CPH:DOX 2023 Unveils Opening Film
The Greenlandic-Danish film ‘Twice Colonized’ by Lin Alluna has been selected as the opening film at this year’s CPH:DOX. It will furthermore compete in the festival competition; NEXT:WAVE.
The opening of CPH:DOX 2023 will take place on 15 March at the international concert venue in Copenhagen, DR Koncerthuset.
How can we rewrite the history of colonialism and improve living conditions for Indigenous people? These questions are raised by Danish filmmaker Lin Alluna and renowned Inuit lawyer Aaju Peter in ‘Twice Colonized’ that has now been selected as the opening feature at CPH:DOX 2023.
Niklas Engstrøm, Artistic Director of CPH:DOX, said:“Twice Colonized is an inspiring and emotionally powerful documentary film. It deals with the personal consequences of colonialism and gives us a much-needed new perspective on the colonial history of Denmark, as well as in the rest of the world. The film succeeds in channeling the anger and the message of the Inuit lawyer Aaju Peter without losing the nuances or the complexity of reality. ‘Twice Colonized’ will hopefully be a powerful catalyst for our future discussions about Indigenous people in the Arctic countries and a strong case as to why the decolonizing processes of the 21st century is something we all have a stake in.”
The fierce activist and lawyer Aaju Peter has led a lifelong fight for the rights of Indigenous people. In Twice Colonized, we journey alongside Aaju through the social and personal wreckage of sanctioned white dominance to transform hardship into something amazing and empowering that can inspire others to make a difference. As Aaju says “If we work together, it will get better!”
Lin Alluna, director of ‘Twice Colonized’, said: “I met Aaju Peter by coincidence seven years ago, and it has been a life changing experience for me. She revealed hidden truths about the history of my country, that I knew I had to find a way to share. Two years later we started filming Twice Colonized together. Aaju is an inspiring woman, who generously shines a new light on history while pointing us towards a better future, by sharing her personal life story with us. I hope she’ll empower you, like she inspired all of us who came together to make this film with her.”
‘Twice Colonized’ can be seen in several cinemas in Copenhagen during this year’s CPH:DOX. The film is produced by Emile Hertling Péronard (Ánorâk Film) in co-production with Alethea Arnaquq-Baril and Stacey Aglok MacDonald (Red Marrow Media) and Bob Moore (EyeSteelFilm).
The full programme of CPH:DOX 2023 will be announced on 21 February 2023.
Facts about CPH:DOX 2023
Marking the 20th anniversary of the International Documentary Film Festival CPH:DOX, the 2023 edition will offer an outstanding programme of approximately 180 films by both established and emerging filmmakers as well as talks, debates, performances, exhibitions, parties and much more from 15-26 March 2023. In addition, a selection of the official 2023 programme will be available from March 24 – April 2 at the festival’s streaming platform PARA:DOX (geo-blocked to Denmark).
CPH:DOX’ industry events will include the financing and co-production event CPH:FORUM, CPH:CONFERENCE and INTER:ACTIVE symposium. The industry programme runs under the banner “Business as Unusual” between March 19-24. Read more about the key dates and events in the industry programme here.