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Reality Rocks

cph:dox, The first Copenhagen International Documentary Festival, surpassed all expectations.
Danes are learning to love documentary films. At least judged by the admission numbers for Copenhagen's first international documentary festival, cph:dox, which ended Sunday, November 16.

With 11.706 admissions to the 81 films, the festival almost doubled the original estimate of 6.000 admissions.

Screening mostly in venues with less than 150 seats the attendance was tremendous throughout the festival's 10 days, as was the atmosphere amongst the enthusiastic audience.

'Thanks to George Bush and Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh for making us care about reality once again', one festival attendee wrote in an e-mail, underlining the political necessity of screening new, concerned and daring documentaries in Danish cinemas.


Awards

The cph:dox award 2003 (5000 euros) went to Jos de Putter's
'Dans, Grozny Dans'.

The festival's Amnesty Award (5000 euros) for best film in the human rights section went to José Padilha's
'Bus 174'.
Padilha wasn't able to personally accept the prize at Saturday's closing gala though, as he was occupied with the birth of his first son.

Special Mentions went to Mika Ronkainen's 'Screaming Men' (Competition) and Carlos Bosch's and Joseph MªDoménech's 'Balseros - Cuban Rafters' (Amnesty Award).


Festival Hits

Two Danish films were the best attended in the programme: 'The Five Obstructions' by Lars von Trier and Jørgen Leth (who both attended the festival screening!) and newcomer Kasper Torsting's 'Rocket Brothers' about the Danish rock band Kashmir.

Amongst other festival hits were 'Gambling, Gods and LSD' by Peter Mettler, 'Suite Habana' by Fernando Pérez and 'Seeing is Believing' by Peter Wintonick and Katarina Cizek.