Much more than just bacon

I watch a lot of films and TV shows. Over the past year I have ignited a seemingly unquenchable interest in World Cinema and foreign drama and the time has come for me to share the gems I cherish most.

I could blog/bore you about French cinematography, the Italian's unrivalled expressions of romance or the Spanish ability to conjure the true magic of an adventure. But no, this post is one for the people of Denmark.

I'm pretty sure most of you will be thinking, surely their only exports are bacon and members of the Schmiechel family? Aha - they have much more than that my friends!

Great drama is a powerful art form, and the Danes have nailed it. They have a way of making you completely forget your own world. It truly is an experience rather than endurance to watch their mysteries unfold. From my own experience I have seen an expression of truthfulness and grit that English drama can sometimes often deliver but where it surpasses it is in the character development - it is phenomenal, notably across the TV series I have seen.

People often ask me how I can put up with watching things with subtitles, and how much more concentration it must take to watch these sorts of programme. GOOD.

Too often we are caught in the age of social media and mobile devices. We drift away from programmes to text friends, look at a twitter feed or post something on Facebook - and those things are great, don't get me wrong, they have a time and place - I'm blogging from my iPhone now! But they so often detract from the true power and experience of watching drama and cinema.

You can't get away with doing that when all the dialogue is in a language you can hardly understand. Before you have chance to What'sApp you'll be saying "what's that?!" And having to rewind - it requires concentration and that effort is rewarded many times over.

To highlight what Danish TV/cinema can offer you I've listed a couple of things for you to get stuck into:

Forbrydelsen: It is one the best tv series I have ever seen. I think ITV ran with the translated version, The Killing. Centrally themed around detective work and politics, the twists and turns engage you constantly.

Hæven/In A Better World:
It won a golden globe and an academy award. It's directed by Susanne Bier who is reasonably well noted within the world of cinema. It's a story of revenge and the power of forgiveness in 2 completely different worlds inextricably linked.

Borgen:
Political drama, media spinners and journalists. No Malcolm Tucker, but by god does this grab you by the balls. It's the character development in this which really got me into it, it's got just as many twists and turns as Forbrydelsen (it's actually produced by the same people). Plus, this is the first time - fictional or otherwise - that I have found a Prime Minister a little bit sexy. Political and personal intrigue explored, you really fall head first into the life of Birgitte Nyborg.


Bron/Broen:
Starts off with a body on a bridge. Then it's half a body of 2 different people, of different nationalities, put together. If that isn't the best ending to a first episode I don't know what is! Also, this is bi-lingual - it's in Danish and Swedish - as the body is found exactly on the border so both sets of national authorities have to investigate. What a great way for people to learn foreign languages, through great drama. The uncompromising honestly of the female protagonist is possibly the best thing about this show.

That's enough for now, I won't spoil it any further, get involved and let me know if you have any recommendations.

I was trying to finish on a bacon pun, but for the life of me I can think of none, so I'll play this card instead...

Great Danes: drama with more bite than bark xx