How Danish Actresses Enraged Lars Von Trier & Sparked A Diversity Debate By Scrubbing White Actors From Film Posters
02.03.2023 - 18:09
/ deadline.com
Who do we traditionally consider to be Danish on screen, and why?
That is the question diversity action group ‘A Bigger Picture’ (Et Større Billede) is attempting to ask with its new visual campaign, which has sparked a controversial debate about representation and racism within the Danish film and TV industry.
The group, which comprises diverse members of the Danish industry, was created by actresses Laura Allen Müller (Borgen), Sandra Yi Sencindiver (Bäckström), Malaika B. Mosendane (Get a Life), Şiir Tilif (Borderline), and Dorcas Joanna Hansen. They teamed up during the pandemic through an informal support group for Danish actresses of color started by Sencindiver.
“It was just like a sisters network that’s been ongoing since 2020,” Sencindiver said.
Last month, the group made waves in Denmark when they released a series of images online that recreated the posters from three high-profile Danish productions: Fathers and Mothers by Paprika Steen, Lars von Trier’s The Kingdom series, and Thomas Vinterberg’s upcoming TV2 series Families Like Ours. However, there was a twist. The campaign group switched out the original actors, who are all white, and subbed in an alternative lineup of performers from diverse ethnic backgrounds, sexualities, and religions.
The three recreations were shared widely across the group’s social media platforms, along with a statement that outlined their motives.
The original 'Fathers and Mothers' poster.
Campaign recreation.
A recreation of the poster for Thomas Vinterberg’s 'Families Like Ours’ by the campaign.
Et Større Billede
“Our three images, which we have named Parents, the Hospital, and Our Family, are an artistic commentary on the limited and out-of-date worldview that exists and