World class film directors from Denmark
Although Denmark is a small country, over the years we have been known to produce world-class film directors. The country’s first famous silent movie directors emerged around the 1900’s and the importance of film art is still big today.
Now contemporary Danish directors are known for their cutting-edge, quality films. Modern auteurs of Denmark are making it big in Hollywood with movies like Nicolas Winding Refn’s “Only God Forgives” and latest Lars Von Trier’s “Nymphomaniac”.
Lars Von Trier (photo above)
Lars Von Trier, one of the grand old men among famous Danish film directors, is as much known for his films as for his controversial statements and attitude. Among film critics he is often renowned for his distinct visual style and challenging storylines. Von Trier was also one of the founding members of the Dogma95 movement, first and foremost known for promoting hand-held filming as a new visual style. His most famous movies include Dancer in The Dark (2000), Antichrist (2009) and Melancholia (2011). The new release “Nymphomaniac” is set to premiere on December 25 2013.
(Photo: Christian Geisnæs)
Thomas Vinterberg
Thomas Vinterberg is a Danish film director. Vinterberg co-founded the Dogme 95 movement with Lars von Trier. His first internationally acknowledged film was The Celebration (1998). Filmed according to the Dogme 95 rules, the film won 26 international film awards, including at the Cannes Film Festival and The European Film Awards. More recently Vinterberg directed The Hunt (2010) starring Danish Mads Mikkelsen, who won Best Actor Award at Cannes for his performance.
Susanne Bier
Susanne Bier is a Danish film director. After directing a long list of films for the Scandinavian markets, she found international acclaim with After the Wedding (2006) starring Mads Mikkelsen and Sidse Babett Knudsen, followed by In A Better World (2010) and Love Is All You Need (2012). In A Better World won Best Foreign Language Oscar and the European Film Award for Best Director in 2011.
Nicolas Winding Refn
Nicolas Winding Refn a Danish film director, screenwriter and producer. He began his career in Denmark with the Danish-language trilogy Pusher (1996-2005). In 2011 Refn directed Drive which won him Best Director Award at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival and a whole host of other awards. His latest film, Only God Forgives, was shortlisted at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.