Danish directors—new volume

"New Danish Cinema has established itself as an important source of cinematic renewal and innovation", proclaim the editors in the new volume 'Danish Directors 2', a collection of interviews with Danish filmmakers, by Mette Hjort, Eva Novrup Redvall and Eva Jørholt.

The New Danish Cinema stands as a model for how the indigeneous filmmaking of small nations can survive in an industry dominated by global Hollywood. Following in the footsteps of the critically acclaimed first book on Danish filmmakers, this volume "provides a practitioner's perspective on the social, cultural, and economic milieus in which Danish filmmakers have been able to develop—and to thrive".

Revealing the processes

In 17 interviews with directors about the making, marketing and distribution of awardwinning films, readers are given entry into a subjective understanding of the processes that contributed to the emergence of New Danish Cinema. 

In their interviews, the authors draw attention to the role of the National Film School of Denmark and other schools, collective collaboration, the period after Dogma 95, the relationship between economy and creativity, industry innovators like Zentropa og Nimbus, talent development, working in television and film policy changes.

Fra Arcel til Thuesen

The directors interviewed are Nikolaj Arcel, Christoffer Boe, Pernille Fischer Christensen, Per Fly, Peter Schønau Fog, Henrik Ruben Genz, Anders Thomas Jensen, Hella Joof, Ole Christian Madsen, Anders Morgenthaler, Annette K. Olesen, Niels Arden Oplev, Lone Scherfig, Omar Shargawi, Simon Staho, Paprika Steen og Jacob Thuesen.

"The Danish Directors 2: Dialogues on the New Danish Fiction" (June 2010) will appeal to students, scholars, and cinephiles alike. The volume is published by Intellect with support from the Danish Film Institute. The book is available at the Film & Bookstore, Copenhagen. Price 200 DKK.

"The Danish Directors: Dialogues on a Contemporary National Cinema" (Intellect, 2000) includes interviews with Lars von Trier, Thomas Vinterberg, Ole Bornedal, Jørgen Leth, Nils Malmros and Susanna Bier. This volume is also available at the Film & Bookstore, Copenhagen, Price 129 DKK.

About the editors

Mette Hjort is professor and Head of Visual Studies at Lingnan University, Hong Kong, and Affiliate Professor of Scandinavian Studies at the University of Washington, Seattle. 

Eva Novrup Redvall is a film scholar and film critic with a PhD on Screenwriting collaboration in the new Danish fiction cinema. 

Eva Jørholt is Associate Professor of Film Studies at the University of Copenhagen.