Revolving Door in Denmark
Revolving Door was accepted for screening in the 'New Visions' award competition category at the Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival - CPH:DOX 2006 (Denmark). The world premiere of Revolving Door was Wednesday November 12, 2006.
The following are highlights of Alex & Dave's adventures in Europe, specifically nine days at a Danish film festival, (before their unstructured travel through Barcelona, Manchester and Amsterdam to complete nearly a month abroad, but that's another story ...)
November 5, 2006
Only two sleeps to go before we leave. We've been advised by Claus Erichsen, our contact at CPH:DOX to pack warm clothes because it is freezing - coming from a Dane, this is making us nervous ...
Wednesday November 8, 2006 - Melbourne Airport, Melbourne, Australia
We are dropped off at Tullamarine with hours to spare. We check in – our luggage already weighing a combined 43kg, not including hand luggage, due to the huge amount of cold weather clothing we're carrying – jackets, coats, thermals, mittens, scarves and hats. As we wander through immigration and passport control, Alex is singled out and her clothing swabbed and the swab analysed. Despite a mysterious ‘spike' on the read out, she is let through. We do some pre-flight duty free shopping – specifically for a huge bottle of Grand Marnier as a special request for Seca, our English host, as well as duty free cigarettes for ourselves. We're a little concerned about being able to bring liquids through Europe as part of the latest airline security paranoia but are assured by the duty free shop that there won't be any problems...
Malaysian Airlines flight KL 4121 (a newish Boeing 777) departs Terminal 2, Tullamarine Airport, half an hour late at 4:10pm in the afternoon. We manage to get window seats and are kept entertained by the rear-seat mounted LCD televisions enabling in-flight movies, TV, music and games.
Wednesday November 8, 2006 - Kuala Lumpur Airport, Malaysia
After an eight-hour flight we arrive in hot and steamy Kuala Lumpur airport, Malaysia at around 9:00pm local time. We manage a quick coffee before heading to the gate to catch the 11:25pm KLM / Royal Dutch Airlines flight KL 0810 to Schipol, Amsterdam. Alex sets off the metal detector at the gate passport / security control and is frisked by a female customs agent. She is let through.
Thursday November 9, 2006 - Schiphol Airport, Netherlands
12 hours and 45 minutes of hell later – trapped in the centre of the centre aisle of a row of 5 on an absolutely packed flight – we arrive at Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam, 5:10am local time. A much needed coffee before we make our way through customs to our connecting flight to Copenhagen, Denmark.
Alex is carrying the duty free liquor purchased from Melbourne, which is promptly seized and confiscated by Dutch Customs agents. After her howls of protest, they say the only way to carry it on a plane is to check it in as luggage (explain the logic in that security arrangement!). Nevertheless, we run the gauntlet and make our way across the enormous airport to the nearest KLM ticketing counter. They tell us it will cost 45 Euros (approx. AUS $90) – more than the purchase price of the bottle – so we discard our gift, fuming with rage. As we have now left the transit lounge in search of a ticket counter, we have to re-enter the airport and re-run the security / passport control gauntlet again. Alex is singled out to have her Paul Frank back-pack hand searched. After threats of confiscating her make-up, she is let through …make-up intact ...
7:50am and we are on flight KL1125, a smaller Fokker 100 ‘city hopper' destined for Copenhagen.
Thursday November 9, 2006 - Copenhagen Airport, Denmark
We arrive pretty much on time to terminal 3, Copenhagen Airport at 9:25am local time. We make our way to the baggage carousel, collect our suitcases without incident (although extremely worse for wear!) and depart the airport – simple as that – no customs, no passport checks, no nothing – very strange. We had ‘officially' entered the European Union at Amsterdam, so no more checks from then on.
From the airport we lug our cases to the adjacent station and catch a train to Copenhagen Central, the main city rail hub. From there it is a short walk (that feels so much longer when dragging a suitcase) to our first night at the Hotel Hebron.
Hitting the ground running, we briefly acclimatise, grab a much needed shower and make our way to the Danish Film Institute (opposite the lovely Kings Gardens) to check-in with our hosts.
We are given special guest passes and made to feel very welcome. We can attend any film screening we like, all the seminars plus opening and closing parties ... very film star! We race back to the Hebron to get suitably 'glammed' up for the Opening Night awards ("Gold Documentary award), screening and Gala at the Dagmar Cinema.
Friday November 10, 2006 - Copenhagen, Denmark
Exhausted, we sleep soundly for our second night at the Hotel Hebron. Awesome buffet breakfast ... very Danish: pickled herring, dark rye breads, hams, cheeses - we managed to eat heartily.
As our pre-booked accommodation was set to expire, we found ourselves new digs, as well as purchasing tickets for internal European flights to Barcelona then Manchester. Quickly discover Copenhagen's 'red light' district - mainly because we're living in the heart of it!
Alex standing beside information poster on street prostitution in Copenhagen
'5 things you should know about prostitution' ... 'Copenhagen Against Prostitution' street information campaign, Copenhagen, Denmark.Saturday November 11, 2006 - Copenhagen, Denmark
Our first night at the Absalon Hotel - better room, although the toilet takes a bit of getting used to - very old plumbing!
We are becoming regulars at the Cinemateket, attending screening and picking up tickets for the various venues around Copenhagen - all within walking distance, despite the protests of the locals! Copenhagen is awesome, and we are falling in love with the abundant 'Polse Wagons' or hot-dog vans ...
One of the many screens on a constant loop at the
Danish Film Institute's impressive 'Cinemateket'.Sunday November 12, 2006 - Copenhagen, Denmark
Our second night at the Absalon Hotel.
Revolving Door has it's world premiere at the Danish Film Institute's 'Cinemateket', but after a full day of screenings, as well as all of our explorations of Copenhagen, accumulated jet-lag, culture shock, etc. exhaustion prevails and we don't actually manage to attend in person - despite this, the screening went without a hitch!
Alex & Claus Erichsen, our main point of contact,
festival organiser and excellent host at the
DFI's 'Cinemateket', CPH:DOX 2006Monday November 13, 2006 - Copenhagen, Denmark
Third night at the Absalon Hotel - decide to skip the festival for the day and explore 'Nyhaven' instead ... awesome day - great lobster bisque ... propaganda for CPH:DOX everywhere - dedicated newspaper, billboards, daily reviews - we're only now realising the magnitude of the festival, and feel very privileged to be participating.
4 DKK - approx. AU$1.00Tuesday November 14, 2006 - Copenhagen, Denmark
Fourth night at the Absalon Hotel, which is feeling like our home away from home (despite the twin single doonas on a double bed, and weird pillows). The staff make us feel very much at home.
"For Peter, it's only sex. - For Sanne, it's 10 times per day"
"5 things you should know about prostitution ..."The local red light district is dominated by gaudy sex shops, predominately African women working the street, and their loud and aggressive pimps. It is the pimping aspect and links to organised crime that 'Kobenhavn mod Prostitution' is trying to stamp out, with clever advertising campaigns including prominent back-lit street billboards in the heart of the district through to free post cards available anywhere from cinemas to newsagents.
Wednesday November 15, 2006 - Copenhagen, Denmark
Absalon Hotel, night five. The novelty of pickled fish for breakfast is starting to wear off.
Real Danish bus with real Danish advertisement for 'CPH:DOX 2006'Revolving Door - second screening at the DFI's 'Cinemateket'. This time we were very much in attendance ... maybe 50 people in the audience, our film the third of a set of three. The audience clapped at the end, and a bunch of students nervously approached us afterwards, asking if we were the directors, and stating they only came to that particular session to see our film, which was a buzz! We handed out a DVD copy to each of them.
Thursday November 16, 2006 - Copenhagen, Denmark
Absalon Hotel, day six. Made the mistake of checking or e-mail ... an assessor from the AFC is asking strange questions about the origins of our research material for a documentary development submission we have in for funding. Strangely enough when we refused to divulge our sources to this gentleman (who was working on behalf of the AFC yet runs his own documentary production company), we were informed upon our return to Australia that our submission was unsuccessful ... but that's also another story!
5 Danish kroner (5DKK)Friday November 17, 2006 - Copenhagen, Denmark
Absalon Hotel, night 6. Realising Danish cuisine took a bit of getting used to, we spent the day in an ultimately successful quest to locate some real, authentic and yummy Danish food ...
Great lunch – real Danish food, and actually really yummy!
Saturday November 18, 2006 - Copenhagen, Denmark
Absalon Hotel, penultimate night.
Once again we glammed up to attend the closing awards ceremony, screening & gala at the Tivoli Concert Hall, Tivoli Gardens. The gardens are stunning, lit up with Christmas lights and decorations, and the recently renovated Concert Hall is spectacular in a fairytale sort of way.
Alex outside the Tivoli Concert Hall, Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen
Glamorous Alex again, Tivoli Concert Hall
Inside the auditorium, prior to awards night ceremonyWe didn't win in our award category - not that we thought we would - but were simply stoked to be part of the festival, with the world premiere of 'Revolving Door' in Copenhagen and many other festivals to go ... to make the night even more memorable, we were picked out of the crowd by representatives of the Danish Film Institute, who approached us for a very interesting chat - they knew who we were and everything - wow!
Nine days in Copenhagen was not nearly long enough, but to be able to actually be present at the world premiere of one's own film is truly a special experience, particularly to witness Gillian's story being received so well, and to witness how her story resonates through perhaps almost any western city. A very special experience for us both.
Sunday November 19, 2006 - Copenhagen Airport, Denmark
Depart terminal 2 on 9:40am (way too early after such a big night), Swiss Airbus A319 flight LX 1267 to Zurich ... and here we leave the saga of Alex & Dave's european vacation, with the festival over and the next adventure beginning - but like I said, that's another story!
We would like to thank Claus Erichsen and the CPH:DOX team for being such lovely hosts and putting on such an amazing festival ... a thousand thank you's to you all!
- Alex & David
