Danes not seeing Danish films

Despite Oscar nods, box office for homegrown films down by nearly a third

While Danish films are making a splash at the Academy Awards with Martin Zandvliet’s ‘Under sandet’ (’Land of Mine’) nominated for Best Foreign Language Film, and ‘Silent Nights’ being selected in the Live Action Short Film category, Danes themselves are giving Danish films a pass.

The box office for Danish movies hit a low of 2.8 million ticket sales, a 33 percent drop from 2015, according to the Danish Film Institute (DFI).

The thriller ‘Flaskepost fra P’ (‘A Conspiracy of Faith’) led the pack with 704,971 admissions, followed by the comedy ‘Klassefesten 3: Dåben’ (‘The Reunion 3’) with 538,506. Those two films took the top two slots, ahead of Hollywood offerings like ‘The Revenant’, ‘Zootopia’, ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ and ‘Deadpool’.

“Frustrating”
Overall the market share for local movies fell to 21 percent, compared to 30 percent in 2015. Henrik Bo Nielsen, the head of the DFI, called the performance of Danish films in 2016 “disappointing”.

“It’s frustrating when a film doesn’t reach its audience, and this seems to be increasingly difficult for smaller films,” said Nielsen.

Claus Ladegaard, the head of film funding for the DFI, said the weaker market share was partially due to a large number of “experienced Danish directors who are currently working in the States.”

TOP STORIES

  • “No one seems to stand up for internationals”

    “No one seems to stand up for internationals”

    “To some extent, Denmark is not fair to internationals.” Nichlas Walsted, 34 years old, is the CEO of Swap Language, a provider of Danish lessons to more than 10,000 internationals. Tens of thousands of people follow him, and he advocates for internationals: “Because no one else does. I can’t think of a single politician or well-known person in Denmark who stands up for them,” he says.

  • Busy Copenhagen Airport nets a nice profit for the Danish State

    Busy Copenhagen Airport nets a nice profit for the Danish State

    Almost 30 million passengers travelled to or from Copenhagen Airport in 2024. The profit was 1.4 billion DKK and both figures are expected to grow in 2025. Expansions continue, and investments are being made in continued progress

  • Copenhagen ranked 4th for career growth

    Copenhagen ranked 4th for career growth

    Copenhagen is ranked as the fourth-best city in the world for career growth, according to an analysis by EnjoyTravel. This ranking considers various factors such as living costs, salary levels, workforce availability, and overall quality of life. Copenhagen is noted for its blend of historical and modern elements, particularly in the green energy sector, which influences job opportunities.

  • Greenlandic election seen as positive by experts

    Greenlandic election seen as positive by experts

    Last night’s Greenlandic election resulted in a surprising landslide victory for the moderate party Demokraatit, who won 30 percent of the votes – a 20 percent rise for the party since the last election.

  • Greenland moves to the right

    Greenland moves to the right

    A very surprising election gives victory to the right-wing opposition party Demokraatit. The incumbent center-left coalition loses spectacularly. Greenland – and Denmark – anxiously await upcoming government negotiations

  • Raise the voice of internationals. Take the survey and share your experience in Denmark.

    Raise the voice of internationals. Take the survey and share your experience in Denmark.

    Copenhagen Capacity has launched a survey for all internationals living in Denmark to find out if they are happy here and what challenges they face. The Copenhagen Post is the media partner for this initiative. You can find the survey below in the article.

Connect club

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.

Sign up here

Career

  • Copenhagen ranked 4th for career growth

    Copenhagen ranked 4th for career growth

    Copenhagen is ranked as the fourth-best city in the world for career growth, according to an analysis by EnjoyTravel. This ranking considers various factors such as living costs, salary levels, workforce availability, and overall quality of life. Copenhagen is noted for its blend of historical and modern elements, particularly in the green energy sector, which influences job opportunities.

  • Data shows that non-Western immigrants have saved local economies in Denmark

    Data shows that non-Western immigrants have saved local economies in Denmark

    A study reveals how only the massive influx of non-Western immigrants has saved many areas in Denmark from a decline in the workforce and a consequently shrinking economy

  • Long-term unemployment is double for non-Western immigrants

    Long-term unemployment is double for non-Western immigrants

    An analysis from the Labour Movement’s Business Council shows that the rate in long-term unemployment for non-Western immigrants is 1.8 times higher than for Danes. In other words, a chronic unemployment situation is way more probable for non-Western internationals.

Want to advertise your job with CPH Post?

Contact us

Jobs