With Danish cinemas expected to re-open May 6 following Danish government recommendations presented on March 23 2021, CPH:DOX is planning a special ‘physical dimension’ to complement its online programme.
“In March 2020, CPH:DOX was the first documentary film festival in the world to go online, “ says Tine Fischer, director of CPH:DOX. “Now, we are ready to run a festival that has a bigger and more ambitious digital platform than ever before. And at the same time, we hope that our festival can also have a physical dimension with films on the big screen. Therefore, we are now extending the festival until May 12. We are really looking forward to meeting our audiences again – both in the digital space and in movie theatres.”
The festival also announced that David Byrne, Marina Abramovic and Seyran Ates will join numerous Danish/international artists, experts and public voices in CPH:DOX’s Big Digital Live event in 2021. The debate programme of 40 digital live talks and panels will pass the mic to both well-established names and new voices. With large TV studio broadcasts and interactive formats, audiences can expect a festival of live conversations and encounters between people with experiences and opinions.
Part of the live programme is the talk series ‘An Evening With’, where audiences can meet international artists, thinkers and activists in live conversations. These events focus on facilitating change through art, knowledge and engagement, this year diving into solutions to global crises – including but not limited to the current pandemic – and the role of art and activism in this effort.
Legendary Scottish/US musician David Byrne, who stars in American Utopia directed by Spike Lee, will feature in the ‘An Evening With’ series, as will world-renowned performance artist Marina Abramovic, star of the film 512 Hours that will have its world premiere at CPH:DOX, and iconic philosopher Slavoj Zizek. Audiences can also meet one of the world’s first female imams, Seyran Ates – presented in Nefise Özkal Lorentzen’s film Sex, Revolution and Islam, world premiering in competition at the festival – in conversation with the Danish-Kurdish author Sara Omar around the topic: Are Muslim women ready for a sexual revolution?
The debate programme additionally offers several panels covering a variety of topics. New York Times tech columnist Kevin Roose will enter into discussion with scientists and robot experts on the race to create the world’s first artificial brain. Audiences can also meet the relatives of the young whistle-blower Reality Winner (the star of main competition selection The United States vs. Reality Winner by Sonia Kennebeck), who revealed Russia’s interference in the U.S. election in 2016 and who is now in prison.
Tine Fischer, director of CPH:DOX, says: “I am very excited that we can present a large and ambitious digital programme that will be accessible for a big, hungry audience. Our digital platform will feature an ambitious film programme, important live panels and Q&As with filmmakers. We are creating a digital space where we meet and listen to great artists, innovative scientists, and also some of those marginalized voices that really need to be heard.”
CPH:DOX is scheduled to run April 21 to May 12 with industry activities unspooling April 23-30 2021.
