What happens when you let 800 people create their own alternative society in the middle of a European capital city? Well, in 1971, that is how many people occupied abandoned barracks in Copenhagen, Denmark, forming Christiania, an alternative society.
Now, the documentary Christiania, from director Karl Friis Forchhammer and producer Rikke Tambo, explores this commune in the Christianshavn neighborhood of the Danish capital that is shaped by anarchist hippie culture and governed by consensus democracy. It will world premiere at the Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival CPH:DOX in March.
“The film captures the daring effort by young women to shut down Pusher Street, Christiania’s hash market, which evolved into Denmark’s most violent area,” reads a synopsis for the film. “With unprecedented access to meetings, it highlights Christiania’s past and present struggles, showcasing tales like the biker gang attack and the attempt to burn the freetown. Through engaging storytelling, the documentary reflects on the challenges and impact of consensus democracy and Christiania’s ongoing journey.”
Christiania is the latest addition to the lineup for CPH:DOX 2026. As recently unveiled, British documentary maker Louis Theroux will make his first trip to the Copenhagen festival to screen his film The Settlers. The Danish fest previously also said that it would pay tribute to Belgian cycling legend “The Cannibal” Eddy Merckx with the Danish premiere of Christophe Hermans and Boris Tilquin’s doc Merckx – Race of a Champion, as well as screen A World Gone Mad – The War Diaries of Astrid Lindgren.
CPH:DOX 2026 runs March 11-22. With DOX:DANMARK, CPH:DOX also offers mini-festivals in municipalities across Denmark, where the audience can enjoy “special events featuring new Danish and international documentary films,” organizers note. After the festival, audiences will be able to watch a curated selection of the 2026 lineup on CPH:DOX’s streaming platform PARA:DOX.
Niklas Engstrøm is the artistic director of the Copenhagen doc fest, while Katrine Kiilgaard serves as the managing director.
