Danish Movies and TV as a Guide to Danish Culture

Danish Movies and TV as a Guide to Danish Culture

From How to Live in Denmark by Kay Xander Mellish

January 22, 2026 · 9 min

About this episode

This episode explores how Danish movies and TV shows reflect Danish culture and offers recommendations for viewing.

Watching Danish movies and TV shows is a great way to survive the long Danish winter—and if you're learning Danish or trying to understand Danish culture, it's even better. Many films are available online for free. Whatever your taste, there are Danish films for it: Danish film noir from the 1940s if you like crime dramas, the classic Olsen Gang comedies if you prefer something lighter, and Danish children's shows that are actually great for adults learning Danish because the language is so simple. Denmark has been making movies since 1897, and Nordisk Film, founded in 1906, is still the world's oldest continuously operating film studio. You've probably seen their logo if you've been to the cinema in Denmark. In this episode, I'll tell you about Danish cinema classics you should know about, from Mads Mikkelsen movies like Another Round (which won an Oscar) to vintage Danish TV series like Matador that every Dane has seen. Want to know where to actually watch Danish movies online? I'll tell you about Filmstriben (free with your CPR number), DR.DK with its treasure trove of classic Danish television, and how Netflix has even started making new Danish-language TV series. Plus, I'll…

People in this episode

Host: Kay Xander Mellish

Topics covered

  • Danish cinema
  • Danish culture
  • Danish TV shows
  • film recommendations
  • language learning
  • Scandinavian films

Keywords

  • Danish movies
  • Danish TV
  • film noir
  • Olsen Gang
  • language learning
  • Filmstriben
  • DR.DK
  • Scandinavia

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Nordisk Film, Netflix

Books & works: Another Round, Matador

Places: Denmark

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