Public Story
Fortune´s gift
FORTUNE´S GIFT
14 positive stories of refugees and ordinary Danish citizens who seek to strengthen our common humanity.
In the wake of the refugee crisis that has swept across Europe, and the negative sentiments expressed through our politics and media, “Fortune’s Gift” opens a window into the lives of 14 individuals, both refugees and ordinary Danish citizens, who have made a conscious decision to embrace what connects us as human beings rather than what divides us.What does it mean to be Danish?
All those interviewed live in the greater Copenhagen area, and represent a broad cross-section of society: You will meet both “ordinary” Danes, as well as second-generation Danes, and finally newly arrived refugees who have been granted asylum in Denmark.
Each story challenges our own perceptions of nationality – what it means to be Danish and what are the credentials needed to become integrated into Danish society:
Is it a Danish passport? The language you speak? The colour of your skin? Your religion? Or where your parents were born?
We soon realise there is no definitive answer, and that the parameters of what defines being Danish are constantly shifting depending on your encounter with each individual.
We were granted permission by the Lyngby-Taarbæk Municipality to have access to a beautiful old building called ‘Lykkens Gave’ (meaning Fortune’s Gift), which was donated to the community in 1915. The building was donated with the purpose to serve as a place of refuge for old people suffering from dementia. It has served its purpose for 100 years, and now the empty building has begun a new chapter as a place of refuge for refugees in the community.
For this reason, we have chosen to give this project the same name: Fortune’s Gift.
Film directed by Line Hadsbjerg.
DOP by Pep Bonet
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