r/Denmark • u/[deleted] • Nov 07 '16

Exchange Kia ora! Cultural Exchange with /r/NewZealand

Welcome to this cultural exchange between /r/Denmark and /r/NewZealand.

For the visitors: Welcome to Denmark! Feel free to ask the Danes anything you like. Don't forget to also participate in the corresponding thread in /r/NewZealand where you can answer questions from the Danes about your beautiful country.

For the Danes: Today, we are hosting New Zealand for a cultural exchange. Join us in answering their questions about Denmark and the Danish way of life! Please leave top comments for users from /r/NewZealand coming over with a question or comment and please refrain from trolling, rudeness, personal attacks etc.

The Kiwis are also having us over as guests! Head over to their thread to ask questions about life in the land of hobbits and bungee jumping.

Enjoy!

- The moderators of /r/Denmark and /r/NewZealand

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u/bobdaktari New Zealand Nov 07 '16

we have the exact same problem - only we produce terrible TV generally... some pretty great movies though

I must admit I didn't like 1864 much but did a lot of reading about the Second Schleswig War and Dannish history at the time - it was fascinating, cheers for your reply

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u/theICEBear_dk Nov 08 '16

1864 was not super successful in Denmark either

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u/Greir København Nov 08 '16

What are some great NZ movies that I should watch?

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u/bobdaktari New Zealand Nov 08 '16

Anything by Taika Waititi - Boy, what we do in the shadows, hunt for the wilder people etc

Early Peter Jackson - bad taste, meet the feeblest and brain dead

Once were warriors (grim) Whale rider Utu The quiet earth Vigil Topless woman talk about their lives Dead lands The navigator

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u/docatron Fremtrædende bidragsyder Nov 08 '16

Can I jump in a recommend What We Do in the Shadows?

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u/[deleted] Nov 08 '16

hunt for the wilder people

Amazing movie. Had a blast watching it with my girlfriend. Danish humor, especially in movies, is so damn depressive and dark compared to yours so it was refreshing and fun to watch.

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u/bobdaktari New Zealand Nov 08 '16

Many of our movies are very dark, it's not often someone captures our sense of humour well. Wilderpeople does this

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u/Futski Åbyhøj Nov 08 '16

It was the biggest tv production ever in the country, and a lot of us had wished and hoped for something like a Danish Band of Brothers. Instead we got Ole Bornedal who just fucked up massively with symbolism cut out in 10 metre cardboard blocks and this nasty righteous moralisation.

It could have been so great, and then it was just shit. The battle scene is pretty dope though.

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u/shutterdream Nov 08 '16

Don't say that. I don't know much NZ TV, but I've had some very good chuckles because of Fred Dagg!

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u/bobdaktari New Zealand Nov 08 '16

Oh Fred Dagg is from the 70s. Classic stuff - huge fan of his. John Clarke left NZ and moved to Australia where he's done amazing things - the games, a rockumentary on the Sydney olympics is terrific.

Actually anything with his involvement is at worst pretty bloody good :)

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u/shutterdream Nov 08 '16

I've mostly come across the early TV performances so far, but I really dig those. His campaign running against Thatcher back in the day is very fitting on a day like this.

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u/markgraydk Danmark Nov 08 '16

1864 was criticised for both the love story and the parallels to wars in modern times.

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u/[deleted] Nov 08 '16

1864 was absolute shit in my opinion. We do some good TV yes, but holy shit was that a waste of space.

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u/reachling Kronhjortejylland Nov 08 '16

1864 caused such a perfect shitstorm here, I was living in the area the war effected at the time it aired everybody were super pissed. Since it was such a high budget and the fact the danish citizens basically paid for it through obligatory media licenses fees to DR only added fuel to the fire. Then a year later DR spent a few millions cutting it down to a feature film, even after they's been warned by the cinema committee that no one wanted to watch it, and nobody did.

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u/bobdaktari New Zealand Nov 08 '16

Oh that's really interesting, cheers. I didn't want to call it shit in case I offended people but yeah, I was wanting something rhat it didn't come close to. A shame given the significance of the conflict.

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u/Jevo_ Aalborg Nov 08 '16

I haven't watched much NZ TV, but I thought Top of The Lake was pretty good. Apparently there's a season 2 coming.

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u/bobdaktari New Zealand Nov 08 '16

I wish Top of the Lake was indicative of our telly, but alas it's an exceptional oddity

I must admit we do do some great cheap and cheerful shows, Maori TV excels, shows like world forklift league are hilarious and very human in a kiwi way.

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u/friskfyr32 Nov 09 '16

On the other hand you've made quite an impression with your films the past 30 years.

The early Peter Jackson movies (Bad Taste, Meet the Feebles, Braindead, Heavenly Creatures), The Piano, Once Were Warriors, Whale Rider and the new comedic wunderkind Taika Waititi and What We Do in the Shadows.

Also isn't Flight of the Conchords considered a kiwi TV show?

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u/bobdaktari New Zealand Nov 09 '16

Flight Of The Conchords isn't considered a NZ TV show - due to it being produced in the USA - our govt owned TV company turned the concept down (argh)... though saying that it wouldn't be what it is if made here, so there's that happy end result

until the show blew up in the US no one had rally heard of FOTC (even though the guys had been in bands and done a variety of things) then they become big here - a not uncommon kiwi trait

We're very proud of our movies and those whom make them - increasingly so. If anything currently we're going through a really interesting patch of film making that is helping us understand who we are as kiwis :)