WHAT'S BREWING? A short presentation of Wessing Film,  WESSING FILM    Founded 1984 by Hans Wessing, producer and “photographing director”, the company has created several documentaries focusing on cultural, social and historical issues as well as portraits – most often from hidden-away corners of the world and away from media focus. Creating Yourself  till Your last Day, a portrait of the 95-year old Anna Kjems from the Danish minority in Northern Slesvig was after the transmission on TV2/Denmark called  “a pyramidical” programme (Raymond Olsen, Kristeligt Dagblad) which “ought to be the distinctive stamp and noble mark” of TV2 (Fl. Kragh, Ekstrabladet).             The Odense Film Chronicle (1-3), 1905-1988, based on a collection of films from 70 cinematographers, is telling the story of this high-society, provincial town through the 20th century, ever wanting to be the most ambitious, tallest and broadest town in Den-mark. Told by the most beloved actor Ove Sprogøe.    The Prix Europa nominated Klaar Kiming – The North Frisian Minority (1991), is a close examination of the key role of the language to the identity of a minority. The DFI, SSF and TV-Syd financed film was awarded 1992 at the 6th Anthropological Festival, Pärnu, Estonia.    Søren Lolk – a fiery Island Spirit (1876-1933) is a one hour drama documentary produced for TV2/Denmark  1993.  Søren Lolk was visionary, open-minded and experiencing, connected to his island and a world citizen as well. He lived full of enthu-siasm as a too early born hippie, alternatively and inspiring, but died as a bitter man with the experience of the distance between idea and reality – living among ‘sons of slowness’.    Karma’s Chair (1997), financed by DFI, TV2 and the Ministry of Education and sold to several countries, gives its audience ( 9 years and upwards) an insight into Himalayan Buddhist culture through a dramatic documentation of an important period in Karma’s life, beginning when 10-year old Karma, son of the teacher at the local temple, saw a chair for the first time in his life. East and West had met. Selected as a 10-year cultural project of Unesco and nominated at  the ITVA-festival 1998 for best photography and best story.

Avalakkallarneq Efterskolimut (2000) examine the 10th grade Greenlanders meeting the young Danes and Danish culture in the efterskole. One of four didn’t manage a whole year. But supported by this film as a tool of identifying oneself with the challenges, the number of drop-outs has since been deducted to one of eight. The film was awarded silver at the Danish MCA Festival 2001.    The Denmark of Windmills (2001) puts past and present technological innovations into perspective. At the turn of the millennium Danish technology accounts for more than half of the world’s wind power.    Health Care the Bhutanese Way (2000) follows a group of experts evaluating the Danish govern-ment’s assistance to the health sector in Bhutan. A double-eye on the evaluation process, examining the collaboration between the donor and the receiver, as well as the health care system based on a free choice of traditional or modern medicine or -  on your own - the treatment by healers or the traditional Buddhist/animist rituals in a broad variety. Lars Movin wrote: “....added an extra layer of soft polemic character due to Wessing’s eye for the many funny or grotesque situations in the meetings between well-intentioned Westerners and a highly qualified mountain people with an extraordinary self-esteem”. DR-TV, Nov. 2002.    The film With 105 Sisters and Brothers and 16 Parents (2002) is focusing on 10th grade pupils boys from several ethnic minorities at the Danish boarding schools, efterskole. We are examining the 10 month’s long coexistence between youths from different cultures. Financed by the Ministries of Integration and Education. Prepared as a seven language DVD-version.    In the pipeline: Gross National Happiness – the Bhutanese Way, together with the Asian expert Flemming Ytzen, about the challenges of develop-ping the country together with the people based on Buddhist values and less materialistic values.     Poul la Cour - the Edison of Denmark (1846-1908), a drama documentary about the inventor, the physicist, the high school teacher and the originator of the modern power producing windmill through his findings and experiments on the Danish state funded Research Mill in Askov 1892-1908. Producer Hans Wessing