CPH POST 12 April - 2 May 2019

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For the Danish team at the Special Olympics, it was a week of acceptance.

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NEWS Serial killer suspect has prior murder and rape conviction

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NEWS

Tools day April 1 came early for ministry’s turgid story

THIS PLAN IS AN ISLAND

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Half-promises ahead of election

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FEATURE Brazilian jiu jitsu club a beacon for internationals

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Going the whole hog Discover your inner-pig at Kødbyen eatery

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T IS THE nature of general elections that half the promises are never kept.

Barely a day goes by without another pledge by either PM Lars Løkke Rasmussen or Socialdemokratiet leader Mette Frederiksen, the woman seeking to replace him.

Minimum wage?

IN RASMUSSEN’S case, he has had four years to make changes, so you question how high up his list of priorities such resolutions are – like introducing a minimum wage, which he dangled like a carrot before the electorate last week.

The PM hopes it could address the problem of social dumping. It is not illegal for employers to pay employees minuscule amounts if they are not part of a collective

bargaining agreement.

But he wouldn’t commit, stating that a regulated minimum wage in certain cross-border labour areas is possible, as long as it doesn’t compromise the Danish system.

Worn-out not working HIS REMARKS followed a televised showdown with Frederiksen in which he mercilessly exposed her reluctance to identify exactly who should be able to retire early because their jobs are more physically or mentally demanding.

Days later, the government released a report that claims people with long working lives are actually less worn out than those who have not worked as much.

Rasmussen’s conclusion is that S’s policy-makers “aren’t living in the real world”.

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Paradigm shift regrets

Record numbers abroad

IKEA AND ISS, the two companies currently employing the largest number of refugees in Denmark, have taken issue with the government’s ‘paradigm shift’, which advocates repatriation over integration, arguing it will have a negative influence on their employees’ motivation. Both IKEA and ISS now question their efforts to integrate the refugees.

DANISH companies have never employed as many people based overseas as today. Some 1.4 million work for Danish companies or subsidiaries abroad, according to Danmarks Statistik. UK leads the way with nearly 92,000, followed by India (85), China (83), Germany (83), Thailand (75), the US (74), Indonesia, Poland and Sweden (all 69) and France (56).

Running out of GPs

Worst for local pals

DENMARK runs the risk of being short of GPs, reports DR. A study reveals that 12.7 percent of those working in the Capital Region are over the age of 65 – and that not enough are being trained to replace them. The regions of North Jutland (11.9) and Zealand (11.8) are also at risk. Retiring GPs with single-doctor practices often struggle to sell them.

DENMARK is the third worst country for making friends abroad, according to InterNations, and it is impacting on the general happiness of internationals. Only 21 percent say it is easy to make Danish pals – which ties them with notoriously shy Swedish. Only 43 percent said they find it easy to make international friends.

INSIDE OUR NEXT ISSUE, OUT 2 MAY!

Diplomacy

A CPH POST SPECIAL VISIT POST MAGAZINE

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NEWS

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

ONLINE THIS WEEK BY & HAVN is disappointed that 15 electric scooters were found during Copenhagen Harbour’s spring cleaning, given they have only just been legalised. Among the other items found were 190 bicycles, café chairs and tables, road signs and the obligatory dildo.

CIS sustainability focus COPENHAGEN International School is holding a Sustainability Day on May 2 to educate the 10-18 age bracket about adhering to some of the key UN Sustainable Development Goals. In the week leading up to the day, the kids will be eating a strictly plant-based menu.

A merry municipality MOST OF Copenhagen Municipality’s 40,000 employees are happy and motivated, scoring their workplace a 5.6 out of 7 – a slight increase on the 5.5 they gave it in 2017.

Best pizzas in Europe

Visitor slump by a third STATENS Museum for Kunst welcomed 308,974 visitors last year, continuing a trend that has seen numbers fall by a third since the national galley introduced admission charges in 2016 following a cut to its budget.

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

Demonstrations in 53 towns and cities, as thousands make their voices heard

T

HOUSANDS of concerned parents took to the streets in 57 demonstrations across Denmark on Saturday afternoon to draw attention to how the ratio of children per daycare worker ratio has soared over the last 40 years to a level that is no longer responsible.

According to BUPL, the national association of children and youth teachers, 4,000 more daycare workers need to be employed to address a 58 percent increase since the 1980s, while the 2019 DR documentary ‘Hvem passer vores børn’ makes for compelling viewing.

Nowhere is this felt more acutely than in Copenhagen, which has seen a huge rise in the number of parents electing to stay in the capital to raise

children, and this was evident by the large ‘Demonstration for minimumsnormeringer’ turnout outside Parliament.

Support in capital COPENHAGEN Municipality recently signed a budget agreement for 2019 that will see 84.4 million kroner set aside for new daycare institutions and 42.4 million kroner for the planning and launching of additional child-related institutions.

The agreement also earmarks 19.2 million kroner for special education and 39.2 million kroner to boost efforts pertaining to children with special needs and diagnoses.

Funds have also been set aside for vulnerable neighbourhoods, shelters and crisis centres for victims of violence, the declining number of GPs, more parking spaces for business owners, and future endeavours, such as the new Lynetteholm artificial island.

(CPH POST)

Suspected serial killer’s prior convictions He may only be 26, but the man charged with killing three pensioners has already been convicted of murder and rape

T

HE POLICE are not releasing the name of the 26-year-old man who has been charged with killing three elderly people in Østerbro in February and March, but it has been confirmed he has a prior conviction for rape and murder.

At first it was believed the three elderly people, who all lived

in the same residential complex on Vangehusvej in Ydre Østerbro near the border with Hellerup, had died of natural causes, but their relatives and then the police began to join the dots.

All victims in their 80s THE SUSPECT, who does not live in the building but has family there, has been in custody since his arrest on March 9. Copenhagen City Court has ruled he should locked up until at least April 30.

He is accused of killing an

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Italian expat finds baby GREGORIO Montefameglio, a 25-year-old from Bologna, was the hero of the hour on April 1 when he discovered a baby girl in a plastic supermarket bag in Vanløse. The Italian called an ambulance and then took the baby, who he estimated to be five days old, home to warm her up as she was “almost freezing to death”.

Death to the worms

There were plenty of hands to the pump to make their voices heard

LEIF JØRGENSEN

MOTHER and Bæst were both included in the 50 Best Places For Pizza in Europe list compiled by Big 7 Travel, with the latter taking second place. Bæst is “taking pizzas to whole new levels”, observed the list.

ONLINE THIS WEEK

Parent protest targets dwindling daycare staff MAJ FJORD CHRISTIANSEN/FACEBOOK

Scooter disappointment

12 April - 2 May 2019

FREDERIKSBORG Castle near Hillerød faces a bill of 3-4 million kroner to rid itself of a blight of worms eating away at the roots of the box hedges that form the large royal monograms in the Baroque gardens. New hedges will be replanted once it is assured all the worms are dead.

New bridge arrives COPENHAGEN’S new habour bridge, Lille Langebro, has been installed after arriving by way of barge from the Netherlands following a year of delays brought on by a collapsing crane in Rotterdam.

Pandas welcomed XING ER and Mao Sun, Copenhagen Zoo’s new pandas, arrived in Denmark on April 4.

They will be officially introduced to the public on April 11.

Media metropolis Three murders on leafy street

83-year-old woman on February 7, an 80-year-old man on March 2 and an 81-year-old woman on March 7. (BH)

ACCORDING to a Slot- og Kulturstyrelsen report, most people who work in the media industry live in Copenhagen.

Some 7,923 of around 10,000 people work in the Danish capital.

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Fredensborg is located in northeast Zealand

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It's Oh Baby... Cole

"Oh Baby, it's Cole" is Vivienne McKee's entertaining, toetapping cabaret show based on the incomparable music and sophisticated life of Cole Porter. It tells the story of Cole's life through his songs, and invites the audience to appreciate his clever use of the English language as well as his brilliantly innovative melodies.

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COVER

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

12 April - 2 May 2019

New centre for bilingual theatre seeking to put Copenhagen on international map Teaterøen founders keen to establish a support structure for theatre groups – both Danish and foreign KASPER R GULDBERG

T

HE FIRST thing that strikes you walking towards Teaterøen (Theatre Island) is how high the vaulted sky is and how spacious the surrounding area is. It makes you raise your head and breathe more deeply.

It recalls the Danish idiom ’højt til loftet’ (high ceiling).

Danes like to say this when they want to suggest an environment where imagination, inspiration and off-the-wall ideas can flourish untrammelled by rules or convention.

And it’s remarkable to think all of this is located just a short journey from central Copenhagen on the island of Refshaleøen, the city’s former shipyards, which is quickly transforming into the Danish capital’s biggest hub for culture, street food, startups and extreme sports.

Theatre Island is perfectly placed to capitalise on the first full of year of business at Reffen, the new home of street food following the 2017 closure of Papirøen, with hundreds of thousands expected to visit the area this year.

Not only is that good news for theatre in general, as more members of the public will learn to associate the area with the genre, but it is also good news for the English-language scene, as Theatre Island has a strong international focus.

Bilingual profile THEATRE Island may officially be a platform for theatre groups, but looks and feels more like an artistic collective – a vibrant, collaborative and constantly shifting community for Danish and international actors and artists.

The agenda advocates pushing boundaries and defying tradi-

tional expectations in an attempt to put Copenhagen on the map internationally as a place where theatrical possibilities are being rejuvenated and redefined.

The place already has a bilingual profile (Danish and English), and according to its founders, Peter Kirk and Tilde Knudsen, the intention is to appeal to both Danes and foreigners.

Some plays are therefore available in both languages – and some plays will be taken on the road so theatre-lovers far from these shores can experience what Theatre Island is all about.

In strong demand “WE CALL Teaterøen an ‘open platform’ for performing arts – open in the sense of being curious about and open to new formats, audiences and concepts,” explained Kirk and Knudsen.

“We are experiencing a great need for foreign language theatre, and we are slowly building this up – both for tourists and expats. And we have also discovered a growing need for foreign artists to have a platform, and it makes sense for us to open up for being ‘international in a local way’.”

Among the pair’s plans are expanding their annual Asteroid international theatre festival (very probably from 2020), running a bilingual theatre festival for young audiences in September, and presenting one-off English versions of all their Danish-language plays – on what will be billed as “all-English days”.

Additionally, they view Theatre Island as a “port” to welcome performing artists and theatre groups from all over the world – for short or long visits, guest plays, residencies, summercamps, workshops and collaborations with Danish artists.

Kirk and Knudsen have mostly self-funded the island – a location they first started using as a rehearsal space 13 years ago,

So close to the city centre, you can see the Maersk flags fluttering

which they officially opened for business as Teaterøen in 2013.

A cavernous complex WITHIN the walls of the three-building complex is a complete theatrical landscape.

This means Teaterøen can offer the groups who use its various rooms the complete journey: from early-stage development to experimentation to rehearsals to a performance in a 150-seater auditorium.

The site includes lofts, groves, uncategorisable nooks and crannies, halls, barracks, a shipyard annex, a military battery and a demagnetisation facility (all now decommssioned, of course).

Outside the grounds are pretty huge, and as well as the three main buildings, there are two smaller buildings, outdoor saunas and caravans.

Saviours of the stage TEATERØEN is a godsend for theatre groups like Leftfield Theatre, as finding a suitable venue can often be a problem.

Leftfield is staging its next play – Truth by Falsehood, which starts on April 23 (details on pages 5 and 21) – in

Teaterøen’s 150-seat auditorium, and its artistic director Lee Elms could not be happier.

“Finding good venues in Copenhagen is difficult and expensive and the ones that are affordable are usually rundown and managed in a slipshod way,” he told CPH POST. “Take Huset KBH, for example, where live music can drown out performances, equipment gets stolen and the committee are discriminatory about who they let perform there. Everyone’s feeling sorry for poor old House of International Theatre (HIT).”

Elms is confident Kirk and Knudsen have a hit on their hands at a location that will quickly become “the hippest part of town”.

“Like many of us, Peter and Tilde are theatre nuts, and they and their staff are so supportive, making it possible for smaller theatre groups and individuals with limited resources to put on shows,” he continued.

“If Denmark is ever to become a major player in performing arts, or the scene is saved from itself, it’s creative meccas like Teaterøen who’ll

be providing the new roadmap because they’ve broken down the gates, opened up the sky to all of the possibilities and, ahem, like Leftfield, they’re redefining the theatrical landscape.”

A hive of activity IN ADDITION to theatre, Kirk and Knudsen are keen to get the maximum usage out of their site, and they welcome all manner of events, from concerts and exhibition, to symposiums, conferences and festivals.

Weddings and one-off event bookings are welcome as well, and among its current regular events is Teater Tapas, a monthly gathering of theatre-lovers who watch each other perform short pieces and enjoy tapas together.

Kirk and Knudsen not only run the island, but also produce a lot of theatre themselves.

Since 2003, their group, Asterions Hus, has earned a strong reputation for experimental and physically-charged performances.

THEATRE ISLAND

William Wains Gade 11,Refshaleøen, Cph K; 4049 0487; teateroen.com

COVER

12 April - 2 May 2019

T

O REDEFINE the theatrical landscape of Copenhagen, Teaterøen will need the support of like-mind-

ed groups like Leftfield, which since its foundation in 2017 has sought to push the boundaries of the artform.

Lee Elms, its artistic director, took some time out ahead of Leftfield’s next production ‘Truth by Falsehood’, to talk to

CPH POST about his ambitious staging and future plans in an environment that he believes is badly in need of a shake-up.

The title ‘Truth by Falsehood’ suggests you’ll be tackling some huge themes with which our culture seems to be wrestling at the moment?

I could wax indignant about fake news and liars in power and Twitter lynchings and how widespread social and mainstream media is triumphing and flattening all communication into a single, homogenous surface, but the truth is that ‘Truth by Falsehood’ has nothing to do with any of that.

I’ve got to keep my cards close to my chest because there’s some huge twists in this production, but with this title we’re acknowledging that most theatre audiences willingly suspend disbelief and overlook the fact they’re watching a staged performance and accept it as reality in order to be entertained. With most productions, the audience and artists know it’s not real life, and many times the message and themes being delivered have a different meaning for those who receive it than for the ones who issue it.

Actual reality touches our sensibilities to the quick, is more visceral, and with these four pieces we’re conceding immediately that yes some of this is fiction (the falsehood of the title), but we’re also delivering home truths and plenty of facts rather than outand-out fiction, such as mysteries, whodunits etc. Christ, there are other stories to tell!

With these plays these are truths not generally recognised, like how it’s the male partner from a heterosexual partnership that usually comes off worse after a separation; or how these days a person would film someone with their phone who was suffering rather than help; or how women are just as kinky as men.

2016, so what made you think you could produce your own work, ‘The Pillowman’, a year later?

I’ve educated myself and I’m trying to educate others. If this working-class idiot from a mining family who quit school and ran away at 15 can do it, anyone can. I’ve learned the artist’s way: done my homework, read the books, seen the plays, studied art, heard the right music, watched the obscure films, loved remarkable people, walked the road less-travelled. That’s where life’s rich treasures are to be found and that really make life worth living.

I’m obsessed with theatre and I am a cultural snob. I wish others were and others were more demanding of their cultural experiences, but most people like what they’re told to like and don’t care enough or aren’t culturally savvy enough to question it. But I do. I very much care how I’m spending my time and how I’m being entertained or educated and I want value for my hard-earned pennies.

bringing with Leftfield. And balls.

And the world belongs to people with balls.

actress and was the standout in Ian Burns’ ‘After Miss Julie’ a couple of years ago.

So the theatre scene isn’t fulfilling its potential?

All it takes is a bit more effort from people and a whole new world will open up for them – a brilliant world. But instead they choose Hollywood and superhero movies or comedy or Dalí or major record company music or, at best, graphic novels.

Theatre isn’t just for white middle-class people with disposable incomes. That’s why Leftfield’s ticket prices are so low. I want people to know we’re a wingin’ it, welcome to all theatre company – to show that anyone should see our shows and anyone can become involved with us and anyone can become a theatre-maker too.

Because if theatre remains the same as it is now in Denmark – an expensive, exclusive, self-serving and uninspiring folly – it’s in danger of becoming even more irrelevant than it is now or, worse, dying out completely.

Who would you cite as your biggest inspiration?

Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company (John Malkovich, Laurie Metcalf, Gary Sinise, Ellen Burstyn, Joan Allen etc) took the power away from autocratic theatre owners by putting on and acting in their own productions. And they changed the nature of theatre.

So that was a major point too with Leftfield. That we wouldn’t have to go sucking up to these awful artistic directors and do our dances for the pater familias.

That we would produce, direct and act in our own shows – with our taste and our balls.

Do you see yourself as an outsider on the Copenhagen theatre scene?

Once you become a pariah you kind of revel in it. You have to.

And it’s a tricky one, because I don’t want it to seem that I’m creating the sickness to sell the cure or I’m red in tooth and claw – because I’m not. But if I have a platform to shout that “the emperor isn’t wearing any clothes” and push to improve Copenhagen’s theatre scene (Denmark’s creative scene even), then I will.

One of the major things I’m trying very hard to do is to not make it all about me. It’s about the stories – and the creative effort and the sport and the comradeship.

That’s where the happiness is. And of course it’s a fervent two-fingered salute to those self-serving theatre groups out there. Taste is what I’m

What can you tell me about the crew you’ve assembled for your latest play?

As much as I’m usually a oneman-army and am overseeing ‘The Director’, there’s two others that are directing the three short plays: ‘Confessions’, ‘Not I’ and ‘The Human Voice’. I chose the pieces and I am producing them, but former Copenhagen International School of Performing Arts (CISPA) graduates Nina Voit and Constantin Gindelle have adapted those plays and turned them into something very special. Plus we’ve got tech-wiz Igor Halicki making sparks fly.

‘Confessions’ lines up Hinrik Kanneworff, who was placed #2 on the CPH POST English-language Theatre Trailblazers for 2018, and Maria Winther Nørgaard, who is a regular TV/film

You had no theatre experience when you took a part in a CTC production, ‘Kafka’s Dick’ in

What do you think about Danish theatre?

If you asked the average person outside Denmark to name five famous Danes, most would struggle. Why does a country with say a million more in population than Ireland produce so few renowned people? Why so little cultural impact? Is it janteloven?

Are they too happy to create?

Both those things I’d contend to be true, but are there really so many people without anything to say? We all know that most great art stems from the blues or having a fire up your arse, so is it because there is no great drama in Denmark that there is no great drama?

People here want farces, romcoms, light entertainment, improv. But if we as creatives don’t represent all facets of life and the human condition, including the horrific, then we’re in danger of denying their existence. And just like a person in denial, problems don’t get solved until they’re acknowledged, confronted and explored – laughed at even and made light of. It’s Jungian. The more we expose demons the weaker they become.

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Enfant terrible Lee Elms

It begs the question is it better to live in contented oblivion and produce nothing of value and have nothing to say, or stare deeply into the abyss of truth and though there be monsters so there be gifts from the gods.

I’ll argue the latter until I’m blue in the face and just like old man Nietzsche said: “Art is the proper task of life” and “You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star.”

Why are you so drawn to taboo subjects?

Art cries out for it. The public certainly cry out for out. It’s an artist’s job to represent their times, and Leftfield Theatre is never going to shy away from unmentionable subjects ; nothing representative is off limits.

Taboo subjects, degradation and controversial subject matter pervade life. We like it, we seek it out, we’re naturally drawn to it. Especially when it doesn’t directly involve us.

Which is why for example 1.5 million videos of the massacre in Christchurch last month were uploaded to Facebook within 24 hours. It’s one of the reasons why something like ‘Game of Thrones’ is so popular.

It’s a cardinal sin to be boring. Theatre for me is one of the truest, most daring and astonishing of the art forms because there is no hiding behind a painting, a song, a film, a book. It’s live and the performers know they’re being scrutinised and judged every second they’re in front of an audience.

Boring can never be levelled at Leftfield. It can, however, be levelled at most theatre in Denmark.

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NEWS

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

ONLINE THIS WEEK

FIVE ERITREAN athletes, who were due to compete in the 2019 IAAF World Cross Country Championships on March 30, disappeared two days beforehand.

They were last seen at a hotel in Aarhus. None of the athletes had their passports with them, and all five had the necessary visa to compete in the event. Their genders have not yet been confirmed.

Deportation delayed A HEAVY presence at Copenhagen Airport on April 3 protested against the planned deportation of an Albanian family of five, and despite boarding a plane, it was aborted. The family’s eldest child is both mentally and physically challenged, but doctors were unable to complete the paperwork in time to halt the deportation on humanitarian grounds.

Strike against uni cuts UNIVERSITY students from all over Denmark will be gathering outside the Education Ministry on Børsegade in the centre of Copenhagen at 16:00 on April 17 to demonstrate against the government’s plans to cut international study places.

Organiser #EduForAll claims the legislation primarily addresses xenophobic political concerns rather than educational ones.

More suicides at stations THERE were 27 suicides and 8 unsuccessful suicide attempts on Danish train tracks last year – a 40 percent increase compared to 2013. DSB’s figures buck national figures, which show that the number of successful and attempted suicides fell by 28 percent last year to 718 – a more or less average number compared to other EU countries.

Acute illness number change SINCE 2014, Copenhagen’s inhabitants have needed to call 1813 when they get severely ill outside GP surgery opening hours, but this number will be changed to 113 across the whole country.

April Fools: the winners and losers

ONLINE THIS WEEK MELLEMFOLKELIGT SAMVIRKE

Eritreans go missing

12 April - 2 May 2019

Not only was the Ministry for Energy, Utilities and Climate’s story turgid, it wasn’t even published on the right day STEPHEN GADD

T

HE FIRST day of the month again served up a healthy serving of hoax stories, although CPH POST decided to revisit some old Politiken classics for its April Fools’ Day silliness fix.

Here is a round-up for your amusement, and for your pity, of the five best, and the five worst stories.

Forest tower opens CAMP ADVENTURE has opened its 45-metre tower in the middle of the Gisselfeld Kloster forest in southern Zealand. It is hoped that at least 100,000 visitors will want to see the tower this year alone. The tower includes a ground-level 900-metre boardwalk and a 650-metre ramp to the summit. Admission costs 125 kroner.

National test errors

Bestseller was not amused

elderly’, which it then released on March 31 at 17:05.

well-known researchers. Sometimes, it noted, the donor “is not necessarily the sharpest knife in the drawer”. #2 FC Copenhagen announced that its star footballer Dame N’Doye will be retiring with immediate effect. He will, however, be kept on at the club and trained up for other duties, including working as a groundsman and receptionist. #1 Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke, a Danish NGO, reported that Bestseller’s new 300-metre tower will be fitted with an 18-carat gold thimble to show the company’s visible appreciation for the hard-working seamstresses in Bangladesh and Myanmar. A third of the thimble’s costs will be derived from the seamstresses’ wages, lowering them to just 12 kroner an hour. Bestseller contacted the NGO to tell it to remove fictitious quotes attributed to its owner, Anders Holch Povlsen.

April tools #5 BT REPORTED that Tivoli has officially become an amusement park aimed at adults, children and dogs. On April 4 a new amusement specially-tailored for ‘man’s best friend’ will open. #4 Politiken reported that Denmark’s national bank building in the centre of Copenhagen should be demolished. #3 Ekstra Bladet reported that Ghita Nørby is teaming her up with fellow ‘Matador’ actress Malene Schwartz for a new P1 radio progam entitled ‘Danish Divas’. #2 The Environment and Food Ministry has issued a ban on the use of raisins in cakes from October 1 as “grapes should be eaten fresh or used to make wine”. #1 The Ministry for Energy, Utilities and Climate released a story called ‘Government to set up climate advisory panel of the

April too cool for school #5 BERLINGSKE carried a story that Denmark’s political festival Folkemødet will in 2020 move from its current location on Bornholm to Lindholm with the idea of making the festival “a lot smaller and more exclusive”. #4 The Foreign Ministry wants to help Danish fishermen by building a fence to keep herring in Danish waters. In true Trumpian style, the fence, which is big enough to span the North Sea, will be paid for by the British government. “The Brits created this problem, and I am going to make them pay for the fence,” said the fisheries minister, Eva Kjer Hansen. #3 Videnskab.dk reported that a new egg and sperm bank was opening that allows customers to choose from a range of

Citizen bills here to stay

60 years for gang members Train strike hits Zealand

EVEN THOUGH Parliament hasn’t yet approved a citizens’ bill, it has decided to make the system permanent. Since its start in January 2018, some 310 petitions have been launched and five have got the necessary 50,000 signatures to be heard. In related news, the government has said it will ask the Danish people to co-formulate a new climate bill as “the climate is our shared responsibility”.

THIRTEEN members of the banned Loyal to Familia gang have been sentenced to almost 60 years in prison following a lengthy trial in Roskilde. Three of the members were expelled.

In gang-related news, a man was shot dead in Rungsted in north Zealand – one of the country’s poshest towns – on Saturday. Four others were badly injured in a battle that involved over 20 people.

TRAINS in Zealand were paralysed on April 1 as DSB’s drivers staged a strike that was never formally declared. It affected all trains east of Odense, although the capital’s Metro continued to run as normal. DSB then met its employees to avert a second Monday strike, with a guarantee there will be no more action until June 1. In related news, a SAS pilots’ strike has been called for April 26.

A REPORT has identified a number of errors in the algorithms that determine the level of difficulty of the National Test reading test, leading to some pupils being evaluated incorrectly. This has raised doubts as to the soundness of the many studies that have been based on the results. The National Test was introduced in 2006 for children in elementary classes 2-8.

Violence against teachers SOME 25 percent of teachers at public schools in Copenhagen, along with 23 percent of pedagogues at daycare institutions, were subjected to violence in 2018 – up from 14 and 12 percent in 2017. Most of the teachers in the firing line are in charge of children aged six to ten. The municipality has freed up 6.8 million kroner to address the problem.

More LGBT tolerance ACCORDING to a new report from Copenhagen Municipality, youngsters with a non-western background are more tolerant of homosexuality and lesbianism than just a few years ago. The report, which has been commissioned annually since 2015, revealed that tolerance among the 18-29 age group has increased from 69 to 80 percent in just a few years.

Mental cruelty proposal PSYCHOLOGICAL harassment of a family member could earn you a prison sentence of up to three years, according to a proposed law backed by a parliamentary majority. The justice minister, Søren Pape Poulsen, wants to equate physical and mental cruelty in the home.

NEWS

12 April - 2 May 2019

ONLINE THIS WEEK Catalonians happier

Drone op started in 2013

PEOPLE living in Catalonia have better mental well-being than the Danes, according to a survey carried out by theconversation.com, which claims the World Happiness Report is heavily influenced by economic prosperity. Some 3,508 Danes took part, along with similar samples in Catalonia, England and Iceland. The Danes finished second and the English last.

TWO DANISH companies that sell drones have confirmed to DR that they were first contacted by the authorities about monitoring suspicious buyers in 2013, which is earlier than previously thought. This means the investigation of the five-person network accused of acquiring drones for IS went on for over four years. Of the five, three are in custody, and two are at large abroad.

PM visits Greece PM LARS Løkke Rasmussen visited Athens on April 4 to meet his Greek counterpart, Alexis Tsipras. to discuss the future of the EU, migration challenges, growth and employment, and security. On the same day, the foreign minister, Anders Samuelsen, was in Washington DC to attend a NATO foreign ministers meeting on the occasion of the organisation’s 70th birthday.

Fewer own Swedish holiday homes THE NUMBER of holiday homes owned by Danes in Sweden has fallen by 11 percent since 2013 as fewer opt to take over the property from their parents, reports News Øresund. Nevertheless, the 10,465 total is twice as large as in 2000. It is hoped the popularity of climate-friendly holidays will buck the trend.

Electronic warfare threat GPS SIGNALS are increasingly being blocked and then faked so ships don’t know their exact location, reports Berlingske. According to a study of 1,000 journeys through Russian waters by the US think-tank C4ADS, the safety of three Danish ships was compromised by the ‘electronic warfare’.

Lost faith in Danish ACTRESS Ghita Nørby has lamented how many young Norwegians prefer to use English when conversing with Danes – 35 percent in the 18-29 age bracket, according to sprakradet.no. Nørby, 84, told NRK it was a shame. Just 20 percent of Norwegians in their 40s favoured it, and only 5 percent of those over the age of 60.

Huge hookah haul TWO MEN were recently stopped at the Danish-German border with 1.4 tonnes of hookah water pipe tobacco – a haul that would have deprived the tax authorities of 997,000 kroner had it been sold in Denmark. The men have been charged with smuggling of a particularly serious nature.

Danes warn off Russians F-16 AIRCRAFT warned off two Russian Tu-160 supersonic strategic bombers close to entering Danish airspace off the west coast of Jutland on April 3 – the third such incident in three weeks. The planes later approached British airspace, where they were also asked to leave.

Brexit blow for fishing DANISH fishing interests will lose about 1 billion kroner if they are denied access to British waters in the case of a Hard Brexit – around 30 percent of their total annual income – according to a University of Copenhagen report. Large vessels and large-scale businesses could lose as much as 61 percent.

Large glacier growing THE WORLD’S largest glacier, Jakobshavn Isbræ in Greenland, is growing in size, according to satellite data from NASA published in Nature Geoscience.

Since 2016, it has become thicker, as well as moving closer to the sea instead of retreating towards the land, like it has been doing over the last 20 years.

7

Paying the price for IS support Government keen to strip fighters’ children of rights to Danish citizenship

W

ITH THE help of Dansk Folkeparti, the government is confident it can change the law so children born abroad to Danish foreign fighters – for example like those who went to Syria and Iraq to fight for Islamic State – will lose their right to Danish citizenship.

“Their parents have turned their backs on Denmark, so there is no reason for their kids to become Danish citizens,” said the immigration minister, Inger Støjberg.

The PET intelligence agency estimates that at least 150 people have left Denmark to take part in the war in Syria and Iraq since 2012. Only about one third have so far returned.

Support for the Swedes IN RELATED news, Denmark supports Sweden’s contention that foreign fighters should be prosecuted by international court-like bodies in the local areas where

they took part in conflict.

“Neither of us wants them back, but nor do we want to see them arbitrarily prosecuted,” PM Lars Løkke Rasmussen told media following a meeting with his Swedish counterpart, Stefan Löfven.

“If they return, we will crack down hard on them and apprehend them, as they are people with Danish passports who have completely different values and are a threat.”

Finn returned home IN RELATED news, a 26-year-old Finn, who was sentenced by a Danish court to four years in prison last year for joining IS and fighting for them in Syria, has been handed over to Finland.

Born in Finland with Somali roots, he moved to Britain as a 13-year-old and is thought to have become radicalised at the age of 17.

He made a request for the transfer as he has no connection to Denmark.

(CPH POST)

Join us for

Help to recover SU debt THE GÆLDSSTYRELSEN debt authority has enlisted the help of a debt-collecting agency to help it recover 389 million kroner owed by non-EU students who borrowed the money as SU. A further 234 million is owed by EU students. Students from Somalia, Iraq and Iran owe 50 million between them.

Investing in Saudi Arabia SOME 14 of the 17 largest Danish pension funds have invested 1.13 billion kroner in companies that supply military equipment to Saudi Arabia, according to Information.The worst culprit was PensionDanmark (243.8 million).The sales are a breach of EU rules and the UN Arms Trade Treaty. The Danish government suspended arms sales to Saudi in November.

April 21 12PM

Potluck lunch to follow service.

LEVENDE KIRKE FEMAGERVEJ 39, HVIDOVRE www.facebook.com/levendekirke www.levendekirke.com

8

NEWS

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

ONLINE THIS WEEK THE GOVERNMENT has teamed up with Dansk Folkeparti (DF) to earmark 38.7 million kroner to improving the conditions of multiple sclerosis patients and their families. Around 650 Danes are diagnosed with MS every year.

In related news, the government and DF have agreed to set aside 600 million kroner up until 2030 to clean up polluted soil sites.

Muscle mass drug RESEARCHERS at Aarhus University are developing a drug to slow down the body’s loss of muscle mass, reports Videnskab. dk. Experiments with mice using a new molecule that increases muscle mass, without affecting the number of red blood cells that could increase the risk of blood clots, have been a success.

Reclaiming for forest THE MINISTRY of the Environment and Food is making good progress with its plans to convert more land previously used for agriculture into woodland. Last year, it added 211 hectares of new forest at eight locations in Denmark, comprising almost 1 million trees, taking its ten-year total to 3,000 hectares.

Fehmarn work approved A MAJORITY in Parliament has given the go-ahead to start constructing the 18-km long tunnel under the Fehmarn Belt that will connect Denmark to Germany.

Work will begin in the autumn, and the tunnel is scheduled to open in 2028. However, work on the German side could be delayed by local objections.

Cervical cancer warning WOMEN over the age of 64 have a 25-30 percent higher risk of dying of cervical cancer than previously believed, according to research carried out by Aarhus University. Among women aged 75-79, the risk is five times higher than women aged 40-45. The over64s are not covered by the Danish cervical cancer screening program.

Hardly green with envy anymore

Toxic party balloons PIXABAY

Help for MS patients

12 April - 2 May 2019

The one-time poster boy for zero emissions is burning more fossil fuels than last year and increasing in temperature at twice the speed of most other countries CHRISTIAN WENANDE

D

ENMARK’S green credentials have taken a double blow over the last week.

Century in a cauldron FIRSTLY, it has been confirmed that over the past 20 years Denmark has seen a temperature increase twice as high as the rest of the planet.

Its 1.20-degree increase over the past two decades is way higher than the global average of 0.52 degrees, according to figures released by the Climatic Research Unit and the Hadley Centre in the UK. Some 13 of Denmark’s 20 warmest years have been in the 21st century, while 2018 was its second warmest since records began. Norway, Sweden and Canada have also seen similar increases.

The confirmation came as Copenhagen played host to the first ever Climate and SDGs Synergy Conference.

TESTS carried out by the consumer organisation Tænk on a number of different party balloons reveal that almost half of them give off unacceptably high amounts of carcinogens.

Balloons bought online often come from companies outside the EU that don’t adhere to the union’s regulations.

Suspicious sheep attack

Denmark is going to need a bigger thermometer

The amount of energy consumed in Denmark rose by 0.2 percent, while CO2 emissions increased by 1.3 percent, as coal consumption rose by 1.9 percent (compared to a 25.5 percent decrease in 2017) due to there being less wind.

The consumption of oil and sustainable energy also increased, while it declined for natural gas.

Nevertheless, Denmark produced less oil and natural gas, and more sustainable energy.

from a pollen allergy, and about 51 percent of those sufferers are allergic to birch pollen – so around 500,000. For first-time sufferers, it can feel like getting the flu.

More CO2 than in 2017 AND THEN, just days later, the Energistyrelsen national energy agency released figures showing that the country consumed more energy and emitted more CO2 last year, compared to 2017.

Birch season starts THE UNSEASONABLY warm weather has already resulted in the dreaded birch pollen season starting earlier than normal.

Should the sunshine continue, warned Astma-Allergi Danmark, we can expect high counts following record levels of alder and hazel this spring.

About 1 million Danes suffer

Ticks with a vengeance AND THERE’S more bad news on the tick invasion, which is already going strong thanks to all the rain in March: there were four cases of the potentially lethal disease Tick-Borne Encephalitis (TBE) last year.

According to the State Serum Institute (SSI), cases were recorded twice on Bornholm and for the first time in Funen and Jutland. TBE is normally rare; between 2015 and 2017 there were only two cases.

About a third of those infected sustain serious inflammation of the brain, which can lead to permanent damage.

Super-sized sustainability

New sea star factory

Unmanned ship research

SUPER-SIZED floating wind turbines and batteries are currently being developed by Danish researchers. The former, working at Force Technology in Lyngby, are testing the turbine’s ability to perform in water of a depth of 200 metres. The latter, BOSS on Bornholm, has received 19 million kroner from Energistyrelsen to develop the country’s largest battery storage system.

A NEW FACTORY that converts sea stars into flour will open at Kåstrup near Skive in Jutland on March 29. In the Limfjord, where there are as many as 50 sea stars per square metre, their presence is damaging the area’s fishing industry. In related news, 80 percent of kids in Denmark eat fish at least once a week, according to the DTU, but less than 10 percent eat the recommended amount.

WITH THE help of researchers, the maritime sector has launched ShippingLab, an autonomous ship project to create algorithms that can be as effective as experienced helmsmen. In related news, the Miljøstyrelsen environment authority has been asked by Parliament to explain why two of its ships, which it bought for 17 million kroner in 2015, have been idle in Svendborg Harbour for five years.

LAST WEEK, 16 sheep were found dead in an enclosure on Stråsø Plantation near Holsterbro in northwest Jutland and nine others were so badly injured they had to be destroyed. DNA tests will confirm whether a wolf is to blame. Bizarrely, a hole was deliberately cut in the electric fence, allowing an animal to enter.

Better protein extraction A NEW DTU project is developing technology to sustainably extract protein from the many tonnes of organic material that has been collected in green biowaste dispensary bags in Copenhagen since 2017 – an initiative that has been a roaring success. The protein will be used to produce supplements for humans and animals.

Death of the forests RESEARCHERS at the University of Copenhagen (KU) have used satellite imagery to document how Cambodian forests are being destroyed to satisfy the global demand for rubber. Over the past 14 years, almost a quarter have been cleared to make room for plantations. In related news, two KU researchers are developing a fish-based product to alleviate undernourishment in the country.

War on bordertown cans SOCIALDEMOKRATIET is fed up with the number of drinks cans turning up in Danish nature, which were bought in Germany without the payment of a deposit. An estimated 650 million are brought into Denmark every year. Back in 2015, the two countries agreed the drinks should carry a one kroner deposit, but little has been done. S called the inactivity “disgraceful”.

NEWS

12 April - 2 May 2019

ONLINE THIS WEEK Bodnia gets BAFTA nod

DANISH golfer Lucas Bjerregaard grabbed a few headlines by beating Tiger Woods at the WGC Matchplay in Texas, where he eventually finished fourth. Matt Kuchar beat him the semis, and he then lost to Francesco Molinari in the third-place playoff.

KIM BODNIA has been nominated for a best supporting actor BAFTA TV award for ‘Killing Eve’ – finally some recognition for a performance universally applauded but overlooked by other award bodies. The award ceremony is on May 12.

Super six nets record

Master Fatman dead at 53

OLIVER Bjorkstrand scored in six consecutive games in March and April to beat the previous Danish record for longest scoring streak in the NHL, which stood at four games. Overall, he has racked up 36 points in 77 games this season.

AS MASTER Fatman’s name suggests, he was larger than life, but the DJ’s premature death at the age of 53 has shocked the nation. Among his claims to fame were directing the movie ‘Gayniggers From Outer Space’ in 1992 and forming the Cosmic Party, a political movement calling for boundless cosmic love.

Bullish in the Bundesliga THANKS to a hat-trick on March 30, Yussuf Poulsen has now scored 15 goals in the Bundesliga – only the fourth Dane in history to do so. The 24-year-old is now fourth equal in the top scorer rankings, just six behind the leader, Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski.

The assist king CHRISTIAN Eriksen has notched up at least 10 assists is his last four English Premier League seasons, equalling a record set by David Beckham in 2001.

Over his last four seasons, he has earned 15, 15, 11 and 11 assists.

‘Bird Box’ sequel JOSH MALERMAN, the author of ‘Bird Box’ – which was made into a film by Susanne Bier and smashed the Netflix record for the most views in a week with 45 million downloads – has confirmed he is writing a sequel. ‘Malorie’ will be released on October 1.

Apple eyeing Denmark IT IS STILL unknown whether Apple’s new TV and film streaming service – which many are expecting will challenge Netflix’s dominance – will launch in Denmark. And the same is also true of its video game streaming service Apple Arcade.

Miley to light it up MILEY Cyrus will be performing at the Tinderbox festival in the forest of Tusindårsskoven near Odense in late June.

In other concert news, Lauryn Hill from The Fugees will be performing on August 9 at Tivoli as part of its Fredagsrock program, and US singer-actress Janelle Monáe has been added to the Roskilde line-up, along with Noel Gallagher and Johnny Marr.

Radio station’s farewell DESPITE reaching 1.1 million listeners a week, Radio24syv will broadcast for the last time in October after deciding not to pursue an extension of its broadcasting permit. Co-owners PeopleGroup and Berlingske Media blamed DF for suggesting the station should move 70 percent of its operations 110 km away from Copenhagen. However, the decision could be reversed by the general election.

Rapping about Utøya DR RECENTLY profiled Danish rapper Patrick Piscot, a 25-year-old survivor of the 2011 Utøya attack, which he now uses as an influence. Piscot was 18 and attending a Norwegian gymnasium at the time of the attack, which he escaped from in a dinghy. His music is therapy, he tells DR.

Ukulele’s X appeal MANY QUESTION whether ‘X Factor’ will have a legacy, but according to DanGuitar it is making the ukulele more popular. The number of players at the nation’s music-focused gymnasiums has risen from six to 168 since 2013. DanGuitar, which sold 4,000 last year, notices a spike every time one is played on ‘X Factor’.

Victor reaps the spoils DANISH badminton star Victor Axelsen won the men’s singles at the India Open.

The Super 500 title represents his biggest ranking points haul of the season.

Danes eye FIFA glory DENMARK has drawn Portugal, Russia, the Netherlands and Australia in the draw for the inaugural FIFA eNations Cup, which will feature 20 teams and take place in London from April 13-14.

Free Superliga games for unionists FCK FAN CLUB/ FACEBOOK

Dane beats Tiger Woods

9

3F has confirmed its members will be able to go to free games as part of its deal to sponsor the league CHRISTIAN WENANDE

I

F YOU THOUGHT free legal advice and representation was the best benefit you get for being a member of the 3F trade union, then think again. How does free Superliga games – sorry, 3F Superliga games – grab you?

Following a deal that will see 3F replace the insurance giant Alka as the primary sponsor of the Danish top flight, the 272,000 members of 3F will be able to attend a number of free games over the next four years.

Claus Thomsen, the head of the Superliga, applauded the deal, saying it would “boost the atmosphere at the stadium by bringing more fans to the stands”.

US takeover HOPING to be among the nation’s top sides will be FC Helsingør, which despite being

3F promises an atmospheric boost

relegated from the Superliga last season will be confident of a swift return next year after being taken over by a US investor group.

However, given that the side is second-last in the Danish second tier, the new owners’ first job will be surviving another relegation.

Led by Jordan Gardner, the co-owner of Irish outfit Dundalk FC, the investors say they are drawn to the club due to its proximity to Copenhagen and the potential to build a new stadium and nurture young talent.

“We are an Easter people and Alleluia is our Song”

Celebrate Easter

at St Alban’s Anglican Church, Churchillparken, Copenhagen https://www.st-albans.dk

Saturday

13 April

Messy Church

1500

Easter story, craft and cake for the whole family

Palm Sunday

14

10.30

Dramatised Passion Readings

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Maundy Thursday

15 16 17 18

11.00 11.00 11.00 19.30

30 minute reflection “ “ Solemn ceremonies

Good Friday Easter Eve

19 20

Palm Crosses with Sung Eucharist Meditation Meditation Meditation Commemoration of Last Supper followed by the Watch At the Cross Easter Vigil

Easter Day

21

Festival Eucharist

09.00 & 10.30

14.00 19.30

Renewal of Baptism vows

10 BUSINESS

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

ONLINE THIS WEEK

RYANAIR intends to raise the number of its weekly winter season departures from Copenhagen from 94 to 135 from October 30. In other airline news, it has been confirmed that not everyone will get a refund on purchased tickets following the bankruptcy of Icelandic airline Wow Air.

IKEA thinking sustainably FROM 2020 IKEA will trial a sustainable scheme that will enable customers to rent furniture instead of buying it. In other retail news, the first Fætter BR store has reopened following the Salling Group’s takeover of the toy store chain, and a ceramicist is suing Netto for allegedly stealing her design for a range of pottery. While her pots cost 350 kroner, at Netto they’re 39 kroner.

Great Q1 for shares

The taxman who keeps on ringing PIXABAY

Ryanair on the charge

12 April - 2 May 2019

Whether it’s recovering unpaid income tax, funds hidden in havens or payments to fraudulent foreigners, SKAT is constantly on the move

E

VER NOTICED how nobody ever protests about the usage of the word taxman. They complain about the use of actress, chairman, and freshman even, but never taxman. In truth, nobody ever rallies to their cause, and they do tend to get a bad press.

Plenty coming back THIS PAST fortnight has been different, though. While it’s accurate to say he taketh away, he also giveth, and fortunately for us law-abiding citizens, he has mostly been giving.

Some 3.4 million lucky citizens (so pretty much everybody) have together shared 16.2 billion kroner over the past month – owing to them paying too much tax in 2018. On average, that is 4,717 kroner per person.

Nevertheless, Karoline Klaksvig, the deputy head of Skattestyrelsen, doesn’t think the overpayment of tax is a good thing, and she urges people to keep a better check on their preliminary income assessments – especially if there are big changes in their lives such as a property purchase, new job or a divorce.

AFTER a poor 2018, the C25 index of the country’s leading shares enjoyed its best Q1 since 2015, rising 14.1 percent over the first three months. The performance mirrors the US, where shares have seen their best first quarter figures since 1998.

Taxi firm fined

No income tax, no VAT ... they’ll come knocking at your door

TAXA 4X35 has been fined 1.2 million kroner for storing customers’ telephone numbers for more than the two years permitted by data protection regulations. In its defence, the taxi company said that deleting the customer’s number was problematic because the database used the number as the customer’s ID, but Datatilsynet rejected the excuse.

Money well spent ON THE flip-side, around 1 million Danes have paid too little and together they owe an

estimated 6.3 billion kroner, but that is a drop in the ocean compared to the 315 million kroner owed in taxes by the 155 Danish entities implicated in the Panama Papers.

The Tax Ministry paid just over 6 million kroner for information from the April 2016 leak pertaining to Danes – principally regarding how a Panamanian legal firm had set up tax evasion schemes using strawmen in tax havens to prevent the relevant authorities finding out how much tax was owed and by whom.

The tax minister, Karsten Lauritzen, feels that 6 million kroner was money well spent.

However, time will tell how much is paid back.

In total 8 billion kroner has been demanded back worldwide, with the UK (1.6 billion), France (900 million) and Australia (600 million) among the big claimants.

Huge legal fees IN RELATED news, pursuing foreign entities that exploited a loophole in the Danish system, which enabled them to get their withholding tax reimbursed, is a costly business as the state owes 2.4 billion kroner in legal fees to lawyers in the US, Canada, the UK, Germany and Luxembourg.

The lawyers are helping the state to recover 12.7 billion kroner, and they have brought cases against 470 parties in five countries.

And finally, the online property rental service Airbnb has announced that from July 1 the company will start automatically reporting information on rentals to the tax authorities – making Denmark the first country in the world to have an automatic agreement of this sort with a shared economy provider. (CPH POST)

Less lucrative thefts

Cost of failure

Festival’s healthy profit

All change at Lego

Hard Brexit no problem

THE NUMBER of stolen credit and cash card instances has soared 500 percent to 9,766 cases in just two years – a rise attributed to the introduction of contactless payments. Nevertheless, the number of cases in which thieves used an ATM has plummeted. The average loss sustained by a PIN code/card theft is 3,599 kroner, whereas contactless card thefts on average yield 157 kroner.

IT COMPANY KMD must pay the Tax Ministry 200 million kroner in regard to the blighted EFI system, which has been responsible for leaving the country’s tax recovery system in disarray. The payment settles an action launched by the ministry in 2016, a year after it closed down the EFI. A new system is being developed by Netcompany, which should be fully phased in by 2021.

FORENINGEN Roskilde Festival, the fund running the Roskilde Festival, has announced the financial result of last year’s festival. Some 19.2 million kroner will be distributed amongst charities, especially focused on those for children and young people. Last year, the business and service side of the festival realised a record profit of 32.6 million kroner.

KJELD Kirk Kristiansen is stepping down from the Lego board – a generational shift that will see his son, Thomas Kirk Kristiansen, become the ‘active owner’ of the toy company. In other company news, transport and logistics company DSV has bought Swiss rival Panalpina for 30.5 billion kroner, and AmCham Denmark has named Rambøll as its Transatlantic Company of the Year.

DANMARKS Nationalbank is confident that the only nation that will be hit hard by a Hard Brexit is the UK. Danish exports to the UK, it predicts, will fall by only 1 percent, although certain sectors such as pharmaceuticals could fall by 20 percent. It forecasts Denmark’s economy will grow by 1.7 percent in both 2019 and 2020, and then by 1.6 percent in 2021.

ECB questions ban THE EUROPEAN Central Bank has asked Denmark to reconsider its proposed ban on the 500-euro note – part of a package of anti-money laundering measures put forward in September last year. The ECB points out that Denmark allows other high-value notes.

Cleaning savings A NEW CONTRACT with a private supplier is expected to achieve net savings of around 300 million kroner for 22 state bodies in terms of expenses for cleaning, canteen services and building maintenance.

Support for BA students IN A BID to encourage more university students to enter the job market, the government has teamed up with over 100 of the biggest companies in Denmark as part of the new Bachelor Pledge initiative. It aims to give students with bachelor degrees better access to the job market and the option to return to university within three years.

At ease with feedback DANES are more at ease about giving and receiving feedback than any of the 34 nations surveyed by the Randstad Workmonitor, an employee mobility study. Just 9 percent said they felt uncomfortable – the lowest rating of any country. Nevertheless, 31 percent said it was hard not to take negative feedback personally – the fifth highest figure.

12 April - 2 May 2019

SPECIAL FEATURE

11

12 SPECIAL FEATURE THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

12 April - 2 May 2019

UAE’s Year of Tolerance reflects founder’s vision Most people would agree that tolerance is more important then ever these days, and the United Arab Emirates is trying to do something about it

F

OLLOWING on in the wake of the Year of Giving and the Year of Zayed, the UAE government has officially designated 2019 the Year of Tolerance.

This was done in order to honour founding father Sheikh Zayed’s belief that the UAE should welcome all nationalities and religions, and to strengthen

the nation’s role of encouraging stability and prosperity in the region.

In this connection, the Ghaf tree was chosen as the official symbol of the Year of Tolerance because of the great significance it has as an indigenous tree – it symbolises the stability of the desert and acts as a witness to old customs.

A number of events have been planned for the year, and to find out more, CPH POST spoke to HE Fatema Khamis Almazrouei, the first UAE ambassador appointed to Denmark.

Fatema Khamis Almazrouei, Ambassador of the UAE in Denmark

When announcing the Year of Tolerance, UAE President of the UAE Sheikh Khalifa said that “instilling values of tolerance carries on Sheikh Zayed’s legacy and teachings”. Can you elaborate on that a little?

As the founding father of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan left behind a legacy of noble values such as equality, tolerance and charity.

He said: ‘Tolerance and forgiveness are a duty. If The Almighty Creator forgives and we as human beings are His creation, then shall we not forgive?’

These are values that still play an important role in our society today, where acceptance and di-

versity are an integral part of the country’s identity and culture – and of its people, with more than 200 nationalities living together in peace.

The spirit of tolerance and respect with which the UAE treats all faiths and cultures is a fundamental aspect of its public policies. Led by Sheikh Zayed, this has been a central part of the country’s vision right from the beginning.

The Ghaf tree was chosen as the logo for the Year of Tolerance as it is the UAE’s authentic national tree – a source of life.

It represents a great cultural value in the UAE and is associated with the Emirati identity and

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan welcomes participants during the Special Olympics in Abu Dhabi

heritage of the country. It is a symbol of stability and resilience in the middle of the desert and stands as a witness to ancient customs. In the old days, ancestors and tribes gathered under the shadow of the Ghaf trees to discuss daily matters. A number of UAE rulers used to hold Majlis (or councils) under the shadows of these trees to meet their citizens and listen to their requests.

History – as well as these principles and values of Sheikh Zayed – has contributed to making Emirati society renowned for its inherent heritage of tolerance, peace, multiculturalism, openness and coexistence with others.

Why do you think it is especially important that we should concentrate on tolerance at this particular time?

Recently, we have seen many countries around the world struggle with integration and the challenge of building multicultural societies.

The UAE is a special case and a good example of a country that has managed to attract more than 9 million people from more than 200 nationalities around the world and still managed to build a peaceful and open society.

The Year of Tolerance reflects the approach adopted since the country’s establishment: to be a

bridge of communication and convergence between the world’s peoples and cultures in an open environment based on respect, acceptance of others and rejection of extremism.

What made the Special Olympic games such a good fit for the Year of Tolerance?

The Special Olympics was an ideal opportunity to create a space for inclusion and community, where everyone involved is accepted and welcomed, regardless of ability or disability. In this way, the games empowers people with intellectual disabilities, and reduces discrimination, through participation in sports.

Furthermore, the gathering of delegations from 190 countries provides an ideal opportunity for participants, coaches and spectators to meet people of diverse cultural backgrounds, thereby increasing intercultural understanding, respect and acceptance. So in this way the Special Olympics games are a good fit for the Year of Tolerance in building bridges and community.

I know that back in January, you paid a visit to the Danish athletes who competed in the games. What message did you have for them?

My main message for the Danish delegation was the important

SPECIAL OLYMPICS One of the events that has already taken place under the Year of Tolerance umbrella was the the Special Olympic World Summer Games in Abu Dhabi from March 14-21.

This was the first time that the games have been held in the Mena region, and over 7,000 athletes from 190 countries took part, along with more than 500,000 spectators.

The games took place at 11 venues in Abu Dhabi including Zayed Sports City, the National Exhibition Centre, the Yas Marina Circuit and the Abu Dhabi Yacht and Sailing Club.

Other venues used were New York University Abu Dhabi, Khalifa International Bowling Centre and the Armed Forces Officers Club. role their participation in the Special Olympics plays in bringing people of different backgrounds together in inclusiveness and unity to make a better world and create hope.

And of course I told them how proud I was to see the largest-ever Danish delegation with 86 athletes at a Special Olympics, and wished them good luck.

What would you like people to take away with them after having competed in the games?

As a representative of my coun-

SPECIAL FEATURE

12 April - 2 May 2019

13

Pope Francis greets sheikhs together with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan during the Pope’s visit to the UAE

PAPAL VISIT Earlier in the year, Pope Francis paid a visit to the UAE. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed had already met the Pope in Rome in September 2016 and the two were reunited in Abu Dhabi in February.

A mass was held at Zayed Sports City on February 5, where more than 100,000 people attended.

During his visit, Pope Francis also visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and the Founder’s Memorial. try, I would like all participating athletes in the Special Olympics to take with them the spirit of unity and inclusion – to keep an open mind towards other people and cultures. I hope the Special Olympics participation has given the participants self-confidence and belief in their own capabilities and potential.

The Papal visit was a very visible sign of religious tolerance.

How did it come about?

The Pope’s visit builds on the positive relationship between the UAE and the Vatican, which have enjoyed diplomatic relations since 2007. Since that date,

the relationship has developed through the diplomatic efforts of both sides.

In 2010 Pope Benedict welcomed the UAE’s ambassador and commended the UAE’s openness and the opportunities it offered for fruitful, positive encounters between the world’s great religions, cultures and peoples, praising its donation of public land for Catholic churches. Later on, in 2016, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, visited Pope Francis at the Vatican.

These diplomatic relations have thus laid the foundation for the Papal visit in Abu Dhabi. The visit reflects the UAE’s position as a global capital for tolerance, contributing to strengthening human fraternity and spreading world peace. The visit is considered an international event that unites human values and transcends differences and conflict. Finally, the Pope’s first visit to the Arabian Peninsula highlights the global nature of the UAE’s prominent role as an international leader in promoting religious coexistence.

What else does the UAE do towards establishing religious tolerance in the region?

During the visit of His Holiness Pope Francis, the UAE also welcomed His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, who is considered a main Islamic reference at one of the leading Islamic institutions.

Together the two religious leaders signed the ‘Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together’, which sends a strong message for hope and peace in the entire world, but the presence of the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar is a very strong signal to Muslims in the region to accept these values of tolerance.

Furthermore, combatting terrorism, eradicating extremism and reinforcing the values of tolerance is vital in discussions with regional leaders. This was emphasised by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, when he met Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, President of Egypt, during their meeting at the Ras Al Teen Palace in Alexandria, Egypt.

Both sides highlighted the

importance of strengthening regional and global efforts to eradicate extremism and terrorism, eliminating sources of terrorist funding and its social and cultural effects, as well as reinforcing the values of tolerance, coexistence, co-operation and peace around the world.

Additionally, the government of Dubai has launched the International Institute for Tolerance, aiming to promote the culture of tolerance regionally and globally, to provide solutions to the challenges of extremism and to promote the UAE as a role model for tolerance. The institute will particularly focus on encouraging open dialogue and highlighting the honest and peaceful essence of Islam against extremism, fanaticism and intellectual repression.

In 2012, the Hedayah Centre was launched in Abu Dhabi, which is the International Centre for Excellence in countering violent extremism.

It serves as an international hub to increase understanding and share good practices in the area of Counter Violent Extremism, whilst promoting tolerance, stability and security – especially in the region.

Finally, what other events do you have lined up for 2019 under the tolerance umbrella?

At the UAE Embassy in Denmark, the Year of Tolerance will be a natural part of all of the embassy’s activities throughout 2019. We plan to host events and activities with an enhanced focus on tolerance, whilst taking on initiatives aimed at increasing cultural understanding and positive integration between the UAE and Denmark.

In the UAE one of the largest events in relation to the Year of Tolerance will be the World Tolerance Summit under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, which will gather government leaders, key figures from the public and private sectors, peacekeeping ambassadors and change-makers from around the world with the aim to discuss the great importance of tolerance, peace and equality, and to celebrate diversity amongst people from all walks of life, regardless of varying political views and cultural and religious backgrounds.

14 FEATURE

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

12 April - 2 May 2019

Rolling together, manipulating joints: who needs Christiania when the high’s this good!

How internationals have found a second home at a Brazilian jiu-jitsu club in Christianshavn DAMIAN MCNAMARA

I

F YOU HEARD that a group of men regularly come together just around the corner from Christiania to receive tuition in rolling, joint locks and chokes, you might jump to conclusions.

But rest assured, there’s nothing illegal going on at Renegade MMA, a Christianshavn sports club with a strong social scene that its members regard as a second home.

Both Danes and internationals train hard in Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) in a fiercely competitive but friendly environment. And the payoff is a natural high.

As its founder Cole Laursten professes, one of the club’s main mantras is “getting comfortable in uncomfortable positions”.

Popular with internationals RENEGADE MMA is particularly popular with internationals, and all the classes are taught in English, according to Laursten, who founded the club with the social element in mind.

“I’ve had over 20 years of experience in martial arts and at a lot of clubs people just came, trained and went home again,” he told CPH POST. “Here, after classes, people hang around and chat to each and get to know each other. You don’t always find that in other clubs.”

Post-session social club FOR ENRIQUE, a Spaniard who has been attending for over a year, the post-session socialising is the highlight of his day.

“When training is finished and the endorphins kick it, you can feel all the day’s frustrations and irritations evaporate away,” he said. “You can begin to enjoy the post-training feeling, which is very much akin to a ‘runner’s high’.”

Many of his fellow international members agree. “I met a guy through my work who told me about Renegade and how accommodating it was for foreigners to start training,” enthused Borna Radetic, a 24-year-old Croatian who started coming to the club half a year ago.

“I became immediately hooked. I found the atmosphere in the club to be very friendly, and I love the fact that fun people just hang after training, chatting and getting to know each other.”

Recipe for success WHILE the sport can seem daunting initially, the relaxed atmosphere created by both the trainers and the members helps even those who may be a little unsure starting out.

It is the kind of learning environment in which new members receive guidance from the more accomplished members who offer them tips and encouragement.

“We have a few core principles that we like to stick by here at the club: we respect everyone, train hard and have fun while we are doing it,” added Laursten.

Leave the ego at the door!

CURIOUSLY, the recipe for Renegade MMA’s success in cultivating such a respectful environment might be the initiation process, which some would say separates the wheat from the chaff.

“When you start out it can be very humbling. You can be a big guy, like 190 cm and 100 kilos, but being submitted by somebody weighing 55 kilos.

Depending on the guy’s personality, it will determine if he comes back or not,” warned Laursten.

“If he has a big ego, you probably won’t see him again as during the initial learning phase he will be submitted by everyone lots and lots of times. However, if can put his ego to one side and accept that, then he will come back and learn. That is why those who stick with BJJ tend to be less egotistical, creating a more fun atmosphere all round.”

Fast learning curve AND IT is a fast learning experience. One of the most experienced members, Jeppe, who received his black belt last year, is adamant that hard work will yield results.

“The learning curve for beginners is extremely fast,” he said.

“From the first day, when someone has no idea of what to do, to just a few months later after coming two or three times a week, the progress is unbelievable. They can already start to challenge the more experienced members and present new challenges for them.”

Human chess OFTEN referred to as human chess, BJJ is very much a thinking man’s martial art. While physical strength can play a part

Denmark’s tallest man is cut down to size

when rolling (see factbox), new participants quickly find out that with good technique and timing, you can quickly nullify a larger person’s physical attributes.

“This realisation can help install a ‘brain over brawn’ in beginners and that’s when the real fun starts,” explained Jeppe Fausing, the chief BJJ trainer at the club “Over time, as you start to add more techniques to your arsenal, rolling turns into a chess match, attacks trigger off counterattacks, and sweeps and traps are set to goad your opponent into opening up their defences so you can take advantage.”

A form of therapy FOR JOSEPH, a Californian member, BJJ is highly therapeutic. “When I roll, there are no alternative thoughts that can enter my mind because I have somebody trying their best to choke me,” he laughed.

Proponents of the sport

BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU • Originated from jiu-jitsu when a Japanese martial artist visiting the US ended up in Brazil via a circus in 1914 • In a nutshell, BJJ’s main focus is grappling without strikes • During competitive sparring, which is known as rolling, competitors try to get one another to submit through joint locks and chokes • Competitors score points according to the advantageous positions they create • Competitors wear kimonos, and the collar, belt and sleeves (either yours or theirs) can be used to obtain a submission • There are five belts in BJJ (white, blue, purple, brown and black). The average time it takes for somebody to advance from white to black is between 10 and 12 years. emphasise the psychological benefits, from developing a better understanding of yourself to learning how to deal with adverse conditions. It gives you resilience that can be taken into everyday life.

In the words of Rener Gracie, one of the world’s leading practitioners: “If you can deal with the adversity that BJJ presents, then everyday problems just seem like a walk in the park.”

RENEGADE MMA

The guy on the left looks calm for someone being attacked by a six-inch man

Bådsmandsstræde 20, Cph K; open for training Mon & Wed 19:00-20:30, Thu 09:00-10:00, Fri 16:30-19:00, Sat 11:0013:00; contact 2861 7870

BUSINESS OPINION

12 April - 2 May 2019

ED LEY FIT FOR BUSINESS CEOs and Olympic medal-winning athletes come to Ed (edley. net) for help to optimise their physical and mental performance.

Using neuroscience and body work techniques, his methods improve their energy, health, fulfilment and well-being. And as the co-host of the Global Denmark podcast, he has his finger on issues pertinent to expats in Denmark.

Losing faith in ourselves NOW IMAGINE this. In a moment of frustration at how you currently feel about yourself, you commit to going for a run, drinking more water and eating more vegetables from tomorrow onwards.

But the next day comes and goes, and you find that you did none of the things you said you would do.

Regardless of your previous opinion of yourself, you now view yourself as less trustworthy and

CARLOS MONTERO GIVE YOURSELF A CHANCE Carlos (cm@biassa.com), a Brazilian resident of Odense, started his business from a blog known as denmarkbrazil.com. It later became Biassa, a business development company, which under the motto ‘Bringing forth results, not reports’ is focused on supporting Nordic businesses that want to tap into and thrive in the Brazilian market NEXT ISSUE

you have gone down in your own estimation. We know this because we lose faith in our own ability to do what we said we would.

Trust in integrity WHETHER you are leading yourself, your family, your team or your company, they are all made up of individuals, and between yourself and every individual you are in credit, neutral or debt – and the currency is trust.

The sum total of credit (or debt) you have is your integrity.

Integrity is the accuracy of your actions, put simply, doing what you said you would do.

The extra mile BEFORE you get offended, don’t. Most humans fail to consistently do what they said they would do, but being a leader means you are willing to do

company that I started to found a new one.

Founding a company in Denmark is a pretty smooth process – at least for somebody who happens to be a Brazilian living in Denmark. But like any other company, I needed a bank account.

With my previous venture last year, my former business partner and I generated a respectable sum in revenue. The funds came from Brazil, Poland, Romania and Italy. It was all legal – no shady practices. They were just simple financial transactions in exchange for the services we provided to our customers.

Cheating at Scrabble (seven tiles only!) will not improve your integrity rating

what most humans won’t.

Being a leader in the true sense of the word is to consistently face the things in your life that require courage to face them.

Integrity grows and with it self-esteem and trust when we start making little promises to ourselves and then keeping them.

Becoming a leader THIS IS how we build momentum. When people see us keeping

had an account there. Nordea, I thought, was an easy choice.

But Nordea refused to give me a new bank account for my new business.

Its argument was: “We are sorry but due to the nature of your business and because you will be receiving funds from Central and Eastern Europe (Romania and Poland) and Brazil, we can’t help you. We have no control over how these banks work.”

For the moment Think Human IVS is bankless. I’m sure there will be a solution, but in the meantime I have to invoice my customers through my wife’s company (insert #notcool and #notprofessional!).

our promises to ourselves, however small, they gravitate towards us.

They follow us. This allows us to start making tiny promises to others and keeping them. We have become a leader whether it was our intention or not.

Leadership is not something we are taught. It is the act of integrity consistently demonstrated every day in every little way. Start small and start now – do what you said you would do.

PIXABAY

D

ANSKE Bank, Nordea and Swedbank have all recently been caught out conducting mega schemes that involved suspicious financial transactions revolving around Russia and other former Soviet countries.

The Nordic banks, which according to the Financial Times were once seen as havens following the global financial crisis, are coming under growing pressure – both from their business interests in the neighbouring Baltic states, where many of them expanded to in the early 2000s, and increasingly in their home countries.

But there is one bigger problem here at stake: the client.

PIXABAY

I

MAGINE this. A work colleague who was a relative stranger approaches you and asks you if they can borrow a pen. The next day, to your surprise, they return the pen and sincerely thank you.

Regardless of your previous opinion of this person, you now view them as more trustworthy, and they have gone up in your estimation.

15

Don’t lock up your customers!

Introspection needed I THINK it’s time for some reflection.

What’s the future of banks in a world that strives at all costs to be borderless?

Who are the incumbent players that will close the bureaucratic gap (like the one that got me denied a bank account) and will take advantage of this opportunity?

Finally, how can digitalisation propose more secure and transparent controls for banks?

IN 3 ISSUES

IN 4 ISSUES

IN 5 ISSUES

Important perspective TAKE MY recent experience, for example. I’m a business entrepreneur and recently I left one

Prospectively lacking I NATURALLY went to Nordea for two reasons. As an individual, I have an account there, and my former business also

IN 2 ISSUES

Danish Capital in 2016

Mind over Managing

The Valley of Life

We're Welcome – Honest!

Union Views

21st Century Alchemy

UK-DK Trade

Global Denmark

Startup Community

Economics Explained

16 OPINION

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

Living Faith REVD SMITHA PRASADAM

A

T HOME the garden is getting a makeover. Dead wood, rotting leaves and piles of rubbish have been cleared to reveal spring bulbs aplenty, just bursting into bloom. It is a new beginning, and I see this same message in every garden and park in our wonderful city.

In another time and in another garden, Mary Magdalene bumped into a man she thought was the gardener. She asked him where her best friend was, and Jesus only need to say just one word: her name.

The irony is that Mary is right.

Jesus is indeed the gardener – in a way – of the New Creation. The old garden had become overgrown with thickets of obscure religious practices, weeds of injustice and great brambles of despair.

Leading by example WHEN PEOPLE were baying for his blood, Jesus took a bowl of water, wrapped a towel

Regenerative resurrection THAT’S why the resurrection is still such an explosive force in today’s world. Every part of human existence is affected by this new creation. The worlds of politics, arts, science, technology, economics, the legal system … just about everything is up for resurrection.

The message of Easter is simple. It brings a new lease of life to entities that appear dead and buried. It is the challenge to a new way of living that renews, recreates and regenerates life and love.

A time to celebrate SO DON’T be tempted to dispose of Easter together with the foil wrap from the Easter eggs. It is a season and event of such magnitude in the Christian calendar that the church celebrates it for 50 days!

May you, like Mary, recognise Jesus amid life’s mess. May you see transformation in all that is awry and experience the joys of the season. If we but work at it, just like the budding bulbs in my garden, the best is yet to be. And when Easter comes on April 21, may you with others throughout the world, shout “Alleluia! Christ is risen”.

Happy Eastering everyone!

KIRSTEN LOUISE PEDERSEN

A Dane Abroad Born and raised in Denmark and a resident of New Zealand for over 14 years, Kirsten has lived a pretty nomadic life since her early 20s. A physiotherapist, yoga teacher and keen home cook, she is passionate about food, good living and natural health.

Follow her on Instagram @kirstenlouiseyoga

A

S CULTURES blend across borders and people becoming increasingly mobile, cultural norms are shifting.

Our interaction with foreigners has quickly evolved from the odd mingle on our holidays.

Many of us regularly travel for business, and who doesn’t have at least one relation who has a foreign partner? Living as an expat for at least a couple of years is common, and then there’s the culture shock of returning home.

So whatever the capacity of a foreign cultural encounter, figuring out how to best deal with a greeting situation can turn into a rather entertaining and sometimes awkward conundrum.

Hugs or kisses?

WHEN GREETING in a mixed cultural environment, do you shake hands, hug, wave, press foreheads together, kiss on the cheek, nod …?

Cheek kissing alone can set you up for disaster if you think you’re doing one kiss, and the other person thinks you’re doing two, and you end up with a combination of weird lingering and misplaced kisses. Someone needs to tell the Dutch that doing three cheek kisses is over-the-top and has got way too much potential to go pear-shaped.

And if you start on the wrong cheek, it’s all over. This greeting debacle has materialised as multiple cringeworthy moments over the years for me, and I learnt that basically no-one has any idea how to deal with this issue.

PIXABAY

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

around his waist and washed the feet of his disciples. It was an act of humility and tenderness transcending the daily and trivial.

In a last meal, he took the ordinary elements of bread and wine and made them a meal to remember – a symbol to reconnect us to God and to each other, to strive for justice, and to build the kingdom of God. And what happened when Jesus rose from the dead that first Easter morning was that the world was given a whole new start.

12 April - 2 May 2019

Clasping cultural differences can be a minefield

‘The Method’ FOLLOWING too many awkward greetings, I have developed a (rather masculine, come to think of it) compulsion to try and take control of the greeting situation.

My method consists of proactively diving in for an obvious handshake (hand outstretched way in advance) followed by either patting the subject’s shoulder, or simply using my free hand to ‘hug’ the handshake.

Either way ensures the occupation of both hands, thereby abolishing any uncertainty as to where to put the hands – while smiling and laughing to distract the subject.

Gidday Mate, Seeya Mate IN NEW Zealand, “How are you?” is a standard greeting, and as this is basically just a polite way of saying “Hi”, it doesn’t really invite a big answer, I would come to learn. Danish people take everything very literally, and so this greeting baffled me for a long time when I was first settling in there.

The first few times, I politely stopped and thought about how

I was doing in order to draft an appropriate reply. So I was shocked to see the back of the person disappearing as they just walked on.

I would later learn that the expected response (regardless of how you are doing) is “Good, how are you?” and to keep on walking. No-one would really answer each other’s questions, and no-one would really know how anyone’s actually doing.

Danish minimalism IN DENMARK people are very straightforward, and so if you want to say “Hi”, you just, well, say “Hi”. If someone asks you how you are, it’s probably because they actually want to know how you are.

In Denmark there isn’t the same level of extra politeness worked into either language or greetings as there is in English.

If you cross someone you know in the street and are too busy to stop and talk, it is not uncommon for people to just yell out “Hej!” (hello), or you may get a hej + wave combo.

No extra fluff here!

OPINION

12 April - 2 May 2019

NEXT ISSUE

ZACH KHADUDU

Mackindergarten

Straight Up

ADRIAN MACKINDER

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

PIXABAY

(due by 17 June at the latest), lives are being affected by the recent changes. Individuals are been deported to countries such as Somalia, which most international observers still view as unsafe for repatriation.

And it’s not just the refugees and immigrants who are feeling the brunt of the tough laws. Some Danes have had to deal with family break-ups, or had to take residence abroad due to tightened family reunification laws.

The dry and arid land Denmark is becoming

O

NCE AGAIN the electioneering cycle is here with us, and it goes without saying that immigration – as always – will be a prominent, contentious issue.

Amid dwindling hope THE LAST few years have seen radical reforms in regards to asylum, family reunification and the integration of foreigners.

Thousands of individual lives have been affected – for worse – through these reforms.

For instance, this February the Danish Parliament passed a bill that prescribed tougher regulations for refugees. The objective was to make it crystal clear to refugees and would-be asylum-seekers that Denmark would not be their permanent home.

In a western world where populist nationalist movements are sweeping across countries, the coming election holds little

hope for migrants in general – and refugees in particular.

Doomed both ways OBSERVERS note that the general election will either retain the Lars Løkke Rasmussen-led government in power or propel the current main opposition party, Socialdemokratiet and its leader Mette Frederiksen, to government. Whichever way it goes, our (migrant) goose is already cooked.

Socialdemokratiet, just like the current Venstre-led government, has been taking a hard-line stance on immigration. It has played a critical role in the latest tightening of alien laws, allying with Venstre for the so-called ‘burqa law’ of 2018 and the ‘paradigm shift’ law passed earlier this year. We have to brace ourselves for tough times ahead.

While power games are taking shape ahead of the election

17

Time to engage FOR ALL our democratic shortcomings, one can only hope that positive change comes through the ballot – even though the latest drifts in Europe and North America have laid bare what 19th century Norwegian author Henrik Ibsen saw as the pitfall of the majority not always being right.

Nevertheless, we still have to believe in the democratic process and turn up our grassroots activism. As Brexit and the US elections showed us, decisions that matter cannot be left to politicians and senior citizens alone. The onus is on the youth to take the mantle and shape the outlook of their countries.

And young Danes and eligible migrants in particular have to take responsibility and vote.

Expounding progressive views on Facebook and other social media will in itself not create Nirvana. Getting out, becoming engaged, mobilising and not being content with the world as it is, but rather reaching out to the world as it ought to be – as Barack Obama would say – is what will help our generation curtail the tentacles of spreading polarity politics.

Straight, No Chaser STEPHEN GADD

An Actor’s Life

IN 2 ISSUES

IAN BURNS

Living Faith REVD SMITHA PRASADAM IN 3 ISSUES

The Road Less Taken JESSICA ALEXANDER

Mishra’s Mishmash MRUTYUANJAI MISHRA IN 4 ISSUES

Crazier than Christmas VIVIENNE MCKEE

Early Rejser ADAM WELLS

18 COMMUNITY

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

ABOUT TOWN

12 April - 2 May 2019

PHOTOS BY HASSE FERROLD

When was the last time that a duo made Copenhagen so excited?

There was Barack and Michelle Obama in 2009. And no doubt, Michelle Obama raised the thermometer with her visit on Tuesday to promote her book. But Mao Sun and Xing Er, the giant pandas who arrived in Denmark on April 4, would eat the Obamas for breakfast, or at least if they were made of bamboo. Among the dignitaries present on the historic day were (left-right) Copenhagen Zoo chair Jørgen Horwitz, the culture minister, Mette Bock, Chinese ambassador Deng Ying, the minister for food and the environment, Jakob Ellemann-Jensen, and Copenhagen Airport administrative director Thomas Woldbye

A great many ambassadors were at Kastellet to attend an event organised by the think-tank Atlantsammenslutningen and Danmarks Veteraner to mark the 70th anniversary of the formation of NATO. Among those present were (left-right) Lithuanian ambassador Ginte Bernadeta Damusis, Polish ambassador Henryka Moscicka-Dendys, former NATO secretary-general Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Canadian ambassador Emi Furuya, Swedish ambassador Frederik Jörgensen, Croatian ambassador Tina Krce, the minister of defence, Claus Hjort Frederiksen, Slovenian ambassador Edvin Skrt, Latvian ambassador Alda Vanaga, Portuguese ambassador Rita Laranjinha and Turkish ambassador Uğur Kenan İpek

Bengt Holst (right), the zoo’s scientific head, gave the pandas a special welcome on the tarmac. What’s “I hope you like bamboo” in Mandarin?

Also in attendance was US ambassador Carla Sands, pictured here with Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the former Danish PM

And by April 10, the pandas were finally in place in their new home at the zoo

While the guest of honour was Prince Joachim (second left), who is pictured here with Atlantsammenslutningen general-secretary Lars Bangert Struwe

12 April - 2 May 2019

COMMUNITY

19

You would imagine that on the occasion of Francophonie Day that the VIPS don’t come bigger than Princess Marie, the wife of Prince Joachim, and she was once again the guest of honour as the Francophone diplomatic community descended upon Dansk Industri for an event titled ‘Gør Forretning I Fransktalende Lande’, but she hadn’t bargained on a former head of state turning up. Pascal Couchepin (centre) has been the president of Switzerland twice: in 2003 and 2008 in keeping with the tradition that the term is strictly just one year. Also present were Swiss ambassador Benedikt Wechsler, French ambassador Caroline Ferrari, [Couchepin], Luxembourg ambassador Janine Finck and Moroccan ambassador Khadija Rouissi

The Austrian Embassy hosted a special reception on March 25 to honour a visit from its federal minister for sustainability and tourism, Elisabeth Köstinger. The minister led a 23-member delegation that spent three days in Denmark learning about the country’s energy solutions. The trip included visits to sites such as ARC Amagerbakke and the Middelgrunden Offshore Wind Park. Among those present at the reception were (left-right): Austrian ambassador Maria Rotheiser-Scotti, Köstinger, Swiss politician Simonetta Sommaruga, the minister responsible for the environment, transport, energy and communications, and Swiss ambassador Benedikt Wechsler

Princess Marie later found herself amongst good company with Ferrari (left) and Canadian ambassador Emi Furuya (right)

Ambassador Rotheiser-Scotti was also present at the opening night on Tyske Filmdage at Grand Teatret on April 7 along with cinema head Kim Foss (left)

20 RESTAURANT

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

12 April - 2 May 2019

Leaves other meat-eating meccas with their tails between their legs NOSE2TAIL MEATPACKER Flæsketorvet 13A, Cph V; open MonWed 18:00-00:00, Thu-Sat 18:00-01:00, Sun closed; tasting menu 375kr (with wine pairings 675kr), chef’s menu 500kr (850kr); 3393 5045, nose2tail.dk KASPER R GULDBERG

T

HE FIRST thing that struck me about the Kødbyen restaurant NOSE2TAIL Meatpacker is its splendid and genial atmosphere. The best way to sum up the place is to say that it is off the charts in two dimensions: unpretentiousness and culinary/vintage excellence.

Elegantly no-nonsense IT IS LIKE nothing you’d expect to find so near a formidable nightlife scene – yet there it is.

You sense the restaurant’s signature charm immediately upon entering. The tables are gleaming with elegant stemware hinting at serious sommelier expertise behind the scenes, while the pork of the day is scrawled in a quaint longhand on

an old blackboard hanging on the wall.

Clearly the managerial priorities of the restaurant have been intelligently made.

Going the whole hog AS THE name might suggest, NOSE2TAIL is all about ‘going the whole hog’ and making use of every part of the animal, including the innards and the odd cuts, which according to the staff offer plenty of interesting taste experiences.

This may sound off-putting to some, but I assure you that although we were treated to a most comprehensive tour of the menu, I left the place as confirmed a carnivore as before.

Crackling icebreaker A NOSE2TAIL visit should not be rushed because most of the dishes provide an experience beyond merely pleasing the tastebuds.

Take the appetiser of uncut pork crackling, shaped like a shoe and light as air, served with sour cream and chives. There was no way of consuming that unusual crisp and greasy snack with a straight face. It was a deliberately silly gimmick,

Provocative and surprisingly funny ...when infidelity strips a marriage bare...

29 April - 2 May 2019 Literaturhaus

The Goat, Sylvia?

Tickets at teaterbilletter.dk

Møllegade 7, København

or Who is

by Edward

Albee

Directed by Boel Marie Larsson Recommended for mature audiences Presented by arrangement with Josef Weinberger Limited, London

in my opinion, designed to make you bracket your expectations and allow the chefs to play and surprise.

It wasn’t food so much as an icebreaker, although it did pair nicely with the NV Cremant de Bourgogne Brut, Vitteaut-Alberti (90kr per glass).

Digging in AT THIS point the gimmicks were behind us. For the next three hours, across four complex and interesting courses and more wines than I care to enumerate, the chefs didn’t put a foot wrong in anticipating our tastes and needs.

My partner and I opted for the Tasting Menu and the Chef ’s Menu, and I was interested to see how geographically diverse the vintages of the accompanying wine menus would be.

A study in garnish AN EARLY highlight was the handpeeled shrimps with chives mayo, lemon mayo, raspberry jell, dill and watercress. A beautiful composition, it was as soft and fresh as the accompanying 2017 Riesling ‘Zellertal’ Weingutt Schwedhelm.

If charcuterie is your thing I’d recommend the Tasting Menu, however. That course comprised a small meal in itself, with five meats and a handsome bunch of fresh green garnish.

While I explored that cornucopia, my partner sampled the tenderloin tartare dressed with smoked egg yolk, mustard, cognac-infused shallot rings and water-

cress. The cognac-infused shallot rings were the kind of virtuoso flourish that could elicit an extra star from a jaded restaurant critic who has seen it all.

Cooking with gas AS FOR us, we hadn’t seen nothing yet – for now the chefs were literally cooking with gas.

I had the juicy pork breast with root vegetables, root vegetable chips, cauliflower puree and boiled potatoes, which was every bit as irresistible as my partner’s beef tenderloin, flanked by a side order of fries with truffle oil and cheese, and pan-fried vegetables. These dishes were the real deal.

Under their spell I began to consider NOSE2TAIL among the best restaurants I’ve ever reviewed – and I say that as someone who’s dipped his fork into the Michelin echelon a couple of times in his career.

Sweetness and Sauterne WE ENDED the night with an exquisite 2015 Sauterne from Chateau Villefranche and a couple of fruity desserts which – inevitably – paled in comparison with the stellar main course. The truth of the matter was that we were running out of appetite.

All in all, the place was a terrific pleasant surprise. The hospitality of the staff, the warm ambience and the excellent food all blended into a wonderful exercise in informal elegance.

ON STAGES

12 April - 2 May 2019

21

Strange love indeed, and the connection doesn’t end there

I

T WOULD have been strange had Mark Zuckerberg changed the name of his social platform to ‘Facebook (or The Facebook)’, right? Or if Sean Combs insisted on being called ‘Puff (or Diddy or Puffy or P Diddy or Puff Daddy)’.

So why the hell did Shakespeare end up calling his play ‘Twelfth Night, Or what you will’? He came up with a crap name, thought of something better, but didn’t ditch the dead wood. And don’t start with the theory that it’s a clever pun on Will-boy not being the author of the plays.

What’s undeniable is that he’s the first in a succession of willies who couldn’t make up their mind. And it’s a long list, from Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus to Dr Strangeglove or: How I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb to Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance).

But still, it’s quite an achievement that this spring the English-language theatre community of Copenhagen are offering up not one, but two plays with alternate titles.

Playmate of the month THE FIRST of them even has a Shakespearean connection.

Malmö’s only English-language theatre group Playmate, now in its third season, has selected Edward Albee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? (LiteraturHaus, Cph N; April 29-May 2; playmatetheatremalmo.co) – a title in which the former is the answer to the latter in a song in Two Gentlemen of Verona. It’s the kind of literary joke you could imagine someone making in the 1860s, but Albee actually penned this curious play about infidelity, betrayal and sexuality in 2002.

This will be Playmate’s second visit to Copenhagen following an acclaimed run of Talking Heads in 2017, with Kevin Benn and

Vanessa Poole again on board, this time playing a couple whose family life is turned upside down when ‘Father’ declares his undying love for a certain Sylvia.

“It’s an exciting play, surprising, a little provocative, very honest, as cruel as it is funny – ‘laceratingly funny’ was how Damian Lewis put it last year,” revealed Poole.

“It’s the ultimate Greek tragedy. The dialogue snaps and sparkles with witty repartee between them all, etched underneath with a dripping despair.

I’ve never heard of anybody who has watched The Goat and forgot it! It etches into you, and that is storytelling at its best.”

Pooling their resources POOLE, a founding member of both Playmate and Down the Rabbit Hole who will again be joining forces with Jeremy Thomas-Poulsen ‘south of the river’ for Sara Ruhl’s The Clean House later in the year, is a familiar face in Copenhagen thanks to a clutch of show-stealing performances. She is again looking forward to embracing what is a “fantastic role”, although she might have her work cut out given the magnitude of Benn’s part.

“This is a man at his most basic: his needs, his drives, his loves,” continued Poole. “In Scandinavia, every third marriage ends in divorce, and most can identify with how a relationship crisis can send a family into meltdown mode.”

Co-stars Jefferson Bond and David Barrett, meanwhile, are also established names – most notably in the Crazy Christmas Cabaret and Down the Rabbit Hole’s 2018 production of Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike respectively.

Tears on the pillow?

BARRETT starred in the inspiration for the other play with alternate titles, The Director; or, Behind the Curtain of an Unravelling Theatre Company, a new work penned by Lee Elms

based on his experience helming The Pillowman in 2017, which is part of his production Truth

by Falsehood (April 23-30; Teaterøen).

Other than that, Elms isn’t giving too much away (well, maybe a little – see page 4), but he promises a night of “truly shocking revelations and twists, along with innovative staging, direction and delivery”, which “some might hate and most will certainly never forget”.

Essentially it’s about the “struggle, the successes, the betrayals, the egos, the insecurities, the affairs, the divorces, the fisticuffs, the friendships broken” that defined the formation of Leftfield Theatre and its first play.

“The Copenhagen Post even comes into it,” he confided.

Gulp! “This ain’t Hollywood and fuckin’ Birdman. This is real life.”

More divorce themes CONTINUING with the alternate theme, The Director; or, Behind the Curtain of an Unravelling Theatre Company will be sharing the stage – four performances each over eight nights – with a trio of plays: Confessions, Not I and The Human Voice.

Fresh from the Edinburgh Fringe in 2018, Cordelia Lynn’s Confessions serves up kinky sex games as Hinrik Kanneworff (the standout in Leftfield’s Queers) locks horns with the captivating Maria Winther Nørgaard (similarly in That Theatre’s After Miss Julie).

A new spin is promised for Samuel Beckett’s Not I, but we’ll have to see in what direction.

And the same can be expected for The Human Voice by Jean Cocteau – a play that chiefly concerns the final telephone conversation between two lovers, but this time it is the man unravelling before us. After all, “women initiate approximately 78 percent of all heterosexual divorces in Denmark,” pointed out Elms.

DIEGO MONSIVAIS

BEN HAMILTON

Man about town David Barrett: pillows, panto and petals

Indulging in Porter OF COURSE, secretly most women wish their husband could be more like Cole Porter, whose career is being celebrated by the London Toast production of Oh Baby, It’s Cole (Krudttønden; May 15-June 1; londontoast. dk), an original work penned

by Vivienne McKee. Porter, a master of his craft in the 1920s and 30s, was arguably the world’s first popular songwriter, but his was not a rags to riches story, according to McKee, a life-long admirer of his work.

“I admire Cole, not just for his brilliant catchy melodies and his witty, clever lyrics, but also for surviving his background,” she contended.

“He was born rich, spoilt and well-connected. He could have wasted his life in indulgent pursuits and left no mark at all, but instead he chose to work hard and become the musical genius he is now acknowledged to be.”

Best of the rest FINALLY this spring, there are three huge stage festivals to look forward to, starting with Copenhagen International Improv Festival (April 15-20; improvcomedy.eu), which is a welcome distraction during Easter, a time when Denmark tends to be incredibly quiet.

Next up, the Copenhagen Theatre Circle’s Fringe Festival (Krudttønden; May 2-4; ctcircle. dk) has a line-up of seven plays to look forward to, with lots of familiar names involved, including CBS Theatre head honcho Marley Hasselbach, who is directing Darella & the Vikings.

And finally, Copenhagen Stage (various venues; May 23June 1; cphstage.dk) once again has a huge line-up of plays that are accessible to non-Danish speakers. Some 29 are in English, and a further 13 are non-verbal.

Among the line-up are two Shakespeare plays, Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream – and upon reflection, has there ever been a play in which the characters have so many aliases?

It’s bad enough that all of the rude mechanicals have full names and professions, as well as the parts they play in ‘Pyramus and Thisby’, but why on earth does the play’s dramatis personæ need to tell us that the mischievous fairy Puck is also called Robin Goodfellow.

Learn the lesson of Pacman, a name born out of the fear that 1980s arcade dwellers would deface the original Japanese choice of Puckman to spell out Fuckman.

Which in a word is exactly my sentiments. If you change it, just move on.

22

EVENTS

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

12 April - 2 May 2019

Danish Design Festival May 1-13; various venues in CPH; ddfestival.dk This festival celebrates the diversity of design present in Copenhagen with exhibitions, events, conferences and awards.

Highlights include a creative workshop where participants can exchange design ideas. (PM)

48-Timer Festival April 26-28; all over Cph N; 48-timer.com Join the 48-hour party people!

The festival consists of over 50 different events across the entire neighbourhood. Free to the public, the events include concerts, a parade, a Mexican backyard bash and art installations. (PM)

Science & Cocktails April 23, 19:00-23:55; Byens Lys, Fabriksområdet 99, Cph K; Free adm A discussion on the potential impact of climate change. It’s an event where the audience can interact with four scientists and discuss humanity’s biggest problem ... and sup cocktails. (PM)

CPH Int Improv Festival April 15-20; Frederiksholms Kanal 2, Cph K; 80kr; improvcomedy.eu Now in its sixth year and perfectly timed to cover the vaccum that is Easter, this is emerging as one of Europe’s finest improv comedy festivals, attracting amazing performers from Europe and North America. (PM)

Opening Day of the Season April 27, 12:00; Klampenborg Galopbane, Klampenborgvej 52; 60kr; galopbane.dk Don’t miss the opening day of the season, where once again the nerve-wracking nature of the racing will depend on what you stand to lose. It’s a fun day out for the whole family. (PM)

Cph Art Space April 19-21, 10:00-16:30; Docken, Færgehavnsvej 35, Cph Nordhavn; 60kr; billetexpressen.dk A welcome Easter holiday art event where over 60 selected artists will present their works. (PM)

Street Food Festival April 26-28; Hans Tavsens Park, Cph N; free adm The cosy Hans Tavsens park is transformed into a culinary oasis with street food of all types and concepts. (PM)

Sakura Festival April 27-28, 11:00-16:00; Langelinie Park, Nordre Toldbod; free adm; sakurafestival.dk The 12th annual festival celebrating Japanese culture. Enjoy sumo, sumie and sushi. (PM)

CPH Architecture Festival ends April 14; various venues; 150kr; cafx.dk Enjoy a final weekend of architecture-themed films, exhibitions, seminars, bike trips, walks and talks. (PM)

Smørrebrød Festival ends April 14; Tivoli, Vesterbrogade 3; 270kr Tivoli is celebrating the Danish lunch classic with a festival.

Maybe it’s time you learnt what all the fuss is about. (PM)

C Grace Chang ends April 21; Skanes Konstforening, Bragegatan 15, Malmö; free adm The Asian-American C Grace Chang uses VR, performance and installations to explore queer diasporas and other tensions in ‘The Appearance and Disappearance of Futures and Pasts’. (PM)

Andy Warhol ends Sep 8; Moderna Museet Malmö; free adm Discover a whole new side of Warhol that you didn’t know existed.

The exhibition is created in a very special atmosphere including silver foiled walls, quotes, murals and a soundtrack with all the Velvet Underground songs. (PM)

Turandot ends June 8; Operaen, Ekvipagemestervej 10, Cph K; 150-925kr; kglteater.dk Ann Petersen, who last season dazzled audiences as Minnie in Puccini’s La fanciulla del West, will sparkle once again in the demanding title role in Puccini’s fairy-tale opera. (VP)

Katherine Ærtebjerg ends April 20; Galerie Mikael Andersen, Bredgade 63, Cph K Ærtebjerg experiments with spray paint and elements from both nature and the domestic toolbox to create large evocative paintings. As the title suggests, everyday tools come together and form strange collage-like skeletons. (PM)

An Inspector Calls ends April 13; Krudttønden, Serridslevvej 2, Cph Ø; 140kr; ctcircle.dk Director Jack Wake-Walker has given JB Priestly’s classic 1945 play a timeless setting, with all the actors adopting US accents and cultish costumes for this production. At the very least, it looks interesting! (MMC)

ON SCREENS

12 April - 2 May 2019

23

One last song and dance for bitchy Cersei and the Sundance Kid BEN HAMILTON

D

AAADAAA, Dadada, Daaa, Dadada – dadada, dadada, dadada, dadada-da.” It saddens me to say this, but in the years to come when I look back at my 40s, some of my happiest moments will be associated with that theme music – so yeah, not my family, my job or even my heroics on the football pitch.

Just like everyone remembers the birth of their children, I vividly recall how in an age before streaming I randomly came across the opening credits of the first episode and was instantly bewitched by the wondrous imagery and haunting music. Kingslayer took a bit of getting used to, though, and it wasn’t until I stumbled across Ned Stark’s fate that I realised that Game of Thrones (S8 on HBO Nordic from April 15) was truly the TV of the gods. I think I pretty much watched the first season back-to-front.

I won’t pretend that some of my most distraught moments have preceded the often sombre closing credits – I love all that unexpected butchery, although I did feel a bit sorry for Kingslayer when he had his hand chopped off. Or at least relieved it wasn’t mine.

Would you Barry and Eve it THRONES’ legacy will be its masterful character motivation (impressively achieved with almost no flashbacks). While shows

like The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire and Breaking Bad have introduced us to protagonists we grew to know better than our own family members, Thrones has accomplished this with around 50 characters over its seven seasons so far. It makes the final cut feel all the more deeper.

After all, strong characterisation can enable series like Killing Eve (S2, HBO Nordic from April 8) to excel with relatively silly premises. It’s a lesson to screenwriters that characters must always come before story.

The comedy Barry (S2, HBO Nordic from April 1), which has a pretty forgettable storyline, is another example – and their second seasons have scored 86 and 87 on Metacritic respectively.

When April drools ALSO RETURNING this April on HBO Nordic are Bosch (S5, from April 20), The Chi (S2, from April 8) and Veep (S7, from April 1) … the final outing for America’s favourite vice-president since … now, that is a tough one.

Selling the miniseries Fosse/Verdon (75 on Metacritic; HBO Nordic from April 10), starring Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams as the acclaimed choreographer and his muse, to anyone who doesn’t like cabaret is a tough order.

But the same can’t be said if you have an Austen aversion in the case of Gentleman Jack (HBO Nordic from April 23), a new series based

on a true story set in the 1830s English countryside. The heroine and title character is everything Elizabeth Bennet isn’t: she fights men, seduces women and pops her feet up … on pretty much anything and anyone she fancies.

British actress Suranne Jones (Dr Foster) is perfectly cast, and in one episode her character visits Denmark, where the queen is played by none other than Sofie Gråbøl of Forbrydelsen fame.

Mostly April stools WHILE Jones will have eight hours to infuse Gentleman Jack with life, Julianne Moore has less than two in Gloria Bell (80 on Metacritic; released on April 11), one of several recommended releases this month, but you question whether the tale of a divorced woman finding love on her own terms is worth the admission price, when there are half-a-dozen similar TV series, such as the highly-lauded Better Things, a click away at home.

The age-old argument is watch something worthy of the big screen, such as a superhero film like (please be the end!) Avengers: Endgame (Not Released Worldwide; April 24); Hellboy (NRW; April 11), a darker reboot starring David Harbour and Ian McShane; and Shazam! (72; April 4) in which the alias behind the cloak is a child, so Big meets Superman basically.

Children in disguise is normally spooky, and Pet Sematary (58;

Retire with handy Redford. He won’t claw you in the middle of the night

April 4) has plenty of shock value, but can it compete with a tale of racism in the US? Native Son (63; HBO Nordic from April 6), the story of a young black chauffeur accused of killing his white boss’s daughter, makes a strong case.

In contrast, Stan and Ollie (75; April 25) starring Steve Coogan and John C Reilly as the legendary duo Laurel and Hardy is an undemanding affair in what is a long overdue release given it’s already out on DVD. The sunset kid GAME OF Thrones isn’t our only farewell as Robert Redford has confirmed that his turn as a bankrobber in The Old Man and The Gun (80; April 4) will be his last role. In case you’re wondering, it was released in the US last year, so there will be no sickly Oscar finale, but the film has been warmly received.

We doubt that any of the leads

in Netflix romcoms The Perfect Date (NRW; from April 12) and Someone Great (NRW; from April 19) will one day be missed as much as Thrones and Redford.

For Netflix in general, April looks underwhelming, although a few series have serious potential, including Swedish thriller series Quicksand (from April 4); US dominatrix drama Bonding (April 24); Special (April 12), a US comedy about a gay man with cerebral palsy; and Huge in France, a comedy about Gad Elmaleh, the ‘French Seinfeld’, trying to reconnect with his son in the States, complete with a cameo from Seinfeld himself.

Ah yes, the dreaded cameos, the only bum note in eight years of Game of Thrones, thanks to ill-advised appearances by Ed Sheeran, and members of Coldplay, Mastodon, Sigur Ros and Snow Patrol.

Where’s Kingslayer when you need him?

sing-along

‘THE SOUND OF MUSIC’ On Saturday May 4th experience the Oscar-winning musical ‘The Sound of Music’. Come join Maria and the von Trapp family in this sing-along version of the film classic.

We present some 50 films with English dialogue or subtitles every month.

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

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