Blockbuster genres in Danish independent film

Several institutional interests – including The Danish Film Institute, The National Film School of Denmark and Nordisk Film – have motivated the national and international success of Danish cinema. Hence, these institutions have had a heavy influence on the appearance of Danish cinema. One aspect is a certain reluctance towards supporting specific international blockbuster genres such as horror, the gangster drama and action film.

Throughout the past decade, Danish independent cinema – motivated by for instance the alternative film school Super16 and self-governing film-milieus around Denmark – has grown from being amateur home productions to more self-aware production companies. What is interesting about this development, though, is the fact that many of the indie filmmakers do not react against blockbuster marked dominance, but they respond by delving directly into international blockbuster genres and styles in the search for what is missing in Danish cinema.

This works for some directors, principally, by directly reacting against the institutional and economic dominance and protectionism of primarily The Danish Film Institute. Indirectly, the some of the filmmakers seem to react against ‘what is allowed’ in Danish film culture. Thus, they actually define themselves as being non-mainstream by focussing on international mainstream genres. By way of examples from the Danish indie scene and interviews with noteworthy indie filmmakers, this article draws attention to a still fairly anonymous trend in Danish film.