Denmark (film)

Denmark is a 2010 short film co-written and directed by Daniel Fickle and scored by Gideon Freudmann of The Portland Cello Project.[1] Utilizing puppetry and hand-built sets the film tells a story about Pily, a crustacean of mixed origin, who builds a rocket ship to escape his underwater home when it becomes threatened by pollution.

Not to be confused with the 2019 film starring Rafe Spall.
Denmark
Denmark theatrical poster
Directed byDaniel Fickle
Screenplay byDaniel Fickle
Mark Smith
Courtney Eck
Produced byCourtney Eck
Mark Smith
Adam Shearer
StarringPily
CinematographyDaniel Fickle
Mark Smith
Veronica Wood
Edited byJesse Salsberry
Music byGideon Freudmann
Portland Cello Project
Production
company
Two Penguins Productions
Release date
  • May 15, 2010 (2010-05-15)
Running time
6 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Denmark premiered at the Aladdin Theatre on May 15, 2010 in Portland, Oregon. The film achieved critical success thereafter largely through established film festivals and numerous features on websites.[2]

Plot

Pily lives a pastoral life at the bottom of Oregon's Willamette River. He tends to his underwater crops in solitude and proves to be resourceful. His home is built from flotsam and sunken debris.

Seemingly content in the world he has built for himself, Pily is actually addled by a premonition that an invasive element is going to displace him. To prepare for the worst Pily devises an escape plan. He builds a rocketship.

When Pily's anxiety gives way to the reality of an oil spill his rocketship is ready except for one part that's essential to achieve liftoff. Pily goes ashore where he finds the missing part and returns to initiate his escape. Once airborne Pily is confronted with another challenge and reaches for a solution that doesn't exist.

Back story

"Denmark" is the title of the first track from The Portland Cello Project's album, A Thousand Words. The song was written by cellist Gideon Freudmann to honor the loss of a loved one who lost a battle to cancer; the song is a love letter and an inspired response against the indiscriminate nature of fate.

The film uses a stark form of humor to resonate the interplay of alienation, turmoil, and other emotions that are associated with reconciling loss. Recognizing that laughter has long been a way to cope with life's irreducible realities, the creators of Denmark, the film, use humor as a narrative device to mollify anguish and convey empathy.

Pily

Jason Miranda and Bill Holznagel were the hands behind Pily's performance in Denmark. The puppeteers used traditional means to create Pily's actions; Marionette bars, strings and wires. They also employed glove puppet techniques to move the puppet's eyes.

Official selections

Awards
  • Royal Reel Award: Canada International Film festival 2011
  • Best Music Video: Los Angeles Cinema of Hollywood 2010
  • Gold Medal for music in a short film: Park City Film Music Festival 2011
  • Best Music Video: Radar Hamburg International Independent Film Festival 2011[4]

References
    • 2011 Royal Reel Winners. Archived 2011-07-09 at the Wayback Machine, Canada International Film festival 2011. Retrieved on June 18, 2011.
    • Blake Whitman. , Vimeo Staff Picks, April, 2010. Retrieved on June 15, 2011. Blake Whitman , Vimeo HD Channel, April, 2011. Retrieved on June 15, 2011. Matt Lambert. , Motionographer August 25, 2010. Retrieved on June 15, 2011.
    • "Denmark". Archived from the original on 2011-07-03. Retrieved 2011-06-23., SXSW, 2011. Retrieved on June 20, 2011. Archived 2011-09-27 at the Wayback Machine, Cinequest Film Festival, 2011. Retrieved on June 20, 2011. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-08-24. Retrieved 2011-06-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link), Palm Beach Film Festival, 2011. Retrieved on June 20, 2011., Ashland Independent Film Festival, 2011. Retrieved on June 20, 2011. "Byron Bay International Film Festival FILM PROFILE Portland Cello Project 'Denmark'". Archived from the original on 2011-09-05. Retrieved 2011-06-23., Byron Bay Film Festival, Australia, 2011. Retrieved on June 20, 2011. "Senefest.com - 2011 Short Films". Archived from the original on 2011-09-06. Retrieved 2011-06-23., Sene, 2010. Retrieved on June 20, 2011. Archived 2011-10-07 at the Wayback Machine, Zero Film Festival NYC/LA/Miami, 2010. Retrieved on June 20, 2011. , Ferndale Film Festival, 2010. Retrieved on June 20, 2011. "Denmark » Ann Arbor Film Festival". Archived from the original on 2011-08-11. Retrieved 2011-06-23., Ann Arbor Film Festival, 2011. Retrieved June 20, 2011. "Free Shorts Program I « Olympia Film Festival 2010". Archived from the original on 2011-04-26. Retrieved 2011-06-23., Olympia Film Festival, 2010. Retrieved on June 20, 2011. Archived 2011-07-09 at the Wayback Machine, International Film Festival of Canada, 2011. Retrieved on June 20, 2011. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-10-03. Retrieved 2011-06-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link), Atlanta Film Festival, 2011. Retrieved on June 20, 2011. , Bahamas International Film Festival, 2011. Retrieved on June 20, 2011. , Los Angeles Cinema Festival of Hollywood, 2010. Retrieved June 20, 2011. "CIRSFF Schedule". Archived from the original on 2011-09-27. Retrieved 2011-06-23., Chicago International REEL Shorts Festival, 2010. Retrieved June 20, 2011. "Dslrfest.ca | Portland Cello Project "Denmark"". Archived from the original on 2011-08-15. Retrieved 2011-06-23., Vancouver DSLR Film Festival, 2010. Retrieved on June 20, 2011. Archived 2011-07-25 at the Wayback Machine, California Independent Film Festival, 2011. Retrieved on June 20, 2011. "Denmark < Films < Siff Presents < Seattle International Film Festival". Archived from the original on 2012-09-16. Retrieved 2011-06-23., SIFF/Science Fiction + Fantasy Short Film Festival, 2011. Retrieved on June 20, 2011. "Isla Earth – Page 1". Archived from the original on 2011-08-13. Retrieved 2011-06-23., Santa Catalina Film Festival, 2011. Retrieved on 2011. "Buffalo Niagara Film Festival - Film Guide". Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 2011-06-23., Buffalo Niagara Film Festival, 2011. Retrieved on June 20, 2011. "VFF". Archived from the original on 2011-09-01. Retrieved 2011-06-23., Victoria Film Festival, 2011. Retrieved on June 20, 2011. . Desert Dust Cinema Short Film Festival, 2011. Retrieved on December 5, 2011. Archived 2011-05-24 at the Wayback Machine, Athens Video/Art Festival, 2011. Retrieved June 20, 2011. , Alpha-ville Film Festival, London, 2010. Retrieved on June 20, 2011. , Park City Music Film Festival, 2011. Retrieved on June 24, 2011. Archived 2011-10-21 at the Wayback Machine, Albuquerque Film Festival, 2011. Retrieved on August 20, 2011. , Fantadia International Multivision Festival, 2011. Retrieved on September 2, 2011 , California International Shorts Festival, Fall 2011. Retrieved on September 3, 2011. " Archived 2011-09-02 at the Wayback Machine", "New Orleans Film Festival, 2011. Retrieved on September 23, 2011. " Archived 2012-04-24 at the Wayback Machine", Crested Butte Film Festival, 2011. Retrieved September 27, 2011. " Archived 2012-04-01 at the Wayback Machine ", Milwaukee Film Festival, 2011. Retrieved September 27, 2011. "", Sapporo International Short Film Festival, 2011. Retrieved September 27, 2011. " Archived 2011-10-01 at the Wayback Machine", Imagine Science Film festival, 2011. Retrieved September 27, 2011. " Archived 2012-04-24 at the Wayback Machine", Malibu Film Festival, 2011. Retrieved September 27, 2011. " Archived 2011-10-16 at the Wayback Machine", Radar Hamburg International Independent Film Festival. Retrieved September 27, 2011. " Archived 2011-11-07 at the Wayback Machine", Philadelphia Film & Animation Festival. Retrieved September 27, 2011. "", Henson International Festival BAM Puppets on Film. Retrieved September 27, 2011."", Imagine Science Film Festival Dublin, 2012. Retrieved July 10, 2012.
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