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Gunhild Agger Danish Originals and Transnational Transformations ECREA, Istanbul 24-27 October 2012. Nestingen & Elkington: Transnational Cinema in a Global North (2005).
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Gunhild Agger Danish Originals and Transnational Transformations ECREA, Istanbul 24-27 October 2012
Nestingen & Elkington: Transnational Cinema in a Global North (2005) • “Financing for Nordic cinema productions is often multinational; the cultural-political bodies that provide funding for cinema cannot be fitted neatly within the borders of a single nation-state; and the networks of production, distribution and exhibition through which all films pass are transnational.” (p. 2)
Ib Bondebjerg and Eva Novrup Redvall (2011): A Small Region in a Global world. Patterns in Scandinavian Film and TV Culture • “Cinema is no longer the key element in a film’s life.” (Bondebjerg and Redvall 2011: 12) • “the national market is the most important” compared to the Scandinavian market and the EU market (Bondebjerg and Redvall 2011: 8)
The transnational trend and the importance of the domestic audience • Danish art films • Danish mainstream films that that have a cross cultural appeal • Films produced in a foreign culture by a Danish director
Susanne Bier and Lone Scherfig • Both made their break-through in a domestic context with romantic comedies • Susanne Bier with Den eneste ene (The One and Only,1999, 843.472 admissions) • Lone Scherfig with Italiensk for begyndere (Italian forBeginners, 2000), a Dogme production, 828,730 admissions (Source: Facts and Figures, DFI.dk)
Susanne Bier cinematic strategy: a cross cultural approach • The One and Only remade in England (2002, director Simon Cellan Jones) • Elsker dig for evigt (Open Hearts 2002, manuscript: Anders Thomas Jensen, dogma film) • Brødre (2004) • Efter Brylluppet (After the Wedding, 2006), nominated for an Academy reward • Brothers (American remake, 2009, Director: Jim Sheridan) • Things We Lost in the Fire (2007), produced by the English production company Neal Street Productions with primarily an American cast • In a Better World (2010), received an Academy reward and a Golden Globe 2011 • Den skaldede frisør (Love is All You Need, 2012)
Susanne Bier: the Breakthrough • Den eneste ene (The One and Only, 1999) – romantic comedy, 843.472 admissions • Elsker dig for evigt (Open Hearts, 2002) – realistic drama, Dogma film, 506.493 admissions
Hollywoodization? • “In many of the new Danish films some minor stories have just been expanded to stress a similarity to American films. Danish film has become more sentimental, furnished with more cheap tricks.” (Lars von Trier 2005 in Ekko, Schepelern2005: 26, my translation). Attacking • Susanne Bier • Kim FupzAakeson • Anders Thomas Jensen
Brothers 2004 / American remake 2009 • Similarities: • Both versions openly ask salient questions about the consequences of participating in war • Differences: • national traditions as well as family traditions in warfare – due to the different cultural frames • Danish version: 424,542 admissions in Danish cinemas • American version: 1,910 admissions in Danish cinemas
Hævnen (In a Better World) 2010 • 2011: Golden Globe • 2011: Academy Reward • a clear-cut thematic global scope: • Africa and Denmark – • contrasts and surprising • parallels
‘Romantic comedy’ • Visually relating to Walt Disney • Cindarella story • Banal music: Dean Martins That’s Amore • Sorrento • Clear primary colors: yellow, blue, red • The romantic comedy with a twist or two
Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself (2002) • An Education (2009): three Academy Award nominations • A full adaptationto a foreignfilm culture