CPH POST 15 - 28 March 2019

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Expats dominate in a team representing Denmark at the ice-swimming world cup

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CPHPOST.DK 15 - 28 March 2019

NEWS Bus shake-up to coincide with Metro opening

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NEWS

Vexxed by Vaxxers Public urges action on parents who don’t vaccinate

WHEN IRISH EYES AREN’T SMILING

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Rape: cause for concern or comical cartoons?

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RESTAURANT So hooked you won’t be able to resist a second visit

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Joking about rape BUT POLITIKEN is not taking the matter too seriously. To coincide with International Women’s Day it published a cartoon depicting a group of Indian men reading about the report and plotting a holiday to Denmark.

A 2018 survey conducted by the Thomson Reuters Foundation ranked India as the world’s most dangerous country for women.

Mette Dreyer’s cartoon comes at a time when Denmark and India have been rebuilding diplomatic relations following a lengthy schism – the result of years of resistance from Denmark to extradite Niels Holck, a Dane accused of trading weapons to Bengali separatists in 1995.

Best for labour equality AND TO think it had all started so well, as in early March, Denmark was ranked the equal best in the world for giving women and men equal legal rights across the labour market, according to the World Bank’s ‘Women, Business and the Law’ index.

Along with Belgium, France, Latvia, Luxembourg and Sweden, Denmark received a maximum score. (CPH POST)

SCAN TAKEN FROM POLITIKEN

Welfare lacking for young people without a home

T’S BEEN a bad month for Denmark with the likes of the Daily Mail, Washington Post and CNN queuing up to chastise its “pervasive rape culture” following the release of a damning Amnesty International report.

The report criticised Denmark’s “high rate of impunity” and “outdated legislation”, claiming that of the 5,000 women raped in Denmark annually, less than 1,000 file a case with the police, and only 100 leads to a conviction.

4 ‘Expat’ a Danish word AMONG the 780 new additions to the Danish language in 2019 were a number of English words, including cougar, swag and expat. Today, Anglo words account for 10 percent of the local lingo. Among the new Danish expressions was ‘have pikhud på fingrene’ (‘to have penis skin on the fingers’), which means having soft hands.

Youth climate marches DANISH youth will be marching across the country on March 15 to strike urgency into the establishment about climate change. Inspired by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, 32 ‘Klimastrejke’ marches are taking place in Denmark, and nearly a thousand worldwide, embracing 82 countries. More details can be found at klimastrejke.org.

INSIDE OUR NEXT ISSUE, OUT 28 MARCH!

Diplomacy

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NEWS

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

Huge transport shake-up for capital

ONLINE THIS WEEK VIOLENCE erupted at Udrejsecenter Sjælsmark, the north Zealand centre for rejected asylum-seekers, on March 6 when police tried to forcibly move an Iranian family of four out of the premises as part of a deportation.

Some children were reportedly hurt. The family’s mother suffered a panic attack and was hospitalised, thus delaying the action.

Woman’s 13 charges A 72-YEAR-OLD Russian woman will stand trial at the city court in August where her 13 charges include the manslaughter of her husband and allegedly throwing hot coffee at two nurses at Hvidovre Hospital in January 2017. She is accused of stabbing her husband in the throat, chest and shoulder with a needle.

Work delayed at station

Vegan march in centre HUNDREDS took to the streets of the city centre for a vegan march on February 23 to draw attention to the role that meat consumption plays in climate change. Several of the participants carried a coffin dedicated to the “ukendte dyr” (unknown animals) who have died in the service of humankind.

New Metro line will usher in great change – particularly for the buses

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HE OPENING of the long-awaited City Ring this summer will usher in huge changes to transport in the capital. Over 30 bus lines, including the popular A and S lines, will be adjusted or even scrapped.

Popular lines such as the 3A and 8A will disappear altogether, absorbed by other routes, while the 1A, 2A, 4A, 6A, 7A, 9A, 250S and 350S lines will also experience change as the city adopts 17 new Metro stations into the fold.

The ticket provider for buses, trains and Metro in the capital region, DOT, claims that the coming changes will still see 95 percent of passengers having under 400 metres to travel to reach a bus, train or Metro link.

In other news IN OTHER transport news, lo-

Suddenly Copenhagen resembles Paris

cal politicians want to replace the red and green men at pedestrian crossings with something that respects all facets of gender identity, thus following the lead of the likes of London, Manchester, Munich and Cologne.

Copenhagen’s Technical and Environmental Committee has given three companies a ten-day ultimatum to comply with its rules regarding rental scooters and bicycles, which are increasingly inconveniencing the public in the way they are left after usage.

An initiative to permit cyclists to right-turn through red lights at selected traffic lights has been mostly unsuccessful, with only three municipalities in Zealand seriously adopting the measure. Copenhagen only has three such junctions.

Finally, Movia has partially backed down from its plans to scrap printed timetables at bus stops. But while the complete routes will be shown, the exact times will only be displayed on the digital displays, and not all of the stops have them. (CPH POST)

R

ENÉ KAULAND, a local politician from Greve who had been in custody since May on charges of attempted murder, was found dead in his cell on March 6 – a week after the media named him following the lifting of an injunction.

On the day he was found, his five-day trial was scheduled

to start at Roskilde City Court.

Attacked a child KAULUND, an academic at the University of Copenhagen, was accused of breaking into the residence of his ex-spouse in the middle of the night and attacking her and her nine-year-old daughter with a blunt instrument as they slept.

Both females sustained injuries – the woman’s were of a serious nature – but the po-

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THE CITY mayor, Frank Jensen, wants to ease rules that stipulate new apartments need be 95 sqm in size. Jensen would like at least half of the 60,000 new homes proposed from 2019-2031 to be smaller dwellings.

Boy guilty of stabbing A 16-YEAR-OLD Pakistani boy has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison for stabbing a 14-year-old boy in Dyrehavsbakken in Klampenborg last May. The incident was almost fatal. Once released, the boy will be deported.

Pub’s 30th birthday

Accused politician found dead in cell René Kauland was just hours away from standing trial for attempted murder

FOUR TURKISH men have been found guilty of carrying out the Molotov cocktail attack on their country’s embassy in Østerbro in March 2018. They received custodial sentences ranging from 18 to 21 months, with deportation to follow along with a 12-year ban from entering the country. All four men were part of the Kurdish community.

Mayor wants smaller flats

GREVE MUNICIPALITY

PLANS to carry out equalisation work at Copenhagen’s Central Station, which will ensure people will avoid electrocution should they come into contact with conductive items close to high-voltage cables, has been postponed indefinitely.

The redevelopment of Ringsted Station was blamed for the delay.

Turks guilty of attack DOT

Violence at centre

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

15 - 28 March 2019

THE SHAMROCK Inn rolled back its price list to 1989 for two hours to celebrate its 30th birthday on March 8. A day later, Cliona Manahan, the Irish ambassador, ceremonially poured the ‘first pint of the next 30 years’.

Top cocktail bars Struck in the dead of night

lice were unable to locate the weapon. It had been believed that Kauland would have got four to six years in prison had he been found guilty. (CPH POST)

TWO CITY centre cocktail bars, Balderdash on Valkendorfsgade and Brønnum near Kongens Nytorv, have been included on a list of the 50 best establishments in the EU by the travel site Big 7 Media.

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15 - 28 March 2019

Undercover in Helmand

Scotland wants you, Tove STV SCREENSHOT

DR

Taliban tête-à-tête

Tove (right) with Tommy Cooper

MARTIN Tamm Andersen, a veteran who served in Afghanistan but has been unable to find closure, returned to the country to interview a member of the Taliban for a DR documentary he had made with journalist Nagieb Khaja. The two men went undercover in the Helmand Province to obtain the interview – “to show it is possible to create a space where two enemies can start a dialogue”.

THE SCOTTISH National Party has come out in support of Tove Macdonald, an 87-year-old Dane who has lived in the UK for 57 years, raising her case with British PM Theresa May. Like all EU nationals in the UK, Macdonald is required to digitally register by June 2021, but fears she won’t be able to. SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon told her: “This is your home, Scotland wants you here.”

Gratitude to Göring

Sahel decision imminent

A DANSK Folkeparti politician in southern Denmark has called upon Hinrich Jürgensen, the chair of Bund Deutscher Nordschleswiger – an organisation for the German minority living in the area – to resign after sharing a Facebook post that compared DF to the Nazis. Jürgensen’s post, which has since been taken down, asked DF to thank Hermann Göring for inspiring its election campaign.

THE GOVERNMENT is on the brink of stepping up its military contribution to a French-led international operation in the embattled Sahel Region in Africa. Parliament will soon decide whether Denmark will deploy around 70 military personnel and two transport helicopters for a 12-month period at the end of 2019.

Danes with illegal dogs

ACCORDING to a report compiled by the Immigration Services and the Danish Refugee Council, it is safer to travel to the areas of Syria controlled by Syrian government forces – particularly in the province of Damascus. Dansk Folkeparti believes the report greenlights sending back refugees to Syria.

ON FEBRUARY 25, German police stopped a Danish registered car and found ten American pitbull terrier puppies in the boot – a breed of dog banned in Denmark since 1991. The police arrested three young Danes, along with a Dutchman, after they were unable to produce transportation or vaccination documents for the dogs. The car had previously been to Poland.

Dane dies on Canadian ski slope A 21-YEAR-OLD man from Slagelse in west Zealand has died whilst skiing in Canada. He was found at the foot of a slope at the Revelstoke Mountain Resort in southwestern Canada. Raised in Slagelse, the man had previously worked as a ski instructor.

Soldier killed in US accident A DANISH soldier has died in the United States whilst undergoing parachute training. Something went wrong during a training jump, confirmed Danish Defence.

The man’s relatives have been informed, but no other details have been released.

Syria safer than before

United with Manchester THE MUNICIPALITIES of Aarhus and Aalborg have launched a joint culture initiative with UK city Manchester in a bid to promote closer cultural ties between the cities. The effort is part of the International Culture Panel’s aim to promote Denmark in the UK from 2018-2020.

Still three pipeline options THE GERMAN foreign minister, Heiko Maas, told media last week that his Danish counterpart, Anders Samuelsen, had said that Denmark was still undecided regarding Russia’s request to place its Baltic Sea pipeline in Danish waters. The pipeline will either go north or south of Bornholm – or not at all.

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THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

15 - 28 March 2019

Cracking a smile on St Patrick’s Day is only half the battle of being Irish

PAUL MCNAMARA

O

N MARCH 17, the city of Copenhagen will once again be awash with green as the St Patrick’s Day three-legged race and annual parade take over the streets, with the party continuing long into the night at the numerous Irish pubs.

For the capital’s millennials, the Irish colours are a familiar sight they’ve grown up with. The pubs have now been part of the city’s landscape for three decades, and when the Irish visit in large numbers – like for the recent 2018 World Cup qualifier – it’s talked about for years.

With similar climates and population sizes, there’s a strong affinity between the countries based on mutual respect and interests.

But how well do the Danes really know the Irish – particularly given the nation’s ever-evolving identity?

With Paddy’s Day again approaching, long-time Irish residents in Denmark talked to CPH POST about how they think perceptions have changed.

Never mind bad Irish and good Irish, is the key differentiation today old Irish and young Irish?

Before the Tiger roared ECONOMICALLY, modern Ireland can be broken down into three periods: 70 years of being regarded as a poor European country following its independence from Britain in 1922; the economic boom in the 1990s and 2000s, which is generally referred to as the Celtic Tiger; and the aftermath of the worldwide financial crisis that led to Ireland seeking a bailout from the IMF in 2010.

But many Danes, concur Irish people living in Copenhagen, are often unaware the Celtic Tiger ever took place, even though many might have noticed Irish

behemoths like Ryanair taking flight, and Ireland developing a reputation for charging minimal corporation tax to global giants such as Google.

The minimal interaction Danes have with Gaelic culture tends to take place in the pubs and on special occasions with men dressed in green wigs and leprechaun suits, often with impenetrable accents and a twinkle in their eye, perpetually on the craic.

It is perhaps a product of the popular wisdom that diaspora tend to hold onto the characteristics of the country they left in the decade they departed, clinging to a fiction of the past as being the present.

The Danes are accordingly left with the notion that the Irish are the funniest nation in the world, but that their country is disorganised – a place where the pubs are open 24-7 and the livestock roam the country mostly unfettered.

No longer inferior THE TRUTH is that the Celtic Tiger changed the country forever, producing a generation of more serious-minded, business-like individuals, whose euro was as strong as any of their continental counterparts.

From the start of the 1990s well into the 2000s, Ireland experienced a period of rapid economic growth that brought an end to high levels of poverty, unemployment and inflation, as well as low growth.

And while the crash hit the country hard, it is the legacy of the Tiger that is stronger. Last year, the country enjoyed economic growth more than double what was predicted for the EU and the eurozone in 2018.

The country is considerably more inclusive, progressive and safer, while the power of the church has been cut dramatically. Ireland was the first country in the world to approve gay marriage by popular vote, and last year it also voted to legalise abortions.

“Ireland has thrown off the

ANDY KELLY

Many associate the green colours with fun and frivolity, but behind the banter there’s a new mentality seriously trying to assert itself

shroud of being an inferior race,” contended Patrick Sheridan, a management consultant originally from County Dublin who has been living in Denmark for 32 years.

“But after years of repression by England and the Catholic Church, we are still struggling with what defines us now as a nation.”

The exodus continues IRELAND’S average earnings are amongst the highest in the OECD, and 80 percent of Irish adults have attained at least an upper-secondary education, which is again higher than the OECD average.

Additionally, perceived social support is a clear area of comparative strength with almost 96 percent of the Irish population reporting to have friends of relatives whom they can count on in times of trouble.

Nevertheless, despite all this, more Irish people are emigrating than moving back home. A total of 295,400 Irish nationals emigrated between 2011 and 2017, while just 166,600 moved back – a net outflow of 128,800.

And it is not just manual workers, as the number of departing graduates is reportedly 500 a week, according to The Irish Times. Many are medical and nursing graduates desperately needed by the Irish health service.

Infrastructure issues IRELAND’S overall infrastructure should be better given their Celtic Tiger period, contends Sheridan, and he has no doubt about who is to blame.

“Years ago public investment in infrastructure was stained by a brown envelope culture,” he explained.

“Today we are building a new children’s hospital that has gone so over budget it will be the most expensive hospital per bed in the world.”

Patrick Kelly, a musician originally from County Waterford who has been in Copenhagen since 2008, agrees that health is an important issue.

Paddy and the Riverdance: old Irish and new?

“We need to come out of the 20th century and join our neighbours in building a healthcare system, and better public services all around. We are seriously lagging behind in most areas,” he said.

Learning nothing ONE OF them is equality and the difficulty young people face trying to buy their first home.

The average rent across Dublin has hit a new record high of around 2,000 euros per month – and it is a problem identified by Irish PM Leo Varadkar as easily the biggest challenge facing the government.

Additionally, a government report released last year concluded the housing crises would likely persist for the foreseeable future, and Marie-Claire McAleer, the head of research and policy at the National Youth Council of Ireland, draws a parallel between the crisis and the emigration.

“The issue of housing is a significant challenge, as soaring rental costs are extremely prohibitive for young people on low incomes,” she said. “They struggle to secure a job that has a decent salary and career progression options.”

Hillary Kiernan, a resident in Copenhagen since 2013 who is originally from County Kildare, agrees with McAleer.

“We seem to have learned nothing from the recession because it appears to be creeping its way back,” she said.

“House prices are beginning to soar again, homelessness is a huge problem and hardcore drug addiction is also a big issue.

Overall, there are still pretty integral institutional problems to be addressed.”

Ireland could learn a lot from Denmark, suggests Kiernan. “I have no plans to move back, and I think I would find it very difficult to readjust,” she said.

“Living in Copenhagen has spoiled me by setting the bar so high! For example, the infrastructure, the quality of life and acceptance that employees work to live and not live to work.

Things just work here!”

Staunchly proud NEVERTHELESS, the Irish residents who spoke to CPH POST remain fiercely proud of their country.

“I love our unique identity and our endless abundance of talent – particularly in the arts, sports and entertainment business,” concluded Sheridan.

“And how we can turn any mundane event into a party at the drop of a hat – and that ability goes across all ages and social classes.”

NEWS

15 - 28 March 2019

ONLINE THIS WEEK LAST YEAR saw 41,601 people baptised by the Folkekirken state church, compared to 41,015 in 2017. However, membership numbers fell again, from 75.3 to 74.7 percent of the nation. In related news, church-goers, following the success of several pilot schemes, can now use MobilePay to make in-service donations at 722 venues across Denmark.

Good for vegans DENMARK is the seventh best country in Europe for vegans, according to the online cookbook Chef ’s Pencil. It trailed the UK, Sweden, Ireland, Austria, Germany and Finland. Copenhagen came 12th in the city rankings.

In related news, the number of vegetarian restaurants has risen from 10 to 54 since 2010.

Ministers’ security raised THE PET security service increased the protection detail of two prominent members of the government – the justice minister, Søren Pape Poulsen, and the integration and immigration minister, Inger Støjberg – on February 24. No official explanation was provided.

Asking for it?

SOME 17 percent of non-western male immigrants and their offspring conclude that scantily-clad women are to blame if they get sexually assaulted, according to a survey by Als Research on behalf of the Foreign Ministry. Some 14 percent of women agreed. In contrast, 5 percent of Danes concurred.

MP goes homeless TORSTEN Gejl, an Alternativet MP, spent last week living as a homeless person in Aarhus to raise awareness of the ever-growing problem (see feature on page 17). He questions why homeless numbers are increasing despite an increase in state funding. As part of his week sleeping rough, he stayed in a shelter and spent a night on the street.

AHMAD SHAMLO FARD/TASNIM NEWS AGENCY

Baptism rate soaring

Denmark braced for IS fighter return Aarhus re-integration strategy a success, but returnees will be more radicalised, warn experts

C

ONCERNED MPs have questioned how Denmark will cope if the US goes through with plans to hand over citizens who have been fighting for Islamic State so the state can take care of their punishment.

However, a report in Berlingske reveals that Aarhus Municipality has been able to re-integrate 17 of the 20 fighters who returned to Denmark between 2013 and 2015 through exit programs.

The initiative is a combined effort between the municipality and the police in east Jutland, and the 17 individuals are now engaged in either education or employment, and some have even started families.

ONLINE THIS WEEK People who can’t vote AROUND 9.4 percent of the adult population are unable to vote, according to Danmarks Statistik – up from 1.8 percent in 1980. Of the 434,000 mostly ineligible adult foreigners, Poles account for 33,500, followed by Romanians (25,700) and Turks (24,400). In Copenhagen, over 15 percent of the adults cannot vote, while in Ishøj the share is 23 percent.

Jumping the lists Blind to the consequences back home?

searcher in militant Islam at the European University Institute.

“There are varying degrees of radicalisation.”

In addition to those returning, 45 people suspected of being radicalised Islamists have disappeared from asylum and transit centres in Denmark and are wanted by the police, according to figures seen by Radio24syv.

Søren Pape Poulsen, has stated that it is not legally possible for Denmark to refuse to allow former IS warriors to return if they hold Danish citizenship.

DF: take their citizenship!

DANSK Folkeparti would like Denmark to strip the citizenship of people who travelled abroad to fight for IS – a measure Venstre and Konservative supports, but as long as it does not breach international conventions “When someone travels to fight on behalf of IS, they provide the ultimate proof that they no longer want to be part of the Danish community,” Martin Henriksen, the DF spokesperson for integration, told DR. However, the justice minister,

Expulsion once released IN RELATED news, the Eastern High Court has upheld a judgment from last June to sentence four youngsters – two men and two women who were found guilty of trying in 2017 to support IS by travelling to Syria and joining up – to three years in prison All four failed to reach Syria, with three of them being apprehended in Turkey and the youngest girl not even leaving Denmark because her parents had confiscated her passport.

As well as losing their passports, the two men will be expelled for a yet-to-be-determined period of time, while one of the women, an Afghani citizen, will also be expelled.

(CPH POST)

More coach services likely

Video-sharing pitfalls

Tower plans approved

PARLIAMENT has approved an amendment presented by the Ministry of Transport that will enable private companies to offer more coach services. The law change means that long-distance bus travel will be available across distances as short as 75 km – so from Aarhus and Aalborg, for example – and the ministry estimates journey numbers will increase from 1.5 to 2.1 million a year.

POLICE in eastern Jutland have charged 14 people with sharing a video showing the murders of two Scandinavian women in Morocco, after they received 118 tip-offs. In related news, a further 148 people have been charged with sharing a widely-viewed video featuring under-18s involved in sexual activity in north Zealand, taking the total charged to over 1,150.

IKAST-BRANDE Municipality has approved Bestseller’s plans to build a 320-metre tower in the central Jutland town of Brande.

As well as providing the clothing manufacturer with a new HQ, the 60,000 sqm facility complex will also include restaurants, apartments, stores, offices and hotels. Dorte Mandrup architects and Rambøll will take charge of the construction.

Degrees of radicalisation “IT HAS given us the opportunity to look them in the eye and evaluate their situation and what the person needs so we can ensure they will be able to regain some sort of foothold in Danish society again,” Allan Aarslev, the police commissioner for eastern Jutland, told the newspaper.

Nevertheless, some experts remain doubtful about the longterm benefits of the program.

“We should remember that those who have been part of the program in Aarhus returned home early,” cautioned Tore Refslund Hamming, a re-

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THE GOVERNMENT is backing a proposal that would change the way public housing is allocated. Currently, internal waiting lists dominate, so vacant flats are first offered to those living in the building. The government would like to give ‘outsiders’ a better chance, by offering every second vacancy to them. There is no word on how the housing associations view the proposal.

Fewer flights pledge AS MANY as 11 municipalities in the capital region intend to adopt a new climate policy that will reduce the number of flights its employees take for work purposes, reports DR. The policy will also compensate the environment every time a flight is taken – for example, by planting a tree.

MP leads daycare outcry ANNIE Mathiesen, a Venstre MP, has spoken out at the tendency of municipalities to limit daycare places to residents living within their boundaries. Nine municipalities in the capital region have introduced the measure, and Mathiesen argues “it limits the parents’ freedom of choice”.

Whistleblower shake-up FOLLOWING a number of recent high-profile cases in which employees have come forward with damning revelations at the risk of being sacked, PM Lars Løkke Rasmussen has suggested there ought to be an anonymous whistleblowing system established for state employees.

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NEWS

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

ONLINE THIS WEEK

THE DTU has been given 1 million euros to contribute towards the EU’s future energy strategy. In related news, indigenous people in the Oaxaca region of Mexico are opposing Vestas’ plans for a windfarm, Parliament has chosen to build an 800 MW windfarm called ‘Thor’ 20 km off the coast of Thorsminde in western Jutland, and Danish companies are poised to capitalise on the eastern coast of the US where interest in wind energy is really taking off.

Cancer inequality CANCER patients with shorter educations, low incomes or who live alone have a lower survival rate than others, according to a Kræftens Bekæmpelse study. Just 53 percent on a low income survived, compared to 69 percent on a high income. In related news, 36 percent of breast cancer operations are performed at least four weeks after the diagnosis, thus failing to hit the health service target. In Copenhagen, it was 53 percent.

Petition seeks anti-vaxxer ban

ONLINE THIS WEEK PIXABAY

Part of EU energy strategy

15 - 28 March 2019

Supporting building for parliamentary bill to prevent unvaccinated children from attending kindergarten, as measles returns to Denmark CHRISTIAN WENANDE

M

EASLES has spread like wildfire across much of the world in recent years – spurred on by an increasing number of parents deciding against giving their children the vaccination that has all but eradicated the highly-contagious virus.

There have been six cases in Denmark in the past few weeks – including a ten-month-old baby in Køge who had been attending a local crèche.

And now a citizenry proposal has been lodged with Parliament that seeks to ban all non-vaccinated kids from public kindergartens (omitting those who can’t be vaccinated for one reason or another).

SPECIES depletion is a problem in several protected forests, according to a report from NOVANA. Despite the protection, commercial forestry is partly permitted and mostly to blame.

In related news, DTU researchers have discovered that a pine tree-dwelling bacteria could help prevent stomach inflammation and intestinal cancer.

Climate bill rejected Just a little prick, or a large one, some might say

become ill.”

Should it be mandatory?

THE WORLD Health Organization identifies non-vaccinated children as being among the top ten global threats of 2019.

And several countries have already made vaccination mandatory – including Italy, which ruled in 2017 that all kids had to be vaccinated before being admitted to public kindergartens and schools.

The Danes seem to agree with that approach – or at least according to a DR survey in 2015 that showed that 75 percent of Danes agreed, or partially agreed, that the MMR vaccination (for measles, mumps, and rubella) should be obligatory.

once and for all.

It found that autism is just as prevalent among children administered the MMR vaccination compared to those who weren’t.

“The conclusion is very solid – we can’t see any connection,” Anders Hviid, a senior research with the State Serum Institute, who is among the authors of the new research, told DR.

A MAN FROM Værløse has learned it’s not always a good idea to post cute animal stories on social media, as Miljøstyrelsen has told him he needs a permit to keep a squirrel he rescued from certain death. In other animal news, it is believed that no more wolf cubs will be born in Denmark, cod and sand smelt populations are under threat, the warm weather has kicked off the tick season in earnest, and a white-tailed eagle has been shot dead in Lolland.

Gathering support THE PROPOSAL has already attracted 18,500 signatures – a good start towards reaching the 50,000 required to reach Parliament.

“A larger number of parents are choosing not to vaccinate their kids and we need to do something before our herd immunity [when 95 percent of the population is immune, so a disease won’t spread] is threatened,” the proposal stated.

“Herd immunity is critical to ensure that children, who aren’t old enough or can’t have the vaccine due to illness, don’t

Eleven islands bigger

Dangerous fungus

War on counterfeiting

Sneaky surrogate

DENMARK has expanded by eleven islands over the last three years – a total of 63 hectares – mostly through sand and silt from coastal erosion being carried out to sea and deposited. Officially, an island must be surrounded by water of a minimum depth of 50 cm at all times. Since 1990, 138 new ones have been registered.

Six of the islands are near Møn, and five are in Nissum Fjord.

A STRAIN of Aspergillus fumigatus, which can cause lung disease in people with weakened immune systems, has become resistant to antibiotics. In related news, a retired gardener has discovered the first ever example of Postia undosa in Denmark. He found the brown rot fungus in the national park at Mols Bjerge.

Its discovery was attributed to climate change.

UNIVERSITY of Copenhagen researchers have developed a chemical fingerprint tag that can detect all counterfeit goods.

In other research news, Glostup Hospital has saluted the US approval of Ketamine as a treatment for depression, and Melton, a kids’ clothes manufacturer in Vejen, has announced plans to produce rainwear made from plastic waste.

A RECENT decision made in favour of the subject of the TV2 documentary ‘Den falske rugemor’ (the fake surrogate) makes harrowing viewing for childless parents tempted to try the option.

A father, who only discovered the surrogate had given birth to twins a while after their initial contact, has been told to pay child support of 2,720 kroner a month by the Ankestyrelsen panel.

Pitfalls of posting

Forest species at risk

Autism myth debunked THAT OPINION was likely further cemented this week when a massive Danish study involving 650,000 children over a decade debunked the autismvia-MMR vaccination myth

Vaccination is free ON FEBRUARY 18, the Danish Agency for Patient Safety issued a letter alerting doctors to pay extra attention to measles infections.

Most Danes are vaccinated or have had measles before and are immune. At-risk populations include small children who have not received the vaccine.

A large proportion of Danes born between 1975 and 1986 are unvaccinated. Currently, the measles vaccine is free for everyone and can be obtained from your doctor.

PARLIAMENT has rejected a citizens’ bill proposing tougher measures to fight climate change.

In other climate news, a new governmental proposal wants to ban polluting trucks, buses and vans from several big cities in Denmark from the summer of 2020, and the DTU is contributing to NOAH, a new tool to help alleviate drainage problems following heavy rainfall.

Tailored for expats PRIVATE Doctor has launched its service in English. In collaboration with the relocation company Welcome Group Consulting, it is targeting busy internationals who want convenient medical advice just a phone call away. Available every day, 07:00-24:00, the service can visit your home or workplace within 90 minutes of the call.

Kindergarten disruption A DET ØKOLOGISKE Råd study at 20 daycare institutions in four Danish municipalities has revealed high levels of endocrine disruptors – sometimes hazardous chemicals often associated with bringing on the early development of puberty – at all of them. CO2 levels were also found to be too high.

Pollen season underway THANKS to the warm weather – which saw the 15.8 degree record for the warmest ever winter’s day equalled on February 26 – the pollen season is well underway.

High levels of alder and hazel have been measured, with the dreaded birch season just around the corner should the warmth persist.

NEWS

15 - 28 March 2019

ONLINE THIS WEEK

SOUL LEGEND Gladys Knight is headlining the Copenhagen Jazz Festival with a concert at DR Koncerthuset on July 12. Other confirmed performances in Denmark include Bob Dylan and Robert Plant (Roskilde), Mark Ronson (NorthSide); Alphabeat (KB Hallen; Nov 30), Fat Freddy’s Drop (KBH; Nov 27), UK podcast ‘No Such Thing as a Fish’ (Bremen Teater; June 3), Conversations with Nick Cave (DRK; May 21), and comics Russell Howard (BT; 16 March 2020) and Daniel Sloss (BT; Oct 31).

VIGGO Mortensen has emulated Connie Nielsen by starring in the winner of the Best Film Oscar. Late last month ‘Green Book’ followed ‘Gladiator’ (2000) and the American-Danish actor was heartily thanked in the best film speech as the rock of the movie. In other films news, the story of Henrik Kauffmann, the Danish ambassador to the US during World War II, is being made into a feature film with Ulrich Thomsen in the lead role.

Shooting commences in April.

No, not from Ghana THE AMERICAN singer-songwriter Paul Simon has donated over 150,000 kroner to outdoor youth association Natur & Ungdom in Skanderborg, eastern Jutland, as part of his mission to make a charitable donation in every country he visited as part of his 2018 tour. The organisation thought it was a joke, writing off the notification as “a Ghanaian letter”.

Louisiana backs sponsor LOUISIANA has commended the “dedication and generosity” of its supporters following the news that one of them, the Swiss bank UBS, has been fined 33.5 billion kroner in relation to tax evasion in France However, it cautioned that it asks all of its sponsors to “comply with legislation”.

Jack’s golf course honoured THE GREAT Northern Golf Club near the harbour town of Kerteminde on Funen, which was laid out by Nicklaus Design and opened in 2017, has been named the 67th best course in the world

by Golfscape.

Eurovision bound LEONORA, a former junior ice skating champion, will represent Denmark at the Eurovision Song Contest in May. With an ascent to a high platform woven into the performance, it has the kind of gimmick and jeopardy that might wow European audiences. However, the bookmakers aren’t impressed, and it is generally backable at 40/1.

Century-best figures THE CARTOON ‘Ternet Ninja’ has now sold over 900,000 tickets, making it the most popular film at Danish cinemas since ‘Walter og Carlo – op på fars hat’ in 1985 – and in 8th place overall. On the all-time list, Olsen Gang films occupy the top three places and also number six.

Among world’s best MIKKEL Hansen and Rasmus Lauge are among the five nominees for the 2018 IHF World Handball Player of the Year award. Hansen was player of the tournament at the 2019 World Championship, while Lauge recently won 2018 European Player of the Year.

Tour de France coming

BRØNDBY has fired its German coach Alexander Zorniger following a run of poor results. Martin Retov is his temporary replacement. In related news, Peter Sørensen has replaced Allan Kuhn as coach of Hobro.

DENMARK will host the first three stages of the 2021 Tour de France. Stage 1 will be a 13 km time trial through Copenhagen; Stage 2 (190 km) will start in Roskilde, cross the Great Belt Bridge and finish in Nyborg; and Stage 3 (170 km) will start in Vejle and finish in Sønderborg.

‘Holiday’ dominates Bodils

VAR under consideration

‘HOLIDAY’ won best film at the Bodils – the awards chosen by the nation’s film critics. It also won best actress (Victoria Carmen Sonne), supporting actor (Lai Yde Holgaard) and cinematographer.

THE DANISH league is looking into the possibility of incorporating Video Assistant Referee (VAR) into the Superliga in the 2020-21 season. Implementing VAR in the Superliga will cost around 15 million kroner per season.

Brøndby fires coach

PERFORMANCE

ART

WILLIAM MORRIS SOCIETY

Viggo emulates Connie

Let Beauty Rule THAT THEATRE COMPANY

Holy Knight

Art

7

««««¶¶

«««««¶

‘ART’ OFFERS 85 minutes of slick entertainment, and Ian Burns is once again underlining his capability as a director of some clout. The fourth-wall addresses were effectively rendered, whilst physicality was well employed to permeate the play with its main theme: the foundations of friendship and our respect for them. A riotous fight towards the end was splendidly Burns-like – a suitable climax to a play that bristled by at a pulsating rate. All three actors do a good job of bringing rhythm to their sections – particularly Rasmus Emil Mortensen, who is a masterful orator. (BH)

WHEN YOU’RE used to the stringent aesthetic of Danish design, with its sparse interiors and predominantly white walls, the full-blooded explosions of colour this exhibition delivers can initially seem somewhat overwhelming. But what if craftsmanship, ancient skills, a love of tradition, beauty, and natural, sustainable materials could all be combined into a whole that transcended all of these things?

This was the somewhat ambitious goal of William Morris, the British artist born in 1834 who is profiled in a crowd-pleasing exhibition at Nivågaard. (SG)

READ THE REST OF THESE REVIEWS AT CPHPOST.DK

8

BUSINESS

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

ONLINE THIS WEEK FOLLOWING the lead of the likes of Aarhus, Copenhagen, Odense, Randers and Holbæk, Næstved in southern Zealand has announced plans to rejuvenate its harbour area and create new and attractive city districts. If approved, the area will be redeveloped over the next 20-30 years to include housing for 6,000 people, shops and other facilities.

Exports the Seoul aim FROM MAY 20-22 a large delegation representing around 40 Danish companies will be heading to the South Korean capital Seoul.

With the Crown Prince couple at its head, the delegation will be aiming to strengthen exports in the fields of sustainable technology, foodstuffs, lifestyle products, and health and welfare solutions.

Good at recruitment DENMARK has the third best staff recruitment network, according to a study of 60 countries carried out by Staffing Industry Analysts. Ireland topped the rankings, followed by Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Malaysia.

All five were praised for having strong growth prospects and being attractive to companies wishing to expand internationally and recruit the necessary staff.

Retail space black hole THE AMOUNT of vacant Danish retail space increased by around 20 percent in 2018 to 799,300 sqm, as the number of empty stores grew from 1,598 to 1,754.

In related news, Uniqlo, a store known as the ‘Japanese H&M’, is opening its first Danish store on Strøget on April 5, and Flying Tiger Copenhagen will spend 2019 consolidating after rapid expansion, losing 40 employees in the process.

Aberdeen flight saved THE ROUTE flown by the bankrupt British airline Flybmi connecting Esbjerg and Aberdeen, which is popular with oil industry workers, has been taken over by Danish Air Transport.

Billionaires’ club

Nordea laundered in capital – reports FLICKR - MARCO VERCH

Næstved’s harbour plans

15 - 28 March 2019

Around 5 billion kroner passed through its Vesterbro branch between 2004 and 2014, according to various media

N

ORDEA has been accused

by Berlingske newspaper and the Finnish media outlet YLE of overseeing the biggest ever money-laundering operation on Danish soil.

It is alleged that between 2004 and 2014 more than 5 billion kroner was transferred to accounts held by 260 shell companies and tax shelter schemes at Nordea’s Vesterport branch in Copenhagen, and that more than 3 billion then left the bank.

It is thought the money stems from corruption and criminality, with a connection to Russia. The Vesterbro branch in question was closed in 2014, and a Nordea spokesperson admitted to DR it ought to have been shut earlier.

Heart of the city JAKOB Dedenroth Bernhoft, an expert in money-laundering cases who is the CEO of the consultancy firm Revisorjura, conceded to Politiken that the case is no ‘Estonia’, but still incredibly serious.

“Danske Bank really beats everything, but that took place in Estonia,” he said.

“Here, we’re talking about a branch situated in the heart of the city, and it is Danish personnel who worked there.

Kicked out, hunted down IN RELATED news, Estonia’s official financial watchdog has given Danske Bank eight months

TEN DANES are on the Forbes list of dollar billionaires. Bestseller supremo Anders Holch Povlsen is the richest (#242 in the world) with 42 billion kroner, followed

by Niels Peter Louis-Hansen, the part-owner of Coloplast, with 36 billion. In third equal were four members of the Kirk Kristiansen family, the owners of Lego, with 31 billion each.

Maersk faces challenges

‘Ozark’ clearly should have been set in Denmark

to close its branch in Tallinn, where 1.5 trillion kroner was laundered between 2007 and 2015, and the bank has now decided to close all its Baltic and Russian branches.

Danske Bank has confirmed it is co-operating with the US Securities and Exchange Commission over potentially criminal responsibility. For five months already, it has been “in dialogue” with the US Department of Justice.

The European Banking Authority, meanwhile, has opened a formal investigation into a possible breach of EU law by the Estonian Financial Services Authority and the Danish financial services authority, Finanstilsynet.

Danish pension fund ATP has been buying heavily into Danske bank, reports BT. Since the new year, ATP has bought 1.9 million shares, increasing its stake from 1.05 to 1.32 percent.

Season for scandals THE BANKS aren’t the only

ones rocked by scandals.

Paint manufacturer Hempel has been fined 200 million kroner for reportedly spending nearly 100 million kroner on bribes to ensure its products were chosen over others.

After almost three years of exhaustive investigations, police in north Zealand have moved in on an unnamed ex-executive of the window producer Velux, who is accused of trying to pass on confidential company information to a Polish competitor.

And finally, Huy Duc Nguyen, one of the executives at Great Dane Airlines, has resigned after it emerged he had included fictional employment positions on his CV. The co-owner and flight director is also stepping down from the board of the new north Jutland airline, which expects to launch in the summer. (CPH POST)

EU: Economy is sound

DTU startup frenzy

Restaurant numbers rising

ACCORDING to a recent EU Commission analysis, the Danish economy is in solid shape thanks to average economic growth of 1.9 percent since 2014 and a high rate of employment. Among the companies thriving are German supermarket Lidl, which plans to open 103 more stores in Denmark, and Lego, which made a profit of 8.1 billion kroner last year thanks to strong sales in China.

DTU ESTABLISHED 87 startups in 2018 – a jump from 60 in 2017. Broken down, students accounted for 52 companies, and DTU employees 35. In related news, EU Startups has released a list of the top ten Danish start-ups most likely to excel in 2019. Leading the way is food waste app Too Good To Go, followed by Ulobby, Pleo, Hedia and Happy Helper.

RESTAURANT numbers in Denmark have jumped from 15,637 to 18,163 since 2014, and the sector’s turnover has risen 29 percent to around 45 billion kroner, according to Danmarks Statistik. Bankruptcies have doubled from 261 to 501 a year over the same period, with Domino’s one of the latest additions after damning hygiene revelations destroyed customer confidence.

MAERSK shares fell 12 percent following its confirmation that expectations are modest for 2019, despite an increase in revenue to nearly 250 billion kroner in 2018.

Analysts identify the US-China trade war, an increased cyber threat, rising fuel prices and the economic slowdown as the biggest challenges facing the shipper.

The mumtrepreneur ACCORDING to Christine Gouchault – the Danish author of ‘Business Mum: Three steps to success in running your own business and being a mum’ – ‘mumtrepreneurs’ can thrive at work and at home. Her book, now in English, outlines a simple three-step plan to succeed.

Facebook vetoes centre FACEBOOK has confirmed it will not be building a 250,000 sqm data centre near Esbjerg on the west coast of Jutland, despite a year of preliminary work at the site. Facebook already has a data centre underway in Odense.

Airbnb buys Danish firm GAEST.COM, a Danish platform for renting meeting spaces for short periods of time, has just been acquired by Airbnb. The acquisition marks its first big move into office spaces. Gaest.com will remain a separate app for the time being.

Jysk sleeps well BEDDING and furniture company Jysk has donated 1,000 new sleeping bags to Kirkens Korshær, a charity that runs 21 hostels for homeless people in 15 different towns across Denmark.

The donation is Jysk’s third in the last three years.

15 - 28 March 2019

BUSINESS OPINION

KAREY-ANNE DUEVANG WE’RE WELCOME - HONEST As a British mum of three who has lived in Denmark for 15 years, Karey-Anne started Welcome Group Consulting to address the challenges expats experience in settling into a new country dominated by unspoken rules. A law graduate, former diplomat and now CEO of WGC Relocation Company, she has also experienced first-hand the trials and tribulations of relocating.

Ultimate bugbear THAT WAS the first time I heard the words ‘Millennium Bug’ and now, nearly 20 years later, I find it almost amusing to describe those worrying weeks leading up to the Millennium to my young children.

Worries about trade ceasing, queues backing up at the channel, transport coming to a stop, digital systems failing and absolute chaos – the news reported the worst-case scenarios and people began to panic.

Worse with social media FACEBOOK was still three years from launching and the world’s most liked photo was still an egg or chicken depending on

So what do we know?

NO-ONE knows what the outcome of Brexit will be, so here’s what we know so far: the UK will either leave the EU on March 29 without a withdrawal agreement, or that departure date will be delayed; and things will stay broadly as they are until December 2020, whilst a permanent trade deal is agreed.

The official message is ‘business as usual’, but with Honda, Unilever and Dyson preparing to move their headquarters out of the UK, it’s difficult not to be caught up in Brexit fever or should it be Brexit Bug? back in 2007, when he coined the term.

“Product/market fit means being in a good market with a product that can satisfy that market, he explained, which is a bit vague, but a beginning.

A useful mental model UNDERSTANDING PMF can be a useful mental model for the interplay between business, the product and customers in a startup.

Learning about it will help inspire new ways to create value for your customers and grow your business.

When it’s not happening PMF IS equally detectable when it isn’t happening.

“The customers aren’t quite getting value out of the product, word of mouth isn’t spreading, usage isn’t growing that fast, reviews are kind of ‘blah’, the sales cycle takes too long and deals never close,” ventured Andreesen.

So, what is it?

MARC ANDREESEN, a US entrepreneur, investor and software engineer, called it “the only thing that matters” in a post

NEXT ISSUE

THOMAS N HORSTED

Remember this pest?

A manic day alright JUST LIKE the millennium, people feared what would happen on or after a specific date. Some feared that computers would combust, planes would fall from the sky, and life would cease to exist as we knew it.

As I stood, pint in hand, with 57,000 others swaying to the Manic Street Preachers at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on NYE 2019, I had a strange sense of living in the moment make it – or usage is growing as fast as you can add more servers,” continued Andreesen.

“Money from customers is piling up in the company account. You’re hiring sales and customer support staff and reporters are calling because they’ve heard about you and want to talk to you about it.”

– mixed with the unknown of what would happen over the next 24 hours and beyond!

By the seat of your pants THE TRUTH is that no-one knows what impact Brexit will have on UK citizens or industry – and particularly those Brits living abroad.

For a country built on precedence, we are for the want of a better word currently ‘winging it’.

PEXELS

P

RODUCT/MARKET Fit (PMF) is a common concept in the startup world, but while widely applied in conversations concerning new high-growth companies, what does it really mean? And how do you measure it? Let’s begin!

your philosophical point of view.

Social media has enabled misinformation and scaremongers to share opinions, swaying public opinion and causing misunderstanding and chaos. Sound familiar?

PIXABAY

S

AT AT MY desk I felt the severe tone of the man talking – even though he wasn’t talking directly to me.

9

Once it fits, everything glitters

tell – then you have PMF on your hands.

Your customers are becoming your sales people.

And when it is YOU CAN always feel PMF when it is happening.

“The customers are buying the product just as fast as you can

Signs of success A COMPLIMENTARY definition, and more concrete way to think about it, is when your customers are spreading and selling your product for you. When people understand and use your product enough to recognise its value – that’s a big win.

But when they begin to share their positive experience with others – when you can replicate the experience with every new user who your existing users

IN 2 ISSUES

IN 3 ISSUES

IN 4 ISSUES

IN 5 ISSUES

Union Views

Economics Explained

Danish Capital in 2016

Mind over Managing

The Valley of Life

Brexit Border-Dash

Give Yourself a Chance

21st Century Alchemy

UK-DK Trade

Global Denmark

STARTUP COMMUNITY Thomas (@thomas_hors) is the former co-founder of Startup Guide – The Entrepreneur’s Handbook and a former startup scout for IKEA Bootcamp. He is currently the COO for Tiimo, a Danish startup delivering an assistive app to kids with ADHD, autism and brain damage. He is also a limited partner and investor in The Nordic Web Ventures, which invests in early-stage Nordic startups

PMF: COMMON MYTHS - It is always a big bang event - It’s patently obvious when you have it - Once you achieve it, you can’t lose it - Once you have it, you don’t have to beat the competition

10 OPINION

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

15 - 28 March 2019

Brexit, chaos or order?

T

A Brexit backlash?

PREVIOUSLY, Denmark’s nationalist Dansk Folkeparti (DF) party has spoken out for a Danish referendum. Now there is total silence and polls indicate that Danes are more EU-positive than ever – with 77 percent in favour. So the situation the UK has got itself into may turn out to have a silver lining.

DF is now suffering from its success with unlimited austerity on refugees and immigrants. A good three-quarters majority in Parliament has now adopted more than 100 new regulations, making Denmark a colder and windier place if you are a foreigner.

Opening extremism’s door DF NO LONGER has a monopoly on showing a firm hand.

Ironically, this has made room for the even more extreme Nye Borgerlige and its three demands: a total moratorium on asylum- seekers, expulsion of criminal foreigners – no matter what crimes they have committed – and a demand for foreigners to support themselves.

Without acknowledgment of

these demands, Nye Borgerlige will not support a government.

It remains to be seen if that also means indirect support for the red parties. We may find out, as polls show they might manage to gain six to eight seats.

DF’s support has been dwindling over the last month as it has been flirting with Socialdemokratiet’s Mette Frederiksen, who claims the right to become the next PM should the left win. DF has declared its unwillingness to enter a government unless it has the support of more than 19 percent. Today’s poll shows 15 percent, so there could be a long haul ahead for them.

Losing momentum WE STILL don’t know when we will go to the ballot boxes.

The PM is waiting for his health reform proposals to pass, but Frederiksen has appropriated his agenda with a suggestion for differentiated old-age pensions as a legal right for employees who have been worn down in the labour market.

She is running into trouble on that issue, as she has related it to the traditional sectors of the employment market. Today, the division into such groups is largely an echo from the past, but she has won the floor for a time.

One of the PM’s problems is that he is not personally popular.

He lacks charisma and his designated successor, Kristian Jensen, is no better. They are both very capable politicians, but as we seen in the UK, the answer is blowing in the wind. (ES)

Mishra’s Mishmash As a regular contributor to the Times of India, the country’s largest newspaper, Mishra is often soughtafter by Danish media and academia to provide expertise on Asian-related matters, human rights issues and democratisation. He has spent half his life in India and the other half in Denmark and Sweden.

T

PRIVATE PHOTO

HE BREXIT day of reckoning is almost upon us.

Progress on this front has been more like a reality show than a dignified democratic process.

The live TV broadcasts from Westminster have really emphasised the fact that referendums are a tricky business if not qualified by a clear and understandable solution to any possible outcome.

MRUTYUANJAI MISHRA

HE FIRST half of 2019 holds one absolute certainty, and we don’t need the country’s prominent political pundits to confirm it: by June 17, Denmark will have held a general election.

And now speculation is in the springtime air that Lars Løkke Rasmussen – the prime minister, but for how much longer? – will announce the date imminently.

Once again, among the issues that will decide who leads the next coalition, and accordingly becomes PM, is immigration.

Was just a skinny lad DENMARK has a tradition of kick-starting the new year by listening to the speech of the PM, which is broadcast on the two major television channels.

This year, Rasmussen told the Danes that when he attended gymnasium in the early 1980s there were only 50,000 people of non-western origin living in Denmark.

Today in 2019 that figure has reached half a million. That figure is significant, as it sparks another debate: whether those immigrants of primarily Asian, Middle-Eastern and African background are well integrated into Danish society.

Even though Rasmussen and the present government, which won the last election on the agenda of being strict on immigration, would like the 2019 elections again to be decided on the issue of who is tough on controlling the borders, it is not entirely possible to make this year’s election a replica of the last one.

A new generation of Danes is solidifying who are open-minded and have travelled the world

Julie Raagaard in the land of yoga

and formed their own opinions.

Radio go-go ONE SUCH new voter is Julie Raagaard, an international politics student at CBS, who caught the attention of Denmark a year ago when she called up one of Denmark’s most popular radio programs, ‘Mads og Monopolet’.

She asked a panel consisting of three public figures – politician Johanne Schmidt-Nielsen, comedian Thomas Warberg and radio host Simon Jul – if it was advisable for a young girl to travel alone to India.

Raagaard insisted she wanted to see the birthplace of yoga, which has now become a truly global phenomenon. All three guests on the program accepted her desire to travel alone, although they advised her not to go out alone after sunset.

Don’t stop them now RAAGAARD went on to enjoy

a successful trip. Her impression wasn’t blurred by the image created by the media that the entire country is unsafe for women – a claim that Politiken did its best to substantiate with a cartoon on March 8 depicting four Indian men anxious to visit Denmark because of its rape rate (see page 1).

When I met Raagaard on the university campus, she once again reiterated her desire to go to India and help the children there by teaching – and to travel to other states she has not yet visited as well.

Raagaard is among the many open-minded new voters who will be taking part this time around – a new generation of Danish voters who see the world not through the prism of western and non-western origin, but more by what is healthy and what is unhealthy. Yoga is healthy and Raagaard practises it, and now it is an inseparable part of her concept of a good life.

OPINION

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NEXT ISSUE

JESSICA ALEXANDER

The Road Less Taken Jessica is a bestselling US author, Danish parenting expert, columnist, speaker, and cultural researcher. Her work has been featured in TIME, Huffington Post, The Atlantic and The NY Times, among others. She graduated with a BS in psychology and speaks four languages. She currently lives in Italy with her Danish husband and two children.

Crazier than Christmas VIVIENNE MCKEE

Early Rejser ADAM WELLS

LEAD BEYOND

Straight Up

IN 2 ISSUES

ZACH KHADUDU

A Dane Abroad KIRSTEN LOUISE PEDERSEN IN 3 ISSUES

Mackindergarten ADRIAN MACKINDER

Straight, No Chaser “You’d better push the button and let it go” – that was a Sugarbabes song, right?

A

S AN AUTHOR and cultural researcher, I have spent a lot of time in Danish schools studying parenting and education for my books. I’ve especially focused on the ‘Class’s Hour’ (klassenstime), which is a core part of the Danish curriculum that essentially teaches empathy to children aged 6-16 and is generally set for a special time once a week.

Time to be heard THE PURPOSE of the klassenstime is for all the students to come together in a comfortable setting to talk about any problems they may be having. Together, the class tries to find a solution. This could be an issue between two students or a group, or even something unrelated to school.

“The important thing is that everyone feels heard,” explains Jesper Vang, a middle school teacher at Tingkærskolen in Odense.

“Our job as the teacher is to make sure the children understand how and why other people feel the way they do. This way, we come up with a solution together based on real listening

and real understanding.”

If there are no problems to be discussed, then they simply come together to relax and hygge – the now famous Danish word for cosying around together.

Buckets and buttons BUT WHAT if putting yourself in other people’s shoes isn’t the solution, and you really just need to put something behind you?

Some classes are encouraged to write down any problems that are bothering them, fold them or crumple them up, and throw them in a ‘pyt spand’ – a never mind bucket.

It was only after I learned about the word ‘pyt’ and the never mind bucket that I started noticing small wooden squares on the walls of many classrooms with blue metal buttons and the word ‘pyt’ written above them.

“What is that?” I asked a teacher inquisitively one day. “That’s a pyt button,” came the reply.

“Is that like the never mind bucket?” I asked. She laughed.

“Yes, it’s a similar concept. When kids are annoyed about some-

thing, we encourage them to hit the pyt button and let it go.”

Trash bin for troubles I EVEN saw it in the playgrounds. Kids would get upset at a perceived injustice, but as voices were rising and rules hotly debated, a teacher would magically materialise a blue or red button and, like contestants on a game show, the kids would run up and smack the pyt button, before continuing the game seemingly scuffle-free.

As I was leaving a class one day with a small grievance of my own, I decided to hit the pyt button myself, and I really did feel a little better. We don’t have a word for ‘pyt’ in English, but I think there is something comforting about physically pushing away our troubles or, literally, throwing them away.

This doesn’t work for everything of course. It isn’t for life-altering traumas or serious issues. But when you can’t seem to put a small unchangeable problem behind you, try putting it in a ‘pyt’ bucket. You might just find it helps.

STEPHEN GADD

An Actor’s Life

IN 4 ISSUES

IAN BURNS

Living Faith REVD SMITHA PRASADAM

12 COMMUNITY

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

ABOUT TOWN

15 - 28 March 2019

PHOTOS BY HASSE FERROLD

Many ambassadors were in attendance at ‘Gender Dialogues – Unfinished Business’, a high-level event at UN City on March 1. In the words of the UN general-secretary, Antonio Guterres, the event focused on the “unfinished business of our time” – gender equality and female empowerment.

Among the speakers were (left-right) Australian ambassador Mary Ellen Miller, UNOPS executive director Grete Faremo, Norwegian ambassador Aud Kolberg and Irish ambassador Cliona Manahan

Slovenian ambassador Edvin Skrt and Hungarian ambassador Kristof Altusz were among a great many diplomats present at Venstre’s EU elections congress at Bella Center on March 2. PM Lars Løkke Rasmussen took the opportunity to tell those present about the party’s candidates for the elections, which are scheduled to take place between May 23 and 26. Only Venstre knows whether they will coincide with Denmark’s general election

The Bangladeshi Embassy was the proud organiser of International Mother Language Day at Asia House on February 21. The country’s ambassador Muhammad Abdul Muhit addressed those present on a day that recognises and promotes cultural and linguistic diversity

Regular readers will be sad to learn that a familiar face in this column, Carsten Dencker Nielsen, the honorary chairman of Asia House, has passed away. Asia House got its name in 1997 as part of the centenary celebrations of EAC, the company Nielsen was chief executive of until 2000

Polish ambassador Henryka Moscicka-Dendys was the proud host of a concert dedicated to the memory and music of composer Maria Szymanowska (1789-1831) at Thorvaldsens Museum on March 8

French ambassador Caroline Ferrari attended the screening of ‘La Promesse de l’aube’ at Grand Teatret on February 18 – the opening film of the Franske Filmmandage series

15 - 28 March 2019

COMMUNITY

13

That Theatre Company’s artistic director Ian Burns has another hit on his hands with ‘Art’ (see page 7 for our review) at Krudttønden, where the run will continue until March 23. The director (centre left) is pictured here enjoying the opening night reception with his cast (leftright) Rasmus Emil Mortensen, Benjamin Stender and Peter Vinding, the three friends who cannot decide on whether the white painting at the centre of the play is experimental genius or excremental rubbish

The March edition of the International Club Copenhagen on March 4 tackled the theme ‘Leadership for the future’ with the help of Japanese ambassador Toshiro Suzuki (left), who spoke about his country’s relations with Denmark. Also present (left-right) were OZACK chief executive Ann Christine Korsgaard, who spoke about accountability, ICC president Per Leth-Nissen and ICC founder Hasse Ferrold

Serbia celebrated its national day on February 21 at University Library Amager, where those in attendance witnessed the inauguration of Serbian ambassador Jasmina Mitrović Marić’s initiative, ‘The Diplomatic Library’ – a collection many members of the Copenhagen diplomatic corps have contributed to

Israeli ambassador Benny Dagan (left) was the host of a special reception at his residence on February 26 to mark 70 years of relations between his country and Denmark. Among his guests were Per Stig Møller, who served as the Danish foreign minister from 2001 to 2010

Among the headliners at Copenhagen Comics at Øksnehallen over the weekend of February 23-24 were British cartoonist Mark Buckingham of ‘Fables’ fame

Isabella Eklöf’s debut film ’Holiday’ was the big winner at the Bodils on March 2 (see page 7 for more details)

14 COMMUNITY

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

15 - 28 March 2019

T

HE DOWN the Rabbit Hole theatre group may have lost its residency at the House of International Theatre at Huset, but that hasn’t stopped it from putting together an impressive line-up

SECOND TWO PHOTOS: TANYA VINOGRADOVA

FIRST TWO PHOTOS: HASSE FERROLD

OUT AND ABOUT

plauded, praising director Jeremy Thomas-Poulsen (left & right) for his brave decision to gender-swap the roles.

And then, less than two weeks later, it presented ‘Party Time’ at LiteraturHaus in

Nørrebro, where the audience was treated to “a surprisingly affecting and visceral watch”, according to the CPH POST reviewer.

After the performance, audience and cast (centre left

& right) found time to relax, while Thomas-Poulsen – swapping directorial for bar duties – had time to reflect on a great way to show Copenhagen you’re back in business.

DAVE SMITH

outside than would normally venture out – and armed with 40 amazing light installations and the knowledge that there were 130,000 unique visitors last year, optimism was high that the foot traffic would be substantial.

For an installation to be included, it needed to be both beautiful and captivating, as well as including sculptural elements.

At the opening event, the Scottish rock band Black Sun played to those gathered, as the organiser proclaimed: “Let

there be light” – or words to that effect.

Among the guests were two brothers. While Jesper Kongshaug (centre: right) is a light expert, Anders Kongshaug was busy launching a new app, ‘Within 10 Minutes’, which

festival-goers used to find the installations.

As part of the festivities, a kilometre-long laser beam was launched across the Copenhagen sky, and all the other installations lit into life.

ALL PHOTOS: HASSE FERROLD

over the winter – and a Harold Pinter double bill to boot.

First off, it returned to HIT for a five-day run of ‘The Lover’ starring Jana Pulkrabek and Tom Hale (left), which the CPH POST reviewer ap-

E

MBRACING the long, dark winter evenings of northern Europe, the Copenhagen Light Festival could not have been better timed.

Scheduled to last from February 1-24, the aim was to bring 20 percent more people

KRZYSIU

Attend a symposium where ethnographers will reflect upon and explore questions about the massive datafication of our everyday life (March 21 & 22; Rued Langgaardsvej 7, Cph S; free adm – registration required; antech.aau.dk)

For international parents, childcare can be a minefield, but help is at hand from this handy Englishlanguage briefing, where kids are also welcome (March 21, 16:30-18:30; International House CPH, Gyldenlovesgade 11, Cph V; free adm; ihcph.kk.dk) RØDDER & VIN FACEBOOK PAGE

CTC FACEBOOK PAGE

NATHAN LAURELL / FLICKR

Enjoy the company of artists and channel your inner-Picasso. End the session with a brush in one hand and a glass of wine in the other (Fridays 17:00-19:00; Absalon church, Sonder Boulevard 73, Cph V; 70kr, billetto.dk)

(U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO BY RHONDA SICILIANO

IMAGES MONEY / FLICKR

Learn everything you need to know about the Danish tax system at this English-language briefing (March 27, 17:00-19:00; International House CPH, Gyldenlovesgade 11, Cph V; limited numbers; ihcph.kk.dk)

COMING UP SOON

VIRGINIA PEDANI

Poets, storytellers, stand-up comedians – all are welcome at the Copenhagen Theatre Circle’s Open Stage event (March 22, 19:00-21:30; Café Cadeau, HC Ørsteds Vej 28, Frederiksberg; free adm; ctcircle.dk)

Nørrebro wine store Rødder & Vin is celebrating its fifth birthday. People will be dancing in the street … to the ‘Singing in the Rain’ tune, probably (March 15, 14:00-23:00; Ravnsborggade 8, Cph N) VIRGINIA PEDANI

RESTAURANT

15 - 28 March 2019

15

Cooked to be chaste, hooked at first taste, rebooked in great haste HOOKED Halmtorvet 34, Cph V (second location at Nørrebrogade 59, Cph N); open daily 12:0022:00; appetisers 40-45kr, mains 100-160kr, including fish & chips 100kr, specials include whole lobster with fries for 245kr; gethooked.dk EMILE YOUNG

I

F YOU’RE craving great fish and chips in Copenhagen, there’s good news for you: a second Hooked location opened this January in Vesterbro.

Close to Kødbyen NESTLED just across the road from Kødbyen, the meatpacking district, Hooked’s new location is a clear expansion on the Nørrebro original while keeping close ties to its food truck roots.

The new, central location has more of a sit-down restaurant vibe, explained manager Reuben Carey, but at its heart Hooked is still a slightly dressed-up fast food joint for your seafood cravings.

“We’d like to be more of a hybrid and have my staff surprise people with the quality of service when you come to get a burger,” Carey said.

Unexpected twists AS WE ENTERED, we could see what he meant. Hooked sports a typical chic yet clean Danish décor, with a tiled, nautical twist. The down-to-earth

look is filled out by the warm glow of three lights made to look like portholes. Guests are seated but approach a counter adjoining the kitchen to place their orders.

Minutes later, when Carey brought our orders, the food did not disappoint. Hooked’s signature fish and chips came with an unexpected twist: the soft, buttery breaded pollock had just a hint of curry and cumin.

Their famed salmon burger also lived up to expectations with its soft white buns and tender, spicy fishcake. The salmon was delicately balanced by the guacamole with a light hint of wasabi-mayo.

Surprise package WE ALSO tried the Asian lobster roll. Not a traditional lobster roll, this was the surprising crowd-pleaser. The buttery white, hotdog-style buns are loaded with crispy puffed rice noodles and snap peas on top of a bed of lobster. The entire concoction is dusted off with spicy mayo.

Somehow, all the different flavours pulled together for a delicious mouthful that started sweet, edged towards spicy, and ends lightly salty.

Busy for bites BUT DON’T let all that seafood distract you from the extras: the truffle mayo dip stole the show for us. The dip deliciously complements the vinegar-infused chips and fried seafood.

ART

BY YASMINA REZA Translation by Christopher Hampton

“A comedy classic” – The Times

Krudttønden

20 Feb – 23 Mar

Hooked walks the line between a sit-down dining experience and fast food joint. It’s not a place to linger for hours over a glass of wine, but the soft background music makes it a good place to grab a quick bite and have a casual conversation.

Be sure to check out their new online reservation system to secure a table. The central new Hooked location was popping with people – even on a Thursday night.

Director Ian Burns Peter Vinding Benjamin Stender Rasmus Emil Mortensen

teaterbilletter.dk

16 FEATURE

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

15 - 28 March 2019

The big chill: Saluting the expat swimmers who came good in the cold Team Denmark – a group of seven amateur ice swimmers from the UK, South Africa and the US – brings home to Copenhagen 15 medals after competing at the 2019 Winter Swimming World Cup in Bled, Slovenia SIBYLLE DE VALENCE

W

HEN YOU enter four-degree Celsius water, you cannot say right away if it is very hot or very cold.

It is just burning your body.”

In Slovenia, Lindy Thorburn and her team-mates were not competing against the others, rather against ice-cold open water, frightening weather conditions and their own minds.

It was pouring down and windy, causing the kinds of waves that ice-swimmers dread.

Visibility was low; snow was covering the edges of the partly frozen lake.

In such extreme conditions, the fearless ice-swimmers representing Team Denmark needed to remind themselves to breathe.

Only a few months ago, they didn’t have the faintest idea they would be taking part in the international ice-swimming event together with nearly 120 swimmers from 26 countries.

“The Russians were by far the most represented country,” the ladies recall, laughing heartily.

“No wonder!”

Outside the comfort zone FOR THORBURN, Jane Upward, Margaret Gadzic, Karin Mattioli and Karren Probyn, it all started when they moved to Denmark with their families and spotted how the Danes enjoy ice-cold skinny dipping.

After carefully observing the natives, they gave in to the urge to purify themselves in the freezing cold waters of the Øresund.

They all attended a pep talk given by Mette BL Thomsen, a Danish ice-swimming champion who draws from the tragic loss of her mother as a child an extraordinary motivation to overcome her psychological limits and fears

– a calling that gives meaning to her existence as she leaves her comfort zone.

“We were all so inspired that we couldn’t wait to enter an international ice-swimming competition,” recalled Sue Allingham, a swimming coach at Gentofte Municipality’s swim school for the past ten years, who encourages non-swimmers to compete in open-water swims, triathlons and now ice-swims.

A shot at world glory LONG AND gloomy winters encourage mindfulness and the need to take on personal challenges and, before they knew it, the group of expat moms in their 40s and early 50s had signed up for the extreme challenge. They represented a wide range of levels, from Gadzic the competitive swimmer to Probyn the newbie who joined Allingham’s swim team last autumn. As Thorburn pointed out: “How many opportunities do you get in a lifetime to participate in a World Cup?” Thorburn remembers making quick progress, and by Christmas she was able to swim 50 metres. “The sauna is the treat afterwards,” she revealed. The heated, small wooden room enables the body to return to its usual temperature in no time.

Gadzic even brought along her 11-year-old son Danny to join in the ‘Polar bear’ plunge.

“He was the only kiddo and he didn’t hesitate,” his proud mom recalled.

The first big test THINGS took a serious turn in the New Year when the newly-formed team swapped Charlottenlund Søbad for Skovshoved, the harbour located between Charlottenlund and Klampenborg.

On a freezing Sunday morning in mid-January, an extraordinary act of courage occurred. Out into the wild sea where swimmers can’t touch the bottom, off they went one by one for their 50-metre iceswim while nearby overdressed

children were trying to crack puddle ice.

Even passers-by could feel the intensity of the challenge these self-proclaimed ice-swimmers had undertaken. And with no sauna around, their shivering went on for an hour or so after they exited the 0.5-degree water.

Catharina’s catharsis PETER Høgdal and his 23-yearold daughter Catharina joined them to provide insightful firsthand race tips.

“Catharina gave such a moving and awe-inspiring talk that she furthered the girls’ ambitions as to how far they really could swim in cold water,” recalled Allingham.

Daily swims in the ice-cold water had miraculously cured the young Dane from knees so bad that she couldn’t stand on her own two legs and needed to be carried from one classroom to another. Five years ago in despair, her parents decided to take her for a swim in the sea.

In the water she could finally move freely – for the first time in ages. The cold shock response broke her cycle of pain.

Catharina can now lead a normal life and even jog from time to time. Ever since, father and daughter can be seen swimming their 6 am daily 600 to 800m swim at Svanemøllen all-year round, and on occasion they compete internationally.

Sackful of medals DAY AFTER day filled with training and research, confidence grew within the team to the point that they all signed up for longer distances and more technical races at Bled, including the 100 metres and the butterfly.

Leading the medal haul was Gadzic with three: the 25m freestyle bronze, 25m breaststroke relay silver, and 25m butterfly bronze – a tally matched by Upward with the 100m freestyle silver, 50m freestyle silver and 25m freestyle silver.

While Karren Probyn, her husband Mark, Mattioli and

It was too cold for a selfie in Slovenia, but they managed to smile!

Thorburn all took two each.

Veni, vidi, vici. Three days later, they were on their way back from Slovenia full of glory and inspired to go beyond.

Among the elite “I LOVE meeting people who consistently choose to put their bodies through seemingly crazy ordeals. And then I get to the realisation that of course I can do it too,” enthused Upward, who cites as an inspiration Wim Hof – aka the Iceman – who is notable for his ability to endure extreme cold thanks to his Wim Hof Method breathing techniques.

“You become part of the ice-swimming family once you take part. We’ve met world record breakers and marathon ice-swimmers. The go-getters and anything-is-possible people.”

Upward has a picture of herself with Christof ‘Wandi’ Wandratsch, the German long-distance swimmer who set the record for the fastest ever crossing of the English Channel in a time of seven hours and three minutes in 2005.

And another picture shows her hugging Jaimie Monahan, who completed in 2017 the first documented Ice Sevens Challenge in history by swimming an ‘Ice Mile’ (1.6 km in a water temperature of below five degrees) with no wetsuit nor neoprene

hat on all seven continents.

Chile’s Barbara Hernandez was also among the competitors.

Nicknamed ‘The Ice Mermaid’ in Chile, she was the first woman to swim in extreme temperature glaciers without a wetsuit on the Northern Ice Cap. Pictures of her swimming in the San Rafael Glacier or Perito Moreno while the glaciers are calving are breathtaking.

When they are not swimming or breaking new records, Monahan works full-time as a campus recruiting lead for Deloitte in New York and Hernandez as a psychologist back home.

Next up: Siberia THORBURN, Upward, Gadzic, Mattioli and Probyn have now befriended these modern-day explorers on Facebook and are already planning to meet again for the next challenge – perhaps in Tyumen, Siberia in December, where the water temperature will be zero and the air temperature -30.

Endurance swimming is not just a battle to the finish line, but a fight to stay alive with an intensive care unit on site. Dizziness, disorientation, hallucinations and amnesia are symptoms a long-distance ice-swimmer learns to recognise and then exit the water at once.

As Thorburn concluded: “I think I’m hooked.”

FEATURE

15 - 28 March 2019

17

Homeless and hopeless: Youthful will is strong, but welfare can be lacking

ERIC BENNINGHOFF

I

N EARLY February, the Danish Center for Social Science Research (VIVE) finished counting the number of homeless people in Denmark.

Although the results of the survey won’t be published until August, some experts are predicting that the upward trend will continue.

A rapid rise VIVE’S past homelessness reports, which are published every other year, have shown that youth homelessness (ages 18-29) has doubled in Denmark over the past decade, revealing that even in a comprehensive welfare state, far too many people are falling through the cracks.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if the 2019 count indicated a continued upward trend for youth homelessness,” said Nancy Pelle, a social worker at the homeless organisation SAND. “I’ve been contacted by many more young people than I’m used to.”

Pelle is based in Aarhus, the city with the highest percentage increase in youth homelessness since the VIVE surveys began in 2007 – close to threefold in ten years among those aged 18-24.

Those close to the problem attribute the surge to the city’s rapid

population growth and the transformation of its housing market.

“In Aarhus, it’s impossible to find an apartment that these young people can afford,” said Pelle.

Keep on fighting FREDDY Nielsen, a 25-yearold from Aarhus, has dealt with this issue first-hand, experiencing homelessness on three separate occasions for about six months each. He has lived in a shelter, on the streets, and also ‘couch surfed’ among friends and family.

“It’s a long hard journey,” said Nielsen, explaining the many challenges he faced on the streets while trying to escape homelessness, which included alcohol and drug abuse, and seeing friends around him die from overdoses and suicide.

Unlike many others, Nielsen has escaped the homeless trap.

He’s been living in an apartment since May and is studying Danish at VUC Aarhus while working part-time as an electrician. He feels good about how far he’s come – having beaten both addiction and homelessness – but knows there are many others like him still struggling to start a new life.

Unprecedented level “IN SCANDINAVIA, we have not been used to seeing youth homelessness on such a large scale,” said Lars Benjaminsen, a senior researcher who is the author of VIVE’s homelessness reports.

NANCY PELLE

Young Danes are too often being failed by the system and disappearing down the cracks in society

VIVE’s 2017 homelessness survey counted about 2,300 homeless people aged 18-29 in Denmark, according to Benjaminsen. One out of every three homeless individuals in Denmark fell into the age category.

The report defines the homeless as individuals living on the streets, residing in temporary shelters, or couch-surfing with family and friends. This latter group makes up the largest proportion of young homeless people.

Root causes SO WHY has Denmark seen such a dramatic rise in youth homelessness over the past decade?

There’s been an increase in substance abuse and mental illness among young people in Denmark, most probably due to society becoming more competitive, claims Benjaminsen.

At the same time, welfare reforms over the past few decades have reduced social benefits for young people throughout many European countries, while affordable housing options have continued to dwindle.

As a result, there are more vulnerable youngsters falling into homelessness, he concludes.

Welfare failing them “YES, WE have a welfare system – but it’s not what it used to be,” contended Poul Struve Nielsen, the editor of Hus Forbi, a Copenhagen street newspaper sold by homeless and socially-excluded people.

The journalist believes that

Nancy Pelle looks after a homeless group in Aarhus

because it’s difficult to get help, many vulnerable youngsters try to avoid the public system.

“The social system is centred around getting young people to work, and it doesn’t focus as much on helping people with mental health or addictions – or with finding a home,” he said.

“Homeless people need help finding a place to live before they can be expected to find a job.”

Problem across Europe AND THESE societal and policy trends aren’t unique to Denmark.

For example, welfare cutbacks for young people have been common practice throughout western Europe with the aim of motivating young people to return to education or enter the workforce, according to Benjaminsen.

This works for a large part of the population, he claimed, but “the problem is that those with the most severe problems get squeezed”.

More targeted help BOTH BENJAMINSEN and Pelle stress the importance of providing more affordable housing to the vulnerable groups, finding ways to target welfare benefits for those who need them most, and increasing social support for people with mental illnesses and other issues.

With the Danish elections coming up in a few months, Pelle said her youth homeless group are particularly excited to make their voices heard and tell people what this issue is about.

“Almost every time I’m with these young homeless people I hear them say: ‘I want to contribute to society,’” she said.

Freddy Nielsen, the formerly homeless man from Aarhus who is also part of Pelle’s youth group, concluded: “You should not look down on homeless people, because becoming homeless is something that can happen to us all.”

18

EVENTS

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

15 - 28 March 2019

A Column of Fire Sat & Sun 15:00, until March 31; Bellevue Teatret, Strandvejen 451, Klampenborg; bellevueteatret.dk Following on from their success adapting Ken Follett’s historic bestsellers The Pillars of the Earth and World without End, Bellevue presents the third instalment, which is set in the 16th century.

The Danish-language show has English subtitles at the weekend – via the ‘thea dogood’ app. (MMC)

CPH: DOX March 20-31; various venues; cphdox.dk CPH: DOX is back with an ambitious program of 200 films, along with debates, conferences, concerts, art exhibitions, VR installations and parties. Some 110,000 guests attended in 2018, making DOX one of the world’s largest documentary film festivals. (VP)

Fokus Video Art Festival Feb 28-March 31; Copenhagen Cultural District & Nikolaj Kunsthal, Nikolaj Plads 10, Cph K; Wed free adm; 70kr; fokusfestival.dk This is not a traditional festival. Once again Fokus will lift video art out of its traditional setting at the gallery, displaying it at carefully selected city spots – both indoors and outdoors. (VP)

Totem Ongoing, ends March 31; Royal Copenhagen flagship store, Amagertorv 6, Cph K; free adm; royalcopenhagen.com Danish visual artist Cathrine Raben Davidsen presents her new solo exhibition. Her new body of work consists of ceramics, drawings, paintings and an animation film – all thematically inspired by prehistoric ceramics, animistic spirituality, and totemism. (VP)

Peter Holst Henckel ongoing, ends April 22; Gl Holtegaard, Attemosevej 170, Holte; gl-holtegaard.dk Under an aesthetically seductive surface of exotic palms, florid butterflies and scenic scenery, Danish artist Peter Holst Henckel presents photo and video works that comment on some of the major political, cultural and social issues of our time.

(VP)

Open My Glade ongoing, ends June 23; Louisiana Museum, Gl Strandvej 13, Humlebæk; louisiana.dk Pipilotti Rist is acclaimed for her exploration of the moving image, and this exhibition includes single-channel videos, large spatial video and audio installations, and video sculptures. (VP)

Copenhagen Bike Show March 16-17, 10:00; Oksnehallen, Halmtorvet 11, Cph V; 60kr; copenhagenbikeshow.dk Scandinavia’s largest bike fair will inhabit a 5,000 sqm will area as Danish and foreign exhibitors present news, travel possibilities and innovative products to all bicycle lovers. (VP)

Sauna Event March 16, 16:30-23:00; Sjaellandsgade Bad 12A, Cph N; 180kr; place2book.com Sauna Event once again invites you to a warm winter experience.

Enjoy mobile saunas, wilderness baths with other enthusiasts in a unique atmosphere under the open sky. (VP)

Designer Forum March 29-31; Bella Center, Center Boulevard 5, Cph S; ticket prices vary; designerforum.dk Check the website for VIP options – a chance to arrive early and take your pick of last season’s must-haves at a discount. The event also includes a wide range of cool brands for kids. (VP)

A World of Love Feb 9-Sep 8; Arken, Skovvej 100, Ishoj; 60kr; arken.dk Arken presents a vast, sensual exhibition featuring the Australian artist Patricia Piccinini’s wondrous universe of fabulous tales and creatures, which has been known to feature the odd mutated human. (VP)

6 Nations at the Globe Nørregade 43-45, Cph K; Feb 1-March 16; free adm Local tycoon and wannabe comedian Brian McKenna puts on a great party at The Globe for the 6 Nations. Shown on all nine screens, with every game shown, the place is always heaving. (PM)

Art Feb 20-March 23, Mon-Fri 20:00, Sat 17:00; Krudttonden, Serridslevvej 2, Cph Ø; that-theatre.com That Theatre is back with Art, an award-winning comedy about friendship directed by Ian Burns.

How would you feel if your best friend suddenly did something colossally stupid? (VP)

Phantom of the Opera ongoing, ends March 31; Det Ny Teater, Gammel Kongevej 29, Cph V; tickets: 209-748kr, detnyteater. dk; in Danish A historically huge production thanks to an equally large budget exploited to its full potential. It’s like entering an eye-popping gothic sweetshop. (MW)

Turandot ongoing, ends June 8; Operaen, Ekvipagemestervej 10, Cph K; 150925kr; 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)

Historiske Dage March 30-31, 10:00-18:00; Oksnehallen, Halmtorvet 11, Cph V; historiskedage.dk The Historical Days festival returns with a full schedule of experiences, lectures, debates and exhibitors, as storytellers, researchers and writers gather to help history come alive. (VP)

Into The World ongoing, ends April 28; Louisiana, Gl Strandvej 13, Humlebæk; louisiana.dk This new exhibition in the series ‘On Paper’ focuses on the graphic work of Dea Trier Mørch, a pioneering Danish feminist artist.

Most of the work has never been exhibited before. (VP)

The Watchers Of Malheur ongoing, ends May 12; Den Frie Centre of Contemporary Art, Oslo Plads, Cph Ø; denfrie.dk Søren Thilo Funder’s work combines reportage with speculative fiction. The overall focus is a mini coup at the HQ of Oregon’a Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in 2016 by local militia. (VP)

Improv Comedy CPH nights weekly shows Wed-Sat 20:00, stand-up Sun 20:00; Frederiksholm Kanal 2, Cph K; 100-125kr The Byens Bedste winner Improv Comedy Copenhagen offers a staggering five English-language shows a week. The pick right now is Murder of Crows, a film noir-inspired show.

Det Frie Felts Festival March 11-16; various venues in Cph; free adm; detfriefeltsfestival.dk Experimental forms of expression are given a chance to shine at participating venues that include A-Salen, KoncertKirken and Hofteatret. Among those are in action are CuntsCollective and CoreAct. (VP)

Marina Abramović ongoing, ends 2020; Royal Library Søren Kierkegaards Plads 1, Cph K; pre-booking necessary at kb.dk/en ‘Method for Treasure’, the Serbian artist’s new installation at the Black Diamond, allows visitors to become actors in her world of treasures. Experience an immersive installation. (MV)

Pub quizzes March 14 & 28, 19:30; The Globe, Nørregade 43, Cph K; 30kr, five per team / April 1, 19:30; Kennedy’s, Gammel Kongevej 23, Cph V; 25kr, four per team Don’t miss the quizzes at the Globe and Kennedy’s. The winners get 1,000 kroner at the Globe, and 800 at Kennedy’s.

Little Culture Night March 15, 16:00-21:00; various venues; 85kr; kulturnatten.dk Over the last 26 years, Culture Night in October has become Copenhagen’s largest annual cultural event, but now children are the target customer at this mini-me version. (VP)

Perfect Pose Exhibition Feb 28-June 16; New Carlsberg Glyptoteket, Dante’s Square 7, Cph V; 115kr; glyptoteket.dk Explore the body’s many expressions and find your perfect posture. Focusing on the Paris art scene (17891914), the exhibition includes France’s top sculptors. (VP)

Baywatch at CPH:DOX March 29, Bremen Teater, Nyropsgade 39-41, Cph K; 90kr; cphdox.dk When the Berlin Wall fell, the philosopher Screko Horvat was in exile and Pamela Anderson was on the cover of Playboy. And now they’re coming to Denmark to discuss their views on the current crises in Europe. (MMC)

Floor Wars March 23, 19:00; Vega, Enghavevej 40; 185kr, floorwars.dk Floor Wars mainly consists of three vs three breakdance/b-boying battles. Inspiring to both newbies and professionals on the breakdancing scene, it’s a great event at which to network and exchange ideas. (VP)

CPH Circus Arts Festival March 25-31; Dansehallerne, Regnbuepladsen 7, Cph V; dansehallerne.dk Forget about the clowns and horses and give into the pleasue of these new circus acts. (VP)

Vintage Kilo Sale March 16, 11:00-18:00; Norrebrohallen, Cph N; 22kr Source leather, denim, wool and silk at Germany’s biggest Vintage Kilo Sale whilst listening to awesome live music. (VP)

Mojitos & Burritos March 21, 14:00-02:00; Gensyn, Rolighedsvej 20, Frederiksberg In celebration of Gensyn’s second birthday, enjoy delicious mojitos or juicy burritos – all for great prices.

Cph Film Festival March 15-16; Huset Biograf, Rådhusstræde 13, Cph K; free adm; huset-kbh.dk In support of independent films, the two-day event includes screenings and awards. (VP)

People in the Space starts Jan 25; DGI-Byen, Tietgensgade 65, Cph V; dgi-byen.dk Four young Copenhagen-based photographers take you on a visual journey through time and space. (VP)

ON SCREENS

15 - 28 March 2019

Vampires who suck blood, balls and ideas BEN HAMILTON

I

N 2012, when Xinxin Ren Gudbjörnsson, a Chinese expat living in Denmark, told experts about her idea to spend just 600 kroner on producing a sitcom about vampires sharing a house, the reaction wasn’t good – and it wasn’t just because everyone was sick of shows about blood-sucking layabouts who were born in 1672 and had never thought to use their 99 percent immortality to help humanity in the slightest possible way. Or because it generally sucked both blood and balls.

“Can’t be done,” they said. She promptly spent her budget on a website and two pairs of fake vampire teeth. The rest, like the show after one season, was history.

Those experts probably choked on their garlic bread two years later when the same concept made it onto the big screen on the other side of the world as What we do in the shadows, this time as a mockumentary with Jemaine Clement from Flight of the Conchords on board.

Given how hackneyed mockumentaries and vampires had become, it was the most unoriginal idea ever, so it’s unlikely they nicked it. Nevertheless, Gudbjörnsson did tempt fate by saying she hoped they would get a global audience. She was right about one thing. “People are pretty busy and shouldn’t have to adapt their schedules to fit TV in,” she told CPH POST in 2012. “Online channels are the future.”

Dumbo’s priceless ivory WITH 81 on Metacritic, the TV adaptation of What we do in the shadows (from March 28 on HBO Nordic) has scored five points more then the original, but try setting that target for the makers of the live-action version of Dumbo (Not Released Worldwide; March 28) – the Disney original scored a jaw-dropping 96.

Reuniting Michael Keaton and Danny DeVito for the first time since … ah, should we really be encouraging this schmaltz at the expense of original films queuing up to be made? What are live action versions of The Jungle Book really bringing to the table, other than merchandising possibilities small African countries can only dream of? Resurrecting ‘Big Ears’ is the ultimate elephants’ graveyard.

Talking of cashcows, horror is back in favour, as audiences tend to want their thrills restricted to 90 minutes, not spread over nine seasons, and we’ve got two coming our way this fortnight.

From Jordan Peele, the director of Get Out, comes Us (82 on Metacritic; March 21), a film in which a family are terrorised by an all-too familiar foe: themselves!

While Cutterhead (NRW; March 21) is set deep in the bowels of the ongoing Copenhagen Metro construction, and most of the dialogue appears to be in English, albeit it with a strong Polish accent.

Claustrophobia alert – it might put you off enclosed spaces for life (and in death).

Hail the modern queens WILL Mary Queen of Scots (60; March 14) spell the end for period dramas when it fails because it’s aimed at people who hate them.

It treads familiar steps with anachronistic dialogue, costumes and pro-diversity casting decisions.

Debutant director Josie Rourke was adamant that “she would not direct an all-white period drama” – which is ballsy talk when you’ve never made a feature film before.

The result is “history porn for the Instagram generation”, according to the Telegraph, although it has got lots of best costume, make-up and hairdressing nominations.

Don’t tell Rourke, but they’ve made a film about a band in the 1980s and not found room for a black or Asian actor in one of the leads! And to make it worse, they’ve chosen a couple of Brits: Douglas Booth (that smooth bastard in The Riot Club) and Iwan Rheon (that total bastard in Game of Thrones) to play two of Mötley Crüe’s founder members in The Dirt (NRW; Netflix from March 22).

The Brit invasion continues with Charlie Hunnam – he can’t do London accents, but he’s okay in LA – who is teaming up with Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac and Pedro Pascal (Narcos) for Triple Frontier (62; Netflix on March 13) a thinking man’s answer to The Expendables.

And finally The Highwaymen (NRW; Netflix on March 29) is a welcome spin on the Bonnie and

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“We thought this undead lark was original, but ‘After Life’ beat us to it”

Clyde story that tells it from the perspective of the Texas Rangers (Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelsen) who killed them.

Creepier than Carrie’s mom RETURNING to TV land, the pick of the fortnight has to be The Act (March 21 on HBO Nordic series), a limited series depicting the harrowing case of Gypsy Blanchard, a teenager whose mother had Munchausen syndrome – the rare condition in which a carer claims her patient has non-existent diseases. Playing her mother, Patricia Arquette (on a roll after Escape at Dannemora) is reminiscent of Piper Laurie in the original Carrie – and we know what happened to her! Who said horror couldn’t work over a long prolonged period …

Elsewhere on HBO Nordic, we’ve got new seasons of AP Bio (S2, March 8), No Offence (S3, March 13), The Good Fight (S3, March 14), Billions (S4, March 18), Pretty Little Liars (spinoff, March 21), Knightfall (S2,

March 26) and Gomorrah (S4, March 30).

Netflix is no different with hundreds of them returning: Arrested Development (S5B, March 15), Queer Eye (S3, March 15), Santa Clara Diet (S3, March 29) and Luther (S5, March 31).

The latter means it is a busy moth for Idris Elba, who is fronting the silly looking Turn up Charlie (March 15 on Netflix), in which he plays an accidental male nanny who want to be a DJ. If his talents are being wasted, Ricky Gervais will know how he feels, although he only has himself to blame, as he writes and directs After Life (63; on Netflix since March 8), a show mostly bereft of both situation and comedy, which is mostly dead on arrival.

He was the king of the mockumentary long before anyone thought of doing it with vampires, but the longer his barren patch continues, the more we suspect he was a mere leech on Stephen Merchant’s extremely long neck.

SOUTH AFRICA In April experience 13 hand-picked classics and new film hits from South Africa. Join us for talks and debates about the country’s present and past.

South African specialties in Restaurant SULT. 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

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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KRUDTTØNDEN MAY 15TH 2019 - JUNE 1ST 2019 TICKETS: 4053 4949 TEATERBILLETTER.DK BILLETLUGEN.DK

13/03/19 11.09