Max Kestner Opens CPH:DOX

We’re thrilled to announce that Max Kestner’s ‘Life and Other Problems‘ will be the opening film at the 21st edition of CPH:DOX. 

The opening gala will take place on March 12 in Copenhagen at the Conservatory’s Concert Hall, where director Max Kestner and a number of the film’s protagonists will be present. ‘Life and Other Problems‘ will have its world premiere during CPH:DOX, which runs from March 13-24, 2024.

In addition to being the festival’s opening film, it is also nominated for the festival’s main prize, DOX:AWARD – an award for the best and most important new films.
10 years ago, the news that Marius the giraffe was put down by the Copenhagen Zoo went viral all the way from Hollywood to Chechnya. But it was also the first domino to fall in the wild thicket of existential questions asked by Max Kestner in his new, joyously adventurous film. 

What is life? Does consciousness exist? Where does love come from? And not least: How is everything connected – like, really? With curiosity and an open mind, Kestner embarks on a philosophical voyage around the world to look for answers to his questions. With contributions from scientists like Charles Foster and Eske Willerslev, every answer sparks three new questions.

And yet, throughout the journey, we do gain insight into the great and small workings of the universe. What could have ended up as the most (self-)important picture of all time has instead turned into a funny, creative and completely unpredictable experience.

Stay tuned for February 21, when the entire festival programme will be revealed.
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Tue Steen Müller
Tue Steen Müller

Müller, Tue Steen
Documentary Consultant and Critic, DENMARK

Worked with documentary films for more than 20 years at the Danish Film Board, as press officer, festival representative and film consultant/commissioner. Co-founder of Balticum Film and TV Festival, Filmkontakt Nord, Documentary of the EU and EDN (European Documentary Network).
Awards: 2004 the Danish Roos Prize for his contribution to the Danish and European documentary culture. 2006 an award for promoting Portuguese documentaries. 2014 he received the EDN Award “for an outstanding contribution to the development of the European documentary culture”. 2016 The Cross of the Knight of the Order for Merits to Lithuania. 2019 a Big Stamp at the 15th edition of ZagrebDox. 2021 receipt of the highest state decoration, Order of the Three Stars, Fourth Class, for the significant contribution to the development and promotion of Latvian documentary cinema outside Latvia. In 2022 he received an honorary award at DocsBarcelona’s 25th edition having served as organizer and programmer since the start of the festival.
From 1996 until 2005 he was the first director of EDN (European Documentary Network). From 2006 a freelance consultant and teacher in workshops like Ex Oriente, DocsBarcelona, Archidoc, Documentary Campus, Storydoc, Baltic Sea Forum, Black Sea DocStories, Caucadoc, CinéDOC Tbilisi, Docudays Kiev, Dealing With the Past Sarajevo FF as well as programme consultant for the festivals Magnificent7 in Belgrade, DOCSBarcelona, Verzio Budapest, Message2Man in St. Petersburg and DOKLeipzig. Teaches at the Zelig Documentary School in Bolzano Italy.

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