Inclusion in New Danish Cinema: Sexuality and Transnational Belonging

Often recognized as one of the happiest countries in the world, Denmark, like its Scandinavian neighbours, is known for its progressive culture, which is also reflected in its national cinema. It is not surprising, then, that Danish film boasts as many successful women film directors as men and the highest number of women directors of any national cinema, uses scripts that are often co-written by both the director and the screenwriter, and produces among the highest numbers of queer films directed by and starring women. Inclusion in New Danish Cinema offers the film industry and the general public an opportunity to glimpse the power of digital filmmaking as both a vehicle for self-reflexive emotional release, and as a locus for the negotiation of contemporary social, political and aesthetic issues. In a period of transnational, post-closeted, post-feminist and multicultural transition, Danish fiction films are showcasing the contestations of a society undergoing the impacts of globalization and shifting cultural norms. In particular, these films speak to an impatient screen-oriented culture that is becoming increasingly difficult to engage. Despite all this, Danish film is not widely written about, especially in English. Inclusion in New Danish Cinema brings this vibrant culture to Englishlanguage audiences. Meryl Shriver-Rice argues that Denmark has demonstrated that film can reinforce cultural ethics and political values while also navigating the ongoing and mounting forces of digital communication and globalization.