A movie filmed in Elk Horn by a Danish film production crew will be shown tonight at the Elk Horn Town Hall, beginning at Seven o’clock. Elk Horn Mayor Stan Jens says the film, with English subtitles, runs the gamut of emotions, from sad to happy and funny, and is also very informational. He says the producers didn’t even know the Danish Villages of Elk Horn and Kimballton existed, until a chance encounter.
Jens said a Danish film maker was in a bar in Kansas City, and ran into a Nick Jensen, an EHK graduate. Jensen told him about Elk Horn, and it wasn’t long before a crew came to the area with their cameras and filmed a one-hour documentary.
Jens says 750,000 people saw the film in Denmark, and word spread quickly among family members in the County to those back here in the U-S. Jens said the response to the film was incredible, and resulted in him and Jordan Hansen being flown to Denmark for the film’s premiere and a media blitz.
Jens said one of the things a popular talk show host in Denmark hopes the people of his country will get from the film, is that Danes need to be a little more laid back, in their approach to life. The host said also, that the people of the Danish Villages in Iowa are trying to hard to hold onto their Danish heritage, and that’s something the Danes in his county should endeavor to do as well, and not let the old world traditions slip away. He said they “Should try to keep it Danish in Denmark.”
Jens said the film has resulted in a new, open line of communication with Denmark, and may result in increased tourism in Elk Horn and Kimballton, and give a new spark to the annual TivoliFest Celebration, with volunteers coming from across the country and possibly abroad to help out with the event.
It may even result in romances forming between residents of both countries. Jens says there’s been talk of a dating service between Elk Horn and Denmark.