Danmark (1935) - Henningsen's light-hearted documentary of his own beloved country

♥♥♥♥

The title still from Poul Henningsen's Danmark

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Renowned Danish designer, filmmaker and societal influence Poul Henningsen's (Den Opvakte Jomfru (1950), writer) Denmark documentary, known as Danmark/Danmarksfilmen [Denmark/The Denmark Film], is a unique historical source and a fine, uplifting film especially of the Danish agriculture and industry of the 1930s era.

The film starts at sea, and the idea to present a large part of the water-surrounded kingdom from the seaside is excellent. Time has been tough on the film, but many of the Danish landscapes shine through the cobwebs still, and it is also clear from watching Danmark that the Danish people's fame for being a happy and happiness-striving people is not new qualities.
Writer-director Henningsen narrates the film and has chosen a jazz score, composed by Bernhard Christensen (Begynd Dagen med en Sang [Begin the Day with a Song] (1937), song composer), that is light and merry, which might indicate to the outsider that all in Denmark is a trivial delight, which, however, wasn't and still isn't the case.

Watch the first couple of minutes from the documentary here

Cost: Unknown
Box office: Unknown
= Unknown
[The film was ordered by the Danish Foreign Ministry, and the original 55 minute version released became heavily rebuked at the time for its every-day-like, unimpressed form, the jazz and a lot of other things. The ministry made Henningsen re-edit it later that same year. He re-edited the film again to a shorter 31 minute version in 1950. I don't have information of Danmark ever being shown outside of Denmark, although that must have been the ministry's original intention with ordering the film. You can find links for where to see it here.]

What do you think of Poul Henningsen's Danmark?
Does it portray the country and the Danes well in your opinion?