31/40

Copenhagen 1919: a young factory worker finds herself unemployed and pregnant. She meets Dagmar, who runs an underground adoption agency. A strong bond develops, but her world falls apart when she discovers the shocking truth behind her work. Official selection of Denmark for “Best International Feature Film” 97th Oscar category in 2025. It is the last days of the Great War and Karoline barely has time to work in the factory. She believes she is a widow because her husband disappeared during the war (even though Denmark was not involved in the war), but she does not receive widow’s benefits because he is not dead. A lot happens during the film. and I do not want to give away any spoilers, so I will not reveal the plot further, except that the marketing highlights something that does not play as important a role in the film as one might expect. Although the second half of the film is the one that gets the most attention, for me the real value of the film lies in the sense of reality that surrounds Karolinen’s story. When was the last time someone in a film tried to convince a potential tenant to accept an apartment by telling them that they could have running water for two hours a day (from ten to noon, which might not be a great idea, since most people would be… working during those hours)? When was the rampant drug use of the time ever portrayed so openly? What Dagmar does was also relatively common back in the day, although I dare say that the trend is now downwards and it doesn’t happen as often as it used to. I actually would have liked the film, even more so if the marketing had been different and Dagmaria hadn’t been mentioned because that would have created expectations. Although Dagmar is an important character, the film is clearly about Karoline and her struggles. On the other hand, it’s hard to say how I would have felt seeing the name Dagmar Overby on the door if I hadn’t known in advance that this real person was being used in the film. (It’s worth noting that the film is inspired by real-life events rather than based on them, so they try to keep some distance from the real Dagmar.) I have a feeling that some viewers will have a hard time sympathizing with Karolinen, because she sometimes seems to make the right decision a little too late. At the same time, there’s not much time or opportunity for ethics when you’re simply trying to survive in a world where the odds are stacked against you. On the other hand, even though we know that the hope given to him would be in vain in this world, we still understand why he gives it to her. I like the look of the film. It’s in black and white and the entire town looks run-down and struggling. It reminds us of the lack of interest, or even contempt, for the workers’ well-being. Have things really changed that much? The period described dates back more than a hundred years, but the concept of women’s bodily autonomy is once again under constant attack. Of course, every art form is in some way the mirror of its birth time, but it is easier to see the similarities. Here.

Eternal 2025 10bit Miknatis