Danish films control 28% of best market in 30 years

by Jorn Rossing Jensen

08/01/2013 - Three local blockbusters – This Life, Love Is All You Need and A Royal Affair - contributed to the best result for Danish cinemas since 1982

In 2012, three Danish features sold more than 500,000 tickets – which last happened in 1986 – and with a little help from James Bond, Batman and The Hobbit they were the main attractions to pull 14.2 million Danes into the theatres, the best result in 30 years.

Danish directors Anne-Grethe Bjarup Riis’ This Life [+see also:
trailer
interview: Anne Grethe Bjarup Riis
film profile], from Regner Grasten Film, Susanne Bier’s Love Is All You Need [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and Nikolaj Arcel’s A Royal Affair [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mikkel Boe Følsgaard
interview: Nikolaj Arcel
film profile] from Zentropa Entertainments spearheaded the 21 local releases, which sold 4.1 million tickets to control 28% of the market – second only to 2008 during the period.

From abroad UK directors Sam Mendes’ Skyfall [+see also:
film review
trailer
making of
film profile], Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and New Zealand director Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey contributed to the success – launched on December 12, The Hobbit exceeded 423,000 admissions in 16 days for SF Film.

“With Skyfall,we wanted to beat the legendary record for a Bond movie set by Octopussy, which reached an audience of 707,000 in 1983. Taking more than 900,000 admissions, it also became best performer at the 2012 box office,” said head of distribution Sune Lind Thomsen, of SF Film.

It was also “another good year for Danish films on the international scene,” according to the Danish Film Institute, which listed a harvest of 82 prizes from 272 festival participations, including three in Cannes (for Thomas Vinterberg’s The Hunt), two in Berlin (A Royal Affair) and two in Sundance (Mads Matthiesen’s Teddy Bear [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Lise Birk Pedersen’s Putin’s Kiss).

Danish 2012 Top Five/Local Films: 1 This Life. Dir: Anne-Grethe Bjarup Riis – 764,516 admissions. 2 Love Is All You Need. Dir: Susanne Bier – 644,255 adms. 3 A Royal Affair. Dir: Nikolaj Arcel – 528,425 adms. 4 Father of Four – At Sea. Dir: Claus Bjerre – 409,945 adms. 5 My Sisters Kids Home Alone. Dir: Martin Miehe-Renard – 310,556 admissions.

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