I have been sitting in front of the screen for a while, wondering what to write…  If you knew me, you would probably not believe it. I always have something to write down. White page syndrome has never applied to me, except on rare occasions, when I didn’t feel like doing anything else anyway! I write the longest birthday cards, and postcards are a nightmare for me (why so little space… especially when I am travelling to new countries and discovering so much to share with the world???)

I actually have so many things in mind, that I decided to continue a bit the story of my “becoming-insane-about-Denmark”. And if my brain calms down a bit, I might change my strategy and be more random and spontaneous. We’ll see!

So, when I left yesterday, I was still in my early stage of curiosity. Denmark was a running gag between me and David (my ex co-worker, now boyfriend, which I consider like a nice promotion!) and I started noticing everything that was Danish… Bodum coffee makers, Pandora jewelry, Tuborg and Carlsberg beers, Velux windows… Were Vikings trying to take over the world again??

But the really crazy phase began when I found out about Danish cinema. I had heard there was a project to bring back Hannibal Lecter to the tv screen. Being a HUGE Hannibal fan from the start, and having loved the work of Sir Hopkins, I had strong doubts about any other actor trying to embody my dear Hannibal. I decided to give a chance to the crew, partly because the new Doctor Lecter was going to be played by a Danish actor…

OMG!

Mads Mikkelsen… Where have you been all those years? Ok, he had played the James Bond villain “Le Chiffre” but I was surprised I hadn’t seen more of him before… (I hadn’t seen a single James Bond movie before encountering Mads… Mysterious spies defying death as a hobby don’t really get my attention… unless an amazing Danish-super-villain tries to put an end to the never-ending series of movies)

And as I had done with Denmark, I went back to my good friend Google. And I happened to notice that a movie starring Mads was playing in a Montreal movie theater presenting a lot of foreign country films. It was called “The hunt”, and was presented in Danish with French subtitles.

!

Denmark, why did you let me get born so far away from you? WHY?

I you haven’t seen “The hunt” already (which you probably haven’t), fix that problem ASAP! I will even excuse dubbed versions, although I love original versions… It is a “chef d’oeuvre”. No wonder why M. Mikkelsen won best actor in Cannes that year… I will definitely devote (at least) one post to Mads, and one to “The hunt” later…

The next summer, I didn’t have any plans for my two weeks vacations, so I went wild on Ebay, and ordered a whole bunch of movies to enjoy a personal Danish film festival in my living room. I discovered a world of incredibly talented actors and directors. Here are just a few links, to give you a hint, in case you are looking for a good movie to watch!

Adam’s apples (Adams æbler): A dark comedy from Anders Thomas Jensen. Worlds away from Hollywood’s typical characters, and that’s the beauty of it… An absurd, yet magical tale about Good and Evil.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0418455/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_25

After the wedding (Efter bryllupet): A Susanne Bier diamond (co-written by Anders Thomas Jensen). A drama about the manager of an orphanage in India, sent to Copenhagen to deal a mysterious contract.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0457655/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_23

A royal affair (En kongelig affære): Directed by Nikolaj Arcel, a peak into Denmark’s history, when the age of enlightnment was starting to change the face of Europe. A beautiful period drama that was nominated for an Oscar.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1276419/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_11

Enjoy! Until next time…

C