DARKLAND

Denmark, 2017, 112 minutes, Colour.
Dar Salim, Stine Fischer Christensen, Ali Sivandi, Roland Moeller.
Directed by Fenar Ahmad.

Darkland lives up to its title. The setting is Denmark, Copenhagen. It opens with a bank robbery disturbed by a car accident, the robbery going ahead, the robber fleeing the police – and later turning up dead in a morgue.

The film then shifts to hospital, heart surgery, the central character, played by Iraqi born actor, Dar Salim, involved in an operation. His character plays a man whose family came from Iraq but he has lived in Denmark for 30 years. At various times, he has discussions with his father who has not integrated into Denmark society, opting out, not interested.

The doctor has an affluent lifestyle, the pregnant wife, guests at a meal – which is interrupted by his brother coming to get money from him, desperate. During surgery he receives the news that his brother is dead. His brother was involved in drugs, is the robber involved in the bank robbery. The doctor blamed himself for his brother’s death, not helping him.

He is where the screenplay challenges credibility. The doctor goes into the dark land of Copenhagen, make connections with drug dealers, tracking down the bosses, getting beaten up. The consequence is that he gives up his work, abandons his wife for a time, goes into physical training.

The lead also takes him to the manager of a martial arts arena, cage fighting, and he eventually participates.

There are some complications in so far as the manager of the arena, while criminal, is also supportive of the local Iraqi community.

A different perspective on migrants from Middle East, their lives in European countries like Denmark, integrating, not integrating.