Small Nation, Global Cinema

The New Danish Cinema

2005
Author:

Mette Hjort

Investigates the relationship between globalization and the New Danish Cinema

Small Nation, Global Cinema offers two strategies underwriting the transformation and globalization of contemporary Danish cinema—the processes of cultural circulation and the psychological efficacy of heritage. Focusing her study on the cultural context of the international film market, Mette Hjort argues that the New Danish Cinema presents an opportunity to understand globalization within the culture and economy of a small nation.

Public Worlds Series, volume 15

With this lucid, thrilling study of Denmark's highly successful 'cinematic turn,' Mette Hjort brings aesthetic and policy analysis together to show how the New Danish Cinema meets the challenges of globalization in innovative and hopeful ways.

Meaghan Morris, Lingnan University, Hong Kong

Small Nation, Global Cinema engages the effects of globalization from the perspective of small nations. Focusing her study on the specific cultural context of the international film market, Mette Hjort argues that the New Danish Cinema presents an opportunity to understand the effects of globalization within the culture and economy of a privileged small nation.

Hjort offers two key strategies underwriting the transformation and globalization of contemporary Danish cinema—the processes of cultural circulation and the psychological efficacy of heritage. Exploring the Dogma 95 movement initiated by Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg as well as films by Erik Clausen, Gabriel Axel, Henning Carlsen, and Ole Bornedal, among others, Hjort examines means for cinematic globalization specific to Denmark, but then evolves her investigation into a truly comparative framework encompassing references to Hong Kong, Latin America, and Hollywood filmmaking. Providing a fresh way of looking at cultural influence in the era of globalization, Hjort’s concept of “small” nation points as much to the dynamics of recognition, indifference, and participation as it does to more common measures of population size, economic strength, or linguistic reach.

Mette Hjort is professor of intercultural studies at Aalborg University.

With this lucid, thrilling study of Denmark's highly successful 'cinematic turn,' Mette Hjort brings aesthetic and policy analysis together to show how the New Danish Cinema meets the challenges of globalization in innovative and hopeful ways.

Meaghan Morris, Lingnan University, Hong Kong

A well-informed account of how the New Danish Cinema came through with bursting talents and completely fresh ideas that broke with stereotypes and inspired filmmakers around the world.

Jørgen Leth, director of The Perfect Human Being and codirector, with Lars von Trier, of The Five Obstructions

Throughout Small Nation, Global Cinema, Hjort considers the dynamics of globalization in a range of contexts, and, in particular, as it effects and is effected by the small nation.

Scandinavica

Small Nation, Global Cinema deserves careful reading by many readers.

Scandinavian Studies

Small Nation, Global Cinema adds to the excellent literature on Danish and Nordic cinema published during the last ten years, while raising the bar for further work.

Scandinavian Studies

Contents

Preface
Acknowledgments

1 New Danish Cinema: A Small Nation’s Path to Globalization
2 Dogma 95: The Globalization of Denmark’s Response to Hollywood
3 Participatory Filmmaking: Experiments across the Filmmaker/Viewer Divide
4 Patriotism and Nationalism: A Common Culture in Film
5 Counterglobalization: A Transnational Communicative Space Emerges in the North
6 International Heritage: Toward an Ethics of the Bio-Pic
7 Toward a Multiethnic Society: Cinema as a Mode of Incorporation

Appendix: Dogma 95 Manifesto and Dogma Films

Notes
Works Cited

Index