Seven Danish films to Beijing

CHINA. For the second year, Beijing International Film Festival highlights Danish cinema and has invited a large Danish delegation to visit. Christina Rosendahl's "The Idealist" and Martin Zandvliet's "Land of Mine" are competing for the Tiatan Award.

Denmark has ramped up its cultural-exchange efforts with China in recent years, and the interest and demand continues to grow in both directions. For the second year in a row, the Beijing International Film Festival has invited Danish filmmakers to join in with a wide scope of films and an even bigger delegation. And for the first time, two Danish films, "The Idealist" and "Land of Mine" are selected for the main competition about the prestigious Tiatan Award.

Seven films are in the line-up:

The Danish delegation

Mikael Christian Rieks (Producer / Land of Mine)
Roland Møller (Actor / Land of Mine)
Christina Rosendahl (Director / The Idealist)
Signe Leick Jensen (Producer / The Idealist)
Peter Plauborg (Actor / The Idealist)
Tivi Magnusson (Producer / Men & Chicken)
Frederikke Aspöck (Director / Rosita)
Kasper Barfoed (Director / Summer of '92)
Ulrich Thomsen (Actor / Summer of '92)
Kenneth Michael Kainz (Director / The Shamer's Daughter)
Eva Juel Hammerich (Producer / The Shamer's Daughter)

  • The Idealist by Christina Rosendahl / Competition
  • Land of Mine by Martin Zandvliet / Competition
  • A War by Tobias Lindholm / Panorama
  • Men and Chicken by Anders Thomas Jensen / Panorama
  • Rosita by Frederikke Aspöck / Panorama
  • The Shamer's Daughter by Kenneth Kainz / Panorama
  • Summer of ´92 by Kasper Barfoed / Panorama

The Danish focus kicked off with a screening of "Land of Mine" in the traditional China Film Archive on Wednesday, 20 April. Here, the Danish delegation was attending, and the Danish ambassador, Carsten Damsgaard, gave a speech. The festival wraps up on Saturday, 23 April.

Beijing-Under-sandet
Q&A session for "Land of Mine" with producer Mikael Rieks and actor Roland Møller

Denmark and China

China and Denmark are currently in talks to forge official cultural ties through a co-production treaty, and several production companies are already working to form partnerships.

The Danish sales company LevelK reports a breakthrough on the emerging Chinese market with a recent sale of The Idealist (to be distributed by Lemon Tree Media Company Limited), following sales of "Men and Chicken" and Puk Grasten's "37." Furthermore, LevelK is preparing the release of several European titles on iTunes China later in 2016

Read more about the Chinese-Danish exchange

Beijing International Film Festival (16-23 April)

*Updated on 21 April