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DK
6.4 0h 22m

A City Called Copenhagen

Oscar nominated documentary short from Denmark, 1960

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Overview

Oscar nominated documentary short from Denmark, 1960

Rating

6.4 / 10
8 Reviews
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1 Reviews

  • CinemaSerf
    CinemaSerf
    7 Apr 18, 2026

    The English language commentary to this documentary reminded me a little of one of those 'Pete Smith Specialities' where the description was provided with just a little bit of tongue in cheek - and here it works quite well. As Denmark's capital emerges from the 1950s, this shows us something of how it's million people live from day to day. It's packed full of statistics that were probably already out of date when it was released, but they do give us an illustration of just how crucial this city is as a port of trade, as a cultural and political centre and as the home for a diverse range of people with proud traditions and a definite sense of society. It has the busiest port in Scandanavia with dozens of ships entering and leaving the port each day, and almost one third of it's revenues are spent on the social welfare of it's citizenry as we witness through it's schools, housing and free healthcare facilities all whilst nodding, albeit not always so very respectfully, to some of the more quaint tourist attractions like the Tivoli, the King's Palace and his guard and, of course, the 'Little Mermaid' perched upon her rock. This does not just present us with a Copenhagen from the picture postcards; there is plenty here that would not encourage the visitors, but by providing us with a visual compare and contrast of a city that has advanced much since horses trod the cobbled streets as Christian X waved to his subjects, it proves to be quite an entertainingly informative watch as progress and history combine collaboratively.

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