The Odense International Film Festival has been the center of attention for the short film world over the past week, featuring a record number of participating films. Among the many talented submissions, director Hilke Rönnfeldt won the award for Best Danish Short Film for her graduation project, “An Investigation of Empathy” (“En Undersøgelse af Empati”). This achievement means that the film is now under consideration for an Oscar nomination, as it will be forwarded to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ nomination committee.
“An Investigation of Empathy” tells the story of Dana, who chooses to assist art student Penelope with her graduation project. However, the situation takes an unfortunate turn for Dana, who seeks clarification by attending Penelope’s exhibition opening. The film, which is Rönnfeldt’s graduation project from Super16, an alternative Danish film school, has made an impact in several ways. Hilke Rönnfeldt, who has Danish-Icelandic heritage as well as German roots, presents a powerful narrative about human relationships and empathy in this short film.
The festival jury, which awarded the prize, was composed of director Kamilla Wargo Brekling, actor Nicolaj Kopernikus, and producer Miguel Dias. The Odense International Film Festival, which is the oldest film festival in Denmark, managed to attract 147 short films from 41 countries this year — a record high number.
In addition to her win in Odense, “An Investigation of Empathy” has also been nominated for the 2024 Robert Awards by the Danish Film Academy (“Det Danske Filmakademi”). Here, the film is competing with four other short films: “Companion,” “Another without Me” (“En Anden uden Mig”), “Seeking Hwa Sun,” and “Wild Child.”
Historically, three Danish short films have won an Oscar: Anders Thomas Jensen’s “Election Night” (“Valgaften”) in 1999, Martin Strange-Hansen’s “There is a Lovely Man” (“Der er en yndig mand”) in 2003, and Joachim Back’s “The New Tenants” in 2010. Whether “An Investigation of Empathy” can join this list of successes remains to be seen.