BEST PROGRAMMING:
GRAND TEATRET, COPENHAGEN (DENMARK)

A Danish “institution”

A veritable (even a venerable) institution – this is the best way to describe the Grand Teatret, which occupies a special position on Copenhagen’s cultural scene. Opened in 1913, the cinema is one of the oldest in the capital, a kind of historic monument that has managed to adapt to the market and to audience's tastes. Having started out with a single screen, it was developed into a three-screen complex in 1976. It then became a five-screen cinema in 1977, before a sixth screen was added in 1988. The building has been regularly renovated and today offers 773 seats, of which 326 are in the original film theatre.

The Grand Teatret has succeeded in building up a loyal audience by favouring cinema d’auteur, and, more specifically, European films. A bold decision that has enabled it to achieve more than 350,000 admissions per annum. It is not unusual for certain films to be shown only at the Grand Teatret, such as Time to Leave, The Caiman or Paradise Now. In 2005, its biggest successes were The Downfall, The Merchant of Venice and Manslaughter. The results achieved by the latter also illustrate the importance of local production in the programming for the six screens. "Most Danish films make it onto the bill at the Grand Teatret", explains Kim Foss, the cinema's director, who succeeds Kirsten Dalgaard. American cinema is not entirely absent from the screens, but priority is given to the works of established auteurs or to films originating from the independent scene. In general terms, "the Grand Teatret favours quality films over commercial productions", Kim Foss explains. A successful run is already being predicted for The Queen, which succeeded Volver and The Lives of Others in the main screen at the beginning of November.

In his role as head of the distribution company Camera Film, Kim Foss is also in a position to supply his cinema with films d’auteur that he discovers at the major festivals and at film markets, namely 12 to 15 releases a year. Camera Film distributed Vera Drake and March of the Penguins, for example, which enjoyed considerable success at the Grand Teatret. Also worthy of mention are the numerous events that are organised, such as CPH: DOX (International Documentary Festival) and the focus on French cinema running from November to December.

(November 2006)

www.grandteatret.dk