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DANISH NEWS IN ENGLISH VOL 25 ISSUE 02

CPHPOST.DK 4 - 24 February 2022

FEATURE Danes waking up to global education on their doorstep

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INTERNATIONAL

Sorry state of affairs Danish-born, but stuck in the ‘Other Passports’ queue

FREEDOM!

5 SPORT Why Nadia Nadim might ask you for a yellow card!

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BUSINESS

Talk about gas on the fire Count yourself lucky if your energy bill hasn’t soared

10 PRINT VERSION ISSN: ONLINE VERSION ISSN:

2446-0184 2446-0192

Malik quite brutish

Fighting talk

Big beef at supermarket

Has corona peaked?

INSURANCE companies Tryg and Topdanmark are processing 4,000 claims in relation to damage caused by Storm Malik, which hit Denmark last weekend with gusts of up to 42 m/s, which is just short of a Category 2 hurricane. At one point, wind-derived electricity cost 0.1 kroner per hour – down from 1.37.

THERE was fighting talk on Monday when the state outlined its new foreign and security strategy – very much in line with its determination to help Ukraine prevent a Russian invasion.

“Fighting for peace has a price,” said the foreign minister, Jeppe Kofod. “But it is nothing compared to the cost of not fighting.”

A 39-YEAR-OLD man is in custody, accused of firing a shotgun twice at a Føtex store on Amagerbrogade in Copenhagen, injuring two people and himself. None of the injuries are critical. He was confronted on Sunday night trying to leave the store with three packets of stolen meat.

CORONA has peaked in most urban areas, according to Tyra Grove Krause from Statens Serum Institut. Rates among school children in the capital and Region Zealand started coming down last week, she claims. However, infection rates in the regions are expected to rise – and also among the elderly.

Cargo bike concerns

No more interviewee ages

Warmer than usual January Afghans at large

THE SIKKERHEDSSTYRELSEN safety authority has said more legislation is needed for cargo bikes. Since the advent of electric options, the bicycles have got a lot faster, but there are concerns over their braking capability. Meanwhile, the EU is expected to announce legislation of its own, but not until 2023.

THE WOMEN’S magazine ALT for Damerne has confirmed it will no longer publish the age of its interviewees. Up until this week’s issue, it has been standard practice to include the age in a factbox, but this will cease. “Age should not be a stamp, and it is an inappropriate basis of comparison,” it explained.

LAST MONTH was the seventh warmest January registered since records began in 1873. The average daily temperature was nearly 2.5 degrees warmer than normal – more like March than January, according to national meteorologists DMI. There was 20 percent less rain and 10 percent more sunshine.

MUNICIPALITIES all over Denmark have started receiving the 900 Afghan refugees who fled Kabul in August. Since then they have been housed in asylum centres, but they will now be relocated in various municipalities, starting with 245 on Tuesday.

The refugees have all been given a two-year residence permit.

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THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

Among the world’s healthiest cities

ONLINE THIS WEEK AROUND 100 boats assembled on January 15 to demonstrate against the construction of the man-made island Lynetteholm in Copenhagen Harbour – specifically plans to transport untold amounts of sludge from the proposed site and dump it in Køge Bay. The first sods of Lynetteholm were ceremoniously dug a few days later.

Mental tormentation A CITY court prison sentence handed out to a man who subjected his girlfriend to psychological violence has been upheld by the Eastern High Court. Such a prosecution has only been possible since a change to the penal code in 2019. The man got four months in prison.

No birthday for Mary

Corona hits paedogogues THE PARENTS group Københavns Forældre Organisation has expressed concern at the large number of daycare workers currently off work with corona. At many city institutions, there are not enough adults to take care of the children.

Copenhagen comes third in ranking topped by Vienna CHRISTIAN WENANDE

A

CCORDING to the 2022 Healthy Lifestyle Cities Report, Copenhagen is among the top cities in the world to lead a healthy and happy lifestyle.

Taking metrics such as obesity levels, life expectancy, sunshine hours, air & water quality and the average annual working week into account, the Danish capital finished third in rankings compiled by lenstore.co.uk.

Short week, clean air “COPENHAGEN boasts the third lowest annual working hours, only behind Frankfurt and Berlin, with

Among the top dogs for health

1,346 hours worked each year (25.8 hours/week),” praised the report.

Breathing clean air also comes easy in Copenhagen as it has the fifth lowest pollution index of any city analysed – the perfect place for any outdoor exercise.”

Big, bad apple VIENNA topped the list ahead

of Dubai, Copenhagen, Frankfurt and Amsterdam, while Helsinki, Berlin, Stockholm, Fukuoka and Geneva completed the top 10.

The US had four cities in the bottom 10. New York was bottom, preceded by Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Moscow, Mexico City, London, Washington DC, Shanghai, Chicago and Boston.

Turning Japanese: we really dig rolls!

Outside Japan, Denmark ranks second and Copenhagen sixth for their love of sushi CHRISTIAN WENANDE

N

ORDIC cuisine has soared to the top of many global gastronomic rankings in recent years, thanks to the likes of Noma and Geranium.

However, another food revolution has gripped Denmark over the past decade or so – and it isn’t Nordic at all.

The Vapors would be proud.

Crazy for sushi ACCORDING to food magazine Chef’s Pencil, Denmark and its capital are among the world's

ONLINE THIS WEEK

Flexjob failings ELEVEN of the 20 worst performing municipalities for flexjob-approved workers – individuals only capable of working 20 hours a week, whose salaries employers only have to pay half of – are in the Capital Region.

In Copenhagen, 21.6 percent are unemployed, and in Glostrup, 22.7. Nationwide, 15,000 flexjob-approved workers are unemployed.

Nightlife proposal KONSERVATIVE would like to see all nightlife in the capital relocated to areas where there are minimal residencies, but is concerned that City Hall’s new restaurant and nightlife plan won’t result in much change.

Street food for Fisketorvet PIXABAY

PLANS to celebrate Crown Princess Mary's 50th birthday on February 5 have been cancelled due to corona. Nevertheless, a new enclosure called ‘Mary's Australian Garden’ opened on Tuesday at Copenhagen Zoo, and a day later, the ‘Crown Princess Mary 1972-2022’ exhibition began at the National History Museum at Frederiksborg Castle.

• PHOTOPOP – VISITAARHUS

Not your landfill!

Editorial offices: Holbergsgade 24 kld 1057 Copenhagen Denmark

4 - 24 February 2022

THE FISKETORVET shopping centre is building padel courts on its roof in co-operation with Heylo Padel, which could be ready in the spring. It also has plans for a 6,500 sqm food universe in the area already inhabited by restaurants, which is expected to open in 2023. It will include a street food venue.

Green light for flood defence Juicy sushi everywhere you look

most sushi-crazed places.

Using Google Trends data, it ranked Denmark 79 out of 100 – third overall behind Japan (100) and Ukraine (87).

Arigatōgozaimasu!

OUTSIDE Japan, Copenhagen only trailed Vancouver, Novosibirsk and Ukrainian cit-

Founded in 1998

by San Shepherd All rights reserved Published by cphpost.dk ApS. Printed by Dansk Avistryk A/S

ies Odessa, Kharkiv and Kiev.

Minsk, Gothenburg, Stockholm and Oslo completed the top ten.

Since the first sushi joint opened in Copenhagen in the 1980s, the popularity has soared to the extent there are over 100 in Denmark.

Chef ’s Pencil had just one complaint: “It’s very expensive.”

WORK ON Svanemøllen Skybrudstunnel, an enormous cloudburst tunnel that will protect half of Copenhagen from flooding, will begin in 2024 with a view to opening in 2030. It will stretch from Frederiksberg, Gladsaxe and Gentofte to Nordhavn and be big enough to hold an amount of water equivalent to 15 Round Towers.

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4 - 24 February 2022

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FEATURE

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

4 - 24 February 2022

Global education on your doorstop: the loophole in the Danish school system

MRUTYUANJAI MISHRA

T

HREE YEARS ago, a report released by the economic and political think-tank Arbejderbevægelsens Erhvervsråd (AE) concluded that the education sector was witnessing a gradual migration of pupils from public to private schools most particularly international schools.

And it would appear to be born out by the waiting lists, as the majority of international schools in Hellerup, the hotbed of international schools in Denmark, have them.

Nearly one in five THE AE report concludes that an increasing number of children in Denmark have been attending privately-funded friskoler since 2009.

In 2019, 18 percent of pupils in the first grade attended private schools, compared to just 13 percent in 2009. An increase of 5 percentage points was also experienced among pupils attending private schools in the 8th grade.

The overall conclusions were crystal clear. Children from the higher and middle income groups in Denmark are increasingly attending private schools, and this has been detrimental to the operational efficiency of every fifth public school.

The figures are backed up by 2017 data from Danmarks

FACEBOOK/CIS

Both affordable and superior, more Danes are waking up to the benefits of sending their children to an international school

Statistik, which calculated that there are around 550 friskoler in Denmark catering to 110,000 pupils nationwide – some 17 percent of the school-going population.

In the same year, the current government party Socialdemokratiet, back when it led the opposition, identified friskoler as a serious opponent of integration and said it would like to see their funding cut.

Friskoler have a reputation for being Muslim, but in reality there are only 26 such schools, of which 10 are in Copenhagen, catering to around 5,000 students.

Cheapest in Europe DISCRETIONARY income has been growing quickly among the higher and middle income groups over the last two decades, but yet private schools are incredibly cheap.

Thanks to generous support from the state, which pays 73 percent of all their costs, Copenhagen has some of the cheapest international schools in the world, according to the latest International Schools Database (ISD) report.

The report assessed the situation in 29 cities in 19 European countries, and Copenhagen was the cheapest.

The median average annual fee payable at its international schools is 30,200 kroner. The cheapest was 25,000 kroner and the most expensive, Copenhagen International School (CIS), was 133,750.

“In Denmark both public

The likes of Copenhagen International School are an absolute bargain

and private schools (which includes international schools) are all heavily subsidised by the government. This may explain why education is so affordable – comparatively speaking – in a country with a reputation for a high cost of living,” explained the ISD report.

Small classes, big prospects THE PUBLIC schools have historically laid the foundation of an egalitarian society like Denmark, and its population willingly pays higher taxes than most other countries in the world to sustain and maintain a decent standard of living for as many people as possible.

Danish tax payers have funded an expensive public school system, but there are increasing concerns among parents that it is not able to live up to their expectations for their children in an

increasingly globalised society.

Parents are able to see which schools perform well in the final exams at the end of the ninth grade and decipher which schools cater best to the social well-being of their pupils, but is this enough given the huge class sizes at most schools?

At international schools, the class sizes are considerably smaller, often tripling the amount of individual attention for each pupil, and the academic outlook is more global.

International parents, meanwhile, can often feel alienated by the strong focus on Danish culture – particularly if they have limited Danish language skills.

The dismissal of all multicultural values is a turn-off.

FACEBOOK/RYGGARDS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF HELLERUP

A global education JUST TO spell that out, this means that parents of the cheapest school are paying 25,000 kroner for an education that is actually worth 92,500 kroner, and that CIS parents are paying 133,750 for an education worth 581,500 kroner.

In comparison, the annual school fees at Eton College are 433,000 kroner, although the actual value might be considerably higher.

Nevertheless, by regarding CIS as an outlier – a statistical anomaly – and calculating the results based on median averages not mean averages, the ISD report was able to conclude that Copenhagen is the cheapest in Europe.

And it would appear Danes are waking up to the huge potential of international schools, where for a comparatively small amount they can obtain a pri-

vate education for their children, greatly enhancing their chances of obtaining admission to an Ivy League or Oxbridge university in the process.

INTERNATIONAL

4 - 24 February 2022

ONLINE THIS WEEK

THE CLIMATE and Energy Ministry has entered into a co-operation with the US state of Virginia regarding the planned establishment of the world’s biggest offshore wind farm. The 2.6 gigawatt project has a 2026 completion date.

Pirate to be tried here A SUSPECTED pirate from the Gulf of Guinea is being extradited to Denmark to stand trial. He is charged with attempted manslaughter after a firefight involving the Danish frigate Esben Snare in November. Three others were ‘released at sea’. In related news, there were 57 kidnappings involving merchant seamen in the Gulf of Guinea last year – down from 130 in 2020.

Face of ministry to leave LARS GERT Lose, a long serving employee of the Foreign Ministry who was the Danish ambassador to the US from 2015-19, has resigned as head of department to take on a role at Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners.

Still the least corrupt DENMARK shares first place in the annual corruption index published by Transparency International. Denmark, New Zealand and Finland all scored 88/100. The index is based on surveys conducted with business leaders and experts regarding how corrupt they perceive a country’s public sector to be.

Pulled out of Mali THE DANISH government last week withdrew its troops from Mali following accusations from the Malian military government that they were present without legal grounds or consent. The deployment consisted of 90 soldiers and a team of surgeons as part of the French-led Takuba Task Force tackling terrorism in the west African country.

ONLINE THIS WEEK CHRISTIAN WENANDE

Huge deal with Virginia

Something rotten in this statelessness Birthplace irrelevant if their parents have not taken root in Denmark, contends far right parties LENA HUNTER

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N INCREASING number of people in Denmark have a so-called ‘Alien’s Passport’ recognising them as "stateless" because they can neither get a Danish passport, nor are eligible for a foreign one, reports DR. While this is the case for many refugees and their reunified family members, tight Danish legislation means their children, born in Denmark, are too.

Many Danes affected ZANIAB Al-Ubboody, 22, was born in Viborg and went to school in Nivå and Helsingør, but rather than the usual red Danish passport, she has a grey ‘Fremmedpas’.

“I feel ashamed when I stand in line at the airport. Why do I have to have an Alien’s Passport when I was born here and my Danish friends have a red passport? It affects me a lot,” she told DR. Between 2012 and 2014, some 8,000 to 9,000 people a year were issued an Alien’s Passport. In recent years, the figure has risen to around 14,000 annually, according to documents from the Danish Immigration Service.

The increase reflects a rise in foreign asylum-seekers, but also how it has become more difficult to become a Danish citizen thanks to amendments to the Citizenship Law, explains Jesper Lindholm, a professor at the

More elusive than you might imagine for the Danish-born

Department of Law at Aalborg University.

Opposition on the right FAR RIGHT parties support the measures in place.

“They are foreigners if their parents have not taken root in Denmark and do not have a right to be here. Denmark is not their home and cannot be. They have to go home to the country where their parents are from, even if they aren’t familiar with it,” contends Dansk Folkeparti spokesperson Marie Krarup.

“Denmark throws around far too much citizenship. It should be for the very, very few,” added Ny Borgerlige spokesperson Mette Thiesen.

But Enhedslisten does not.

"Alien’s Passports are an eternal reminder that you are not a full member of society," warns its spokesperson Peder Hvelplund.

stonewalled a proposal by Radikale that would have made it easier for young people born and raised in Denmark to become citizens.

“We previously had more lenient rules where people who did not speak Danish got citizenship.

It’s good we have tightened the rules,” said Tesfaye.

Minister won’t budge CLAIMING to understand the frustration, the immigration and integration minister, Mattias Tesfaye, said: “If you were born and raised in Denmark and are active in society, then I also think that you should become a Danish citizen.”

But in 2021, he and incumbent party Socialdemokratiet

A lengthy process MANY YOUNG people can expect to wait until their late 20s to become Danish citizens, according to Kristian Kriegbaum Jensen, a professor specialising in politics and administration at Aalborg University.

On average, a citizenship application took 16 months in 2020. Applicants need to pass a written test and be approved via a constitutional ceremony in their municipality.

Still, according to many rightwing voices in Parliament, it’s too lenient.

“We wanted the rules tightened even more, and a limit imposed on how many non-European and Nordic citizens can get a Danish passport every year,” said Marcus Knuth of Konservative, who encourages young people with Alien’s Passports to be grateful and to “stop complaining”.

Fehmarn work halted

New US ambassador

Funds to arm Ukraine

THE Bundesverwaltungsgericht court in Leipzig has called a halt to underwater excavation work at the German end of the Fehmarn Link following a complaint by a citizens’ group that serious damage could be sustained by reefs. A decision is expected in three months’ time.

PRESIDENT Joe Biden has named Alan Leventhal as the new US ambassador to Denmark. The 69-year-old, a major donor to Biden’s 2020 campaign, is the chair and CEO of Beacon Capital Partners, a leading US office property management firm.

THE GOVERNMENT has donated 164 million kroner to help Ukraine boost its defence capability in its border region with Russia. It is believed Russia has massed 100,000 forces on its border with Ukraine. The world is watching to see what happens.

5

Admirer of Denmark RIGHT-WING French presidential candidate Eric Zemmour, 63, who favours anti-Islamic and immigration rhetoric and is known as the ‘Donald Trump of France’, idolises Denmark, apparently. “Unlike in France, the left in Denmark have not abandoned their people,” he told DR. The French presidential election is in November.

Amount limit request THE BLUE bloc has confirmed it would like the 'amount limit' – the salary that all non-EU recruits must mandatorily be paid – decreased from 445,000 to 360,000 kroner, providing Muslim countries in North Africa and the Middle East are not included. The government favours lowering the amount to 370,000.

Great for gap years DENMARK is the tenth best gap year destination in the world, according to a Bounce ranking that assessed safety, hostels, beer prices and attractions. The Netherlands, Ireland, Switzerland, Greece and Japan comprised the top five.

Skiers in big crash SEVERAL vehicles carrying around 200 Danish skiing tourists were involved in a huge accident in Norway on January 13. Nobody was injured in the pile-up in Gol Municipality, which involved two lorries, three coaches and a minibus.

Looking outside the EU MATTIAS Tesfaye, the immigration and integration minister, remains hopeful that Denmark can find a partner outside the EU to look after its asylum-seekers.

Hailed by NY Times THY IN North Jutland has been named the 27th best climate-friendly place to visit in the world by the New York Times.

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COVER

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

ONLINE THIS WEEK

SOME 6,281 people changed their first names in 2021. Twothirds were women. Every tenth person took a new first name that didn’t previously exist in Ankestyrelsen’s approved name database. Just over 40,000 people changed their last names in 2021. The most common names are Kirsten Jensen (647), Kirsten Nielsen (630) and Henrik Nielsen (601).

Intelligence head jailed THE HEAD of Danish military intelligence, Lars Findsen, has been jailed, charged with leaking classified material. He is one of four current and former intelligence workers arrested

by Danish police in December.

Findsen has told TV2 that the charges brought against him are “insane,” and that he’s pleading not guilty.

Morten M in charge MORTEN Messerschmidt is the new leader of Dansk Folkeparti after beating Martin Henriksen and Merete Dea Larsen in a contest on January 23. Since his victory, around 2,000 people have joined the party, and no more than 100 have left. In related news, disgraced minister Inger Støjberg has accepted a job to become a columnist for Ekstra Bladet.

Prison for PIN thief A 24-YEAR-OLD Romanian man has been sent to prison for 15 months for stealing 250,000 kroner from mostly elderly women between 2016 and 2018. He observed their PINs and stole their cards whilst they were shopping. In related news, two men got two and five years for chopping off a man’s finger with an axe.

Baby pillow concerns THE BOPPY Model Hug & Nest, a pillow/mini mattress designed for babies, has been recalled from shelves due to a risk of suffocation.

Au revoir restrictions, hello herd immunity!

PIXABAY

New first names

4 - 24 February 2022

Infection numbers have been high, but the hospitalisation rate is low, reasons government

S

INCE FEBRUARY 1, there have been virtually no corona restrictions in Denmark.

Efforts will continue to be made to protect vulnerable people – for example, in nursing homes and hospitals – but all facemask and corona pass requirements will be dropped. Certain travel measures will remain in place until the end of February.

More compensation HOWEVER, the government will continue to cover corona-stricken companies’ salaries for another two weeks: up until February 15.

“Industries continue to face restrictions and are having a hard time,” commented the employment minister, Peter Hummelgaard.

Beginning to resemble a city again

that the Omicron variant is much milder than previous strains, so far fewer people are getting seriously ill.

High numbers, but …

RECENT daily infection numbers have been huge – a record 57,305 were declared positive on January 24 – and at one point the Faroes, Denmark and Greenland had the first, fifth and sixth highest rates in the world.

However, Denmark also has one of the world’s highest testing rates, if not the highest, so its 5,320 cases per million is probably a long way off the top ten in reality.

tion rate, and so far there has been no cause for alarm. Intensive care numbers have also been way down compared to January 2021.

Firstly, the hospital numbers have never exceeded what is perceived to be the maximum the healthcare system can cope with. Secondly, close to 40 percent were admitted for reasons other than corona.

Not admitted for corona SINCE the advent of Omicron, the government has been more concerned with the hospitalisa-

Few lasting effects FAR FEWER people are experiencing long-lasting effects after recovering from the Omicron variant, compared to Delta.

Only 1 percent of Omicron patients can expect to have later consequences, compared to 10 percent of those who had the Delta. (CPH POST)

Accident footage warning

Campsite failings

Backing for parent bill

THE POLICE have appealed to the public to not film accident scenes after several motorists were sighted with their phones fixed on the carnage that left somebody dead on Funen Motorway recently. It is illegal to share such footage.

AN INSPECTION of campsites over the summer reveals that the owners of at least 80 should take action to make sure their electrical installations are in good working order. Safety is not being prioritised, claim the authorities.

A CITIZENS' proposal to grant same-sex fathers equal rights to those of same-sex mothers has received over 65,000 signatures in just two days, qualifying it for debate in Parliament. Currently, a child’s birth certificate can list two mothers, but not two fathers.

Hospital staff pay rise

Removed from dictionary

Consent Act has won

THE REGION of Southern Denmark intends to give 4,500 hospital employees a salary increase after finding 70 million kroner from within its budget.

In related news, Dansk Regioner rejects PM Mette Frederiksen’s New Year claim that now is not the right time for major healthcare reforms, as the country’s growing elderly population makes it more urgent than ever.

ACCORDING to the Danish Language Board, some 3,581 words were removed from the Danish Spelling Dictionary between 1986 and 2012. Søren Espersen from Dansk Folkeparti recently raised concerns with the culture minister, Ane Halsboe-Jørgensen, prompting Journalisten to publish all the deleted words. Many have been replaced with English words.

THE NUMBER of reported rapes increased from 1,392 to 2,110 – a rise attributed to the Consent Act, which came into force in January 2021. Being passive no longer means consent, according to the law. Some 79.5 percent of the reports resulted in a charge – up from 77.4 percent in 2020. "The Consent Act has won,” GO Sex og Samfund head Lene Stavngaard told media.

Much milder STATENS Serum Institut reasons that Denmark is hurtling towards herd immunity thanks to a cocktail of widespread infection and high vaccination frequency.

The experts on the Epidemic Commission, meanwhile, contend

ONLINE THIS WEEK Banned themselves THERE are currently 30,451 names on ROFUS – a register for problem gamblers to voluntarily join, which bans them from placing a bet. Created in 2012, the same year in which Danish gambling laws were liberalised, it has attracted 4,000 registrations annually since 2016. Some 76 percent are men, and 26 percent are men aged 20-29.

School shooting trial A VERDICT was due on February 3 in the case of a 27-year-old man accused of planning school shootings. Charged with attempted manslaughter in Aalborg Court, he maintained that a manifesto detailing his plans was something he stopped pursuing in 2018 and that all subsequent online threats were mere bravado.

Anti-Semitism action THE GOVERNMENT last week presented 15 initiatives to tackle anti-Semitism. The primary focus is education. The teaching of the Holocaust in schools, as well as Danish-Jewish cultural history, will be compulsory learning for children. The efforts will be funded, as will exhibitions and events at cultural centres like the Danish Jewish Museum.

Road sign changes THE GOVERNMENT is spending millions of kroner on raising the white road-signs at the limits of every town and city to a minimum height of one and a half metres above the ground before August 2022. The rules are the result of a 10-year-old executive order and, so far, 220 city signs have been replaced.

Vegan head kicked out HENRIK Vindfeldt, the co-founder of Veganpartiet has been thrown out of the party following some degrading and abusive behaviour – of a non-sexual nature. Two years ago, the party secured the necessary 20,000 endorsements to contest the next general election.

SCIENCE

4 - 24 February 2022

ONLINE THIS WEEK

AT THE end of 2021, there were 66,600 electric cars and 77,900 plug-in hybrids – up from 31,900 and 29,700 at the end of 2020 – accounting for 5.2 percent of the 2.79 million cars on Danish roads.

Meanwhile, the Transport Ministry reports that the number of public access electric car charging points increased by 68 percent to 4,828 last year.

DNA vacuuming RESEARCHERS from the University of Copenhagen have invented a method of ‘vacuuming’ animal DNA from the air.

The process was tested at Copenhagen Zoo, where 49 different animals were detected in the taken samples.

Flood risk rising ACCORDING to DMI, rising sea levels could cause parts of Denmark to flood up to 120 times a year by the end of the century. The southern regions of the Kattegat and the vicinity of Lillebæltsbroen are most at risk.

Toxins found in food A BATCH of Golden Foods ginger powder has been recalled due to abnormally high toxin levels, while PFOS – another harmful toxin that can affect the liver, immune system and be carcinogenic – has been detected among beef sourced from Vandcenter Syd in Funen.

Chlamydia still raging HISTORIC chlamydia case numbers suggest that corona did little to stop the spread of the STD. Among the 15-29 age bracket in 2020, there were 29,443 cases – up from 28,208 in 2018. The age group accounts for 85 percent of all cases. Kolding, Vejle, Aalborg and Randers have the highest rates.

Future food fundings FERMHUB Zealand has received 10 million kroner from Energiselskabet Andel to create a growth environment for startup companies within industrial biofermentation. It should lead to the creation of more fermented algae, yeast cells and fungi – the food of the future!

Resuscitation opt-out A PROPOSED governmental bill could soon permit over-60s to opt out of being resuscitated in the case of a cardiac arrest.

It will just be a case of ticking a box at Sundhed.dk.

THERE have been no applications to breed mink once the ban is lifted next year. Uncertainty has reigned in the profession, which was effectively closed down in November 2020 when the government decided to cull all 17 million mink in Denmark and ban further breeding.

Perils of living alone MEN HAVE a higher risk of developing inflammation than women if they split up with their partners or live alone for many years, according to University of Copenhagen research. More than a million people in Denmark live alone.

Spin-out capability boost THE UNIVERSITY of Copenhagen has launched a new joint stock company in a bid to improve monetising its research activities – also known as spinouts. The company, UCPH Ventures, will co-invest in university spin-outs and help see them through the early phases of entrepreneurship.

Special grieving areas SPECIAL areas will be set aside at Herlev and Hvidovre Hospitals to help families who have lost a child during birth to grieve in private. The initiative is one of several made possible by 20 million kroner of funds for the maternity wards.

Kidney record LAST YEAR, 108 people received a new kidney at Rigshospitalet – the highest number since its first transplant in 1968.

However, only 17 came from living donors – a comparatively low number due to corona. At the end of 2021, there were 187 people waiting for a kidney via the hospital.

E coli investigation STATENS Serum Institut is investigating an E coli outbreak that has made at least 13 people ill, including three children. It causes severe diarrhoea and kidney failure.

All three children developed acute renal failure. The source remains unknown.

Leaky valve operation AARHUS University Hospital has become the first in Denmark to perform treatment on a patient with a leaky heart valve (tricuspid insufficiency). The new treatment involves reducing a leak in the valve located between the middle right atrium and the right ventricle using a band that was led into the heart via a vein in the groin.

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Public’s mental health worsening

PIXABAY

Electric car surge

No mink applications

Health authority launches decade-long initiative to tackle growing problem CHRISTIAN WENANDE

A

CCORDING to new figures from the OECD, every second person in Denmark will be encumbered by a psychological issue at some point in their lives.

Currently around 10 percent struggle with mental health issues on a daily basis.

According to the Sundhedsstyrelsen health authority, mental health issues account for 25 percent of all illnesses in Denmark and 25 percent of children and young people aged 16-24 are struggling.

The average life expectancy for people with mental health illness is 15-20 years shorter than the norm.

Time for action THE INCREASING problem has become a financial burden as well, costing society 110 billion kroner annually.

The figures have spurred the Sundhedsstyrelsen into action.

“We face a massive task that requires

Once rooted, it's hard to shake off

a long-term strategic lift over many years,” said Sundhedsstyrelsen deputy head Helene Probst.

“If we are to succeed, we need to move away from temporary projects and embrace long-term development with a clear and uniform framework.”

Lower life expectancy SUNDHEDSSTYRELSEN’S prioritisation report has 37 recommendations relating to improving the situation over the next ten years.

Now it is up to the government to use the report as a tool to produce a new law proposal.

GREAT DANES IN THE GOLDEN AGE

Four Wednesday evenings exploring the lives, thoughts, and songs of Hans Christian Andersen, Søren Kierkegaard, and N. F. S. Grundtvig.

CHRISTIANS KIRKE, STRANDGADE 1, COPENHAGEN SPRING 2022

February 23rd, 6 p.m. - 9.30 p.m.

N.F.S. Grundtvig - by Ph.D., Dr., Sune Auken No other figure is so closely associated with the idea of Danishness as theologist, pastor, and psalm writer Nicolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig.

The presentation describes his strange path from an outcast in the Danish cultural landscape to a symbol of Danishness. Join us in exploring the theology, thoughts and ideas of N.F.S. Grundtvig, introduced by Ph.D., Dr., Sune Auken.

Programme: Presentation by Sune Auken Group discussion. Moderator: Rev. Christians Kirke, Pia Søltoft.

Light treatment of tapas and wine and open talk on shared thoughts and reflections.

Price: 60 kr.

Read more and registrate your attendance at www.christianskirke.dk

Credits Grundtvig: Painting by Christian Albrecht Jensen Sune Auken: Johanne Elisa Fjordside

8

SPORT

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ONLINE THIS WEEK

Doctor Nadia Nadim, I presume ...

ONLINE THIS WEEK @NADI9NADIM

Tauson a tower

4 - 24 February 2022

CLARA Tauson emphatically defeated Anett Kontaveit, the Estonian world number seven, in the second round of the Australian Open, but then lost in three sets to Danielle Collins, an eventual finalist, in the final 32. The 19-year-old is the second youngest player in the world's top 200 after American teen Coco Gauff.

Parken could be sold DENMARK’S national stadium Parken could be up for sale in the future following the decision of its owner, Parken Sport & Entertainment (PS&E), to look into the possibility of divesting parts of its real estate portfolio. In September, PS&E revealed it was considering making FC Copenhagen an independent company.

FCM showing the Love

Going out in style

FC MIDTJYLLAND has signed Brazilian striker Vagner Love on a free transfer until the end of the season. The 37-year-old, who netted nine goals in 25 caps for Brazil, is a prolific goalscorer most notably during his time at CSKA Moscow.

FRANS Nielsen, who became Denmark's first NHL player in 2007, is retiring from the sport at the end of the season.

He last laced up in the NHL in 2021 for the Detroit Red Wings, before joining Eisbären Berlin. This month, he will be leading Denmark in Beijing in what will be his first appearance at the Winter Olympics.

All set for Olympics DENMARK will take its largest ever team to the 2022 Winter Olympics, which start on February 4 and will be aired on DR, TV2 and Discovery+. Some 62 competitors will line up: 29 women and 33 men. Denmark will enter men’s and women’s teams in both curling and ice hockey. The joint flag bearers are Frans Nielsen (ice hockey) and Madeleine Dupont (curling).

Bees set new record MATHIAS Jensen, Christian Nørgaard, Mads Roerslev, Mads Bech and Jonas Lössl all started for Brentford in their 1-3 loss to Manchester United on January 19 - a new record for the most Danes in a starting eleven in a Premier League match. Christian Eriksen has been tipped to shortly join them.

Nadia Nadim, the doctor with a master's at scoring goals

Who’s asking to see your yellow card? The pro footballer who’s just completed five years of medical studies!

BEN HAMILTON

N

ADIA NADIM, the Danish footballer, has qualified as a doctor after five years of studies.

For the most part she studied remotely whilst playing for the likes of Manchester City, PSG and US outfits Racing Louisville and Portland Thorns.

With the Danish national team, she was a key player at Euro 2017, where Denmark upset the odds as the losing finalists.

dim arrived in Denmark aged 11 after her father, a general in the Afghan National Army, was executed by the Taliban.

Since then she has been an inspiration to millions - and particularly refugees.

Had it not been for the driver of the truck her family travelled through Europe in, she could have ended up in the UK. But instead, the driver dropped them off in rural Denmark, where her love of football was born.

in as part of her studies.

Nadim, who has been in the Nike stable since 2017, has done very well out of football – she has already released an autobiography and in 2016 she was the subject of a documentary series.

Nevertheless, she maintains she does not play for money and, besides, she is confident she will be more than comfortable thanks to her future career as a doctor.

Inspiration to refugees BORN IN Afghanistan, Na-

Remains grounded NADIM, who can speak nine languages, this past week graduated at Aarhus University, where she has been attending medical school.

Her goal is to now become a surgeon – an area she specialised

Fair Play recognition

Handball bronze

Eriksen buzzing as a Bee

Danes on the move

THE MEN’S national team and medical staff have been awarded the FIFA Fair Play Award for its heroics following Christian Eriksen’s collapse at Euro 2020.

DENMARK won bronze at the European Men's Handball Championship after losing to Spain in the semis. Tipped as favourites, they won their first seven games before resting key players in a defeat to France.

Some pundits felt the team lost momentum as a result. A fine win against France in extra time ensured winger Lasse Svan Hansen, 38, bowed out in style.

CHRISTIAN Eriksen joined Brentford on Transfer Deadline Day. Unlike Serie A, the English Premier League permits players with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators to participate.

In Eriksen's last game, in June in Euro 2020, he suffered a cardiac arrest. Brentford is stacked full of Danes right now – so many that five of them recently started an EPL game.

THERE were numerous transfers involving Superliga players during the final days of the winter window. Notably, FC Copenhagen sold Jonas Wind to Wolfsburg and Rasmus Højlund to Sturm Graz, while FC Midtjylland signed Max Meyer from Fenerbahce. Brøndby sold key players Mikael Uhre to Philadelphia and Morten Frendrup to Genoa, but signed Frederik Alves Ibsen from West Ham.

Wass up Atletico?

DENMARK international Daniel Wass has signed for Atletico Madrid from Valencia in a deal worth a reported 20 million kroner.

Rune still revered DESPITE his elimination from the Australian Open in the first round, Holger Rune is now ranked 99th in the world.

He began 2021 outside the top-500. In related news, the grand slam’s website hailed him as one of the sport's future stars.

Rune led his match 2-1 in sets but then cramped up badly to lose in five against South Korean player Kwon Soonwoo.

Now joint captain JONAS Vingegaard, 25, the Danish cyclist who finished second in the Tour de France last year, has been promoted by his Dutch team Jumbo-Visma to the role of joint captain alongside Primoz Roglic, the Slovenian three-time Vuelta a España winner. In related news, the Danish Cycling Union has named him as their cyclist of the year.

Løchte retires from tennis FREDERIK Løchte Nielsen, who won the Wimbledon men’s doubles championship in 2012, announced his retirement following his elimination from the Australian Open. He is 38 years old.

CULTURE

4 - 24 February 2022

ONLINE THIS WEEK

ACTOR Pilou Asbæk, who played Euron Greyjoy in ‘Game of Thrones’, has announced his intention to join the Socialdemokratiet party to reform its refugee policy from within. Before you write off his chances, remember that Asbæk’s big break came playing the political spin-doctor Kasper Juul in ‘Borgen’, so he’s had plenty of practice at meaningless rhetoric.

Corona closed our chapter NIK & JAY have cancelled the tour they have been planning since 2019. Long postponed by corona, the duo had been expected to take their 'Long Live the Dreams Tour' to large venues this spring. However, they have now had a change of heart. “It's simply time to close this chapter and start some new adventures,” they wrote on Facebook.

Coin tribute to queen THREE coins have been released to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Queen Margrethe’s accession to the throne. One is a regular 20 kroner coin in ordinary circulation, while the other two are available via the Royal Coin’s webshop: a silver coin with a value of 500 kroner and a special 20 kroner coin with an extra sharp motif.

KUNSTEN.DK

Iron Islands approach

Has artist run away from a fortune?

Jens Haaning might grow to regret only ‘accepting’ 532,549 kroner for his work BEN HAMILTON

A

S THE TITLE of his artwork confirms, Jens Haaning elected to ‘Take the Money and Run’.

He left behind two blank canvases at Kunsten, the Aalborg art museum, which had lent Haaning 532,549 kroner to recreate two of his former works.

Now, though, it’s sitting on a fortune, as experts have told Jyllands-Posten that ‘Take the Money and Run’, one of the most talked about artworks of 2021, is worth several million kroner.

It looks like small change compared to the money Haaning stole. AftBut now two assessment experts tell Jyllands-Postener all, he took it and ran, so would have appeared to have given up ownership.

ONLINE THIS WEEK

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Fredensborg donation THE AP Møller Foundation and Wife Chastine Mc-Kinney Møller Foundation have donated 24 million kroner towards the renovation of Fredensborg Castle Gardens, the royal residence where Prince Henrik passed away. It is believed the work will begin in the spring.

Margrethe musical It might not look it, but there's a fortune in that emptiness

sten and Haaning are suing one another in connection with the affair.

Kunsten gave Haaning until January 16 to pay back the funds and, following his failure to do so, a civil lawsuit is forthcoming.

Haaning in turn has threatened legal action of his own, alleging that Kunsten has never had the right to “photograph the artwork or redistribute photographs of it”.

the matter will not be reported to the police because it does not want to "escalate the case further".

Haaning confirmed to DR in January that he will not return the money.

The artwork and artist are now world famous. The Hindustan Times picked his work as its art highlight of 2021, while British magazine The Week also found room for the story in its tabloid stories review of the year.

Sued and countersued NEVERTHELESS, both Kun-

Not a police matter KUNSTEN remains adamant

Sweet Melody at festival

A concert to truly dig

Moved to September

THE COPENHAGEN Jazz Festival has confirmed that Melody Gardot will be one of its headliners. The 36-year-old will play at DR Koncerthuset on July 10, the closing night of a festival that starts one week earlier than normal on June 24.

THE DANDY Warhols, who are best known for their appearance in the music documentary ‘Dig’ and their song ‘Bohemian Like You’, will be performing at Amager Bio on June 9 as part of their 25th anniversary tour – one day after a performance at Posten in Odense.

A NUMBER of events due to take place in January to mark the 50th anniversary of Queen Margrethe’s accession to the throne have been moved to September 10 and 11.

Among them are a celebration at City Hall, a gala performance at Gamle Scene and a service at Copenhagen Cathedral.

'MARGRETHE', a musical about the Danish monarch, will debut at Gamle Scene on 23 June 2023. Produced by Mikkel Rønnow ('Lazarus'), it will be written by Thomas Høg, Lasse Aagaard and Sune Svanekier ('Pillars of the Earth'). In total, four different actors will be required to play Margrethe through the ages – so not unlike 'The Crown'.

Buy tickets at margrethe-musical.dk.

Punish the rappers!

DANSK Folkeparti has approached the culture minister about a bill that would require musicians to present a clean criminal record to perform a concert in Denmark. DF wants to punish prominent Swedish and Danish gang members who produce music glorifying criminal life. The likes of Medina and Topgunn, who both have criminal records, would be affected.

10 BUSINESS

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ONLINE THIS WEEK

SOME 14 Danish companies have been fined for discriminating towards female customers – in most cases not paying out in the event of pregnancy or childbirth.

So far, eight have accepted the discrimination was illegal and paid fines ranging from 100,000 to 4 million kroner. The remaining six had until February 1.

Crazy year for home sales SOME 112,782 homes were sold in 2021 – an increase of 5 percent compared to the previous year, reports Boligsiden. It was the highest annual number of home sales since 2005, which saw just over 125,000.

Jailed for VAT evasion A FREDERIKSBERG food wholesaler has been sent to prison for three years for cheating the state out of 31 million kroner in unpaid VAT. The 58-year-old man, who holds both Danish and Swedish passports, kept on letting his companies go bankrupt to avoid paying taxes. In total, it is believed he opened and closed 22 companies.

Huge mink sale KOPENHAGEN Fur will sell its entire stock of 20 million mink hides over the next two years, it has confirmed.

Leo Pharma lay-offs LEO PHARMA, the country’s third largest pharma company, has confirmed plans to lay off 1,000 positions over the next two years.

Crippling cost of heating the home

ONLINE THIS WEEK PIXABAY

Female discrimination

4 - 24 February 2022

Many face soaring energy bills this winter – thanks in part to the price of natural gas skyrocketing by almost 500 percent in 2021 CHRISTIAN WENANDE

I

F YOU’VE noticed a significant increase in your heating bill, it’s not an isolated incident.

Gas: the only way is up DUE TO the high demand and low supply of gas on the international market, people living in houses heated using natural gas risk seeing their energy bill shoot up by over 1,000 kroner per month during winter.

The price of natural gas alone skyrocketed by almost 500 percent in 2021.

It’s got to the point where families with financial constraints have turned to wood-burning stoves to heat their homes … if they are fortunate enough to have one!

Ouch, '3' might not be ideal, but it's better than 3,000 kroner more

Number of sources THE SAME can also be true of homes warmed by district heating.

Some 100,000 of the 1.7 million homes serviced by district heating can expect considerably more expensive bills, and 100,000 slightly more expensive bills, according to Dansk Energi.

The biggest determining factor is the number of energy sources available to the supplier. If, for example, there is only one, then prices are likely to be higher.

Should the supplier use several types of fuel to produce district heating, then the prices will be unaffected. In fact, for the 650,000 capital-based customers of Hofor, the bills will most likely decrease.

Help on the way THE DEVELOPMENT has prompted Parliament to look into helping out the less fortunate to pay for their heating bills.

According to Konservative head Søren Pape Poulsen, only those hardest hit – people who risk losing their homes due to the bill increase – should be able to seek aid.

The energy minister, Dan Jørgensen, said the government was prioritising those who have district heating or gas furnaces.

Some 100 million kroner was set aside to help the municipalities deal with that in late 2021.

Huge C25 index fall

Historic jobless rate

Huge bond opening

THE C25 index of the country’s 25 leading shares on January 24 endured its sixth worst day since its creation in 2016: an overall fall of 3.5 percent. The worst hit were Bavarian Nordic, GN Store Nord and Debant, while the least affected were Danske Bank and Vestas.

THE UNEMPLOYMENT rate in Denmark is at its lowest for 13 years, according to Danmarks Statistik. The number of able-bodied unemployed dropped from 3 to 2.8 percent between October and November 2021.

DANISH government bonds targeted at a green transition with a value of 5 billion kroner were traded on January 19 according to Danmarks Nationalbank – the biggest opening of a new bond since 2008.

Targeting girls THE LEGO Foundation and the Danish government are teaming up to provide education to girls in 30 developing countries – mostly in Africa and Asia. The pair will make a 100 million kroner contribution to the organisation Global Partnership for Education’s initiative ‘Girls’ Education Accelerator’, with the government likely to further guarantee 250 million kroner annually.

Share incentive AROUND 217,000 people now have a investment savings account, according to Finans Danmark. The accounts were dreamt up in 2019 to encourage share purchases, but interest was limited until the banks started charging punitive interest on savings over 100,000 kroner. Some 114,000 accounts were opened last year, as the first 103,500 kroner can be deposited tax-free.

Equity fund bonanza ACCORDING to Finans Danmark, equity funds aimed at private investors totalled 501 billion kroner for 2021 – a 28 percent increase compared to the previous year. Large returns, particularly from the North American and Global portfolios (33 and 28 percent), have fuelled interest. European (25) and Danish (20) portfolios also performed well, but Emerging Markets (2) only moderately.

4 - 24 February 2022

STARTUP COMMUNITY Thomas (@thomas_hors) is the former co-founder of Startup Guide and a former startup scout for IKEA Bootcamp. He is currently the CCO for Tiimo, a Danish tech startup that has developed the world’s first inclusive planning app, designed with neurodivergent people in mind. Awarded 'One to Watch' globally by Apple, Tiimo aims to help people live better lives, one small task at a time.

T

HE NATURE of startups often drives many leaders to be quick to hire (“we need someone now!”), but slow to fire.

They say they are busy, lack resources and would rather avoid awkward conversations. But this needs to be reversed: here is why ‘hire slow, fire fast’ is a better strategy.

Dream team every time PRODUCT, market and timing are important factors that can make or break a startup, but none can compete with the makeup of your team.

When you’re building a company, you need amazing people (that are smarter than you). You need a team to research the market, build the product, acquire and retain customers, analyse data, assess the product/market fit, and help build a company culture.

So, while the other factors are

CARLOS MONTEIRO GIVE YOURSELF A CHANCE Carlos started a business through denmarkbrazil.com, but while his blog survives, he has left for pastures new and is now the founder of EVOLVE, a provider of innovative marketing solutions to tech and retail commerce companies. Carlos seeks to inspire many on a vast range of topics, from digital transformation and mental health to the future of work in the 4th industrial revolution.

1. Content first attitude WHEN I arrived in Denmark, I had very few contacts and a minimal idea of how I could help Danish companies with my skills. I started a blog, but really: I wasn't aware it would prove to be such a powerful tool.

It taught me a valuable lesson: humans value good content. By also keeping it fresh, I started to form invaluable relationships with Danish decision-makers on LinkedIn. Over time, decision-makers in the retail tech industry in Denmark would invite me for meetings to help them in Brazil, the country I mainly focused on. It proved to be the inception of everything.

A tough challenge BUILDING a startup team is tough. Tech startups, especially, often find hyper-growth out of nowhere or find themselves needing to hire a lot of people after a funding round. Furthermore, they face a battle for talent as everyone is looking for the ‘rockstar developer’ or ‘growth ninja’.

Unfortunately, many startups end up hiring too fast. They might hire the most skilled person, who doesn’t fit the culture of the company. Or maybe they compromise on the skills set and end up with somebody not up to the job.

2. Following footprints I HAVE always been curious about other people's journeys.

I love to learn what motivates them. To build a relationship with someone I haven't spoken to before, I try finding out more from their digital footprints.

Have they written a book? A LinkedIn post? An article? Have they been featured in a publication? Have they delivered a speech, a TED TALK, anything?

It is all too common that many people consume content on LinkedIn, so looking for their digital footprints has enabled me to learn incredible things about the people I want to build a relationship with.

By all means, you should be quick at nailing the position need, role and persona you are looking for and get that job ad posted. But from there, take your time.

Get to know your candidates and what motivates them, understand how they think and work, find out what accommodations they need to thrive, and how they can contribute to the company culture. No rush. No fear. And be selective!

More compassionate IF YOU don’t get it right though, it’s better to let them go fast.

While ‘fire fast’ might seem insensitive, I would argue it’s more compassionate than the alternatives.

It isn’t compassionate to keep one person on but let the rest of the team struggle. We need teams in which everyone can

No shame in being a poor fit

trust each other and hold each other accountable to do a great job. Forcing someone to be something they are not, or keeping them in the wrong role, is neither compassionate nor sustainable.

It’s better to let them go.

That is why building a team shouldn’t be over-rushed out of fear of growing quickly enough.

Hiring fast might help you in the short run, but it will hurt you in the long run.

We have successfully launched and built global partnerships for retail tech companies by facilitating introductions and helping retail tech and coms professionals in multiple countries. It is pretty logical. Nothing beats a warm introduction.

4. Put them on the stage WHO DOESN'T like being on stage? Who doesn't like being recognised for their efforts and their knowledge? Who doesn't want to know that other people will listen to what they have to say?

Creating my STAGE and helping other clients do the same for their clients and partners has proven time and again how powerful this is.

PIXABAY

H

ERE ARE five traits that have helped me to build my career in Denmark along with relationships at the highest levels.

important, you don’t really need the best product or the biggest market to become successful, while the timing can be out of your control.

But you need an amazing team.

11 PIXABAY

THOMAS NYMARK HORSTED

BUSINESS OPINION

Moderate success

3. Give, give, give. Ask later WHAT DOES the above mean?

Well, people need help. ALWAYS. But the thing is: there is no visible ‘ROI’ in helping other people.

5. Moderately speaking MODERATING live panels has taught me (still learning,

BTW!) how to prepare and speak to decision-makers at the highest level.

On multiple occasions I have felt intimidated when speaking with a significant thought leader or business authority, but I keep on pinching myself and reminding myself that they are all human beings like me. It helps me a lot to keep grounded.

IN 4 ISSUES

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Get Your Biering’s

Union Views

Fit For Business

The Valley of Life

Just Say It As It Is

Danish Capital in 2021

Stress Wärnings

Winnie's World

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12 OPINION

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

4 - 24 February 2022

Malik is behind us

T

HE WINTER storm was so bad at times that several Viking ships tried to escape, but it’s over now and we can see blue skies again.

Just another flu

BY THAT time, Covid will hopefully be long in our rearview window. On Tuesday the country woke up to a complete lifting of restrictions. Omicron may have been highly contagious, but its penetration has been a blessing in disguise.

With herd immunity within

Rocky ground ahead?

CREDIT is due the government for the way it has handled corona, but it still has plenty of problems.

First up, the children left behind in Syria. This ‘out of sight out of mind’ idea that Danes can be left to rot abroad is growing more unsavory by the minute.

Key ally Enhedslisten has clearly had enough, promising it cannot continue supporting a government that does not bring these children home.

And then there’s the early December imprisonment of the head of FE, the defence intelligence service. The media doesn’t know why yet, but clearly a scandal of some magnitude is brewing.

It will make Malik look like a bad draught in comparison.

Ejvind Sandal

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

T

ACT

Fulfilling his destiny THE SAME could probably be said about Morten Messerchmidt, the new leader of Dansk Folkeparti. His storm was a fraud conviction quashed shortly before Christmas and then the fight to take over the reins of power on January 23 – as the long anointed crown prince, it had always been his destiny.

Seven years ago, DF was the largest blue party in Parliament. Today, it’s number four: a collection of former MPs, councillors and regional board members unlikely to regain their seats. It’s a tough gig for the born-again Christian, anti-EU leader (“Out of that maze”, he once shouted), particularly with the anti-immigration platform, DF’s bread and butter for years, so crowded of late.

Still, once election day comes within the next 18 months, DF’s 5 percent of the vote, which may very well edge up under Messerchmidt, could still be a decisive factor.

our sights, we can now consider the virus as just another flu – albeit with complications when we travel.

There will be long-lasting effects, though, as our behaviour is likely changed forever.

Indulging in fewer hugs, we will distance as a reflex, and many will continue to use their masks – on public transport and possibly even to avoid the flu.

ZACH KHADUDU

WO ROADS diverged in a yellow wood,” wrote American poet Robert Frost. “And sorry I could not travel both … I took the one less travelled by. And that has made all the difference.”

Status quo shaker THIS COULD sum up the story of the trailblazing Denmark-based theatre company ACT. Founded in Copenhagen in 2015, Afro-Cosmopolite Thespians (ACT) has sought to shake up the status quo, converging artistic talent from the world-over who call Denmark home, pushing boundaries by way of international collaborations. So far this outfit, led by the artistic director Michael Omoke, has put up four productions to critical acclaim.

Adapting the classics IN THE summer of 2016, ACT debuted with its production of ‘The Merchant of Copenhagen’.

The play, directed by renowned Kenyan director George Mungai, reimagined Shakespeare in present-day Denmark.

It explored themes of greed, love, duplicitousness, and forces between common good and capitalism. The play staged at Baltorpen in Ballerup attracted a very diverse audience – a rare feat in Danish theatre.

In a quick follow-up, ACT returned to Baltoppen in 2017, this time with the Nordic classic ‘An Enemy of the People’. Once again ACT offered an exploration of the human condition, this time with the lingering central theme “Can the majority be wrong?”

Democracy, capitalism and environmental protection took centre stage as it reimagined Ibsen’s classic.

The production also marked ACT’s first Nordic collaboration with cast

ACT Truly diverse theatre

ACT was launched in 2016 with members drawn from Nordic Black the vision of 'multiple cultures Theatre as well as ACT. sharing a stage' Powerful voices FAST-FORWARD to 2019. Under the auspices of New Nordic Voices, ACT cemented its finesse with Ntozake Shange’s ‘for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf’. Featuring an all-ladies cast with an international outlook, ACT recruited Morgan State University professor Shirley Basfield Dunlap as the director.

Through the interwoven stories of seven ‘nameless’ women, Shange's poetry expresses the many struggles and obstacles that African-American women face throughout their lives – a representation of sisterhood and coming-of-age as an African-American woman. The play was well received in Denmark, Sweden and Finland.

In 2020, the group changed tact and tapped on in-house talent. ‘Miss Julie’s Happy Valley’, a creation of artistic director cum playwright Michael Omoke, waged into the murky waters of white colonial mischief in pre-independence Kenya.

Audiences in Copenhagen and Helsinki were admitted into the secret lives of white settlers in 20th

Since then, it has involved more than 100 artists representing 46 different nationalities Two of its four productions also toured Finland and Sweden ACT has also co-produced a conference and set up two international seminars Follow ACT via FB at ‘ACThespians’ or ‘ACT/New Nordic Voices’, and via Instagram at ‘act.new.nordic.voices’ century Africa. The production confronted head-on their carefree debauchery, depicting the sex, drug abuse and murder that pervaded the hedonistic lifestyles of the ultra-privileged white settlers at the expense of the natives.

The audacity of the piece is in its maneuvering motif of weight issues such as the killing of Lord Erroll – a murder that British intelligence wing MI6 continues to hold on file as an unsolved case.

If history is to repeat itself, and the trajectory continues, we can only await ACT’s next serving with bated breath.

OPINION

4 - 24 February 2022

NEXT ISSUE

IAN BURNS

An Actor’s Life A resident here since 1990, Ian Burns is the artistic director at That Theatre Company and very possibly Copenhagen’s best known English language actor thanks to roles as diverse as Casanova, Shakespeare and Tony Hancock. are you?” chides his adoring Carrie. She ruffles his hair, crumples his tie, pulls out his shirt and gives him a peck on his puffy cheek. “That’s much better, have a lovely day.”

Helmet worn for protection from the public

I

N FERGAL O’Byrne’s ‘Ruba-Dub-Dub’, which I’m proud to confirm will be making its worldwide premiere on March 16 (see page 9 for details) as the first play of the That Theatre Company 2022 line-up, one of the characters is a replicant programmed to tell the truth.

Another big fat one UNFORTUNATELY in this age, the pursuit of truth is no longer a two-way street, and our politicians are the worst offenders. From lying about the laughable capability of their mobile phones to absolute denials of the culpability for their decisions, it has become the norm in Denmark – and across the world.

Were such replicants programmed to detect lies, they’d quickly short circuit in the face of all the untrue utterances coming out of Westminster of late.

At least in John Major’s day back in the decadent 1990s you

knew where you stood with “Oh, that’s a big one!” Invariably looking through the keyhole of a Tory politician on more than familiar terms with his intern.

Today, alas, it’s yet another of Boris Johnson’s outrageous porkie pies.

Rebellious image JOHNSON’S image has always been to have a terrible image: “The scruffier the better, please barber, and try to hide my thinning hair!”

He has manufactured this rebellious image over the decades and now, as a middle-aged man, against all the odds this unkempt public schoolboy is king.

Still the impression you get of Johnson, and too many other British politicians these days, is that there are genuinely very few who are prepared to take responsibility for their actions.

Picture this scene as he leaves Number 10 to go to ‘work’. “Boris, you’re not going out like that

13

Lying: the artform LET’S PRETEND that British politicians, like the replicant in ‘Rub-a-Dub-Dub’, were programmed not to lie. Life would be simpler for all of us. Do they rehearse the lie-of-the-day in front of a mirror for the sick sake of party loyalty? ‘ Here’s an idea for a new TV show: instead of ‘Match of the Day’, we could have ‘Lie of the Day’. Just imagine the commentators!

“He’s been lying for years now, but shows no sign of letting up. Just look at the ease with which he looks the interviewer directly in the eye and, with the hint of a smile or smirk, says such utter bullshit. Amazing!

An example to young liars all over the world!”

“I’d like to mention the way he rouses the passions of both sides of the House. Listen to all those ‘Nays’, ‘Yays’ and ‘Hearhears’! It’s an atmosphere more like the Manchester derby than a chamber for serious political debate."

“Both are great examples of lying at their very best, although my personal choice for lie of the decade remains the huge porky that leaving the EU was a good idea for the British people.”

PS: We now know the results of Sue Gray’s ‘independent’ inquiry about the goings on at Partygate. So, we could already have another contender for 'Liar of the Year' and it’s only early February.

The Road Less Taken JESSICA ALEXANDER

Mishra’s Mishmash MRUTYUANJAI MISHRA IN 2 ISSUES

Straight, No Chaser STEPHEN GADD

Englishman in Nyhavn JACK GARDNER IN 3 ISSUES

Mackindergarten ADRIAN MACKINDER

Green Spotlight SIBYLLE DE VALENCE IN 4 ISSUES

A Dane Abroad KIRSTEN LOUISE PEDERSEN

Living Faith REVD SMITHA PRASADAM IN 5 ISSUES

Early Rejser ADAM WELLS

Crazier than Christmas VIVIENNE MCKEE

14 LIFESTYLE: ALTERNATIVE THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

ASTRID HEISE-FJELDGREN UP THE ALTERNATIVE ALLEY Astrid Heise-Fjeldgren (astrid@ipamki.com; @thecompanionsdk) is an Amager-based writer and translator. Always up for new adventures in and around Copenhagen, she is the author of the guidebooks ‘The Copenhagen Companion’ (2019) and ‘The Green Copenhagen Companion’ (2021) in which she shares some of her favourite spots and walks. Find out more at thecompanions.dk.

A

COUPLE of years ago I was planning an excursion with some friends around Utterslev Mose, and it got me wondering if there was a little museum or gallery that we could visit as a sort of added bonus to the walk.

That’s when I happened on Brønshøj Vandtårn (kulturn.kk.dk/vandtaarn). At the time the Wetland Project was running an art installation consisting of 24 hours of sounds from a British Columbia wetland, combined with an abstract visual and light exhibit.

It sounded so strange that I felt I had to go and check it out before bringing my friends. When I arrived at the tower, I was impressed with the Wetland Project, but outright flabbergasted by the tower itself.

You step inside and immediately your eyes are drawn upwards, upwards, following the lines of the massive concrete pillars inside the hollow building. In the middle there is a spiral staircase.

A series of round windows, also set in a spiral, allow shafts of light to fall at odd angles.

My friends also loved the space, and we all put the tower on our list of places to keep an eye on. You can also join the Brønshøj Vandtårn association (broenshoejvandtaarn.dk) and help shape the future of the tower.

Water and waves CLEARLY the architect Ib Lunding had water on his mind when he designed the tower, which was built from 1928-30.

Though the use of concrete as a material and the minimalistic aspect of the tower make us think of functionalism, the spiralling effect of the whirling water is a major inspiration – it is echoed in the green space around the tower, where trees have been planted to resemble a sweeping wave.

My fascination with this tower led me to an exhibition at the Museum of Copenhagen (cphmuseum.kk.dk) that featured architectural drawings and photos from 100 years of development of the city.

This exhibition was also a treasure trove of information about Brønshøj Vandtårn. I have included one of the architectural drawings and also a photograph taken during the construction of the tower.

The sound of emptiness I WOULD love to go to a concert at the tower, where the reverberation of sound is apparently quite magnificent – but so far I have only managed one event: the cool, recently-staged ‘Playground’ by Cat Eyed People.

They set up eight different Scalextric race tracks on which cars activating different instruments go by at high speeds.

If you look at the Cat Eyed People’s Facebook page, you’ll find both audio and visuals from this fun and inventive event.

While the tower is owned by Copenhagen Municipality, it is administered by Kultur N and can be rented for meetings, photo shoots and cultural events, both by citizens and private companies.

It is in my opinion quite an extraordinary space, but remember a jacket because even on a warm and sunny day, it’s cold inside.

There is more to see THE TOWER is a 5 km bike ride from the city centre. It is also possible to arrive by bus – lines 5C and 250S will take you there directly from Nørreport Station.

At Brønshøj Torv, before going to the tower you can visit the small memorial park with sculptures commemorating the Swedish siege of Copenhagen from 1658-1660. Back then, the Swedish army based its headquarters on high ground in Brønshøj.

As well as Utterslev Mose, which is 1.5 km away, you can find the smaller but quite beautiful park of Degnemosen,

4 - 24 February 2022

which is practically in the backyard of the water tower.

If this kind of architecture is your thing you might also want to look at another water-related building designed

by Lunding: the Tinghøj Vandreservoir water reservoir on Vandtårnsvej in Gladsaxe.

There is unfortunately no public access, but if you walk around it you’ll see 20 small and very peculiar looking towers that lead to the underground water tanks. These towers seem ancient and rooted in the grass but simultaneously sci-fi, like they are ready to take off into outer space.

LIFESTYLE: GREEN

4 - 24 February 2022

15

or love of nature, or purely from an economic point of view. But somewhere in the middle of booming consumerism and ‘single-use and throw’ culture, many of us have distanced ourselves from it.

Relearning old habits IT’S TIME to embrace ‘reusing’ better, so here are just a few examples of how we can change our habits and make a difference.

SRUTHI SURENDRAN BUILDING GREEN HABITS Sruthi, from India, moved to Denmark in 2014 to pursue a career within green energy technologies (biofuels, waste treatment, offshore wind). Through her passion project greenbyhabit.com, she supports others keen to embrace greener habits. Follow her on the Instagram handle @greenbyhabit, where she shares her sustainability journey and breaks down these topics in a more fun and simplified format

I

N MY LAST column, we looked at a simple but effective approach to embracing green habits and a sustainable lifestyle when you are unsure where to start and are overwhelmed with the information around.

Embracing the 5Rs (coined by Bea Johnson in the 2013 book ‘Zero Waste Home’) of Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rot, along with two additional Rs of my choosing, Research & Relearn, is a great way to get started.

In this column, we’re going to focus on Reuse. On my own journey of embracing greener habits, reusing has helped me tremendously to reduce my consumption of unnecessary materials as well as waste generation. So, let’s look at some ‘whys’ and ‘hows’ to embed reusing as a habit.

Reusing is not a new trend, but something our grandparents and parents have been practising as part of their culture NEXT ISSUE

Quality over quantity – I was someone who loved buying dozens of items from fast fashion stores on sale. They gave me the immediate gratification of having lots of new items for a reduced price. But they would tear or turn old so fast that I’d end up buying new ones sooner. Today, I have learned to invest instead in fewer items with a better quality and durability. And when you do get tired of it, make sure you pass it on or give it to a second-hand shop.

Learning to fix and maintain – Somewhere along the line, consumerism has made us get used to throwing away stuff as soon as there is a minor defect. Let us relearn how to fix items like sewing up torn clothes and repairing small defects.

Also, just learning to maintain stuff can prolong their lifespan. Sometimes it’s as simple as reading the washing instructions on the label of your clothing.

Get creative – Ascertain how you can reuse/repurpose/upcycle something once it is not fit for purpose. If you are unsure, there are tons of creative people out there sharing their knowledge on the internet.

It is just a Google search away.

Impact we create DON’T FORGET: when we reuse, there are two ways we are making a major contribution!

Reducing the usage of new resources – to produce any new product, resources are used (from nature) and energy is spent during their production. We have subjected many natural resources, IN 2 ISSUES

DIFFERENT WAYS TO REUSE once considered renewable, to extreme duress during these times Reusing packaging – Do you, like me, love to of increased affluence and over- reuse sauce bottles for pantry storage? Great! consumption.

Even if the packaging is recyclable, reusing it is the best choice, as recycling tends to use plenty Reducing waste generation – by of resources. choosing to reuse, we are making a stand to not create waste. Remem- Repeating outfits – do we really need a new outfit ber – as long as we are reusing and for that party? Let us all be proud outfit repeaters. prolonging its life, the item is not a waste. Waste management is a huge Repurposing – get creative and give a second problem around the world – particu- life to that discarded box as a storage solution. larly in overpopulated areas where Maybe decorate and transform them. the systems in place are ineffective.

So, let’s go back to basics and Buying second-hand/thrifting – locate your relearn how we used to live in nearest Genbrugsbutik (thrift store) or apps like simpler times.

DBA, Tise or Facebook Marketplace, next time Check out @greenbyhabit on you want to buy something.

Instagram for short videos and fun reels discussing these topics Repairing – can we repair that phone or fix the zip on that bag, before discarding it? in detail.

IN 3 ISSUES

IN 4 ISSUES

Ed Talk

Dating the Danes

All Things Beautiful

Style Stil

What a Wonderful World

Copen' with the Kids

Taste Bud

Mental Kinda Health

16 EVENTS

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

4 - 24 February 2022

Snow White

Dinner Days

Architecture Fun Run

Fix Your Fashion

Feel the Room

Feb 8-13, Tue-Fri 19:00, Sat 13:00 and 19:00, Sun 13:00; Biblioteket, Rentemestervej 76, Cph NV; 100-180kr; ctcircle.dk The Copenhagen Theatre Circle’s annual British panto is ‘Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs’.

Expect audience participation, the normal array of craziness and cross-dressing, and music and comedy suitable for the whole family. (BS)

Feb 11-20; restaurants all over DK; 225kr for 3 dishes; dinnerdays.dk Not to be confused with Copenhagen Dining Week, although the concept is identical, Dinner Days has been packing them in since 2015. Organised by DinnerBooking, it will return in Week 42.

Feb 18, 18:30-21:00; Bryghuspladsen 10, Cph K; 95-195kr; dac.dk Race against your friends under the lights. You can run or walk the 7.5km route that takes you past some of the best light fixtures of the Copenhagen Light Festival. Warm bowls of soup and music for all participants!

(BS)

Mon-Thu & Sat-Sun; various locations; repaircafedanmark.dk Do you have worn out clothing that needs fixing? Studenterhuset has several repair cafes throughout the city where its lovely staff will be happy to help you give your wardrobe a second life. Check their website for event locations and times!

(BS)

Feb 14-20, 11:00-17:30; Copenhagen Contemporary, Refshalevej 173A, Cph K; copenhagencontemporary.org Meet musician Lars Greve at the CC Studio. He’s an expert on sound - he could even help you build your own instrument from recycled materials. This is an audio experience like no other. (BS)

CPH Light Festival

Feb 10 & 24, 19:15; Globe Irish Pub, Nørregade 43-45, Cph K; 50kr; the-globe.dk Gather a team and head to The Globe for quiz night! Some 50kr to enter per player, the winners earns 1,200kr, second place 600kr, and third place a case of beer. (BS)

Viking Museum free tours

Copenhagen Dining Week

ongoing, ends April 30, 13:0013:45; Viking Ship Museum, Vindeboder 12, Roskilde; vikingeskibsmuseet.dk Gather your family and head to Roskilde for a free tour in English of the Viking Ship Museum. Marvel at the recreated ships and Viking Age artefacts before you. (BS)

Feb 11-20; various CPH restaurants; 225kr for 3 dishes, 525kr for 10; diningweek.dk Since 2011, CPH Dining Week has made it possible to visit fancy restaurants to eat a menu at a fixed price. Dubbed the Nordic region’s largest restaurant festival, the menus are exclusively made for the week to ensure guests have a unique dining experience at a great price. (BS)

Feb 4-27; throughout Cph; copenhagenlightfestival.org Light up the night this February with a celebration of light art and illuminating experiences.

The festival will transform Copenhagen with works contributed by Danish and international artists. Download the interactive app to locate all the attractions. (BS)

Winter Jazz Feb 3-27; nationwide; jazz.dk/en Vinterjazz celebrates unique venues and stages throughout Denmark, whilst being a platform for expression. (BS)

STEM Career Virtual Fair Feb 24, 13:00-16:00; online; free adm Recent and soon-to-be graduates have the chance to connect with organisations orientated around the EU and ask specific questions. Don’t miss this perfect opportunity to network online and take the next step in your career. (BS)

Globe Quiz

Architecture Walks ongoing, ends Mar 26, 13:3015:30; Bryghuspladsen 10, Cph K; 150kr, free for under-18s; dac.dk Join the Danish Architecture Center for a walking tour overlooking Ørestad.

Explore unique features of contemporary design and how sustainability plays a role within the reconstruction of the city centre. (BS)

Astronomy on Tap Feb 5, 19:00-20:00; Huset, Rådhusstræde 16, Cph K; free adm Experts Sophie Schrøde and Dr Alejandro Vigna-Gomez, will introduce you to new astronomical concepts, followed by a quiz with a chance to win free drinks! (BS)

Dans2Go Feb 12-13 and 18-20, 20:0022:00; Gamle Scene, Kongens Nytorv 9, Cph K; 159kr; kglteater.dk Dans2Go features four ballet performances: Sebastian Kloborg’s new work ‘Already night’, Peter Martin’s ‘Zakouski’, John Neumeier’s ‘Persistent Persuasion’ and Hofesh Shechter’s ‘Uprising’. It’s a perfect night for ballet beginners. (BS)

Kennedy’s Quiz Feb 7, 19:30; Kennedy’s Irish Bar,Gammel Kongevej 23, Cph V Quiz night at Kennedy’s Irish Bar includes raffles, cash prizes, and drinks rounds.

Open Days with CBS Feb 23-24, 11:00-16:30; online; opendays.cbs.dk Ever thought about going back to school, or are you a university student with a passion for business? If so, don’t miss the Open Days at CBS! (BS)

Masego Feb 16, 20:00; Vega, Enghavevej 40, Cph V; 300kr Jamaican-American musician Masego is appearing at Vega!

Primarily an R&B/Soul singer, Masego is loved by teens and adults alike. Book tickets before they sell out! (BS)

Quality Cattle Feb 26,18:00 & 20:00, Feb 27, 14:00 & 16:00; Demokrati Garage, Rentemestervej 57, Cph NV; 100kr Challenge your perception of reality by immersing yourself in a theatre production by the Assemble Theatre Collective. ‘Quality Cattle’ is inspired by Agustina Bazterrica’s dystopian novel ‘Tender is the Flesh’ in which a virus threatens to wipe out mankind.

Sound familiar? The opening night is ‘pay what you decide’. (BS)

Gravens Rand Quiz Feb 15 & March 1, 19:00; Søndre Fasanvej 24, Frederiksberg; entry 30kr Maximum of four per team, it’s 1,000 kroner for the winners and a crate of beer for second. Two beer rounds, and shots for last place!

Asian Film Festival Feb 9-14, 16:00-22:00, Feb 15-16, 12:00-22:00; various cinemas; caff.dk/festival Don’t miss Scandinavia's only Asian Film Festival! Expect a diverse variety of films celebrating the vast continent’s cultural heritage. (BS)

4 - 24 February 2022

Winter holiday at the Viking Ship Museum 12th – 27th February 2022

My Viking ship is loaded with ...?

Lots of exciting experiences and activities await the whole family during the winter holidays

Do you want to be a history detective?

0-17 years Free admission Family ticket (2 adults + children 0-17 years)

230,-

Hear dramatic stories

With the Discovery Set in hand, you can start your journey around the museum and find clues, solve the tasks - and get a prize.

There are stories for children, adults and real Viking experts in the museum’s audio guide!

Colorful Vikings - color workshop at 14.00 - 15.30 Find your creative side in the color workshop and experience the colors of the Viking Age.

Embark on a Viking ship and get the experience of being on a changeable sea voyage across the high seas.

Family tour in Danish at 11.00

Solve the MuseumMystery, and stop the cunning museum thief.

Go on a voyage with the nobleman ’Ottar’. What does he bring along in his large cargo ship?

Winter holiday 12th – 27th February 2022: Family tour in Danish: 11.00 Guided tour in English: 13.00 Color workshop: 14.00 - 15.30 Discovery Set incl. prize DKK 25.00

Every day 10.00 - 16.00 Eat New Nordic Viking Food in Café Knarr.

17

18 ON SCREENS

THE COPENHAGEN POST | CPHPOST.DK

4 - 24 February 2022

A tale of Shakespeare’s worthy successors and two sexagenarians

I

N AN AGE of such … well … ageism, it’s refreshing to see Hollywood throwing money at the tale of a 67-yearold murderous throne-stealer and his manipulative wife, who at 64 is no spring chicken herself.

The Tragedy of Macbeth (released; 87 on Metacritic), with aforementioned sexagenarians Denzel Washington and France McDormand, isn’t the only adaptation doing the rounds at present. Granted, the other two are both Indian, but it’s an illustration of the demand for the Bard, even if you don’t always know he’s the inspiration.

Stealthy Shakespeare adaptations include Sons of Anarchy, My Own Private Idaho, Ten Things I Hate About You and The Lion King, and this past autumn and winter has served several more at the table of Titus Andronicus (we forgot to mention Sweeney Todd).

Succession (HBO; S3: 92), the best show in 2021 by a country mile, has been morphing into King Lear, while Station Eleven (HBO; S3: 82), the best show so far of 2022, gives us both Lear and Hamlet.

In a word: epic!

At cinemas, meanwhile, Romeo and Juliet retelling West Side Story (85) is retreading the 1961 classic lyricised by the late Stephen Sondheim. The word is that he, unlike Hamlet’s father, can sleep easy.

Boss in translation NOT SURE if the Danish TV series Borgen, which is returning for a fourth season (DR; Feb 13), is strictly derived from Shakespeare. It’s the tale of a woman who becomes the first of her gender to take on what is traditionally a man’s role (so Shakespeare in Love if you like).

We’ve come a long way since the female roles were the strict domain of pre-pubescent boys.

The new frontier is lingualism, and Sidsel Babette Knudsen is among a growing number of actors electing to take roles not in her mother tongue. While English is a breeze for Danish actors, Knuden speaks perfect French in The Translators (Amazon Prime) - there can’t be many who can claim proficiency in three different languages on camera.

British pair Charlotte Rampling and Kristin Scott Thomas are both well known for effortlessly crossing over into French, and now Dan Stevens (the heir in Downton Abbey) is doing the same with German in Drømmemanden (Feb 10). It might seem like a strange choice, but maybe he’s auditioning for the Tarantino follow-up to Inglourious Basterds.

If the jacket fits …

OTHERWISE the world of TV looks a better bet this February, which is just as well, as many will spend it indoors waiting for

winter to end. Returning series include Young Wallander (S2; Feb 17), Vikings (reboot called Valhalla; Feb 25); Space Force (S2; Feb 18) on Netflix, and My Brilliant Friend (S3; TBC in Feb), Killing Eve (S4 – the finale; TBC in Feb), Snowfall (S5; Feb 26), Raised by Wolves (S2; Feb 4) and State of the Unicorn (S2; Feb 14) on HBO Max. And just in case you missed them, After Life (S3; 44), Ozark (S4; 78) and Snowpiercer (S3) all recently returned to Netflix; while Euphoria (S2; 73), Billions (S6) and The Righteous Gemstones (S2; 83) are back on HBO Max. So what’s new and worthy of your attention? Well, for binge-watching, try S1 of Yellow Jackets (CMore; 78), the tale of a high school girls’ soccer team crash-landed in the Canadian wilderness derived from Shakespeare’s The Tempest à la Lost. Different timelines serve up some splendid surprises, even though the final serving is as distasteful as the way the girls go about staying ‘Alive’ in flash-forwards. It’s a better choice than Stay Close (Netflix; 51), which is best avoided like early corona. The exposition in this series defies belief, and yet it managed to assemble such a promising cast.

The girls are clearly in charge this February as no less than five series have female title characters. None of them look

brilliant. The Cleaning Lady (Feb 3 on HBO Max; 53) looks like an inferior rip-off of last year’s Maid; Naomi (Feb 3 on HBO Max; 72) mixes superheroism with conspiracy theory; The Girl Before (Feb 10 on HBO Max; 60) is a same house, different timeline miniseries that has its moments; Inventing Anna (Feb 11 on Netflix), with Julia Garner of Ozark in the main role, retells the story of the fraudster who convinced New York high society she was a German heiress; and finally The Woman in the House across the Street from the Girl in the Window (Netflix; 49) is a flat parody despite Kristian Bell onboard. Of course, the title character in One of us is Lying (Feb 18 on Netflix; 50) might be female. Ostensibly a Breakfast Club tribute, it’s more like Melrose Place.

You’ll want to scream!

AT CINEMAS, Spencer (Feb 3; 76), PIG (Feb 17; 82), Nightmare Alley (released; 69) and Death on the Nile (Feb 10; Not Released Worldwide) have all been previously previewed in this column.

The remainder aren’t really much to speak about: Scream 5 (Feb 3; 60) provides a Neve Campbell reunion with divorced pairing Courtney Cox and David Arquette we could have lived without; this year’s Valentine’s Day movie, Marry Me (Feb 10; NRW), is anoth-

It's the thane he does

er outing for old crooked nose himself, Owen Wilson, this time going bad-ass Cyrano on J-Lo; Uncharted (Feb 10; NRW), with Tom Holland (Spiderman) and Mark Wahlberg, is yet another video game adaptation; Moonfall (Feb 17; NRW) is exactly what it sounds like … and the end of werewolves … from the king of disaster Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow). But don’t miss The Fallout (released last week on HBO Max; 84), a subtle post-school shooting drama that is far more compelling than the frigging Moon falling out of the sky.

That might very well be our pick of the month, although there are two documentary series worth checking out. While Janet Jackson (CMore; Feb 10; 58) speaks for itself, Murderville (Feb 3 on Netflix) is an unscripted police investigation series in which a different celebrity each week has to perform and then guess the murderer. Top tip: in Shakespeare, it’s always the weird guy who talks to himself. (BH)

danish on a sunday english subtitles In February and March we screen four Danish classics, all with expert introductions in English!

Watch classics such as ’Meet Me at Cassiopeia’ and Carl Th. Dreyer’s ’Vampyr’ with English subtitles.

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

19

4 - 24 February 2022

ENGLISH JOB DENMARK

Recruitment Announcements STUDENT ASSISTANT WITH AN INTEREST IN MARKETING & EVENTS, OTICON

Are you organized, structured, outgoing, and proactive? Are you looking for a student position, where you can develop your skills and work with various tasks in a global marketing team? Then we have the perfect student job for you!

Location: Smørum Deadline: 15 February 2022 Louise Ernst Stryger, Contact: lstr@oticonmedical.com

PLANNING ENGINEER, HALDOR TOPSØE

Do you want to make perfect plans for the execution of process plant projects aiming to help our clients reduce emissions on a global scale?

Location: Kgs. Lyngby Deadline: 20 February 2022 Esben Christmas Norup, Contact: Head of Department, +45 22 75 43 22

SENIOR FINANCE SPECIALIST, TOO GOOD TO GO

Do you want to be part of one of Europe’s hottest startups and fight food waste? And are you ready to drive finance transformation in a global scale up company on a purposeful mission to reduce food waste?

Location: Copenhagen Deadline: ASAP boards.greenhouse.io/ Contact: toogoodtogo

To advertise your vacancy here and reach 60,000+ readers weekly, contact: info@englishjobdenmark.dk or call 60 70 22 98.

For more information about what we can offer: https://englishjobdenmark.dk/

ENGLISH JOB DENMARK

PERFORMANCE DRIVEN SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER, DEMANT We are looking for a person who truly burns for digital performance marketing within social media – is this you?

Location: Copenhagen Deadline: 27 February 2022 Pernille Meier-Poulsen, Contact: Marketing Excellence Director, pnme@audika.com

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT REPRESENTATIVE, TALENTHUB

Are you looking for your next exciting career move? Well, then you are in the right place! At Talenthub.io we are looking for a new hands-on Business Development Representative to join our hardworking sales team.

Location: Nordhavn Deadline: ASAP Christian Dich, Head of Talent, Contact: +45 21 49 04 41

IT ADMINISTRATOR, CLERK.IO

You will be a part the HR Operation team and will be responsible for all software installation regarding onboarding and off-boarding a long with everyday questions regarding equipment and software.

Location: Copenhagen Deadline: ASAP clerkio.teamtailor.com//jobs Contact:

ENGLISH SPEAKING ONLINE SUPPORT SPECIALIST, ELOOMI

You will be responsible for supporting our valuable customers mainly through our live-chat and inbox helping them in setting up and using their eloomi solution. It is a must, that you have excellent English language skills (written and spoken).

Location: Copenhagen Deadline: ASAP Susie Sandberg, Head of People & Contact: Work Experience, susie@eloomi.com

FRONT OF HOUSE, WILD KIWI PIES

You’ll be primarily welcoming our hungry guests in the shop, handling take away orders, prep work as well as dish washing as you go.

Location: Valby Deadline: ASAP wildkiwipies.com/jobs Contact:

OFFICE AND CULTURE MANAGER - PART-TIME, COOKIE INFORMATION We want to create the best atmosphere possible for our growing number of colleagues. Therefore, we are looking for a part-time Office and Culture manager who will make all practical aspects of the office work and want to make our company’s social life great.

Location: Copenhagen Deadline: ASAP ja@cookieinformation.com Contact:

MARKETING COMMUNICATION MANAGER, RADIOMETER

You will lead the development and implementation of marketing campaigns and programs according to the global marketing plan and measure the impact of marketing activities.

You will track the progress of campaigns and report results to key collaborators and if vital, provide countermeasures to support Radiometer’s growth efforts.

Location: Brønshøj Deadline: 13 February 2022 Sihem Moumene, Contact: Senior Marketing Manager, sihem.moumene@radiometer.dk

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Exhibition 12.02 – 04.09.2022

A Space Saga The Future of Space Architecture

dac.dk