missing
VICTORY FOR GERANIUM AT THE STADIUM Østerbo-based eatery succeeds Noma as best in the world DIDONG ZHAO G ERANIUM the bridesmaid is now Geranium the bride. After years of playing second fiddle to the 2021 World's Best Restaurant, its Copenhagen stablemate Noma, it was finally hailed as number one at a ceremony in London in mid-July.Basedon votes from a panel of 1,080 culinary connoisseurs, the restaurant at Parken Stadium in Østerbro finished ahead of Central in the Peruvian capital of Lima and Disfrutar in Barcelona.
Into the hall of fame FOR GERANIUM, it was vindication of a year in which the three Michelin star eatery opted to completely remove meat from its menu. But does it con rm that it’s nally better than Noma, the ve-time winner of the award? The short answer is ‘No’. A 2019 rule stipulates that no previous winner is eligible for the award. Noma quali ed, however, because it closed down in 2016 and started again at a new premises.
SATURDAY
This day is devoted to exploring the field of housing, job and social life, inviting the entire family to join including children. With a lively fair representing unique organisations from the housing market, banking sector and cultural scene, we invite you to engage in talks, debates and fun activities. You will be guided through the jungle of housing options, banking services, tax laws, language classes and bombarded with great inspiration on kick-starting your social life. Welcome to Greater Copenhagen – and welcome to International Citizen Days 2022. Taking place in the heart of Copenhagen on 23 & 24 September, International Citizen Days bring together public authorities, private organisations and local communities for two days of endless inspiration on housing, job and social life relevant to all newcomers. icdays.dk
This evening is devoted to exploring the field of job and career, giving you the chance to meet a wide range of companies looking to hire international talent together with organisations working with recruitment and professional job guidance. You will be guided through traditional models of collective bargaining and the inescapable codes of Danish workplace culture with plenty of opportunities to mingle and widen your professional network. 24 SEPTEMBER, 10.00-15.00 DGI-BYEN, TIETGENSGADE 65, 1704 KØBENHAVN
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23-24 SEPTEMBER 2022INVITATION FRIDAY 23 SEPTEMBER, 17.00-20.00 BØRSEN, SLOTSHOLMSGADE 1, 1217 KØBENHAVN K
PIXABAY/STANVPETERSEN
ONLINE THIS WEEKTO BE HERE, OR NOT TO BE HERE
During this time, homes were found for 800 animals. The shelter on Bornholm recently took a delivery of 37 cats after their owner said she was too old to cope. The cats are very well behaved but a bit flea-bitten.
More shelters on the way MANY CAMPERS opt for shelters –purpose-built wooden structures or open-air, timbered areas dug into the earth – and thanks to 16 million kroner in funding from the AP Moller Foundation, a further 300 are opening, taking the to tal number to 1,050. Last year, campsite and shelter bookings totalled 270,000 – a 100,000 rise since 2016, according to Naturstyrelsen.
More money mules YOUNG people are increasingly being duped into transferring or withdrawing money on behalf of criminals, reports the Det Kriminal præventive Råd. Criminals are either transparent with 'money mules', or they are coerced or deceived – a common story is that the criminal’s bank account is temporarily not working. They risk getting a criminal record and even a term in prison.
More tooth decay cases HALF THE country’s dentists report that tooth decay is on the rise – mostly as a result of the consumption of acidic energy and soft drinks. According to DTU Fødevareinstituttet, there was a fivefold increase in the sale of energy drinks from 2010-2019. Fortunately for people aged 18-21, they are now enti tled to free dental care thanks to a bill enacted on July 1.
NATIONAL Internationals can’t decide whether Denmark is a good place to live, according to the latest ‘Expat Insider’ survey released by InterNations
Despite that, however, 72 percent of respondents felt their disposable household income was enough to lead a comfortable life, and 60 percent were satisfied with their financial situ ation – both were exactly the same as the global average. Furthermore, 83 percent expressed satisfaction with the affordability of healthcare.
NemKonto compensation ANYONE scammed by fraudsters who effectively took over their Nem Konto, the preferred bank account to which all state and municipal-re lated payments are made, will be able to collect compensation. The scheme will run for six months until January 2023 and victims will be able to claim compensation retro actively for up to 10 years. Help the digitally-vulnerable!
A QUARTER of the population struggle with the digitalisation of the public sector, according to a Justitia report – mostly pensioners, people in rural communities and the poor. The difficulties could even cause social inequality, warns Justi tia, which urges more provisions for the digitally-vulnerable citizens.
Church violation centre battle SEVEN priests from Folkekirken have joined forces to call for a na tional independent centre where violations within the church can be reported. However, Folkekirke bishops, along with representatives of parish councils, oppose such a centre. Norway has had such a centre for 25 years.
Drone delivers on time A DRONE carrying a defibrillator op erated by Region North Jutland was dispatched for its very first time on July 12 after a man had a heart at tack in Aalborg. Just seven minutes after the emergency services were notified, the drone arrived at the scene of the cardiac arrest. However, an ambulance was even quicker and managed to revive the man.
ONE OUT of five children in Denmark were short-sighted in 2018, according to a study completed by SDU, and the problem is getting worse, according to professionals. According to eye doctor Claus Shah-Jørgensen, two to three times more children are myopic, com pared to five years ago, he tells DR. Being myopic can lead to further eye diseases if untreated.
THE NUMBER of animals at shelters run by Dyrenes Beskyttelse, the animal wel fare organisation, now exceeds 2,000 – a 30 percent increase on last year.
More kids short-sighted
Girl killed at Tivoli Friheden
THE NUMBER of dogs poisoned by nico tine doubled from 2017 to 2021, reports TV2. In most cases, they’re attracted by the odour of discarded snus packets and eat them. According to Sundhedssty relsen, 11.4 percent of the 15-29 age bracket often or occasionally use smokefree nicotine products – up from 9.1 in 2019. Just 10 mg of nicotine is enough to kill a puppy.
Nicotine threat to pups
DANISH NEWS IN ENGLISH | CPHPOST.DK THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK 16 AUGUST - 1 SEPTEMBER 2022 4
Noise complaint decrease
JARED PAOLINO DENMARK is neither the best nor the worst place to be an expat, according to the latest survey by In terNations. It's somewhere in the middle. In 30th place overall, Denmark was the highest-ranked among the Nordic countries, placing slightly ahead of Fin land (32), Norway (34), and Sweden (39).
A 14-YEAR-OLD girl from Co penhagen died on July 14 after an accident at Tivoli Friheden in Aarhus. A rear car broke off the ‘Cobra’ rollercoaster, causing sev eral people to become trapped. A 13-year-old boy sustained injuries to his hand. In 2008, an accident on the same ride left four young people with serious fractures.
More animals discarded
Rise in shoplifting
Expats in Denmark were most happy with working conditions and quality of life, but many were dissatisfied with the living expenses and ease of settling in. Mexico took the top spot, with ex pats there praising the local friendliness and cost of living. Indonesia, Taiwan, Portugal, and Spain completed he top five, while Luxembourg, Cyprus, Hong Kong, New Zealand, and Kuwait took the bottom spots.
POLICE in Central and Western Jut land have received far fewer noise complaints this summer. In 2020 and 2021, when more people stayed at home due to corona, they received 3,400 complaints – mostly about loud music. But so far they have only received 558 reports, compared to 1,257 at the end of July last year.
Among all the categories, Denmark’s worst performance was for 'Ease of Settling In'. Of the 52 countries rated, Denmark came in 47th. More than a quarter of respondents perceived the local population as un friendly towards foreign residents, 63 percent said it was hard to make local friends, and 34 percent reported being unhappy with their social lives.
Good for work DENMARK ranked first in the 'Working Abroad' category, with 76 percent of expats in Denmark reporting they were very happy with their working hours, compared to 63 percent globally. Sim ilarly, 77 percent said they were happy with their work-life balance, compared to 62 percent globally. Denmark also made it into the top ten for 'Quality of Life', taking 8th place. In ad dition, expats in Denmark were generally happy when it came to transportation, with almost all respondents saying they enjoyed the ease of traveling on foot or by bicycle. Around half, however, said that the affordability of public transport was an Denmarkissue.earned another first place for the availability of green goods and services, with more than 80 percent of respondents expressing satisfaction with both the urban environment and the government’s support of environmen tally-friendly policies. However, Denmark was kept out of the top ten in the 'Environment & Cli mate Subcategory' because 52 percent of respondents were unhappy with the climate and weather, compared to 19 percent globally. Bad for making friends LIVING the good life in Denmark comes at a premium, reported most respond ents. Overall, 59 percent rated the cost of living negatively, with the cost of hous ing being a particular cause of concern. Some 42 percent considered housing hard to find, and 59 percent said it was hard to afford.
Uni numbers down ONLY 60,034 Danes were accepted to university this year – down from 67,425 last year, when figures were inflated by corona. Still, it was the lowest number since 2011, when 59,600 were admitted. Some 19,703 applicants were rejected. Nursing and pedagogy experienced 18 and 15 percent falls. Denmark will need an extra 35,000 pedagogues, teach ers and nurses by 2030.
Fair weather friends or happy whatever ... clearly a mix!
RETAIL robbery and burglary rates were unchanged in 2021, accord ing to the annual Crimestat report produced by Dansk Erhverv and 30 retail organisations, but incidents of shoplifting shot up. Based on the data of 4,600 stores, there were 81 robberies (with threatened force), 207 burglaries (outside opening hours), and 10,729 shoplifting cases – a rise of nearly 1,000.
Quite the draft dodge JUST LIKE in 2020 and 2021, there will be no Forsvarets Dag – the process by which young men are conscripted via a lottery draw – should Parliament ap prove a Defence Ministry bill. If passed, all men who turned 18 between 2020 and 2022 will be exempt from serving. The Defence Ministry concedes that corona has made it impossible to call the men up.
Slagelse arsonist caught A 47-YEAR-OLD man has been charged with 13 cases of arson in Slagelse and the surrounding area by South Zealand and Lolland-Fal ster Police. The fires in early July made the local population particu larly anxious as the police hunted the perpetrator. Fraud websites closed NATIONAL enhed for Særlig Krim inalitet (NSK), the national unit for serious crime, has closed down 340 internet domains linked to extensive fraud. Recent scams include fraud sters posing as celebrities seeking investments for made-up projects.
The Oscar and Alma show OSCAR and Alma were the most popular boys and girls’ names in 2021, according to Danmarks Statis tik. Oscar took over from Alfred, who fell four spots to fifth, with Karl, Wil liam and Oliver second to fourth. Alma, meanwhile, retained top spot ahead of Ida, Clara, Ella and Olivia. New entries in the top 50 included Ebbe and Luca for the boys, and Vera and Elina for the girls. More Muslim graduates SOME 36 percent of immigrants from the Middle East and north Af rica pursued higher education in 2021 – up from 20 percent in 2021, according to the Immigration and Integration Ministry. The upward trend is in line with a broader shift in Denmark, which has seen a greater number of people from all back grounds getting a higher education.
Wooden stove demand AS RUSSIA continues to reduce its gas deliver ies to Germany, the wood stove market is facing an unprecedented surge in demand, both from customers in Denmark and Germany. But due to labour shortages, Rais has warned customers they will have to wait until March to get one. Nurse exodus to Norway TWICE as many Danish nurses are choosing to work in Norway compared to last year. Currently there are 4,930 vacant nursing jobs in Denmark. Some 46 percent of attempts to hire tend to end in failure. More abortions than births ACCORDING to the Greenlandic board of health, the island's birth rate continues to be lower than its number of abortions, despite a dip in the latter. In 2021, there were 842, down from a ten-year peak of 931 in 2018. Its total of 761 new-born children was the lowest since WWII. In related news, Greenland wants to change its time zone to move within three hours of Denmark.
World’s biggest windfarm THE UK government has recruited Ørsted to build the world’s biggest offshore windfarm 160 km off the coast of Yorkshire. The 2.8 gigawatt farm, Hornsea 3, will produce enough energy to power 3.2 million homes.
Strong ethnic showing ACCORDING to UpCounsel, Denmark has one of Europe’s lowest proportions of non-ethnic people. Its share of 12.4 percent (24 in capital) is behind Iceland (19.2), Germany (18.8), Sweden (19.8), Ireland (17.6), Norway (15.7), Spain (14.6), the Netherlands (13.8), the UK (13.8), France (13.1), but ahead of Italy (10.6) and Finland (7.0). World wide, UAE (88.1) and Qatar (77.3) led the way, with South Korea (3.4), Japan (2.2) and China (0.1) near the bottom.
Having a Field’s day AMERICAN conservatives took to Twitter in July to say strict gun laws do not prevent gun violence, pointing to the shooting at Field’s as evidence. "Shooting in Copenhagen Denmark where guns are BANNED? Oooooh child I can't wait for the Left to explain how that happened!" tweeted Lavern Spicer, a Republican congressional can didate in Florida.
ONLINE THIS WEEK EU Kofod: More trust needed
GAS WAR, BUT NOT A NUCLEAR WAR
The conference was held to discuss the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which was created in 1968 to reduce the use of atomic weapons around the world.
Well prepared IN RELATED news, Energistyrelsen has assured Danish consumers that Russia’s decision to reduce its gas supply to Germany – down to 33 cubic metres per day, a fifth of the 167 million capacity – will not have dire consequences.
A DANISH man has been charged with negligent manslaughter in connection with a boating acci dent in Tuscany on July 24 that killed two Italians. He was one of four Danes onboard a motorised yacht that collided with a sailing boat near Gros seto, breaking it in two. The captain of the other boat has also been charged. All four Danes have since returned to Denmark.
On July 11, it confirmed to CPH POST that Den mark is "well prepared if the market is no longer able to supply Europe with gas, as we have emergency plans ready to deal with that scenario". It further explained: "On average, 25 percent of Denmark's gas consumption is covered by the Danish production of biogas and our gas storage is already well filled.” EU gas cut MEANWHILE, the EU countries have signed an agreement to cut their gas consumption by 15 percent.“Once again we prove that the EU stands united against Putin's aggression and attempts to divide us,” enthused the climate and energy minister, Dan Jørgensen, on Twitter.
Charged in Tuscany
Five of the world’s nine nuclear powers – the USA, China, France, the UK and Russia – are part of the treaty, three ( India, Israel and Pakistan) are not, and North Korea left the treaty in 2003.
INTERNATIONAL THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK DANISH NEWS IN ENGLISH | CPHPOST.DK
Atomic weapons a vital deterrent, concedes foreign minister BENEDICTE VAGNER T HE FOREIGN minister, Jeppe Kofod, par ticipated in an atomic conference at the UN’s headquarters in New York City in early August to speak on behalf of the Nordic ministers, and he did not pass up the opportunity to make himselfKofodheard.conceded that in an ideal world there would be no need for atomic weapons, but argued for their use as a deterrent – particularly as long as Russian President Vladimir Putin is threatening to use "Wethem.need to put more concrete and trust-build ing measures in place, which may involve nuclear powers revealing what specific atomic weapons they hold in their possession," he told those in at tendance. Aptly timed THE TIMING of the conference could not be more apt given the ongoing War in Ukraine. The threat of a potential nuclear war is now on a par with the 1980s.
Strategic CO2 reduction
THE NUMBER of lesbians and single women receiving fertility treatment has doubled over the past decade, according to Sundhedsdatastyrels en: up from 1,316 and 315 in 2012 to 2,721 and 595 in 2021 – out of a nationwide total of 15,500. A law was passed in 2007 permitting their treatment. Meanwhile, fer tility treatment refusals have nearly quadrupled in southern Denmark since 2018. Doping seizures
DENMARK is the fifth worst European country for owning an electric vehicle, claims a Uswitch study. Drivers pay an average of €640.83 to charge their ve hicles – the continent’s most expensive rate – and there are as many as 10.13 vehicles per charging point. The top five in the survey were the Netherlands, Cro atia, Slovakia, Latvia and Hungary. Vikings liked beaver fur A UNIVERSITY of Copenhagen study concludes that beaver fur was a symbol of wealth and lucratively traded in the 10th century. Animal remains, both hides and clothing, from six high-status graves in Denmark contained identifiable pro teins that confirmed the presence of beavers, weasels and even a squirrel.
Another wolf litter
Funding for plastic centre WITH 57 million kroner in funding from the Novo Nordisk Foundation, Professor Daniel Otzen is opening a centre for plastic research at Aarhus University. The Centre for Enzymatic Deconstruction of Thermoset Plastics for a Sustainable Society will focus on identifying natu rally-occurring molecules capable of breaking down different types of plastic.
THE LATEST 'Cancer in Denmark' report published by Kræftens Bekæmpelse reveals that cancer of the lungs, bronchi and trachea has overtaken breast cancer as the most common form of the disease in Denmark. In 2020, more than 5,000 people in Den mark were diagnosed with lung cancer, compared to 4,800 cases of breast cancer.
Not good for electric cars
LARS SANDAHL Sørensen, head of Dansk Industri, has warned the state it should spend a maximum of two years planning offshore windfarm projects, or otherwise it will fail to hit green electric ity targets. In related news, DI has urged Danish companies to offer their services to France’s bid to upgrade its offshore wind capacity to 40 gigawatts by 2050.
Euthanasia charges dropped
A PAIR of wolves living at the Kle lund Plantage near Hovborg, south of Billund in Jutland, have given birth to pups – the fourth time a litter has been born in the ten years since wolves migrated in 2012. Teenage brain insights
Lots of food withdrawals IF YOU’RE returning from holiday, check your fridge for the following products (cphpost.dk for more details): Dava Foods organic eggs, Santa Maria Tortilla Chips, Tu lip delicious sausage rolls, and Coop ranges of minced chicken, mushroom steaks and Dild-Deller. Five Matas Kids Solspray SPF products were also withdrawn. All should be returned to the place of purchase.
PFAS concerns growing CONCERNS are growing about the Sundhedsstyrelsen health author ity’s stance on PFAS, the chemical often found in groundwater sourc es, in regards to its advice to pregnant and breastfeeding wom en. Sundhedsstyrelsen maintains it is safe for women to continue as normal, but an increasing num ber of experts disagree. They urge more testing.
INNO-CCUS is one of four stra tegic partnerships established to help Denmark achieve its goal of reducing carbon emissions by 70 percent by 2030. This summer, the partnership has launched its first round of projects, which focus on the advancement of carbon cap ture, utilisation and storage. Fertility goalpost movement
A NATURE blogger 's sighting of the rare tormentil wasp bee (Nomada roberjeotiana) in Rabis Ådal, Central Jutland was the first in 50 years.
Almost the hottest
Men who regularly have sex with other men are now being fasttracked to receive Imvanex DIDONG ZHAO F
Biodiversity failure BIODIVERSITY in Denmark is “historically bad” according to a new IPBES report, which claims there is a major disconnect between politicians and nature. In future, it recommends, the value of nature must be included in political decision-making processes. Denmark finished bottom in terms of protected nature areas, and was one of the worst for its quality of habitats.
OLLOWING concerns aired by the LGBT community, the Sundhedssty relsen health authority last week finally approved the distribution of the Monkeypox vaccine to men who have sex with men and for those who have a high number of sexual partners. They will be offered two doses of the Imvanex vaccine.WithCopenhagen Pride Week starting on August 13, and the first restric tion-free parade since 2019 on August 20, LGBT+ Danmark head Susanne Bran ner Jespersen told DR that swift action wasHowever,necessary.since a carrier of Monkey pox only becomes contagious once they have symptoms, Sundhedsstyrelsen had previously reasoned that the virus is not difficult to prevent, ruling that its “policy on the provision of vaccines for the target group of gay men is under professional evaluation”.
Seagull numbers falling DANSK Ornitologisk Forening partly blames falling seagull pop ulations on the disappearance of the mink farms, as they offered the scavenger birds easy pickings for their lunch. In their absence they are eating each other’s eggs. The closure of landfill sites, a nation wide reduction in bycatch and burgeoning rat populations have not helped either.
The last 20 months have been murder if you hate needles
Bavarian Nordic profiting SO FAR, there have been 123 cases in Denmark, although Statens Serum Insti tut (SSI) believes the actual number of infections is “significantly higher”. So it's good timing for Danish com pany Bavarian Nordic that its Jynneos smallpox vaccine, a suitable treatment for the disease, has won approval from the the US Food and Drug Adminis tration (FDA) as well as the European Medicines Agency. Corona concerns growing MONKEYPOX has done its best to keep corona out of the news, even though it remains a national concern – not least thanks to another wave of infections hitting the country’s nursing homes. Elderly concern group Ældresagen has urged the government to bring forward its plan to start administering booster doses to the over-50s, and other vulnerable groups, on Septem berThe15.rest of us should be fine, accord ing to a SSI study, providing we have had three doses and one previous infection – the combo that reduces the odds of hospitalisation to 6 percent. Pretty well protected ACCORDING to a SSI study in the spring, around 70 percent contracted Omicron between November 2021 and March 2022.Around 75 percent of the adult pop ulation have had at least three jabs and 90 percent at least one.
Rare bee sighting
DANISH NEWS IN ENGLISH | CPHPOST.DK THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK 16 AUGUST - 1 SEPTEMBER 2022 6 SCIENCE
A RARE beaked whale was found dead in shallow water off the coast of Voersø in North Jutland, a little south of Sæby, in late July. It was unwell with bleeding in the intes tines, an autopsy confirmed.
According to another SSI study, the rate of vaccination is significantly lower among young people, immigrants and their descendants, individuals with an annual income below 250,000 kroner, and those who have only had a primary school education. RSV breakthrough IN OTHER vaccine news, SSI research ers, working in close collaboration with peers from Boston Children's Hospital, are optimistic about a new vaccine to protect newborn children against respiratory infections caused by the RS virusRSV(RSV).isone of the leading causes of death among under-fives in the world, and it can also affect the elderly. So far, the vaccine has tested well on mice, said SSI. Furthermore, it might not only protect infants from RSV, but also influenza, coronavirus and other serious infections, SSI department head Gabriel Kristian Pedersen told DR. Space telescope credits THERE was much to celebrate at DTU Space when the James Webb Space Telescope beamed back images of “emerging stellar nurseries” on July 12, as the Lyngby centre has been a participant in the mission since the beginning. DTU Space helped to develop the telescope’s carbon fibre suspension and the protective wrap for its infrared camera.
A STUDY reveals that the adolescent brain is highly sensitive to outside influences – even more so than the early years of life. It makes it the perfect time to revisit childhood trauma. John Mejlgren, a counsellor who works with teenagers, told TV2 that five to ten times more funding is needed in the area than the mu nicipalities currently provide.
Speed up windfarm approvals!
Pride is expected to attract thousands of guests, including visitors from Spain, France and Germany – countries that currently have high numbers of Mon keypox infections.
ONLINE THIS WEEKLGBT FOLKS FINALLY GET MONKEYPOX VACCINE PAHO
Breast cancer no longer #1
THE DANISH authorities have seized several shipments of banned doping substances and il legal narcotics as part of Operation Pangea XV – a global annual effort targeting illegal drug trafficking in which 42 countries participated and 501 shipments were seized.
ON JULY 20, the temperature reached 35.9 degrees in Lolland –the second-highest in history. The all-time record of 36.4 was meas ured in Holstebro in August 1975.
CHARGES have been dropped against a former Funen doctor suspected of assisting people opting for euthanasia, which re mains illegal in Denmark. Following the news, Svend Lings told media this was a green light to continue helping people to die on their own terms. Lings was struck off in 2019 after the Supreme Court found him guilty of three similar charges.
Whale was ill
Radikale ultimatum perfect timing for blue bloc level-pegging in the polls
Vegan party all at sea DE GRØNNE and Alternativet have turned down an offer from Vegan erpartiet to merge their parties and call themselves Grøn Alliance. Recent polls suggest Veganerpar tiet would only win 0.3 percent of the vote in a general election, De Grønne 1.6 percent and Alterna tivet 1.0 percent. Veganerpartiet leader Henrik Vindfeldt concedes the name is “exclusionary”.
AUTUMN ELECTION LOOKING MORE LIKELY Posters likely to return JØRGENSENLEIF ONLINE THIS WEEK THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK 16 AUGUST - 1 SEPTEMBER 2022
JARED PAOLINO T HE POSSIBILITY of a general elec tion this autumn has increased following the news that Radikale will cast a vote of no confidence in Mette Frederiksen if the PM does not call one before the opening of Parliament on October 4. It couldn’t be better times, as the red bloc and blue blocs are level pegging in the polls with 47.9 and 47.8 percent of the vote, according to the latest Epin ionThepoll.odds of Frederiksen remaining PM have been lengthened to 5/6 by William Hill. Konservative leader Søren Pape Poulsen has been shortened to 9/4, while Venstre chair Jakob Elle mann-Jensen remains unchanged at 11/4. In need of fresh start ON JULY 2, Radikale leader Sofie Carsten Nielsen announced the ultimatum, ex plaining that “a fresh start is needed” following the revelation that Frederiksen acted illegally when she ordered the culling of all mink in Denmark to halt the spread of COVID-19 in late 2020. “The investigation commission's statement and the aftermath leave for me and the Radikales a very clear picture that the conditions for further good po litical agreements in the coming times are close to non-existent,” she said. Despite this, Radikale will not support an investigation into possible gross neg ligence on the part of the PM. Pundits call it 50-50 THE PUNDITS disagree over whether Frederiksen will acquiesce to the de mands.Noa Reddington, a former Socialdemokratiet advisor, thinks Fred eriksen has no choice.
Støjberg needs MPs IT TOOK Inger Støjberg’s new party Danmarksdemokraterne eight days to obtain the necessary 20,182 nec essary declarations to take part in the next election, where it would win 10.8 percent of the vote, ac cording to polls. But first, Støjberg must find prospective MPs. So far she has two: herself and Peter Skaarup. Søren Espersen is believed to be interested.
TV2 expert Peter Morgenesen disa grees, arguing that “an election in the wake of the mink case would appear to suggest the government's handling of the matter has been something of a Ragnarok. This is not the best basis for an election.” Kingmakers aplenty SHOULD the election go ahead, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, the leader of new party Moderaterne, has still not indicated who he will support with his party’s 3.1 percent of the vote. Inger Støjberg’s new party Danmarks demokraterne (10.8) could also throw in a curveball, as could Radikale (5.8). Certainly, all the blue bloc parties, with the exception of Dansk Folkeparti (1.7), are in the ascendancy at the mo ment, even though the likes of Venstre, Konservative and Nye Borgerlige have lost support to Danmarksdemokraterne. Printers busy CERTAINLY, the country’s printers have been busy since the Radikale ultimatum. Among them, Gripsign head Steffen Fløe confirmed to CPH POST in early July that it has received thousands of election poster orders from all major parties. “Everyone wants to book now and have their campaign ready. Lately it was Tour de France, and now this. We have been working like maniacs for the past year!” he said.
Minkgate pair get noses IN MID-JULY, Parliament issued ‘noses’ to PM Mette Frederiksen and Mogens Jensen, the former food, agriculture and fisheries minister, for their decision to cull millions of mink during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mette’s pension gold SOME 53,300 people have applied for early retirement since 1 August 2021, and 39,900 have been ap proved. The scheme, which many consider to be PM Mette Frederik sen’s biggest triumphs in office, enables people in physically de manding jobs to retire three years earlier than normal.
POLITICS
Investigation paid for RIGHT-WING party Nye Borgelige has raised 750,000 kroner to pay a law firm to carry out an independent assessment of whether a lawsuit can be filed in relation to Minkgate. Lead er Pernille Vermund will reveal the results to Parliament in the autumn. Bach is back CHRISTIAN Friis Bach, a former minister with Radikale, intends to run for Parliament in the next elec tion in the constituency of Hjørring. Bach was development minister from 2011 to 2013. No more deleted messages GOVERNMENT officials and minis ters are no longer allowed to delete work-related text messages, the Justice Ministry has ruled.
Fishery King’s victory in Tour de France is one for the ages, most commentators agree BEN HAMILTON J UST FOUR years ago, Jonas Vingegaard, 25, gave up his parttime job working in a fish factory. Today he is the Tour de France cham pion.So when Denmark’s only previous winner, the 1996 champion Bjarne Riis, compared his victory to a HC Andersen tale, there could only be one choice: ‘The Little Mermaid’. Just like Ariel used to enviously survey human life from her underwater king dom, dreaming she could one day join them, Vingegaard coveted the world of professional cycling from his fish pack ingArielstation.ended up realising her dream by marrying her prince (Disney, not the real tale … which is far too morbid), and so did Vingegaard on July 24 when he crossed the finish line in Paris in yellow. Granted, there’s also a HC Andersen tale called ‘Golden Treasure’, but where’s the fun in that.
Seventh in women’s race
Picking up plaudits
A day later they visited his home town of Glyngøre, a fishing village 12 km south of Nykøbing Mors in north Jutland. “Then I'll hit the sofa on Friday,” Vingegaard had told media before his busy week of celebrations began. It finally gave him time to consider how he might spend prize money of just over 581,000 euros – which included a bonus for also winning ‘The King of the Mountains’.
A lion
UEFA wants the bar set high, with 2019 World Cup host France seem ingly the only bidder with the clout to deliver. Poland and Switzerland/ Liechtenstein are also in the run ning. UEFA will name the host in December.
CECILIE Uttrup Ludwig followed up on her victory in the third stage of the inaugural Tour de France Femme to finish seventh overall when the eight-day race conclud ed, eight minutes and 59 seconds behind Dutch winner Annemiek Van Vleuten, who dominated both mountain stages. Group stage safe for FCM FC MIDTJYLLAND eliminated Cyp riot side AEK Larnaca on penalties to advance to the penultimate qualifying round of Champions League qualifying – a win that guaranteed the Wolves a place in the Europa League group stage. Shortly after the game, FCM parted company with coach Bo Henriksen.
SPORT ONLINE THIS WEEK among men: Jonas Vingegaard has come a long way since turning pro six years ago
THE NORDIC bid to host Euro 2025 might want to rethink its stadium plans after Euro 2022 in England brought in a record 575,000 fans.
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DANISH NEWS IN ENGLISH | CPHPOST.DK THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK 16 AUGUST - 1 SEPTEMBER 2022 8
The public appearance certain ly raised the profile of his wife Trine Hansen, the daughter of TV personality Rosa Kildahl, who finished fourth in Den store bagedyst in 2017 and tenth in the 2018 edition of Vild med dans.
A FAIRY-TALE TO RIVAL ‘THE LITTLE MERMAID’ Eriksen seals move CHRISTIAN Eriksen officially joined Manchester United on July 15 on a free transfer. The 30-year-old signed a three-year contract. Also on a free, fellow Danish internationals Andreas Christensen and Kasper Schmeichel have completed moves from Chelsea to Barcelona and from Leicester City to OGC Nice, penning four and three-year deals respectively.
VINGEGAARD’S achievement in winning was all the more compelling given that it was partly staged in Denmark for the first time in its 118-year history, drawing in a live audience of 2 million people. The praise came thick and fast with sports body DIF releasing a lengthy ad ulation a few hours before Vingegaard had even crossed the finish line! "It is difficult to find words that can describe his achievement, but there is no doubt that it belongs on the very top shelf of prominent Danish sports results of all time,” praised DIF chair Hans Natorp. "This Tour de France will go down in Danish sports history thanks to four great Danish stage victories and its phe nomenal start in Denmark. It has been both moving and breathtaking to follow.” Also worthy of mention was Vingegaard’s stunning sportsmanship on Stage 18 when he waited for Pogačar after the Slovenian fell on a descent. Along with Vingegaard's wins in Stag es 11 and 18, Magnus Cort (10) and Mads Pedersen (13) were also triumphant. Eagle's wings clipped NO DOUBT, 2022 has had a considerable edge over Riis’s triumph in 1996 – not least because it started in Denmark and gripped the entire nation in a French frenzy.Both Riis and Vingegaard pulled off improbable victories by defeating previ ously considered immortal opponents, Miguel Indurain and Tadej Pogačar. But ask the average Dane about Riis today, and most prefer to forget his vic tory. The Eagle from Herning confessed to doping 11 years after his triumph, by which time it was too late for the cycling bodies to strike his name off the winners’ Nevertheless,list. he has remained a highly prominent name within the sport as the owner and then manager of the successful Tinkoff–Saxo team.
Well outside the medals METTE Graversgaard made the last 24 of the 100-metre hurdles at the 2022 World Athletics Champion ships in Eugene, but finished last in her semi – the closest Denmark came to a medal. She only quali fied because the defending world champ fell. Graversgaard was also part of the 4 x 100 metre relay team that set a new national record, but failed to make the final.
Just outside top 50 EITHER the golfers have got bet ter, or the St Andrews course has become easier to play, as the finishing score of Nicolai Højgaard, the only Dane in the British Open, would have won the 1946 edition on the ‘Old Course’. Højgaard made the cut thanks to an impressive second round of 67, eventually finishing tied for 53rd on four under par. Harder lesson this time THE DANISH women’s football side were knocked out of Euro 2022 in the group stage after losing 0-4 to Germany, beating Finland 1-0 and losing 0-1 to Spain in a final game they needed to win to advance. Had Pernille Harder, the scorer of the team’s only goal, been crafti er, the Spanish keeper could have been sent off in the 14th minute, but it was not to be. World Games success DENMARK finished tenth in the final medal table at the 2022 World Games, the ‘Olympics for lesser sports that debuted in 1981 and concluded on July 17 in the US city of Birmingham. It won two golds in ten-pin bowling (men’s and women’s doubles), a gold in life-saving swimming, and a gold and two silvers in canoeing. It re mains 20th on the all-time list. Opera first for women FEMALE divers competed for the first time in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Copenhagen on July 16 – an annual fixture in which the competitors fling themselves off the roof of the Opera House. Their board, some 21 metres above the water, was six metres below the men’s.
Gladrags to rags for Mags KEVIN Magnussen’s good form has stalled following a good run in which he and Haas team-mate Mick Schumacher finished in the points two grand prixs running. In both the French and Hungarian GPs, they finished pointless to sit in 11th and 15th in the overall stand ings on 22 and 12 points.
Media outlet Slovenske Novice was a little surprised that home duo Tadej Pogacar and Vingegaard’s team-mate Primoz Roglic had missed out to a “for mer fish factory employee”.
Busy week celebrating IT WAS fitting that Vingegaard's tour came full circle on July 27 when he and his wife and daughter attended official celebrations in Copenhagen (see page 17 for photos), the city where the race began over three weeks ago on July 1.
“Put yourself first” “I WOULD advise Jonas to enjoy it and take it in. He must be happy for all the fans who are so happy for him. After all, having a Dane riding in yellow in Paris and winning the tour is not an everyday occurrence,” Riis told DR. Vingegaard must put himself first, he added, at a time when “everyone wants a piece of him”, as mental fortitude will be crucial should he want to successfully defend his title in 2023. Crown Prince Frederik, meanwhile, suggested that Vingegaard’s triumph could be Denmark’s very best sport ing achievement – and it’s true that the global praise has been deafening.
Nordic bid in trouble
Career’s fresh like a prince IN CHRIS Rock’s case, it was a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith at the Oscars that led to her husband Will Smith surpris ingly slapping the award presenter in theRock’sface. career, somewhat stalling at that point, has gone skyward again, and there’s a fair number out there who remain convinced the whole Oscar game of ‘Rock, Paper, Pinkett’ was staged. If it was, Smith must feel a fool given his fall from grace. Cancelled, but welcome IN DAVE Chappelle’s case, it could have been one of a thousand jokes – his at tacker had to bide his time and choose an opportune moment to floor him with a running lunge at the Hollywood Bowl in May.The attacker, who revealed he is bisexual, explained afterwards that Chappelle’s material is “triggering” – a truth Chapelle appears to relish. When people have warned him “they’re out to get you”, his first thought is whether they mean 'they' or …
Museums shortfall IN 2021, DANISH museums earned 5.9 million kroner less than in 2019, and 540,000 less than in 2020, according to Danmarks Statistik. The drop in visitors, which was also experienced at zoos and aquariums, has been attributed to pandemic-related closures and reduced tourism.
“Roskilde is dead” EKSTRA Bladet music critic Thomas Treo has blasted the Roskilde Festival for booking artists beloved by teens, reasoning that "teens have bad taste in music". He adds: "Before, people became wiser in Roskilde; now, you get dumber. The festival has long been incurably ill. Now Roskilde is dead." Goodbye to CPH PIX DENMARK’S largest feature film festival, CPH PIX, is no more. The foundation De Københavnske Filmfestivaler, which has run CPH PIX since 2008, has said it is now dedicating its administrative and financial resources to developing its documentary film festival, CPH: DOX, and its children's film festival, BUSTER.
CABELLOALBERTO
Volunteer confusion CONFUSION surrounded the hunt for volunteers to help set up a stage at Øresundsparken for four Ed Sheeran concerts last week (August 3-6). Initially, local media reported that few were stepping forward because they were not be ing invited to attend one of the concerts. However, after a public outcry organisers said this was a misunderstanding.
Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle confirm double header in Copenhagen
9 THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK 16 AUGUST - 1 SEPTEMBER 2022 CULTURE
Bornholm punks A NEW COMPUTER game, Born Punk, which is set in the year 2155, depicts the Danish island of Bornholm as a dystopian citystate where corporations control the people with a heavy hand. Apparently the founder of the Australian producer Insert Disk 22 was married on Bornholm – and this is how he repays his gratitude!
Like a kamikaze? WARNER Bros. Discovery, the company resulting from an April merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery Inc, has said it will no longer produce originals for HBO Max in Scandinavia, Cen tral Europe, the Netherlands and Turkey. The company has also decided to remove a limited amount of original programming from the platform, including highly-regarded Danish series 'Kamikaze'. Affectionate festival vibes DESPITE fears there would be unruliness at this year’s music festivals, the crowds have been well behaved, concert organiser interest organisation Dansk Live tells DR. In related news, TV2 has published a condemnatory story about the clean-up efforts of the Roskilde Festival. However, ac cording to its local municipality, the festival has until September to complete the work. Stacks up well IF YOU’VE passed by Bertel Thor valdsens Plads outside Parliament, you might have noticed what looks like three stacks of wooden crates. Well, they are wooden sculptures, collectively known as ‘Oak Stacks', fashioned from centuries-old tim ber by Irish-American artist Sean Scully to promote his forthcoming exhibition at nearby Thorvaldsens Museum. Slow at the door ADMISSION problems at the opening day of the nationwide eight-venue concert tour Grøn Koncert in Amager on July 21 caused a situation in which thousands missed the opening act. Despite opening its doors at Tiøren park at 13:00, 30 minutes ahead of the first act performing, festival organisers were not able to admit everyone for another 90 minutes.
Forever like a rolling stone BOB DYLAN, who is 81, is returning to Denmark again to play a concert at Royal Arena on September 30. His last visit saw him play at the 2019 Roskilde Festival. The concert quickly sold out. In related news, Canadian stand-up Russell Peters (KB Hallen; Oct 14; 400kr) and US rapper Pusha T (Store Vega; Dec 6; 400kr) have also confirmed dates in Copenhagen.
"Why does the sentence 'We outnumber them' still fill me with fear?"
BEN HAMILTON ARE THERE two more controversial comedians in the world right now? So maybe it’s no surprise to learn that Chris Rock and Dave Chap pelle will be performing at Royal Arena on September 12. Certainly both have been attacked on stage this year, although for slightly different reasons.
ONLINE THIS WEEKALTERCATIONS APLENTY IN THE ARENA LIVENATION
New employment record
Drinking responsibly THIS SUMMER, customers in Den mark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, Poland and the UK have the opportunity to try Carls berg’s first 'climate-friendly beer’. The beer is brewed from organic barley malt grown via a sustainable, regen erative cultivation method, and it is served in a plant-based bottle.
DANISH companies gave up on filling 13,000 new positions in June, accord ing to recruitment agency STAR – up from 12,000 in March. According to Peter Halkjær, the labour market man ager at Dansk Erhverv, the trend is costing companies revenue and growth, as well as causing Denmark to miss out on tax revenue and jobs. Bank downgrades earnings DANSKE Bank has downgraded its earnings expectations for 2022 by 3 billion to 10-12 billion kroner, blaming “unfavourable conditions in the financial markets”. Income from core activities is expected to rise, but income from trading and insurance to fall.
SAS deal agreed ON JULY 19, SAS and the pilot unions fi nally signed a new collective bargaining agreement, ending the 15-day strike that grounded approximately 3,700 flights. It is subject to union member approval. The deal, valid until September 2027, sets out lower salaries and longer hours – up to 60 hours a week. Those laid off during the pandemic have been rehired.
Geared to being wealthy
The Kelsen Group was trying to avoid a repeat of last year, when 5 percent of the cookies arrived after the holiday had passed. Jobindex vs Google
FORBRUGERRÅDET Tænk chief econ omist Morten Bruun Pedersen told DR there is more to coffee than espresso – small drinks consumed quickly, typ ically favoured by caffeine-deprived commuters to wake up properly for the day ahead “A cup of coffee is not just a cup of coffee. It is also something social. You want to sit somewhere, where it is smart and strange to be. It helps to keep costs up,” he Coffeeadded.Collective co-founder Klaus Thomsen concurs that espressos in Denmark are not as popular as in the likes of Italy “where customers stop by and then they move on again”. He also added: “And if you want to create decent conditions and wages for the farmers, a good agreement for employees and career opportunities, then the price will also be higher.”
Abortion assistance NOVO NORDISK will extend financial support to employees in the US who need to travel to another state in order to get an abortion, reports Politiken.
MOST EXPENSIVE ESPRESSOS IN EUROPE
IT personnel shortage solution
Housing sales stalling HOUSING sales reached their lowest point of the year in June, according to figures released by Boligsiden. How ever, property prices remained stable overall. According to Boligsiden, a total of 6,484 homes were sold by Danish estate agents – a figure that includes 4,018 houses, the lowest June number since 2014, and 1,047 flats.
WITH AN average annual salary of 63,010 US dollars, Denmark is the world’s tenth best country to acquire wealth, according to Tipalti. It was let down by a combined tax rate (income, VAT and corporate) of 102 percent – the highest in the compar ison. However, its working hour average of 1,400 was the lowest in the top ten. The top five were Switzerland, the US, Iceland, Norway and Canada. Bank charges lowered FOLLOWING the decision by the Eu ropean Central Bank and Danmarks Nationalbank to raise interest rates by half a percentage point, several banks in Denmark have dropped the negative interest rate charges paid by customers with savings of more that 100,000 kroner. Danske Bank, meanwhile, has reduced the rate from -0.7 to -0.2 percent per year.
Foreclosure timebomb THE NUMBER of foreclosures in Denmark rose to 342 in the second quarter of 2022 – up from 309 in the first quarter. How ever, the number of foreclosures remains low compared to historical levels, report ed Danmarks Statistik, despite increased inflation and rising interest rates. Dansk Industri predicts the foreclosure rate will increase in 2023 and 2024.
Illegal share trade warning
THE INCREASE in buying stock has led to more people in Denmark breaking the law with illegal transactions such as wash trades – when online traders sell shares to themselves – which are punishable by fines, or even a prison sentence. Finanstilsynet reports 30-40 traders every year to the authorities every month for breaking the law. Some, it is believed, do so accidentally.
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AFTER struggling to find new em ployees, the IT company MeeW has started its own training course to teach young and unemployed people IT skills. Those who com plete the course are either hired by MeeW or referred to other Danish companies. According to a Rambøll survey, 8 out of 10 IT companies experience challenges recruiting IT specialists.
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Xmas cookies delivered! AHEAD of its summer break, a mid-Jutland biscuit company prepped 2,000 tonnes of Xmas cookies for delivery to the US.
Copenhagen is the dearest capital city to drink one, so no wonder most coffee consumers prefer the larger options BEN HAMILTON M OST PEOPLE are aware of the Economist’s Big Mac Index: an indication of purchasing power parity across the world. It also helps to explain why salaries need to be much higher in certain countries. In Denmark, using the equivalent of 50 dollars in the local currency, one can afford to buy nine of the burgers, compared to 30 in index ‘leader’ India. Unsurprisingly, Denmark finishes in the ‘bottom ten percent’, but some way off the bottom three of Sweden, Norway andAnotherSwitzerland.comparison, the Tall Latte Index, is based on the price of Starbucks coffee and, significantly, Denmark closes the gap here, trailing only Switzerland (7.17 dollars for a cup) with 6.55 – if you love Starbucks, head to Turkey (1.31) as the prices are the cheapest in the world! It will ‘Bern’ your mouth WELL, according to a new price com parison by Rejsemagasin, Copenhagen serves the most expensive espressos of any capital city in Europe. The average price of 4.00 US dollars is even more expensive than the Swiss capital of Bern, albeit by four cents. How ever, Copenhagen’s fellow Scandinavian capitals, Oslo and Stockholm, where expenses tend to be higher, charged only 2.57 and 2.68 respectively. The top ten were Copenhagen, Bern, Helsinki (3.59), Reykjavik (3.16), Paris, Monaco, Vienna, London, Stockholm and Luxembourg City. Only the top four charged more than three dollars. Not exactly social drinks
The likes of IKEA, Tesla, Starbucks and Microsoft have done the same. Novo said it prioritises its employees' health and hopes to ensure they can access the healthcare they deserve.
DENMARK’S consumer price index rose to its highest point since 1983 in June, according to Danmarks Statistik. The month saw an 8.2 percent increase compared to a year ago. Meanwhile, inflation hit a record 9.1 percent, although it is the tenth lowest in the EU. Fami lies need to spend an extra 35,000 kroner in 2022 to be able to afford the same goods as last year. PM office’s costly cock-up AN ADMINISTRATIVE error has cost taxpayers 4.2 million kroner – the amount the PM’s office spent on travel expenses to EU summits between 2016 and 2021. The EU typically refunds these expendi tures annually, but nobody from the PM’s office has applied for re imbursements for several years, the government has conceded.
Salary tax rule change THE DANISH tax agency has updat ed its rules so that companies can make mid-year salary adjustments for employees recruited from abroad. According to Jacob Bræstrup, the head of tax policy at Dansk Industri, the new rules are important because they help Danish companies attract specialists from abroad. Failing to find the workers
Feta fines likely now YOU MIGHT have heard that the EU made it illegal to sell cheese marked as ‘feta’ that does not originate from Greece, but still seen its continued sale in the supermar kets. Well, the European Court of Justice has ruled that the Danish authorities have "breached their obligations" by not inter vening. Fines will follow if Denmark does not take swift action.
NON-WESTERN immigrants are being employed at a historical ly high rate, according to Dansk Metal’s analysis of data from Dan marks Statistik. Nearly 60 percent of non-Western immigrants be tween the ages of 15 and 64 were employed in a salaried job in the first quarter of 2022 – the highest proportion since measurements began 14 years ago.
NemKonto compensation SINCE August 1, victims of fraud sters who used NemID to divert payments to NemKonto accounts, our means of receiving all state and municipal-related payments, have been able to collect com pensation. The scheme will run for six months until January 2023 and victims will be able to claim compensation retroactively for up to 10 years.
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Espresso to go at Coffee Collective, but not one of its most popular drinks!
More going belly up BANKRUPTCIES are on the rise in Denmark – 259 companies filed for bankruptcy in June. According to Allan Sørensen, chief economist at Dansk Industri, price increases and material shortages are behind Dan ish companies’ financial woes, with construction companies being par ticularly hard hit.
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THE DANISH online job-search tool Jobindex has filed an antitrust com plaint against Google, accusing the search engine of unfairly favouring its own job search service. The Eu ropean Commission said it would assess the complaint according to standard procedures.
Not cycling enough IF PEOPLE in Denmark were to cy cle 10 percent more than they do now, it would result in over 235,000 fewer sick days (a saving of 223 mil lion kroner), 12.5 million litres of saved petrol and diesel, and 2.5 billion kroner of socio-economic health benefits, according to Dansk Industri. However, more are buying cars and 20 percent fewer cycle today than eight years ago.
BUSINESS
Tough for consumers
Total trust in taxation SEEN FROM the outside the trust can be a bit excessive. Look no further than the tax system. Very few Danes understand how they are taxed, really. And still, they trust it works as it should, while it whittles away 5070 percent of their income. And then there is the CPR system. A client of mine is abbergasted. “WHY would you give up your privacy – for the sake of system efciency???” he asked. Worth the perseverance AND OF course, there is the issue of foreigners. If you have made it through Kafkaesque hurdles to get the residency, it is still close to impossible for many internationals to penetrate the membrane surrounding Danish society. Many feel like outsiders and sometimes give up –choosing to focus on the international bubble. My hope is that you will not give up. Ask Danish colleagues straight up if they want to become friends.
By Jove, they've got it!
After 20 years in the Danish diplomatic service, including stints in India, China and Israel as deputy ambassador, Signe Biering Nielsen is turning her diplomatic binoculars onto the (in her view) intriguing Danes. She is an executive advisor and coach with a focus on internationals in Denmark. See LinkedIn and Instagram for more details.
TELL YOURSELF that for the next 14 days you will set aside a certain time of day when it is okay to worry, and then allow yourself to have time o from worrying during the rest of the day. The exercise is from my latest book ‘The little guide to an almost stress-free life’. Take good care of yourself!
Birgitte is an expert within the eld of communication, stress management and con ict solving. She has more than 20 years of experience in teaching and helping companies to achieve a better work environment. She is the author of a series of handbooks called ‘The Little Guide’. See birgittewarn.dk for more information.
SIGNE BIERING NIELSEN GET YOUR BIERING’S
11 THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK 16 AUGUST - 1 SEPTEMBER 2022 DANISH NEWS IN ENGLISH | CPHPOST.DK BUSINESS OPINION NEXT ISSUE IN 3 ISSUES IN 4 ISSUESIN 2 ISSUES Fit For Winnie'sBusinessWorld UK-DK Trade The Valley of Life Just Say It As It Is Give Yourself a Chance Danish Capital in 2022
T HIS PHOTO popped up on my phone recently. It was on the local Østerbro Facebook group – and it pictures the airpods and wallet that I had lost two hours earlier. The person was posting the photo to nd me. What goes around … DOES IT make sense? You walk down the street and nd airpods. Then, in the middle of your busy day you take a photo and post in a local Facebook group, wait for a stranger to respond and arrange to meet. Why bother? To a Dane it makes perfect sense. Kindness to a stranger is the right thing to do (thank you, Martin Luther) and it will make you feel good. By facebook’ing your kindness, you will also make the airpod-owner happy and others will be inspired to do the same in the future – maybe one day to you! Lovely weirdness STILL not convinced? Well, for me, having lived many years abroad, I still get caught by surprise by these small signs of … lovely weirdness. And I am not alone. Through my work as an executive coach for international leaders in Denmark and my research on onboarding, I hear again and again how the trust that Danes have in each other is admired.Itranges from strangers taking the trouble to nd the owner of wallets and watches, and homeowners setting up fruit stands and expecting people to pay and not just enjoy free strawberries, to trusting the municipal employee to be fair – and not being proved wrong.
BIRGITTE WÄRN STRESS WÄRNINGS
I N MY LAST column I addressed the issue of controlling your ‘monkey mind’ and I presented a simple template for breaking down ‘disaster thoughts’ into more manageable fears. In this column I will give you another e ective but quite different approach to controlling a tendency to worry – and you can decide which of the two techniques works best for you. Set aside time to worry IF YOU tend to worry, you may recognise how ‘disaster thoughts’ spin in circles, keeping you more and more preoccupied. One way to deal with that may be to deliberately limit the time you spend imagining worst-case scenarios. You may, for example, decide that it’s okay for you to worry every day between 10:00 and 10:30. Every time an anxious thought creeps in outside of that time, you ‘park’ it and tell yourself you can deal with it at 10:00. This may sound strange, but recent studies in metacognitive therapy show that this particular kind of approach can have a noticeable e ect on people who su er from stress and depression, among other things. Why does it work?
PART OF the e cacy of the technique lies in the fact that you do not try to ‘ban’ yourself from worrying or blame yourself for having that tendency. On the contrary, you accept that the anxious thoughts are there, but ensure they are delimited and contained so they are not allowed to ll all of your mental capacity and universe.It’s about the realisation that thoughts are just thoughts –and that not every one of them is worth cultivating or exploring further. And when you postpone the concern to a later moment, you will often nd that you have forgotten it. In other words, instead of your thoughts running the show, you take back control and decide to what degree you want to enter into those thoughts. This can provide mental calm and energy that allows you to switch from racing thoughts and worrying to focusing and problem solving.
Arrange communal meals at work. Join the local choir, wine tasting or Zumba group … whatever is your fancy. Danes can be very nice once you make the breakthrough, and being surrounded by their trust can be quite an experience. But sometimes the membrane needs a good shove.
Try it for two weeks
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Make sure there's a new pen handy at 10
T
Election on horizon IN DENMARK it is business as usual – apart from the in ation that is. Unemployment does not exist, and we can a ord the extra defence cost. A general election is on the horizon: constitutionally before June 4 next year, politically before that. The campaign has started and the blues and reds are proposing new legislation every day. The PM won last time thanks to the Arne pension, which looks like it is here to stay. She will have to work around the Minkgate scandal and come up with a new white rabbit from her top hat. Venstre, meanwhile, has launched a proposal on tax bene t savings for rst-time home buyers. If in ation results in a drop in prices in the 10-20 percent range, it might be a tempting outlook.
Faces over facts
DANISH NEWS IN ENGLISH | CPHPOST.DK THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK 16 AUGUST - 1 SEPTEMBER 2022 12 OPINION
Busy arming up SEVERAL decades have passed with less than 2 percent in ation, zero interest even negative interest. But since Putin launched his military operation six months ago, everything in the world is in turmoil.TheWar in Ukraine has unfolded into a long-lasting con ict, now with the Western world backing Ukraine. NATO is absorbing Sweden and Finland, and the alliance members are committed to increasing defence spending to at least 2 percent of GDP. Even Denmark will come around, although not before 2030, but the shopping list is being written.
Don’t forget its fragility
THE BLUE and red blocs are level pegging in the polls, which suggests this election will be more about faces than facts. Case in point: after her bizarre return to politics, Inger Støjberg has 10 percent of the vote without even issuing a manifesto. The ipside is that support has dried up for the many sad faces in Dansk Folkeparti who face an exit from Parliament after 28 years of representation. Immigration is no longer an issue, since everybody has it these days. Climate the main priority THE POPULATION mostly backs foreign policy. So much so that the shoe manufacturer Ecco is being boycotted by consumers because it did not cease business in Soon,Russia.wehope, the storm will be over and we can go back to normal and again make climate our main priority. In that respect, Putin’s intermezzo could end up being even more costly than the current in ation.
When they sang "long to reign over us" in 1952, nobody ever envisaged as long as 70 years
LivingPRASADAMFaith
IMAGERYDEFENCEFLICKR/
HINK OF the greatest evangelists and I wonder which names come to mind? Desmond Tutu, Billy Graham, Martin Luther King or, in Biblical history, Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene or the Samaritan woman? The head of our church IN JULY, while attending the General Synod of the Church of England as one of the dioceses in Europe, among the many interesting and insightful debates concerning our common life, I was called to consider the signi cance of one extraordinary life. I realised that one of our greatest living evangelists, who this year is celebrating her Platinum Jubilee thanks to 70 years on the British throne, is Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. As supreme governor and leader of the Church of England, she is the one to whom all priests and bishops swear allegiance. However, she has not just been a mere functionary but faithful to God as a servant of Jesus Christ. She is a woman who is fervent in public worship and private prayer. Among the many images of her coronation we can still picture her walking up the long nave of Westminster Abbey where she went straight past the throne to kneel at the high altar in silent prayer – a reminder that England’s constitution is that the monarch gives their allegiance to God, before anyone gives allegiance to them.Monarchy is not about the ability to win an election or popularity or sustain the approbation of others. Intrinsic is the subjects’ loyalty to something higher than the individual, and for that reason it is o ered to both good and bad rulers. As in the case of clergy: “the unworthiness of the minister hindreth not the sacrament.”
REVD SMITHA
To think we had started to believe that common sense had taken over and world trade was free and risk free ... Putin the Reprobate NOW WE know that Putin’s main priority is rewinding the clock even further in a bid to re-establish the empire of Peter the Great. We do not know how long it will take, but Ukraine is not overrun. On the contrary, Russia has lost around 30,000 soldiers and who knows how many tanks andPutinplanes.still has a rm grip over his people, but we will see what the internet will do about this over time.
THE DISTURBANCE is global: partly because of the sanctions, partly because the world trade balance is fragile. We had an early warning when a freighter got stuck in the Suez Canal in the spring of 2021 and blocked east-west tra c for almost a week. And of course, many still recall the Opec Oil Crisis in the early 1970s when energy prices went berserk and we had car-free Sundays.
Ejvind Sandal
Admirable commitment OUR ADMIRATION and respect for Queen Elizabeth II does not stem from her longevity, but rather from the way she has adapted to the changes and challenges of the world. Over the course of her long reign we have witnessed a sovereign who has publicly and faithfully stood by her commitment and service to the nation andOurCommonwealth.celebrationsspring from a recognition of the great Christian paradox that it is in the giving away of ourselves to others that we receive ourselves back and our own personality forms and grows. One of the Queen’s favourite and oft quoted Bible texts in her Christmas addresses comes from St Mark’s Gospel: “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve; and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Extraordinarily, through her addresses to the nation, she has given people the ability to be real about their lives (remember the annus horribilis?) – to simply trust God, humbly serve the people and boldly proclaim her faith. We are privileged to witness this service to her public and the Lord. It is not just something for other monarchs, or even clergy, to emulate, but all baptised Christians. A funny girl worth saving WHILE admiring Queen Elizabeth II’s selflessness and service, I would also like to pay tribute to her sense of humour. There is a wonderful story of a tourist who met a lady in a headscarf walking her dogs somewhere near Balmoral Castle in Scotland.Stopping for a brief chat as they admired the countryside, the tourist asked if she had ever met the Queen, to which the ‘lady in the headscarf’ replied: “No, I have never met the Queen,” before pointing to her bodyguard nearby and adding: “But he has!” God has indeed answered the prayers of the people that her ‘reign over us’ is a long one. Witnessing her faith at this time of street parties and public celebrations, I proudly call myself an Elizabethan and say “God save the Queen”.
WORD OF THE YEAR WINNER
Born in India, adopted by Wales and England, Smitha (chaplain@st-albans.dk) is the priest of St Alban’s Church. Recently appointed Honorary Canon of the pro-Cathedral in Malta for outstanding work in Copenhagen and for bettering the cause of racial justice in the Church of England, she has travelled widely, working in advisory and advocacy capacity on matters of liturgy, vocation and social justice
A GENERATION of Danes do not know what in ation is.
13 THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK 16 AUGUST - 1 SEPTEMBER 2022 DANISH NEWS IN ENGLISH | CPHPOST.DK OPINION IN 2 ISSUES IN 3 ISSUES IN 4 INNEXTISSUESISSUE5ISSUESA Dane Abroad KIRSTEN LOUISE PEDERSEN Crazier than Christmas VIVIENNE MCKEE The Road Less Taken JESSICA ALEXANDER Green Spotlight SIBYLLE DE VALENCE Conrad the Contrarian CONRAD MOLDEN Mishra’s Mishmash MRUTYUANJAI MISHRA Englishman in Nyhavn
British writer and performer Adrian Mackinder (adrianmackinder.co.uk) and his pregnant Danish wife moved from London to Copenhagen in September 2015. He now spends all his time wrestling with fatherhood, the unexpected culture clash and being an Englishman abroad MackindergartenMACKINDER
Will he like it? Will he make friends? Why does the school year start a month earlier than most of the world? And will someone in this bizarre little country FINALLY teach him to read andThatwrite?last one has been a particular sticking point. In my country, you start school the year you turn four. So I nd it odd that my son is fast approaching seven, the age by which I had already been reading, writing and doing basic maths for over two years.
IT’S A MOMENT of trepidation for all of us. His world is about to be turned upside down after years of børnehaven, while for us parents it’s a myriad of anxious questions.Willhemanage?
The fact school doesn’t start in Denmark until the age of six has always been an adjustment for me, but I know that most Danish adults don’t seem to struggle with writing their own name, so I guess that two-year discrepancy is ne.
PIXABAY
ADRIAN
JACK GARDNER An Actor's Life IAN BURNS E Expatria
Tutored in Tudor ways I SHOULD point out that growing up in England I went to a ridiculously anachronistic school. Five hundred years old, it was founded by the son of the iconic fat wife-killing psychopath Tudor monarch Henry VIII. Formal, archaic, draconian and strict – think Hogwarts, but only ALL the kids were muggles. My education was pretty regimented. Structure was the order of the day. Emphasis was placed on academic excellence and how many pickled onion Space Raiders you could stu in your mouth during lunch break. That said, I had a great time. I learned a lot, I am still in daily contact with fellow school friends via WhatsApp and I sincerely wish such treasured aspects from my youth upon my own children. But therein lies another challenge.
Dicking about with LEGO WHEN I took my son into his new school, I was surprised by how, ahem, ‘relaxed’ it all was. His rst day of school wasn’t even the rst day of school. I discovered that school proper was not for another week; this was that uniquely Danish thing called SFO, which is basically a holding pen for bored kids to fuck about in under minimum supervision until they get picked up. I guess it helps them to acclimatise, but the easy-going, Scandi ‘hey let’s just discover the power of play’ still jars with my own school experience. They say the best way to learn is through play, and I thoroughly believe that. I just hope there’s enough structure to ensure this opportunity is not squandered through a decade of dicking about with LEGO. What maketh the man THEN AGAIN, I’m probably missing the point. The purpose of school is arguably to help create and nurture well-rounded individuals who then go out into the world happy and secure in themselves and mindful of others. Kindness is clearly a more useful life skill than knowledge of quadratic equations or the Reform Act of 1832.That said, I wouldn’t have achieved so many things in my adult life that I’m incredibly proud of without my classical, academic education. I was very lucky. Many aren’t. And that was then. This is now. So now, we take him in each morning, keeping one eye on how things are going. Asking questions without pushing, making sure he feels loved and secure when he gets home, and waiting for things to settle down. And I know that if I could wave a magic wand and cast a spell to make everything smooth sailing, I would. But even I didn’t get taught that.
As Austin Powers might say: "That's not my bag, Baby." And he'd be expelled for bullying
Three-year handicap?
T HIS IS it. This is the big one. Well, a big one. For now. This month, my son has nally started school.
The nation’s trust in their government allowed for the efficient implementation of protective policies, concur experts AMY THORPE S OME 3.2 MILLION cases and 6,500 deaths after the coronavirus was first detected within its borders, Denmark is finally viewing the pandem ic through the rear-view mirror. Schools and businesses have been fully reopened, masks are no longer mandated and social distancing is not enforced. In short, no COVID-19 restric tionsButremain.how did the country get to this point? The answer partially lies in a deep-seated sense of togetherness underpinning Danish society. The importance of trust DENMARK is generally regarded as a trusting society, despite certain attitudes towards immigrants. Data accumulated by the European Social Survey from 2002 to 2018 indicates the country has the highest levels of trust in Europe. This proved beneficial for Denmark as the pandemic unfolded across the world. The population was quick to fall in line with the government’s regulations, which saw Denmark become one of the first European countries to institute a national lockdown, close its borders and enforce social distancing. An estimated 90 percent of Danes have faith in their nation’s healthcare system according to Hope Project, an ini tiative that tracks the public’s perception of the government’s COVID-19 manage ment. This meant that when tests and vaccines were introduced, they were met with little resistance.
THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK 16 AUGUST - 1 SEPTEMBER 2022 FEATURE
“As a minimum, the Mink Commission uncovers violent incompetence in the civil service,” Petersen wrote on Twitter. “The research shows that this experience is enough to lower the confidence of the citizens.” Looking ahead AFTER a tumultuous two and a half years, is Denmark prepared for future health threats? First, there is room to grow from past mistakes, according to Djøf chair Sara Vergo. “What can we learn from [Minkgate]?” she asked DR. “We can learn that we need to spend a little more time, even in such pressured situations, to think about [our actions].” Internal reflections such as this have helped the government to maintain the public’s trust in the past. To account for weaknesses in its initial management of the coronavirus, several adaptations were made in the early days of the pan demic, such as expanding the powers of the minister for health and the elderly. The ongoing Monkeypox outbreak may soon serve as a stress test for the fortifications the Danish government has put in place against infectious diseases. But no matter the virus, COVID-19 has proven that trust is part of the key to winning the battle.
“I was a little bit worried when the test system was being rolled out. Is this something that people will see as an infringement of their rights?” recalled Michael Bang Petersen, the head of Hope Project, in an interview with the news wing of the International Monetary Fund. “People instead saw it as something you did for each other. I’m being tested not because the state says that I need to be tested, but I am being tested so that I protect you, so that we can get back to a normal way of life much faster.” Bumps in the road UNFORTUNATELY, there is a downside to the Danish sense of trust, which the government arguably took for granted during one of the most troubling eras of the pandemic: Minkgate. On 3 November 2020, Statens Se rum Institut identified a new variant of COVID-19 present in Denmark’s 17-mil lion-strong mink population, prompting PM Mette Frederiksen’s government to demand a mass culling. However, only later did it come to light that the PM gave the kill order without legal authority. As a result, Par liament created the Mink Commission to investigate what failures in governance led to the mistake, ultimately resulting in a report that found Frederiksen’s actions to have been “grossly misleading and clearly illegal”. A slew of ministers and department heads were also slammed in the document, with several of them now involved in disciplinary cases. In addition to costing nearly 18.6 bil lion kroner in expenses, the mink debacle has also cost the Danish government the trust of many of the people it serves.
THE SECRET TO DENMARK’S SUCCESSFUL COVID-19 RESPONSE DENMARKVISIT Those were the days: the whole airport to yourself and nobody from work could recognise you BILDEMARIE
Unparalleled knowledge STEPHEN George Gadd arrived in Den mark in August 1978 after meeting Janne in England, where she was stud ying architecture. In contrast, Stephen prided himself on being autodidactic – meaning he was entirely self-taught.
CPH POST columnist and journalist Stephen Gadd, a much loved husband, father and friend, succumbs to cancer BEN HAMILTON I FIRST met Stephen Gadd in the sum mer of 2015, although it transpired we’d been to some of the same events – the opening of the ill-fated The Red Lion, for example – and many of the same bars, most notably Charlie’s, where he was a much loved regular with his own tankard and was celebrated with a wake on August 14. The first thing that struck you about Stephen was the hat. And then the scarf … the coat … and the pocket watch. Finally there was his whole demean our and distinctive well-spoken English accent. He was the archetypal English gentleman, and nobody ever had a bad word to say about him. He was most certainly never dull, though – as long as you didn’t approach the subject of German silent movies. A lively mind, he was never short of a quip or some wordplay, often delivered with a wolfish grin, and he appreciated a good joke too. Above everything, he was excellent company, and in between 2017 and 2020 he infused the offices of the Co penhagen Post with great humour when we took him on as our third journalist. We’ll never forget those years – per haps most notably his Basil Fawlty-style temper, which his siblings confirmed at his August 5 funeral had been a great source of amusement his entire life. At the end of the song BEFORE then, he was one of our col umnists, writing his first in August 2015 and his last ahead of our most recent publication – a feature he provided with the headline “The silence is deafening”. Shakespeare was one of his many in terests, although it came a distant third to the films and jazz, of which he had a formidable record collection. It’s only now, hours after learning about his death on July 24 at the age of 64 after a prolonged battle with cancer, that I can see, somewhat poignantly, there is a thread running through the 30+ columns he wrote for us, which begins and ends with Paul McCartney. The irony that Stephen’s life came to an end at the age of 64 can not be understated, and the song neatly, and again sadly, bookends his life and how much the world has changed since the year of his birth, 1957. When McCartney wrote the song in either 1956 or 57, 64 was a respectable age to live until – it was certainly not middle-aged.Butinthesix decades that have fol lowed, it is no longer considered elderly, and very much a young age at which to die. Stephen’s death came too soon, tragi cally just two years after an early retirement was granted on compassionate grounds.
With fellow columnist Jessica Alexander and former employee Howard Knowles
After finishing in a five-way tie for first place, the eliminator question was a complete case of chance: some sort of absurd Guinness World Record for swallowing burps etc. Stephen wrote an email to the pub, ticking it off for using “unsatisfactory questions as tie-breakers” reasoning “you could just as well decide things by rolling dice or picking a card”.
It underlined how Stephe’s inner compass was one his family and friends could always depend on. He was trust ed implicitly by all who knew him. Feet’s loss our gain STEPHEN spent the bulk of his pro fessional career at the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIM CO), the world’s largest international shipping association, where he was responsible for the compilation of a magazine read by 2,300 members in around 130 countries. He joined BIM CO in 1978 and was overall editor from 2000 until 2015.
Likewise he instinctively knew that a career as a chiropodist was not for him when he dropped out of the Chelsea School of Chiropody shortly before moving to Denmark. He quickly found his feet in Denmark (he wrote about his adventures in a re cent article for CPH POST) – back then he looked like Paul Weller and was always good company in the pub, particularly Charlies Bar on Pilestræde, which provid ed him with a second home in Denmark.
Clearly, he was an accomplished editor and proofreader with an exceptionally high level of English. He was also fluent in Danish and, very proudly, he was made a citizen in his later life – a decision prompt ed by Brexit, which he deeply opposed.
As a writer, he was masterful, and while he was not journalistically trained, he understood the business intuitively. But perhaps most importantly, he was as quick as the wind. He could, if needed, write 1,000 words of copy in an hour – he instinctively knew the level of quality the piece needed to be to be publishable.
As anyone who has been to his home in Søborg where he and Janne brought up their daughter Ann in the 1980s and 90s will testify, Stephen had an awful lot of books. As Stephen’s editor at CPH POST, I quickly realised the man is a walking ency clopedia on many subjects – most notably geopolitics. There wasn’t a country on earth that he didn’t have an almost innate un derstanding of. It was invaluable when we needed to interview ambassadors; often Stephen knew more about their countries than they did! But more importantly than assignments, I recruited him to my quiz team, and he became a regular member.
At The Globe pub, our team Godiva’s Cat won umpteen times with Stephen onboard, although Stephen was a little peeved at the end of what turned out to be his final outing.
15 THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK 16 AUGUST - 1 SEPTEMBER 2022 DANISH NEWS IN ENGLISH | CPHPOST.DK OBITUARY
Of course, Stephen had to wait several decades for decent beer to show up
His column 'Straight, No Chaser' was a reference to jazzman Thelonious Monk. Right: with his wife Janne
Counted his blessings
Like at the CPH POST, he was deeply loved there. It goes without saying that he will be sadly missed by all who knew him. MORE THAN 64: PLEASURE TO KNOW YOU, OLD CHAP
“EARLIER this year when the Roskilde Festival unveiled its program and Paul McCartney was named as headliner, there was a fair amount of critical tut ting: he’s too old, past it, irrelevant to today’s young music lovers, watering down the brand of the Roskilde Festival etc, etc,” he wrote back in 2015. And then in March 2022, he returned to the subject, opening his column with the lines: “In mid-November last year I was lucky enough (or unlucky if you prefer) to turn 64. Reading the lyrics to ‘When I’m Sixty-four’ I’m struck by the acuity of observation and maturity shown by Paul McCartney. He actually wrote the song when he was 14 (!), but it was not changed very much when it was finally recorded in 1967.” He drew attention to the lyrics “Every summer we can rent a cottage / In the Isle of Wight, if it’s not too dear / We shall scrimp and save / Grandchildren on your knee / Vera, Chuck and Dave,” commenting: “This strikes a particular chord with me as our family did just that – going on holiday to the Isle of Wight or renting a cottage. I’m also lucky enough to have two grandchildren of my own, albeit not Vera, Chuck or Dave.”
It’s comforting to know that Stephen had such a strong family network sup porting him through his final days: most notably his wife Janne, who he married in 1981, and his daughter Ann, who was born shortly afterwards. He was also able to say his goodbyes to his younger sister and brother, who both travelled from the UK to spend time with him in the spring.
YOU DESERVED
COMMUNITY
Frank Wilczek (right), a Nobel Laureate for Physics in 2004, was the guest of honour at Panum Instituttet, where he delivered a lecture on June 30. Pictured with him is Professor Mogens Høgh Jensen from Niels Bohr Institutet British ambassador Emma Hopkins was among those who enjoyed an evening of open-air ballet organised by Verdensballetten at Sølyst on July 13
PHOTOS BY HASSE FERROLD
Among the guests of Canadian ambassador Denis Robert (centre) at a reception to celebrate his country’s national day at Moltke's Mansion on June 28 were Ukrainian ambassador Mykhailo Vydoinyk (right) and Ove Ullerup-Petersen (left), the chief of protocol at the Foreign Ministry
Mariann Albjerg (right), a Danish ight integration manager and emeritus at NASA, and Sebastian Aristoteles (left), the head of Saga Space Architects, were guest speakers at an event at DAC Copenhagen in relation to its Moon Habitat exhibition
DANISH NEWS IN ENGLISH | CPHPOST.DK THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK 16 AUGUST - 1 SEPTEMBER 2022 16 ABOUT TOWNABOUT TOWN
Prince Joachim was again a participant in the Copenhagen Historic Grand Prix, which took place over the weekend of August 5-7 in Bellahøj and this year featured British Formula 1 1996 world champion Damon Hill. The prince was joined at Rådhupladsen ahead of the action by former lord mayor Lars Weiss (right)
The new French ambassador is Christophe Parisot (left). Bienvenue! Meanwhile, the new head of the European Commission Representation in Denmark is Per Haugaard. Velkommen!
17 THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK 16 AUGUST - 1 SEPTEMBER 2022 DANISH NEWS IN ENGLISH | CPHPOST.DK
Quite a view greeted Vingegaard when he took to the balcony for the traditional wave. The police took to Twitter to warn the public not to use the local Metro station. But before that he gave a speech (centre), and posed with countless well-wishers (right) who will no doubt treasure their mementos from the day … or at least until they try to sell them on eBay in a few years time.
Fifty thousand-plus photos, 4,350 selfies, 1,231 back-slaps, 743 shirt signings and 13 and a half pancakes – July 27 was such a busy day for 2022 Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard that he probably wished he was approaching the ascent of the Hautacam on Stage 18 with the race still in the balance. He arrived at Rådhuspladsen, the City Hall square in the centre of Copenhagen, following an hour-long trip from the city’s airport in an open-top Mercedes, during which he was greeted by streets lined with fans in all manner of Tour de France colours – one last use of the t-shirt before it winds up in a charity shop. At the door to City Hall he was greeted by quite the entourage. The first to greet him was the Copenhagen lady mayor, Sophie Hæstorp Andersen (centre). Also present was the former prime minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen (right), a keen cyclist himself.
COMMUNITY DE FRANCE WINNER JONAS VINGEGAARD IS IN THE HOUSE!
Vingegaard’s wife and daughter joined him on the balcony, and then later on the Tivoli train (left) as the procession moved to the themepark. It was a big thumbs up from Pierrot (centre), one of the Tivoli regulars, who wouldn’t look out of place dangling from the Eiffel Tower, it has to be said. But whose idea was it for the French ambassador Christophe Parisot (right) to emerge from a huge bunch of flowers? Still, we agree Your Excellency, there can only be one number one, and this year he belongs to Denmark.
TOUR
PHOTOS: HASSE FERROLD WORDS: BEN HAMILTON SPORTSBYHOLBÆK
BUT DOES true acceptance come with rights –does the LGBTQ+ community feel included in this Scandinavian land? Is there still discrimina tion or intolerance, or is Denmark truly one of the happiest and most progressive countries for LGBTQ+Aheadfolks?ofPride 2022, which concludes with the annual parade on August 23, CPH POST spoke to five young LGBTQ+ individuals, from different countries, who live, work or study in Denmark. What is their take on inclusivity in Denmark, what challenges do they face in the homogenous Danish society, and do they feel welcome or find it difficult to fit in?
Some feel unwelcome, both by society at large and by Danish queer people, who they contend should be doing more to broaden their outlook beyond borders and to increase general understanding
IVANA VRKIĆ
A UTOPIA that is safe, progressive, and socio economically advanced – this is the general international perception of Denmark, the first country in the world to grant legal recogni tion to same-sex unions in the form of registered partnerships in 1989. It was proof that Denmark had come a long way from its severe Penal Code of 1930, which changed the legal definition of homosexuality to scientifically be that “homosexuality is a disease, not a However,crime”. discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation was only prohibited in 1996. And it took almost another two decades for a new same-sex marriage law, which came into effect in June 2012, along with a law finally upholding extensive lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) rights. Truly welcome?
Last year, World Pride in Copenhagen was a pure corporate show of entertainment where everything was sponsored, run by capitalism and managed by giant corporate brands. Instead of commercial events, there can be speeches by queer folks, circles or empathy meets where peo ple can share their stories, struggles, or anxieties irrespective of who you are or where you are from.
A non-binary pansexual (they, them) from Dugirat in Croatia who has been living and writing their master thesis in Denmark. What are the struggles within the LGBTQ+ community? Is there any kind of backlash or judgement towards identity crisis or sexual orientation?
HOW INCLUSIVE IS DENMARK OF THE INTERNATIONAL LGTBQ+ COMMUNITY?
A 31-year-old non-binary genderqueer (they/ them) from Brazil pursuing a PhD in Denmark, who has changed their name for this article to protect their identity. What do you think should be done to help and support queer folks?
DANISH NEWS IN ENGLISH | CPHPOST.DK THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK 16 AUGUST - 1 SEPTEMBER 2022 18 FEATURE
One interviewee worries that Pride is promoting the idea that the LGTBQ+ community are "colourful, cute and pretty beings", when in reality they are "more than that"
I think we need to change the way we look at queer folks. Often, gays, lesbians, trans and members of the LGTBQ+ community are looked at as colour ful, cute and pretty beings. We are not just cute and colourful. We are more than that. You do not wake up queer just one day – you live with yourself every day. It is who you are. We need to fight for our rights and continue queer activism because it is a process. It is not only during Pride or queer marches that you come out and celebrate, it is every day that we get to fight for our LGBTQ+ rights. It does not mean that one day we celebrate love and freedom and the rest of the days we face criticism and discrimination in our daily lives. Have you experienced or been a part of queer activism? I believe queer activism begins in daily life. You don’t know you are in a closet until you get out of it. Listen to people in the closet. Don’t put them back in the closet. It’s really tight in there. I have attended a lot of protests and marches for human rights, peace, equality and women empowerment, but when I attended Pride I felt like I was looked at as a colourful object of entertainment. People were just holding their beers and staring at what was happening. It’s not a day of entertainment. Yes, it is a celebration of love but there can be so much more that can be done on the one day where queer people have the attention of everyone.
What are some of the issues apart from queer rights that should be spoken about during Pride? If Denmark already has progressive queer rights, which it probably does, we should talk about other issues such as the refugee crisis, depor tation centres, asylum-seekers, the inclusion of immigrants and moving beyond the binary norms of society. We would get to look beyond Denmark and help queer folks around the world. We must open up to non-Europeans – include non-white people because we do not want to be a minority in the minority. That is queer activism, and that would be an inclusive Pride where we celebrate the love towards every human and every living being.
MAPPERSWORLDDENMARK&VISIT
RONALD RODRIGUES
SERGIO GOMEZ
There should be talks about the discrimination or slurs that LGBTQ+ members face daily, battles with family, acceptance among friends or partners, and scope for education or jobs.
I need to live in a city to feel at home. Initially, I lived in a small town in Denmark called Horsens and it was not a good experience. Horsens is a small town where people are not open-minded or do not have a queer community. There are no spaces for volunteering or queer clubs to share and connect with others. But when I moved to a big city in Denmark, I could be openly lesbian.
DAVID AUGUST HOLST AYOUB
I feel comfortable in a big city, but I cannot see myself living here for long. What are the challenges you faced living in different parts of Denmark? Danish queer folks connect with other queer folks from Danish society, but not so much with inter national queer folks. I can connect far more easily with an international member of the LGBTQ+ community. I think Danish society is welcoming but not inclusive. Comparing Portugal to Den mark, back home there are a lot of queer clubs, voluntary organisations and safe spaces. I felt free in Lisbon and I feel free in Aarhus or Copenhagen too. But I cannot live in a small town – even in a developed country like Denmark.
A 22-year-old lesbian software engineer from Lis bon (she/her), who has been studying and working in Denmark for over two years. What are the differences between living in a city and a small town in Denmark?
RONALD RODRIGUES Ronald (he/him) is a freelance investigative jour nalist interested in writing about issues that are not generally spoken about, quirky topics, sto ries related to human rights, education, women empowerment, LGBTQ+ issues, politics, the en vironment, war and human trafficking. Find him on Instagram at _ron_rodrigues or on Twitter: @RonaldR183.
GIN GARCÍA MARTÍN
Have you encountered racism, transphobia or queerphobia in Denmark? I have researched and experienced that there is an influential binary gender system prevalent in Denmark. For example, the last digit of the civil registration number (CPR) number, which is the basic proof of identification of every resident in Denmark, indicates the gender of the person un der the binary system. The last odd digits are for men and even numbers are for women – there is nothing for the third gender or non-binary queer folks. Along with racism, there is transphobia, homophobia and queerphobia in Danish society, which is under the rug.
A 23-year-old agender bisexual queer activist (they/them) from Bilbao studying bioinformat ics in Denmark.
country for LGBTQ+ members because, in the Middle East, one might get killed or abandoned if they come out as queer. In Denmark, I feel safe because I can be myself and whoever I want, but at the same time Denmark is not 100 percent safe or inclusive. Often, when I am hanging out with my queer friends, I face criticism or homophobic slurs passed at me on the streets or in nightclubs. Even though it is a progressive country where education is available for free, not everyone accepts queer people.
MAFALDA NUNES
A 22-year-old non-binary pansexual (they/them) who moved to Denmark from Palestine when they were three years old. Do you feel safe and included in Denmark? Compared to Palestine, Denmark is a far safer
How long have you lived in Denmark? I moved to Denmark from Bilbao and have been living here for more than one year. It is the first time I have lived outside Spain, and for the last year I have felt at home in Den mark because I have the space to carry out activism via micro activities that makes me feel included in society.
Do you think there is scope for queer activism in Denmark? I strive to propagate gender neutrality, body positivity and the inclusion of queer folks, but queer activism is non-existent in Denmark at a political or fundamental level. It seems as if we are living in a perfect country in a perfect world and everything is alright. There is no expression or fight for trans rights. Maybe we lack a crit ical point of view from the queer community itself. At a decision-making level, I think there should be an active representation of the queer community in Danish politics. Queer people are the best ones to know the struggles they face under their skin, instead of just having the queer people research institute or a bina ry politician passing laws for the community. Also, at a basic level of social interaction, I think people should respect pronouns because they are not just mere pronouns, they mean a lot to me, and to us.
What can be done to propagate inclusivity in Denmark? Before you hate somebody just put yourself out there in their position. Give respect; if you cannot accept queer people then just mind your own business and let people be. I have been working as a volunteer at the queer bar Kromosom in Aarhus City where we host drag shows, queer concerts and music events, es sentially providing a space for open multilateral conversation. There should be more creative spaces and not just gay nightclubs or trans bars. There should be spaces where queer people can engage in a conversation, share their stories, find connections, do what they want and feel they belong, so they can create something together for social change.
JØRGENSENLEIF
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COMMUNITY FOXES IN THE BOX, VIKINGS TOO INVITING AND DISCO DANCING DIVAS PHOTOS: PEDRO JOSE, WORDS: BEN HAMILTON
The Copenhagen Celtic Summer Tournament on Saturday August 6, just two years shy of celebrating its 20th anniversary, was another fantastic festival of football at Kløvermarken Idrætsanlæg in Amager, as ten seven-a-side teams – four over-40s and six under-40s – competed from 10 to 5 for the honour of calling themselves ‘best in club’. In total, well over 150 people enjoyed sunny weather, fierce football, children’s activities (including a bouncy castle – see RIGHT), street food served by Wild Kiwi Pies in Valby, and fun and games, but it is no exaggeration to say it was all thanks to two individuals, who August to August every year never stop planning these gatherings. Take a bow Jon Treacher (centre left) and Chris Pilbeam (centre), pictured here at the control tent with team-mate Lloyd Martin (left) and Coogan (centre right), the founder of the club back in 1982. Yeah, 40 years old this year – not bad Celtic, not bad at all.
The under-40s consisted of a monster 15-group stage as every side played five games in a bid to make it to the semi-finals. At 20 minutes a game, the semis were effectively 100-120 on the clock, with penalties to dream off after 150 should it go that far. The Rest of the World team, easily the most represented in the tournament’s history now that most national sides have packed it in, topped the group but could not contain the young legs of the Foxes who prevailed 3-0. Likewise, Hale & No Pace, another team mostly in their late 30s and early 40s, could not topple the token Scandi offering Vikings, although they did name themselves slightly more originally, losing 2-3. In a frenetic final, the Foxes in the box outthought the Vikings too inviting to lift the cup with a convincing 2-0 win. Slightly more pedestrian was the final of the over-40s tournament between Vern Baby Vern and Kenny’s Kings. In fact, in the photo on the left the winning goal is being played out in slow motion. “Mark him,” goalkeeper Thomas Jørgensen is clearly saying. “The one standing right next to me in front of the goal with nobody else within miles of him.” Jonjo McCool promptly found Roberto Montella, whose day job is general-secretary of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly. Off duty, he is the ‘Italian Stallion’ (centre) and he scored all three of his side’s goals on their way to winning the final. An official complaint claiming the ref was drunk was duly quashed. Picking up the cup with Roberto after the game were (right: clockwise from top left) John Lambert, [Kjartan Rist not present], Chris Morton, Roberto, Jonjo, manager Vernon Jones, Jim Macpherson, Ben Hamilton and Arthur Morton – Chris’s 12-year-old son and player of the tournament for his performances in goal. Health and safety have been informed.
Also just outside the prizes in the Over-40s were Lipscomb Soccer (left-right): Brendan Williams, Craig Parkins, Radovan Glamoclija, Adam Lipscomb and Pete Denham. Meanwhile, bridesmaids in the under-40s were Rest of the World gathering (clockwise from top left) Christian Wenande, George Anghelina, Gabriel Peres, Anders Nash (who turned up five minutes before the end but remained under the impression he had earned the right to be in the photo), Tiki Ebun-Cole, Jannis Wittmann, Robert Peres, Brian Swanson, Miguel Garcia, Andrei Shabunevich and David Araque.
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So who does that leave us to feature?
Commiserations to Pat and his side Kenny’s Kings (left-right Roy Cork, Aaron Constable, Heimir Pétursson, Pat, Kenneth Pedersen and Thomas Jørgensen).
COMMUNITY
The legends of course, and the whisper around the club is there might be an over-60s tournament next year to accommodate them: (left) Ian Quintana, Neil Jones, Ciaran Dunbar and Pat Sheridan, and (right) Ronnie Wilson and Ray Leighton. But on second thoughts, Ronnie in his wheelchair might have an unfair speed advantage. One curiosity heading into the final of the over-40s was who would become the ultimate winner. The 2022 edition was the tournament’s third, and heading into the big day, three returning players had a third title in their sights, having won with Cafe Svejk in 2020 and 2021. Darren Beynon’s hopes ended when Martin’s Martyrs finished last, leaving Pat Sheridan, a co-owner of the Irish bar Gravens Rand, and CPH POST editor Ben Hamilton as the only players in contention. In the end it was Ben’s day, lifting a trophy for an award that many club members concluded he had just improvised.
IT’S A FINE line between irony and hy pocrisy, and with climate sceptics and deniers always ready to pounce, it’s a line frequently trodden by environmen talists who must balance their ideals with the reality of their own carbon footprint. Roskilde Festival, the iconic Danish music festival, walks that line at an organisational level. Even though the organisers of the festival have placed greater emphasis on environmental sustainability – as part of a “holistic” sustainability campaign based on envi ronmental, social, artistic, and economic considerations – it has continued to have an enormous environmental impact, especially in terms of waste generation. If nothing else, the Roskilde Festival is honest about the mess it leaves behind.
As I walked through them for the first time in the early morning, sleep-deprived and possessed of an overactive imagina tion, it was like some sort of dystopian wasteland laid out in front of me: a bright sun filtered through haze; haphazard ar rays of mismatched shelters; cans, bottles, and broken glass strewn about; and in the early morning – with most festival-goers still recovering from the previous night’s activities – not a soul in sight. At one point, against the foreground of this rubbish-strewn expanse, a wind tur bine in the background, pumping green, renewable energy into the festival site, stands tall as a perfect picture of irony. It is in these campsites that the ma jority of waste generated at the Roskilde Festival will be found. According to one estimate, waste abandoned in the camping areas makes up approximately 75 percent of the total waste generated at the festival, largely due to the aban donment of cheap camping equipment by festival-goers. Consequently, waste reduction efforts at the festival have
JARED PAOLINO
“It’s inevitable that we create waste …” I AM MEETING Sanne Stephansen, Roskil de’s head of sustainability, at ‘The Circular Lab’ – a temporary venue in the festival camping area for young entrepreneurs to share their ideas about green develop ment, waste reduction, and climate action. The ground is littered with trash. The debris – crushed cans, discarded cups and plastic wrappers – extends not only around the lab, but throughout much of the adjacent camping areas, including two of Roskilde’s community camping areas: ‘Dream City’ and ‘Clean Out Loud’. Stephansen does not hesitate to acknowledge the irony – or the fact that Roskilde still has a long way to go. I asked her what she’d say to those who’d call it “It’shypocrisy.afairpoint, and it’s a necessary discussion,” she responded. “When we build the Roskilde Festival, we build a temporary city of 130,000 people. When you gather that many people, it creates a large impression. It’s inevitable that we create waste and that we use resources.” But there’s a however. “We also have to see what else we bring to the table in terms of arts and activism, community, music, freedom,” she ventured.
As a first-time festival-goer, I spent most of my time outside the festival site itself, instead wandering through the expan sive campsites that make up the greater Roskilde Festival city. And it is a city, in a metaphorical sense and, to a great extent, a literal one. There are neighbourhoods and districts, alleyways and shortcuts, and thousands of hastily erected homes.
According to its resource and waste management plan, the Roskilde Festival aims to reduce waste by 600 tonnes by 2024 – a 30 percent reduction relative to 2019. The target, said Stephansen, was set to be achievable, “but the overall goal is to reduce as much as possible.”
DANISH NEWS IN ENGLISH | CPHPOST.DK THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK 16 AUGUST - 1 SEPTEMBER 2022 22 FEATURE
Overall, however, the effort has apparently gained traction. Of the estimated 60,000 people who camp at the Roskilde Festival, Stephansen said the majority are living in so-called ‘community camping’ areas, such as ‘Dream City’ and ‘Clean Out Loud’, as well as camps such as ‘Common Ground,’‘Leave No Trace’ and ‘Settle’n Share.’ To live in these campsites, “participants indicated ahead of time that they would contribute towards a positive waste cul ture and keep the area clean during the festival as well as after they leave it.” Victoria, a 25-year-old from Denmark at her sixth Roskilde, signed up for com
A “free space“
“Why are we even allowing other forms of camping?”
“It’s usually standing right there,” she said, pointing vaguely beyond the barnlike structure housing the Circular Lab. “A massive generator park that is just burning fossil fuels.” Stephansen also expressed optimism regarding the potential of the festival’s efforts to reduce waste.
“Even though there’s some waste lying around here, I’m thinking it’s better than the last time we’re here,” she said.
“The overall goal is to reduce as much as possible”
All of this does not excuse the Roskil de Festival’s local environmental impact, said Stephansen, but is at least justifi cation for its continued existence. The question that remains, she said, is “how can we both lower the waste created, and how can we make sure that when waste is created, it’s not lying around like it is lying around us here, but is actually collected, sorted and recycled.”
“We’re saying you need to do this” “WE’RE NOT saying ‘Can you please help us?’ We’re saying you need to do this,” said Stephansen. “You need to reduce what you bring. You need to sort you waste when you’re here, you need to take your stuff with you, and you need to reuse it.” Not everyone is getting the message.
As I walked away from our interview, I watched a young man nonchalantly toss an empty beer can to the ground.
“But time will tell when we get the data.”
PAOLINOJARED
“Time will tell …” BACK AT the Circular Lab, Stephansen stressed the success of broader sustain ability efforts. She noted, for example, that the Roskilde Festival eliminated diesel power this year. Last year, she said, they used 72,000 litres of diesel to generate electricity.
GITTE Haar, the head of a private con sulting firm called the Center for Circular Economy, has levied criticism against Roskilde Festival for what she has said is an inadequate and exaggerated effort to reduce Speakingwaste.tome over the phone, she identified herself as a long-time festi valgoer herself, and she recognised the societal and cultural significance of the Roskilde Festival, as well as acknowl edging the importance of the steps that have been taken so far. However, according to Haar, the Roskil de Festival could be doing more. She has expressed support for the community and deposit-based camping schemes, for example, but asks: “Why are we even allowing other forms of camping?” Haar has also expressed concern that the sustainability of certain efforts by the festival, including its camping equipment rental scheme, has been overstated without the documentation to back it up.
A WEEK OF WASTE AND THE WORK TO STOP IT
IT’S TRUE that Roskilde is a yearly high light for many participants – and a rite of passage for many young Danes. In addition to music, its offerings have come to include speeches, exhibits and other events, while the festival itself has been celebrated as a unique ‘free space’ where young people can explore their identities without the suffocating pres sure of societal norms and expectations. Moreover, the Roskilde Festival is a non-profit event, with its earnings going to a wide range of charitable causes. According to its 2020 report, for exam ple, more than 2 million kroner went to initiatives focused on sustainability, the environment and climate, while millions more were donated to organisations dealing with issues such as human rights, mental health and poverty.
According to the festival’s own findings, the amount of waste generated by the event increased by 76 tonnes every year over the 20-year study period, re sulting in 2,000 tonnes of waste being generated in 2019. By embracing the reality of its impact – and accepting the irony of its message – the organisers have prepared a solid defence against accusations of hypoc risy. Still, some have said the festival can and should do more to reduce its environmental footprint, while also ex pressing concern that Roskilde Festival has overstated the breadth and impact of its sustainability efforts.
munity camping because it comes with a reserved spot, allowing her to avoid the free-for-all that otherwise takes place as festival-goers rush to find a campsite on opening day. “I applied so I don’t have to run in and fight with everyone to get a place,” sheAtsaid.the same time, however, she has noticed Roskilde stepping up its sus tainability effort, as well as the rise in community camping. “Every year I come here, there’s more messages,” she said. “A couple of years ago, there was not so many areas like this. Now, most of it is Clean Out Loud, or areas like this.” Tai, a 27-year-old with over a dec ade of Roskilde experience, expressed his satisfaction with the community camping experience, saying the Clean Out Loud Camp was not only better mantained, but felt safer and friendlier than other areas. However, gesturing to the well-littered ground around him, he conceded that Clean Out Loud was not exactly clean. He also said there were no consequences for failing to live up to the community guidelines. This was confirmed by the Roskilde Festival in an email, which said: “There are no sanctions for those of the partic ipants who do not clean up their camp after leaving the festival.” Instead, the email said: “This collab oration between the participants and the festival is based on trust.” The email further stated that no more than four groups in the Clean out Loud area left the festival without cleaning their site in 2018 and 2019. With that said, Roskilde has also intro duced an alternative camping scheme with a more concrete accountability mechanism. Festival-goers who signed up for a ‘Get a Place’ or ‘Get a Camp’ option were required to pay a deposit to reserve their campsite, which is only returned once they have proven their campsite is up to snuff.
General waste reduction efforts in clude measures to decrease the use of disposable products, refine temporary construction methods, and improve the sorting of waste. In the camping areas, a new program has been piloted this year to rent out camping equipment – includ ing tents, pavilions and air mattresses. Other efforts in the campsites have been centred around changing the behaviour of festival-goers, thinking of them as “participants”, rather than just guests.
They called the initiative 'Clean Out Loud', but perhaps it would have better named 'Clean Outside'
increasingly focused on camping.
Roskilde Festival aims to reduce waste generated at the event by 600 tonnes, with efforts largely focused on reducing waste in the camping areas. This year, the introduction of a equipment rental program and the expansion of community and deposit-based schemes were a major part of this effort, but some festival-goers were slow to get onboard
Everyone enjoyed the performance to the full as the beautiful summer evening slowly descended. It was an exclusive unforgettable experience and the Danish weather gods were gracious, ensuring that everyone present received a unique Shakespeare experience, watching the play first unfold in daylight and then under the night's sky, surrounded by water against the backdrop of Kronborg Castle.
In short, 'Hamlet' is a play about a tormented Prince of Denmark's bid for revenge within the walls of Kronborg Castle. 'Hamlet, Prince of Denmark' was performed in conjunction with this year's Shakespeare Festival, a recurring annual summer event since 2008 featuring various Shakespeare plays, actors and worldclass theatre ensembles from both home and abroad.
By Githa Schultz
HAMLET
'Hamlet, Prince of Denmark' is based on the myth that 'Hamlet', according to Captain William Keeling´s 1607 log on the ship The Red Dragon, was set aboard a vessel. The stage is accordingly built over the Kronborg moat, giving the performance unique and experimental stagecraft under the open summer sky with the water as a co- and counter-player.
Photo: Hasse Ferrold Photo: Hasse Ferrold
Photo: Githa Schultz
Photo: Hasse Ferrold
The Embassy of the Republic of South Africa and Hamletscenen hosted a pre-performance event at the moat where light refreshments were served, along with South African wines and bubbly. Among the speakers were Henriette Kiær, the Mayor of Helsingør, HE FS Mugane, the South African Ambassador, and Lars Romann Engel, Hamletscenen's Theatre Director and Artistic Director.
ADVERTORIAL
A GUEST PLAY FROM CAPE TOWN AT KRONBORG'S ANNUAL SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
The evening temperature at Kronborg Castle was tropical on 3 August 2022 when the premiere of 'Hamlet, Prince of Denmark' – based on the immortal William Shakespeare play most people know if only for its famous words "To be, and not to be, that is the question" – was performed by Cape Town group Abrahamse & Meyer.
The incidental music/sound creates the image of a wooden ship in the darkness gently rocking on the water, occasionally creaking, and this complements the undercurrent of building drama quite brilliantly and also sounds perfectly suited to 'Hamlet', a play with such a large volume of words that it is in fact Shakespeare's most extensive work. If 'Hamlet' were played in its full length, it would take more than four hours to perform it s 29,551 words. This performance took 2 hours and 40 minutes: still with a word flow of high dimensions.
The lead Marcel Meyer gave a particularly splendid performance as Hamlet and the whole Cape Town cast was generally new and refreshing. It was performed entirely in English with Danish text on two small screens at the stage. Theatre director Lars Romann Engel must be happy after two years of corona closures that Hamletscenen is able to hold the popular Shakespeare Festival again. At least 16 ambassadors to Denmark from all over the world were to be found among the audience.
Københavns Shakespeare Kompagni (left), which in April made its debut with an ambitious run of Coriolanus in which English and Danish versions were performed on alternate nights at Bådteatret, took centre stage to give the picnickers a performance they won’t forget in a hurry. KSK’s ensemble consisted of (left: left-right): Kevin Kieran Molloy, Joseph Sherlock, Jessica O’Hara Baker and Sarah Dahl Hasselgren. Among those watching in the park were fellow actor Ian Burns from That Theatre Company (right: right)
The event not only attracted fans of Joyce, but also families, no doubt intrigued to listen to the children’s story. While mother always knows best (left), these two rascals (centre) couldn’t decide whether to come dressed as The Artful Dodger or the great man himself. The easier choice, it turned out, was whether to get the #Ulysses100 goodie bag, or free ice cream. As Ulysses eventually proved in the Trojan War, there could only be one winner …
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PHOTOS: LORENZO MARTIN WORDS: BEN HAMILTON
So who knew there was a James Joyce book called ‘The Cats of Copenhagen’? Okay, short story, clever clogs – it was written by Joyce in 1936 (anything to distract himself from finishing ‘Finnegan’ Wake) in a letter to his grandson, but not published until 1912 when his work entered the public domain in certain jurisdictions. Depicting a Copenhagen full of fat cats and other authority figures, the satire probably passed over four-year-old Stephen’s head, but was warmly appreciated by those in attendance at the Bloomsday Family Picnic on June 11, one of several events organised by the Irish Embassy to mark #Ulysses100, the centenary of the book making consider to be the finest ever written in the English language. For information on future cultural events organised by the embassy, sign up for the mailing list via copenhagenembassy@dfa.ie
COMMUNITY PICNICKING IN THE PARK WITH THE COOL CATS OF COPENHAGEN
Gentofte Market every Sun 07:00-14:00; Bregnegårdsvej, Gentofte Happening every Sunday, Gentofte Market is a great place to go to for a weekend shopping trip for antique or vintage goods.
Grønt Marked Vesterbro Aug 14, 10:00-15:00 (every other Sun); Litauens Plads, Cph V Starting in 2019, the Green Market is a place where people can gather to shop for food as an alternative to the local supermarket. It is a place that supports farmers and producers, having developed relations between 50 organic and biodynamic producers. (BV) Copenhagen Opera Festival Aug 19-27; operafestival.dk
EVENTS
Tønder Festival Aug 25-28; Vestergade, Tønder; festival pass: 1,720 kr, one-day tickets 620-1,020kr; tf.dk Tønder features some of the best traditional and modern folk music in Europe. This year’s line-up includes acclaimed artists from the US, Ireland, the UK, Scandinavia, and other parts of Europe. Among them are the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Madrugada, and 9Bach. (SA) Opera Tours in English Aug 17 at 15:00 and Aug 27 at 13:00; Ekvipagemes tervej 10, Cph K; 135kr, under-12s 60kr, kglteater.dk Discover the Opera's beautiful foyer with its clean lines, Olafur Eliasson's light sculptures, and views over Copenhagen Harbour that embrace the shiny maple shell around the Main Stage. There are also weekly tours of Gamle Scene on Saturdays and Tuesdays in July, as well as on August 21 and 28 at 11:00.
The fair is hosted by the popular burger chain Gasoline Grill and will include various American chefs cooking and serving drinks and food. People can come and enjoy the food along with some live jazz music. (BV) Karrusel Aug 25-27; Refshaløen; Cph K Karrusel, the sister festival of Copenhagen Dis tortion, is again returning to Refshaløen for three days of house, techno and disco and rides on a vintage carousel. Artists include Amalie Lens, DJ Seinfeld, Folamour, Nastia and Partiboi69. (BV)
Copenhagen Pride Parade Aug 20; Frederiksberg City Hall Square Participate in this year’s parade around the city of Copenhagen, celebrating Pride. (BV) Wildlife Photographer of the Year ends Aug 28; Natural History Museum of Denmark, Øster Voldgade 5-7, Cph K, 105kr This annual exhibition showcases the 100 top wildlife photos.
Science and Cocktails Aug 26; Koncertsalen, DR Koncerthuset, Ørestads Boulevard 13, Cph S; 145-195kr, drkoncerthuset.dk Professor David Montgomery is an expert on geo morphology. Join him as he explores ‘What your food ate: How to Heal Our Land and Reclaim Our Health’. Jazz Cruise ends Aug 28; Ved Stranden 26, Cph K; 175kr, tick etmaster.dk The Copenhagen Jazz Cruise allows you to listen to great music while on the water and for any one who is new to Copenhagen this is a perfect way to experience the city’s sights while sailing through the canals. Proper British Afternoon Tea Aug 28; Kogebogeriet, Guldbergsgade 10, Cph N If you’re looking for an authentic British afternoon tea, then Kogebogeriet is the place to go. Enjoy a menu that includes roast beef with Yorkshire pudding, freshly-baked scones and clotted cream, along with unlimited tea.
Comedy Stop Copenhagen Sep 1-3; Bremen Teater, Aveny-T and DR Koncer thuset, 150kr A line-up of comedians including Katherine Ryan, Nigel Ng, Jenny Bede, and Sean McLoughlin. The event is held to showcase the biggest comedy stars of the future. (BV) Globe Quiz Aug 25; Globe Irish Pub, Nørregade 43-45, Cph K; 50 kroner per person to enter Game night’s on at this pub on Nørregade! The winners will be awarded 1,200 kroner, and there are plenty of spot prizes too. (MB) Madland Food Festival Aug 18-Oct 9; various venues in Copenhagen; madland.dk This sustainability-focused food festival is perfect for foodies and will allow you to taste different types of food from sustainable origins. The festival also includes film experiences and a harvesting fest. (BV) Gravens Rand Quiz Aug 16 & 30; Søndre Fasanvej 24, Frederiksberg; entry 30kr Maximum of four per team, it’s 1,000 kroner for the winners and a crate of beer for second. Two beer rounds, and shots for last place! Sand Sculpture Festival ongoing, ends Aug 31, daily from 10:00; Kajgaden 7, Hundested; sandskulptur.dk Local and international sand sculptors, including several world champions, will display their bio degradable masterworks.
Gasoline Grill American State Fair Aug 27; Carlsberg Byen, Ny Carlsberg Vej 140, Frederiksberg
Kennedy’s Quiz Sep 5, 19:30; Kennedy’s Irish Bar,Gammel Kon gevej 23, Cph V Quiz night at Kennedy’s Irish Bar includes raffles, cash prizes, and drinks rounds. Copenhagen Pride ongoing, ends Aug 20; various venues; free adm Copenhagen Pride is back with events all over the city. (BV)
Nørrebro Flea Market every Sat 09:00-17:00; Nørrebrogade, Cph N Norrebro Flea Market is a local flea market with several different vendors and is especially a great spot for buying second-hand clothing. Strøm Festival Aug 20 & 27; various venues in Copenhagen; strm.dk Why have a festival over three days, when you can do it over three weeks, reasons Strøm Festival ahead of launching a new format spread across three Saturdays in August. Presenting some of the best selections of electronic and alternative music, this will empower the electronic music scene in Copenhagen. Including a number of free concerts in public areas in the capital. (SA) WonderFestiwall Aug 18-21; Slotsslyngen, Bornholm; festival pass: 1,120kr, one-day tickets: 525-625kr; wonderfes tiwall.dk Enjoy the final days of summer at the Wonder Festiwall amid the exquisite nature of the popular holiday island Bornholm. With 33 concerts in three days, the festival will present some of Denmark’s most famous artists including Branco, Spleen United and Mina Okabe. (SA) Copenhagen Summer Festival ends Aug 18; Charlotte Festsal, Kgs Nytorv, Cph K; 160kr This classical music festival for aspiring musi cians reveals the musical talent of the younger generation.
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Summer Concert at Glyptoteket Sundays at 12:00; Dantes Plads 7, Cph K; 180kr Enjoy a concert within the museum surrounded by beautiful artwork and artefacts. The price for a ticket to the concert also permits you entry to the museum for a full day, allowing you to explore the rest of the museum before or after the concert. (BV) Kultur der Dur Aug 17; Gentofte Sportspark, Ved Station 10; 250kr A festival that has both music and activities to participate in and whose goal is to create a fun experience for anyone living with a handicap. (BV) Zanele Muholi ongoing, ends Sep 4; Kunstforeningen GL Strand, Gammel Strand 48, Cph K; 90kr South African photographer Zanele Muholi presents the stories of black lesbians, gay, intersex, and trans lives in South Africa through photos. Enjoy a collec tion of more than 100 photographs that celebrates the career and work of Muholi as a visual activist. (BV)
SMK evenings Aug 24 onwards, every Wed; Statens Museum for Kunst, Sølvgade 48-50, Cph K On Wednesdays SMK stays open until 20:00 before which you can receive a guided tour and enjoy various art experiences, mostly inspired by the exhibition ‘Henri Matisse: The Red Studio’. (BV) O/Day Fest Aug 11-13; Refshaløen, Cph K; from 400-1200kr Attempting to create a new festival experience in Denmark, O/Day Fest is event-based. Those at tending can enjoy beer tastings, silent disco, light performances and many more experiences. (BV)
The Queen’s New Border Sep 14-18; Biblioteket Rentemestervej, Cph NV; 160kr The Copenhagen Theatre Circle presents its orig inal play ’The Queen’s New Border’ by longtime member Alun Thomas – a satire set in Ireland as the reality of post-Brexit begins to set in. (BV) Øasen Aug 19; Fælledparken, Cph Ø This pop-up event is hosted by Kultur and Fritid Osterbro. The event is perfect for anyone inter ested in electronic music as well as funk, disco and house music. (BV) Viva Sep 21; Wallmans Circus Building, Jernbanegade 8, Cph K Wallmans is premiering their new dinnerparty in central Copenhagen. The show is a celebration of life and togetherness. It is hosted by Megan Moore as well as a live band that will be playing music from the 1920’s up until now with covers. (BV) LGBT history walking tours Aug 21, 13:00; Regnbuepladsen, Cph K; 90kr
An experience for the whole family, Copenhagen Opera Festival celebrates both classics and newly written work that can be enjoyed by everyone. (BV)
Tivoli ‘Dog Day’ Aug 21; Tivoli, Cph V Bring your dog to Tivoli on ‘Dog Day’ and meet other dog owners. The event is hosted by the Danish Kennel Club, and members and volun teers of the club will be present to answer any questions. (BV) Street Food at the Lakes Aug 18-21; Peblinge Dosseringen, Cph N; free adm This is part of the Copenhagen Food festival and allows you to meet up with your friends and family to sit and eat around the lakes in Copenhagen. It will finally be held after being closed for two years. (BV) Trygfonden Copenhagen Swim Aug 26-27; Black Diamond, Søren Kierkegaards Plads 1, Cph K Swim around the canals surrounding Christians borg, either as an individual (1,000 or 2,000) or in a relay (as short as 500 metres). (BV) Final day at Bakken Aug 31; Dyrehavevej 62; free adm, ride pass: 299kr The oldest amusement park in the world will be closing its summer season at the end of August. (BV) Copenhagen Cooking Aug 19-28; various venues Copenhagen Cooking and Food Festival allows you to explore and taste various dishes from differ ent countries, as well as learn how to cook dishes at some of its many cooking workshops. (BV) Kulturhavn Festival Aug 27-28; Ørestads Blvd 55, Cph K; free adm Celebrating the culture of the city in Copen hagen’s harbour with several different events, Kulturhavn Festival is something that everyone in the family can take part in. (BV) Klassisk på Kyssetrappen Aug 18, 17:00; Det Kongelige Kapel, Sankt Annæ Pl 31; free adm Fans of classical music will greatly appreciate this event as some of Denmark’s greatest clas sical musicians come together to perform on a floating stage. (BV) Uhørt Festival Aug 18-20; Enghavevej 80, Cph V; 195-395kr,. billetto.dk Are you interested in finding new music to listen to or curious about the breakthroughs of next year? (BV) Rockwell Denmark Aug 19-20; Waterfront at Nordhavn; 135kr, tick etmaster.dk Interested in a day or two at the waterfront view ing sailing action up-close? This event will allow you to view the race from right beside the water in Copenhagen. (BV)
On the final day of Copenhagen Pride Week, learn about the LGBT history of the Danish capital on a walking tour.
Don’t board this train! AT CINEMAS, meanwhile, the budg ets are more modest, but there’s still plenty of quality. British 2021 dramas Ali & Ava (Aug 4; 77) and Juniper (Aug 4; released but no score yet) are heart-felt and satisfactory – the latter with yet another compelling turn by Charlotte Rampling. Jordan Peele has once again underlined his capabilities in horror with Nope (Aug 4; 77), but the less said about See for Me (Aug 4; 59) the better. And the documentary Fire of Love (Aug 11; 88), which charts the relationship of two volcanologists, is beautifully shot. Perhaps the most keenly awaited film is Bullet Train (Aug 4; 49), but it’s best avoided, despite Brad Pitt and Sandra Bullock onboard. Instead jump upon Af ter Yang (Aug 25; 79) with Colin Farrell, about a family coping with the death of their android child; I Came By (Aug 31 on Netflix), the tale of a Banksy-like artist (George Mackay) who gets more than he bargains for when he breaks into the flat of London big-wig (Hugh Bonneville); or Prey (Disney+; 70), the latest Predator film, a prequel from the 1700s complete with Comanches.
The director’s rut THE BIG worry with these behemoths has to be the quality of the direction.
FAMILIAR RING: PROOF NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED IN A DECADE
BEN HAMILTON N OT MUCH has changed con tent-wise over the last decade. Just take a look at the line-up that greeted viewers in 2012 and com pare it with the class of 2022. The only difference is that the blockbusters are heading straight for our homes. Same shit, different decade FIRST off, we had The Hobbit, the first serious Middle Earth spin-off. Two rath er lame sequels followed and now we have The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Sep 2 on Amazon Prime), rumoured to be the most expensive TV series ever made. Marvel Sudios released The Aveng ers, its first multiple superhero film, but not its last. Ten years later, the absurd ly-titled She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (Aug 17 on Disney +) is yet another TV series to carry the brand. Game of Thrones released its season two, with the battle scene in episode nine ‘Blackwater’ setting new standards for the industry. More juggernauts fol lowed until its inevitable conclusion in 2019, but raising the torch again is prequel series House of the Dragon (Aug 22 on HBO Max) – a second season looks likely to follow. George Lucas sold the Star Wars rights to Disney in 2012, but few could have anticipated the onslaught of mov ies and series that followed. Andor (Aug 31 on Disney +) – the story of the male lead in Rogue One, again played by Diego Luna – is the latest. And finally, DC Comics spawned per haps its greatest cinematic triumph, The Dark Knight Rises. A few barren years have passed, but long-awaited series The Sandman (Netflix since Aug 5; 66 on Metacritc) promises to restore its credibility among comic book con noisseurs. In Westeros and in elf THE TIMING of the Rings and Thrones franchises’ releases is almost too eerie: like Saruman’s been hardwiring Melisan dre. Released just 12 days apart, they’re arguably the biggest series of the year, if not the decade. With a budget of at least 1 billion dollars stretched over five seasons, The Rings of Power will end up dwarfing (pun intended) the 15 million dollars Thrones was spending on every episode by the end of its run. And it’s not exactly splashing out on the cast, favouring suitability over stardom, assembling an ensemble of undeniable diversity, from faded British comic Lenny Henry to Ned Stark duo Robert Aramayo (young self) and Joseph Mawle (younger brother). Worryingly, most of the main charac ters have elfen names, so permission to snooze.Incontrast, House of the Dragon has set about recruiting almost every quality British actor who didn’t appear in the original – how the likes of Ian McShane and Richard E Grant must be kicking themselves for taking on such limited cameos in Season 6. Matt Smith, Paddy Considine, Rhys Ifans, Olivia Cooke and Bill Paterson are cool in school, again with virtually no American actors (in 73 episodes of GoT, there were only four).
Honestly, this could be Thrones or Rings. Nobody looks overly elfish or undead
While there’s been a decade-long trend in which the top actors (beyond Tom Cruise, name me one who hasn’t … okay Jake Gyllenhaal, Nicolas Cage, Christian Bale and Angeline Jolie … we looked it up!), big budgets and production value expertise have been steadily moving over to television, the top directors con tinue to work solely in cinema. Given the tendency for the show runner to call the shots (like in the MGM era), ‘the auteurs’ just don’t do telly. Granted, a few take total control (Susanne Bier with The Night Manager, The Undoing and The First Lady, and Cary Joji Fukunaga with the first season of True Detective) and Marty’s done a few one-offs – the aforementioned ‘Blackwater’ was helmed by British di rector Neil Marshall (Dog Soldiers, The Descent) – but often series are let down by the varying skills of a mixed bag. Godfather origins Paramount series The Offer should have been the bomb, but instead it was released to disap pointing reviews in late April. Take a closer look and you’ll discover that four of the ten episodes are standouts – and surprise, surprise, they all have the same director: Adam Arkin (yes, Alan’s son).
Apple of our eye WHILE She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and Andor will be released later in August, The Sandman arrived last week, and the reviews are half decent. Its mainly adult audience should be pleased. Likewise, Thai diving rescue film Thirteen Lives (Amazon Prime since Aug 5; 33) is being streamed after an obligatory week at cinemas.Nevertheless, perhaps the critics’ high est praise this month will be reserved for the miniseries Five Days at Memorial (Apple on Aug 12) starring the always dependable Vera Farmiga. This was the script that Ryan Murphy was sizing up for the third season of American Crime Story, and it is heartening to know that John Ridley, who helmed five episodes of the riveting first two series of ACS (OJ and Versace), is co-directing. Apple is a safe bet for quality these days, with two more potential gems on the way. Danish actor Claes Bang has found himself another baddie’s shoes to fill in Bad Sisters (Aug 19), even though this Irish-set dark comedy does start with his funeral. Created by Catastro phe co-writer Sharon Horgan, this looks like a safe bet to please, and the same looks true of London-based comedy Everything I Know About Love (Aug 25), finally a star vehicle for the talents of Bel Powley, the British intern from the first season of The Morning Show. To be fair, Amazon Prime is also hav ing a good month. Along with The Rings of Power and Thirteen Lives, it will have high hopes for Samaritan, the tale of a superhero (Sylvester Stallone) who may have not died in a titanic battle as was presumed 25 years ago. With able support from Danish actor Pilou Asbæk, director Julius Avery’s last film was the offball WWII flick Overlord. There aren’t that many returning se ries this month – Never Have I Ever (S3; Aug 12) and Locke & Key (S3; Aug 10) are back on Netflix, while The Outlaws (S2; Aug 5) returns to Amazon Prime –but there is a returning film: baseball all-female yarn A League of their Own (Aug 12 on Prime).
Finally, we have After 4: After Ever Happy (Aug 25; NRW). You would have thought that ‘after’ the first three, we would have had enough. The Lord of the Rings is surely a case in point.
THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK 16 AUGUST - 1 SEPTEMBER 2022 ON SCREENS
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