Each month, Copenhagen’s resident arthouse cinema Cinemateket offers a rich programme of alternative films, many of which are in English or with English subtitles. Between now and the end of January, the filmhouse is hosting a multitude of themed series, including biweekly screenings of Danish film classics in their ‘Danish on a Sunday’ series, as well as a tribute to the prolific Harry Dean Stanton’s lesser known roles – beyond Paris, Texas, he’s made over 250 films. Check out the website for screening details.
TOP PICKS:
Prophets of the Apocalypse
The Mayans may have been wrong in predicting a December doomsdsay, but there’s no reason to brush off the industry’s best apocalypse films – at least Cinemateket seems to think so. With this series’ films, everything from viruses to nuclear crises to cosmic collisions are on the menu. Don’t miss 1971’s The Omega Man in which an army doctor fights to find a cure for a plague that wiped out most of the human race. Still curious what would’ve happened had end of days actually come? Check out the series’ post-apocalyptic picks, including the sci-fi mystery about a man who awakens to find himself alone in the world in Geoff Murphy’s The Quiet Earth.
The New Western
In anticipation of the upcoming release of Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained, Cinemateket is celebrating western films that have breathed new life into a genre that blur the lines between innovation and classicism. These modern westerns – many of which carry a high degree of historical consciousness – breathe new life into a genre that might otherwise be long dead. In particular, don’t miss the 2010 remake of the John Wayne classic True Grit, or Blackthorn, the unofficial sequel to 1969’s Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
Erik Løchen: the Forgotten Norwegian Modernist
Løchen’s films are largely unknown outside of Norway, but have recently broken through international barriers and begun showing in France with great success. Cinemateket is now showcasing the Norwegian’s films to a Danish audience – many of them with English subtitles. Check out the 1980 flick Fabel, which rearranges sequential events and escapes the conventional linear narrative to cross the border between reality and fantasy.
Coming up at Cinemateket
Gothersgade 55, Cph K; 3374 3400; www.dfi.dk
