Discoveries from Denmark World Cinema

A baby’s baptism turns into a nightmare when Baron and Baroness von Wilhjelm’s young son is kidnapped by itinerant musicians. Mother and son are reunited after 20 years apart, when the band of travelers sets up camp at the very same estate where the Baroness resides. Raphael, as he is now named, has become a handsome young man whom women swoon over; He is caught in the middle of an intense battle for his affections between the Count’s daughter Inger and the crafty and lovelorn Zelma, who will stop at nothing to make sure Raphael is hers.

Golden Girl is a film about the forces at play around Frida Wallberg, WBC world champion. It's about putting it all on the line in a deadly sport. About rosy dreams that crash into a nothing less than brutal reality.

Nothing can scare Karla like her family's curious glances, but today no one can look away.

Dirch Passer does it again. In this incredibly funny Passer film, we meet Dirch as a member of the ground staff at SAS. Dirch has one small flaw: he is hopelessly in love with a stewardess and finds it very difficult not to dream about his crush while he is at work. Time and again, he dreams himself into various heroic roles in order to attract the attention of his beloved Agneta. We meet Dirch as a flight captain, archaeologist, gangster, sailor, prince, defense attorney, boxing champion, and soldier in the Wild West. These are all roles he immerses himself in through his daydreams. But when you dream, you usually wake up again, and so does Peter, and every time he finds himself in the most embarrassing situations. The question is whether Peter will ever succeed in getting his Agneta to see his side, and will she even notice that he dreams about her, and will he be able to keep his job at SAS?

Summer in Copenhagen. Best friends Ronja and Serb are restless souls in their mid-twenties struggling to navigate life. As one joins a secret activist network, and the other falls in love with a mysterious girl, a series of increasingly unlikely events unfold, and the line between reality and fiction begins to erode. Timelines diverge and doppelgängers appear out of nowhere in an endless array of bright summer nights, where everyone is equally chasing euphoria and trying to find meaning.

Out of sheer boredom, two young girls publish a fake personal ad in the newspaper, pretending to be a rich, beautiful woman in search of “a gentleman” with “absolutely proper intentions”. And there’s obviously no shortage of them. The enquiries flood in, and the cheerful girls follow the joke through by convening everyone to a simultaneous rendezvous. What a divine sight when all the suitors appear confused with roses in their mouths! However, two of the scorned men are old friends and recognise one other – they soon team up to give the witty women behind the joke a tender lesson! (stumfilm.dk)

The notorious criminal Barra is approached by Agent Frank for a profitable collaboration. The brand new designs of a revolutionary internal combustion engine is the target. Engineer von Rosen at the Osman Corporation is the trusted envoy for the transfer of the drawings/designs. Frank is determined to intercept and obtain the valuable goods for his client. A competitor in the mechanical industry. Barra is keen to get started. And he intend to use his wife as a magnet, to get the attention of Osman director von Spangen.

In a small, narrow-minded provincial town, we find undertaker Vilfred Kierkegaard, who runs the town's funeral home together with his young orphaned nephew, Mike. But in the provinces, everything moves a little slower, and the same goes for deaths. The funeral home is on the verge of bankruptcy, and Mike's involvement in the local amphetamine trade only creates more problems. Soon, the town's three bullies seek out the bankrupt undertaker couple. With death threats and an empty bank account, Vilfred and Mike fight hard to survive.

Anders Matthesen (Danish stand-up) performs his new show "Anders"

A black-and-white documentary which closely follows the rehearsal process of the famous ballet Giselle, originally choreographed by Adolphe Adam. The focus here is entirely on the process by which ballet master Henning Kronstram conveys the spirit and the endless details of the ballet to his dancers.

When Clara sees an ad announcing that the tabloid newspaper B.T. is looking for a young, beautiful woman to play a part in their upcoming amateur film, she does not hesitate. She submits her photo and confidently predicts a great future for herself in film. Her father, a grumpy merchant called Mr Balle, forbids her to attend the audition, just as he forbids her to get engaged to the neighbour’s son, Peter. Yet unbeknownst to all, Mr Balle has himself been called in to audition for a role in the amateur film. As a result of a series of coincidences, Clara, Peter and Mr Balle find themselves together in front of the rolling cameras. (Stumfilm.dk)

Jørgen wants to propose to Marie as soon as he has been promoted and can offer her a proper home. Indeed, his future looks promising until his father, who is a bookkeeper in the town bank, tells Jørgen that he has embezzled and spent money from the bank. In order to uphold his father’s honour, Jørgen must raise the missing amount, and the only one he knows with that much ready money is his uncle, the canny merchant Ole Konge, whom his father detests. Ole Konge will only help if Jørgen marries his daughter Amalie, who has long pined for her cousin from afar. Sacrificing his own happiness for the sake of his family, Jørgen enters into a loveless marriage. He thinks about Marie every day until a dramatic incident makes him see Amalie in a new light. (Stumfilm.dk)

Dizzy Gillespie's brilliant trumpet is making up to nightly mysteries in the gleam of the half-moon where two courting flamingos are dancing while a grumpy parrot wants peace and quiet for his night's sleep. This is the fourth and last short film in the Birdland series by Danish animator Jannik Hastrup.

The young clerk Poul Wang is squandering his fortune on festive pleasures while being shadowed by a mysterious unknown figure. The following day, payment is due and Poul has to clandestinely visit a local loan shark. The growing interest rates tempt Poul to steal from his workplace, but he is discovered by a watchful colleague. In desperation, he robs his own family’s savings, narrowly avoiding being fatally shot by his own wife, who mistakes him for a common burglar. Just as everything looks impossibly bleak, the mysterious stranger comes to the rescue. (Stumfilm.dk)

It's girls' night. Nanna and her friend smoke weed, giggle, and drink. But soon they run out. They could buy more, but they don't have enough money. A plowman would probably be enough, so Nanna has an idea. She knows a guy who would probably give them some money—he just wants something in return. And so the question is: What is 500 kroner really worth? A blowjob?

Chancellor von Rallenstein is terrorizing the country. He even forces Princess Irene to marry Prince Deima, even though she is already engaged to her true love, Pawlow. When Rallenstein finds out about their secret wedding, he furiously sets out to sabotage the marriage. (stumfilm.dk)

The story about Mr. Petit - a French charming marriage trickster and murderer of women.

Ashley, a psychologist in Esbjerg, goes after local mafia boss John for his involvement in the murder of Ashley's wife Amanda.

It may appear to be smooth sailing, but the atmosphere behind the scenes at Poul and Jørgen's racing team is tense: the big race is just around the corner, and a deposed member of the team is trying to sabotage them. As if that's not enough, Jørgen can't stay away from Poul's girlfriend. The danger of capsizing is therefore imminent - but then Poul's cousin Basse appears.

When the rich man’s son Egil falls in love with the poor showgirl Rigi, his family is sceptical. They think that she’s not a good match for him, and perhaps they’re right. Just as the young couple’s fortunes are on the up, the bride-to-be disappears without a trace, and Egil is plagued by doubt: Was Rigi his true love, or was he just blinded by her beautiful yet mysterious maiden eyes? (Stumfilm.dk)

Jannick feels comfortable in his life, which he fills with friends, parties and girls. But after a city trip, a boy rings the doorbell. Is party-time over?

Hassan's Danish life has failed. After a harsh divorce and after losing contact to his son, Hassan is now back in his native Jordan. A meeting with his son and a last chance for reconciliation is to be arranged.

A portrait of the American Beat Generation writer William S. Burroughs (1914-1997) based on never-before-seen footage from his visit to Denmark in October 1983, and from his later years in Lawrence, Kansas. After having spent more than a quarter of a century outside of the United States, in Mexico, Tangier, Paris and London, Burroughs returned to New York in 1974. Shortly after, he began touring and reading his work to new generations of readers and thus establishing himself as a cult figure. The film focuses on Burroughs' unique talent as a performer, and on his later work, especially what is known as The Last Trilogy. In addition to the historic footage there are new interviews with friends and colleagues.

Alex and Ana are trying to repair an old radio which transmits sound waves from the Caucasian mountains. Ana does not believe it is possible to see or understand things she does not believe in, but Alex knows it is possible to see only what you believe. A conflict erupts between the past and the present understanding of reality and the complex question of choosing your own reality. He believes in a world he creates himself, and is in search of the things you cannot see.

As a 17-year-old, Emil Nielsen was one of the best goalkeepers in the Danish handball league. Get the full story of his personal struggle to reach the top of the national team.

Last year he did his first one-man show, and this year he's doing his second one-man show. This time it's about helping... Can we do without smartphones, welfare and God? Have we become completely helpless? Or is it actually ok to ask for help from time to time? Are we looking for help in the right places? Is it true that our politicians try to help - but actually do the opposite? And are we actually any better ourselves? And more importantly, why does it have to go so wrong before we can figure out how to help each other?

In Horsens, the exiled Russian princess Elisabeth Antonovna is imprisoned. Though her existence is a sad one, two things in particular can cheer the princess up: stories about the cunning smuggler Madsalune, and flirting with her humble suitor, Lieutenant Johan Gordon. One fine day, the two joys merge into one, when it transpires that the lieutenant is in fact the smuggler Madsalune in disguise! The princess’ fortune is decided, or at least it almost is because the two lovers first have to smuggle the princess through thick walls and past an army of jailers. (Stumfilm.dk)

A barter under a bridge will mean life and death for Hr. Hansen and Hr. Jensen

Joachim has come to take care of his self-destructive and suicidal father Ulrich, who lives on the countryside. They have not spoken nor seen each other for several years. It's a story about family and betrayal. They will both have to let go of their failure, shame and guilt to move on, even though the outcome might be hard.

Hairon is a Brazilian teenage boy who likes to wear makeup and dress in women's clothes. He lives with his mother and stepfather in a small town in Denmark. Hairon's birthday is coming up, and he travels to Brazil to meet his father for the first time in three years in the hope that his father will come to his party.

Directed by Eduard Schnedler-Sørensen.

A short Surrealist animation from Denmark which begins with a zoom into a Paul Delvaux painting, then reverses the process by pulling back from a continually changing picture.

Money trouble forces Henry de Santos to marry the bankier's daughter, Rosa, even though his heart belongs to the flower girl, Carmian. He cares for Rosa, but he can't forget Carmian, and when they meet again years later, there is no doubt. Rosa overhears her husband declare his love for Carmian, whereafter Henry decides to leave the mess behind and earn a living as a cowboy in America. When Carmian, who is now a famous singer, travels through Henry's new home town on a concert tour, their paths cross again. But will they ever meet? (stumfilm.dk)

Bob Maser has had his car and money stolen by a con man called Bill. The car is found in Detroit and Bob leaves his home and family to go and reclaim it. In the car he finds Bill's old notebook filled with names, phone numbers, addresses, odd drawings and texts. Bob decides to try to track Bill down to see justice happen.

The opium smoker Hugo is the youngest son of Baron von Kaufmann, who also is a victim of the drug habit. Hugo is insanely jealous of his older brother Ernest. When Ernst's engagement with beautiful Henny is announced at a costume ball Hugo he gets furious. Observed by his valet he is calmed down. Hugo's valet see's his opportunity to strengthen his position. The film was banned in Denmark. Instead it opened in Finland.

A touching documentary about a city that has lost hope, and about one man's fight to bring it back.

A film about love and the problems of love. Two young university students move in together. They love each other and seem to have every opportunity for a happy life together. But problems arise. They agree to see a psychologist, and the therapy slowly reveals the hidden causes of their problems. The film is based on a true story in which a psychologist, the film's director and producer invited young couples with relationship problems to sign up for an experiment. One couple was offered psychological assistance, and the consultation was recorded on video. The film's script was written based on these recordings.

A spectacular one-man show with Andreas Bo, who in 2011 was named both "TV Actor of the Year" and "Comedian of the Year." All the famous people are parodied in this critically acclaimed live show, with Villy Søvndal, Thomas Blachman, Finn & Jacob, Mick Øgendahl, Ulf Pilggard, and Ole Henriksen all receiving the royal treatment.

The creative yet debt-ridden inventor Fred must sell his beloved prototype of an aeroplane. Fred’s wife is ill and needs expensive medicine. The buyer is the usurer Frank, who doesn’t understand technology other than a status symbol. Thus, Frank needs a pilot, and Fred swallows his pride and takes the job. On the day of the test flight, a violent storm is brewing. Will Fred’s own invention seal his fate? (Stumfilm.dk)

The third and final part of Carlsen's documentary trilogy explores what it means to be young or old.

After staying 3 years in America the Countess Ellie Stenholt (Marguerite Viby) returns home to Denmark and the family estate Stenholt. She finds that everything isn't going well noticing that the estate is falling apart and money is short.

Trapped in a world of eternal light, Dracula wanders aimlessly and passive. However, after meeting The Golden Woman bathed in sunlight, and The Black Crow, he regains his hunger for blood.

In a world where the municipality offers people the possibility to get to know their fate, ROSA shows up at the fate office to get a clarification about her future. Rosa is in her early 30s and enjoys her free and chaotic lifestyle while looking down a bit on those who have “properly” grown up. Rosa is mostly concerned with whether her finances will finally get under control, but when she learns that she will never find the love of her life, it suddenly triggers new thoughts. Will Rosa succeed in breaking her fate? And is that even what she wants?

"Being a housewife is a profession like any other," emphasizes the speaker in this film, which is about how to keep a house in the 1940s. The newlywed Lene is unfortunately completely hopeless about it. She burns the food on, makes crooked press folds in her trousers and is rooted in the accounts. Her husband Peter gradually becomes more and more impatient, and eventually he takes his good clothes and leaves. The whole world falls for Lene. Something must be done! Time is rewound so that Lene can have time to train as a housewife before she gets married. Meanwhile, Peter has to wait in church.