Watching films in the language you’re studying is one of the most effective and enjoyable ways to learn.
If you are learning Danish or curious about Danish culture, check out these 12 impressive movies to help you understand Danish.
Danish, also known as Dansk, is Denmark’s official language. It is part of the larger Indo-European language family.
It isn’t a complex language, and the speaking pattern is soft and swift, so learners should pay attention to tone during the learning phase.
Danish is mutually intelligible with other Scandinavian languages, such as Norwegian and Swedish. Thus, if you already know these Nordic tongues, Danish would be a simple language to learn.
The visuals, i.e., Danish movies, make it easier to establish a connection between words and emotions. Ask Danish cinephiles; they can tell you the story of ‘The Hunt’ or ‘Adam’s Apples’ better than his native blockbusters.
Danish films have earned considerable acclaim, if not awards. This has become a sufficient reason for a growing number of Danish speakers.
Where to Watch Danish Cinema?
The Danish film industry is small, and its relatively limited number of films is produced each year. Yet, Denmark has made some of the best independent films the world has ever seen.
Online streaming services like Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and YouTube are rapidly replacing physical media such as CDs, DVDs, and older video formats.
You can view your favorite dramas, comedies, actions, animations, thrillers, adventure movies, or whatever you like at your pleasure.
You can use Netflix’s secret genre codes to view Danish movies and television series.
Replace the last few digits XXXX (Netflix.com/browse/genre/XXXX) with the below-mentioned codes to discover treasures.
Movies & TV-Shows — 107573, Women’s Movie — 80058477, Movies — 58700, Danish Language Movie and TV-Series — 107547 / 1400043, TV-Series — 77951, TV Dramas — 89602, Dramas — 59064, and many more.
You can also watch several Danish movies and television series at your leisure on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Vimeo, and Denmark’s streaming channels.
There’s truly something for everybody.
12 Best Movies to Learn Danish
Learning a language through movies and television shows is one of the most innovative ways to boost your language abilities.
Since it is closer to how people in real life express themselves, it is a practical language learning method.
And who doesn’t want to lap up the chance of seeing great cinema?
Here are the 12 cinematic excellences that will hone your Danish-speaking skills and give insight into Danish culture and its film-making prowess.
1. A Royal Affair (En Kongelig Affære) — 2012 (R)
A Royal Affair, an Oscar nominee, is a story of a British Princess’s betrayal who chooses her illegitimate love over her husband and nation.
A conspiracy between two lovers to influence the king and put the nation at risk, all to advance their love story, is a must-watch for any Danish movie enthusiast.
The vocabulary is abundant and will help an intermediate learner advance.
2. The Hunt (Jagten) — 2012 (R)
With The Hunt, Thomas Vinterberg, the renowned Danish filmmaker, made a beautiful attempt to create pure, realistic cinema.
A lonely life, struggling for a son’s custody, and fighting society against alleged child abuse has been portrayed well by Mads Mikkelsen.
The raw emotions compel the viewer to feel more by paying attention to the characters’ actual language and its corresponding impact.
Jagten is the highest-rated Danish movie and my favorite as well.
3. Pusher (1996)
Pusher is the first of the biggest crime-thriller series ever made in Danish Cinema’s history. A heroin deal has gone awry, leaving Frank, a drug pusher, indebted to the kingpin.
The talkie is a race to come out of that dirty labyrinth, where each turn brings Frank closer to his probable end.
With a 110-minute on-screen thriller, this movie is a good start for beginners learning the Danish language, as it keeps them engaged throughout the lesson.
4. Land of Mine (Under Sandet) — 2015 (R)
Land of Mine displays a hard-hitting story from the post-Second World War era.
They force a group of young German prisoners to dig up thousands of land mines along the Danish coast.
Premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, the film beautifully reveals the timeless observations from the historical period and the importance of forgiveness.
The film offers a valuable learning experience for intermediate- and advanced-level learners of Danish.
5. After the Wedding (Efter Brylluppet) — 2006 (R)
This Oscar-nominated film tells the story of a man dedicating his life to a noble cause. To raise funds for his purpose, he accepts a mysterious offer from a wealthy Danish multimillionaire.
The story takes an interesting twist when the nobleman’s past comes in, throwing him into a dilemma.
The simple dialogues, advanced vocabulary, and grammar make this film suitable for intermediate-level students.
6. Adam’s Apples (Adams Æbler) — 2005 (R)
Revolving around the rehabilitation period of a neo-nazi, Adam, this drama will glue you to your screen.
As a priest, Mads Mikkelsen is assigned to help Adam finish his term by baking an apple pie.
The near-impossibility of baking it compels the viewer to watch it in one sitting.
The engaging language and humorous communication make it a compelling module for entertainingly learning Danish.
7. Flickering Lights (Blinkende Lygter) — 2000
A black comedy centered on four gangsters, Flickering Lights features wit and humor throughout.
The gang steals a fortune and hides at a small farmhouse, planning to settle there for life and using the stolen money to buy a restaurant.
With their boss coming for his money, it keeps you on your toes throughout the film.
Using vernacular and simple vocabulary makes it suitable for intermediate-level Danish learners.
8. Nightwatch (Nattevagten) — 1994 (R)
A psychological thriller, Nightwatch, is the story of a law student who gets a night watchman’s job at a mortuary to fund his studies.
With the morgue harboring strange events, the student becomes a suspect in a serial murder case.
He embarks upon finding the truth before getting implicated.
This mysteriously dark film uses simple dialogue and straightforward vocabulary. It is an excellent choice for beginners.
9. The Celebration (Festen) — 1998 (R)
Directed by Thomas Vinterberg, The Celebration is a 1998 Danish black comedy-drama film.
The movie tells a tale of a family and friends gathering to celebrate the 60th birthday of a wealthy and respected patriarch, Helge Klingenfeldt (Henning Moritzen).
The devastatingly powerful story reveals family secrets and unpleasant truths.
Festen won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 1998.
This is the motion picture you cannot afford to miss if you want to learn an intricate aspect of the Danish language.
You can watch the film with Danish or English subtitles, depending on your proficiency level.
10. In a Better World (Hævnen) — 2010 (R)
In a Better World is a 2010 Danish melodrama thriller directed by Susanne Bier.
Two strong stories are told in one flick: a small town in Denmark and a refugee camp in Africa.
Anton (Mikael Persbrandt) and his family face many challenges across two distinct worlds.
Notwithstanding Anton’s plea for tolerance, his bullied son (Elias) and his friend (Christian) choose revenge over forgiveness in this gripping tale.
In a Better World won Best Foreign Language Film at the 83rd Academy Awards and the Golden Globe in 2011.
The vocabulary and syntax are simple to understand and suit the comprehensive skills of intermediate Danish language students.
11. The Day Will Come (Der Kommer en Dag) — 2016
Inspired by actual events, The Day Will Come is a movie about boys living in a Copenhagen orphanage where violence and humiliation are part of everyday life.
It takes us a painfully honest depiction of the boys living in miserable conditions.
The film centers on two inseparable brothers, Elmer and Erik, who are removed from their ill mother and end up at the Gudbjerg Home for Boys.
After realizing they are alone, they try to escape the wrath of their headmaster’s cruel oppression.
Will they find freedom and mercy?
Watch it and find out.
The Day Will Come won six prizes at the 2017 Robert Awards. This serious film offers an emotional cinematic experience you are unlikely to forget.
The slow-paced conversations are ideal for elementary and intermediate-level Danish language learners.
12. A Hijacking (Kapringen) — 2012 (R)
This 2012 thriller, set on a ship hijacking, was directed and written by Tobias Lindholm and screened at the 69th Venice International Film Festival.
The intense drama and gripping plot will keep you on the edge throughout the film.
Kapringen is a compelling story about Somali pirates hijacking a Danish cargo ship when returning to Denmark. It was then followed by a tense negotiation with the company’s CEO.
The hijacking takes its toll on all of them in different ways.
Hijacking is another fabulous option for beginners.
Plus, viewing the film again, with or without subtitles, will help you understand the phrases and accents you can use and eventually internalize.
Final Words on Learning Danish with Films
Whether you’re learning or planning to start, these twelve films can train your ears and help you enhance your knowledge of the Danish language. You can indulge yourself with some high-quality flicks.
If you have recommendations for other easy-to-understand movies to learn Danish, or any other questions, please add them in the comments below.
Have fun! Hav Det Sjovt!