THE Embassy of Denmark is opening the fifth installment of the Danish Film Festival by screening the first Filipino film shot in Greenland, an autonomous region within the Kingdom of Denmark.

The film festival opens on Oct. 9 with Nuuk, directed by Veronica B. Velasco, and starring Alice Dixson and Aga Muhlach. The film follows Elaisa Svendsen (played by Dixson), a Filipino migrant worker in Nuuk who is struggling to move on from the recent death of her husband. Her life changes when she meets fellow Filipino Mark Alvarez. Together, they find companionship. However, unexpected events lead to the truth about Mark’s introduction in Elaisa’s life.

“I look forward to welcoming you to the 5th Danish Film Festival. With the entry of the Philippine film Nuuk which takes place in the northernmost part of the Kingdom of Denmark, this festival truly bears testimony to the cultural diplomacy through film in a globalized world,” Danish Ambassador Grete Sillasen was quoted as saying in a press release.

The capital of Greenland, Nuuk, has a population of 17,000 — an estimated 400 of whom are Filipinos.

The story tackles how a person’s mental health is affected by the environment.

According to the film’s writer, Erwin Blanco, the story is based on a documentary set in Greenland about a young girl who committed suicide after a failed relationship.

“Iba siya. Hindi siya normal na love story. (It’s different. It’s not a normal love story.) Kapit lang kayo hanggang dulo (Stay tuned until the end) because [it has] an ending that nobody will ever guess,” director Veronica B. Velasco said at the press launch on Sept. 26 at the Red Carpet Premiere Theater of the Shangri-La Plaza mall in Mandaluyong City. “It’s about how the environment affects the people.”

“Meeting the people there and listening to their stories of struggles and triumph are nothing short of inspiring. Nuuk is not an easy place to live and raise a family in, yet our kababayans (countrymen) thrive there,” screenwriter Aileen A. Keesop said in a statement.

THE FILM LINEUP
Alongside Nuuk, the festival will screen nine full-length Danish films from Oct. 9 to 13 at Cinema 4 of the Red Carpet, Shangri-La Plaza mall in Mandaluyong.

The films are: Birgitte Stærmose’s Darling (2017); Milad Alami’s The Charmer (2017); Jonas Elmer’s I Am William (2017); Niccolo Donato’s Across the Waters (2016); Bille August’s A Fortunate Man (2018); Annika Berg’s Team Hurricane (2017); Jannik Hastrup’s Circleen, Coco & the Wild Rhinoceros (2018); Carl Th. Dreyer’s Ordet (The Word, 1954); and Jasper W. Nielsen’s The Day Will Come (2016).

“For the fifth edition of the Danish Film Festival, the festival is presenting an impressive mix of 10 films spanning various genres such as drama, comedy, historical drama, and fantasy. The entire lineup brings captivating narratives and cinematography that will fascinated and touch the hearts of the viewers,” said Lala Fojas, executive vice-president and general manager of the mall during the press conference announcing the festival.

The screening schedule follows:

Oct. 9, 7:30 p.m. Nuuk

Oct. 10, 2:30 p.m., I Am William; 4:30 p.m. Darling; 6:40 p.m., The Day Will Come; 9 p.m., A Fortunate Man

Oct. 11, 1:20 p.m., Team Hurricane; 3:30 p.m., The Charmer; 5:40 p.m., Across the Waters; 9 p.m., A Fortunate Man

Oct. 12, 2 p.m., Ordet; 4:30 p.m., Nuuk; 7 p.m., Darling; 9 p.m., I Am William

Oct. 13, 2:15 p.m., Circleen, Coco & the Wild Rhinoceros; 4:35 p.m., Team Hurricane; 6:50 p.m., Nuuk; 9 p.m., Across the Waters.

Entrance to the screenings is free. Seats are on a first come first serve basis.

For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/DenmarkinthePhilippines/. — Michelle Anne P. Soliman

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