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BOX OFFICE Denmark

Market stable despite dip in local titles

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Cinema attendance in Denmark maintained a steady level in 2006 with 12.6m admissions against 12.2m in 2005. With 3.1m admissions from 21 new films, Danish productions continue to prove highly popular with local audiences, although their market share registered a significant drop from 32% in 2005 (an exceptional year) to 25% in 2006.

This level remains normal for Denmark, the highest among the Scandinavian countries and the fifth in Europe.

The biggest grossing film of 2006 was the UK/Czech Republic/German/US co-production Casino Royale [+see also:
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film profile
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, which beat out six US films and three Danish films in the top ten, thanks notably to the presence of local star Mads Mikkelsen.

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Niels Arden Oplev’s We Shall Overcome [+see also:
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, which triumphed at international festivals in 2006, was the most popular local film, followed by Susanne Bier’s After the Wedding [+see also:
film review
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interview: Sisse Graum Jørgensen
interview: Susanne Bier
film profile
]
and Clash of Egos [+see also:
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, Tomas Villum Jensen’s satire on the success of Danish cinema.

The biggest international Danish export, Lars von Trier, unfortunately proved that no man is a prophet in his own country. His The Boss of it All [+see also:
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]
hardly managed 2,000 admissions at home whereas in Italy it garnered over 200,000 for Lucky Red and over 21,000 for Les Films du Losange in France.

This year should be another record year for local films, which already scored a 40% market share during the first quarter. Among the six new local releases, two films passed the 300,000 admissions mark: Erik Clausen’s comedy-drama Temporary Release and the comedy Anja & Viktor: Flaming Love [+see also:
trailer
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by Niels Nørløv.

Another 19 Danish films are expected to open this year. Lone Scherfig – whose Italian For Beginners was one of the biggest Danish grossers of all time (over 800,000 admissions in 2000) and one of the most successful Danish exports – should score again with her new comedy Hjemve, set to open on March 30.

Other highly anticipated new films include Giacomo Campeotto’s children adventure film The Lost Treasure of the Knights Templar 2 [+see also:
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film profile
]
, and Ole Bornedal’s The Substitute [+see also:
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film profile
]
and Just Another Love Story.

Top 10 films of 2006 (in admissions):

1. Casino Royale (UK/Czech Republic/Germany/US): 703,946
2. The Da Vinci Code (US): 623,989
3. Ice Age 2: The Meltdown (US): 605,349
4. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (US): 517,805
5. We Shall Overcome (Denmark): 404,703
6. After the Wedding (Denmark): 386,444
7. Chicken Little (US): 291,559
8. The Chronicles of Narnia (US): 287,694
9. Clash of Egos (US): 272,068
10. Cars (US): 267,755

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