A few weeks ago I had the privilege to visit the annual Copenhagen Independent Film Festival. It was my first time attending such an event and it was an incredibly fun experience. The event was super interesting and I saw some great movies so in this blog I want to talk about my impression of the festival and my three favorite movies from the event. I hope you enjoy this one!

The festival

I really love independent films and short movies. It was super fun to see so many cool visual creations and the effort that went into making them come to life. The quality of the films was superb (with most of them at least) and it was super inspiring to see what people around the world are working on, what kind of ideas they have, and how they come to execute them in an amazing and impactful way.

The festival itself was held in the coziest and friendliest place ever – a screening room with limited places and a combination of movie theater seats and everyday household chairs and sofas. This made the atmosphere great and it felt as if you are having a screening party at your friend’s house (having good friends as a company was a big plus as well). Filled with posters of movie classics and props from independent films the place was just perfect for the occasion.

The films themselves were quite the experience. Naturally not all of them were great and there were some boring and annoying ones. The sudden change of the moods and topics of the movies could also have been done better since changing from a black comedy to a psychological drama is a bit hard to adjust to. Nevertheless, the diversity of topics and moods to live through was a big plus to the festival, it just could have been done better.

In overall, it was all an incredibly fun experience. More than five hours of movies was definitely a bit overwhelming and exhausting at the end but I manage to find some really good movies which I will tell you about now.

Dead Birds (2018) by Johnny Kenton

Short plot summary: A teenage girl is failing in her pursuit to live up to her mother’s expectations in becoming the best badminton player in the school. Determined to succeed and impress her mother the girl turns to the saints for help. Developing in a Catholic All Girls School the story gets interesting when a saint actually promises to help the girl become the best… If she completes three tasks for him. Little do they all know things don’t always go as expected.

Dead Birds is a supernatural black comedy type of film and I have to say it is done incredibly well. The story is extremely entertaining and funny and at the same time, there is a serious topic incorporated in all the funny scenes and development. Only 34 minutes long the movie will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat and there is no way you are getting bored or annoyed. Everything is great – the actors were amazing, the story developed quite well and there was a major plot twist near the end. Lots of great shots and perfect editing to match the mood and vibe of the movie, I definitely think this is a must see. Furthermore, if you look deeper into the storyline and development you can take away some moral lessons and warnings when it comes to competitive parent-child relationships. Really a masterpiece of a movie!

Lowland Kids (2019) by Sandra Winther

Short plot summary: Lowland Kids is a documentary masterpiece telling the story of the last two teenagers on Isle de Jean Charles – an island on the cost of Lousiana. The island is slowly but surely sinking due to drastic climate change and the inhabitants who have lived on the land for generations and spent their entire lives there are forced to seek a new home.

This was probably my favorite movie at the festival and it really hit me hard. The effects of climate change are stronger than I have imagined in some parts of the world and the story of Isle de Jean Charles is the perfect example. I was taken aback by the heartbreaking story of Howard and Juliette who have spent their entire life loving and appreciating a land which will be taken away from them. This is a different type of documentary movie which really puts emphasis on the irreversible effects of climate change and explores an in-depth personal story which goes deeper than you would expect. Shot incredibly well and depicting the beauty of the island the movie will leave you speechless and make you think about the future of our planet. This is not only a movie about climate change, but it also shows an incredible bond between two siblings who had lots of misfortunes growing up and learned to look out for each other in a way not many people do. Check this page out to learn more about the story of Howard and Juliette and Isle de Jean Charles.

No one is taking anything away from us. Nature only takes back what belongs to her.

Nina (2018) by Maria Winther Olsen

Short plot summary: Pregnant aspiring author Nina moves to a remote island due to her boyfriend William’s new job. She eventually finds herself lonely, isolated, and on the brink of insanity. While trying to work on her novel she has an encounter with the local priest and gets introduced to a myth about the Seal Women which further affects her mind and mentality.

Nina was one of the festivals feature films which were not a short one but a full-length hour and twenty-three minutes drama. I have to be honest, the movie was really hard to take in, it was extremely emotional and a bit troubling. However, the story which Nina tells is absolutely realistic and the way it was presented made it such a masterpiece. An incredible amount of emotion and psychological intensity was put into the story and the great shots and acting made the movie so realistic it was hard to shake it off after it was over. The only negative thing about it was the ending which was a bit unclear, at least for me but I believe the movie is a must-see for sure – just be mentally prepared for the delicate and impactful topics explored.

And there we have it. Those were my thoughts on the first ever Independent Film Festival I attended. I definitely recommend you vist such an event if you get the chance in case you like movies of course. I hope you liked the post and feel free to check those three awesome movies (I wanted to put up links to see them but I actually coulnd’t find them online).

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