Tag Archives: projectzero

Sønderborg – Here You Can Build Your Own Future

Two young guys, Kim Groth and Fynn Laue, have spent the last four weeks running around town, jumping in the freezing water and flying high to make shots for the profile video you see above.

During the production they kept a video blog which has been an entertaining look behind the scene.

We asked Kim and Fynn a couple of questions.

Where did you get the idea from to make this video?

We were hired by the Sønderborg community and ProjectZero to make a kind of promotional movie about the city.
When in pre-production we talked to a lot of key-people and interesting folks. Then we took all the information we got and wrote the voice over that made the basis for the movie.

Was it expensive to make and how did you finance it?

Compared to our other projects it is the most expensive at the time being. We were paid for making the movie but had to pay car-rental and buy new gear by our selves.

What languages is the video being translated into?

English, German and Danish.

Did you learn something new about the area during filming?

Oh yes!! Inspite of living here for more than 18 years now, we found that there still was a lot of stuff we didn’t know about. The skating hall for instance.

What is you favorite spot in the city?

The beach! It is so peaceful and the best place to make hard decisions.

I enjoyed watching your video blogs – did it take a lot of time to produce them?

About 3-4 hours per vlog.

What are your next projects?

We have no fixed plans for upcoming projecet, but you can always see updates on Fynns facebook page for upcoming movies or small project-updates.

Sønderborg – The Little City That Could

Black smoke and white steam

Sonderborg is the 33rd biggest city in Denmark the 111th biggest country in the world. Not a particular big engine by any means. But what it lacks in size it makes up for in guts.

Like many other places, Sonderborg is seeing its share of an uphill battle in the wake of the recession but in no way has it given up trying to pull itself over the hill.

As it neared the top of the grade, which had so discouraged the larger engines, it went more slowly. However, it still kept saying, “I–think–I–can, I–think–I–can.” It reached the top by drawing on bravery and then went on down the grade, congratulating itself by saying, “I thought I could, I thought I could.”

— The Little Engine That Could

While Sonderborg is chanting “I think I can” it has embarked on a couple of impressive projects:

Project Zero

In 2009 Sonderborg became the first Danish city to build a Zero+ house, i.e. one that produces more energy than it consumes. This has developed into Project Zero, an ambitious project that aims to make Sonderborg carbon neutral by 2029. This is a fantastic initiative where rather than talking about what is not working, the city is acting to rectify the situation.

Frank Gehry’s Masterplan

“…To create a place where it is worthwile to live, to work and to enjoy our life”. That is what Frank Gehry‘s masterplan for the Sonderborg harbour area aims to achieve. This is the guy who turned Bilbao from backwater to top tourist destination with his Guggenheim museum. The project, if realised, will transform the harbour area into a thriving urban area that includes recreational, cultural, commercial and residential areas.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeKtunmuw6Q

European Capital of Culture 2017

Every year two European cities are chosen as European cities of culture to celebrate the diversity and cultural ties between European cultures. In 2017 it is Denmark’s turn to nominate a city, and Sonderborg (for the cross-border region of Sonderjylland-Schleswig) is one of only two cities in the running. *Fingers crossed* for Sonderborgs bid! The decision will be known by the end of next year.

So lots of interesting projects in the works. We hope Sonderborg is able to pull the load over the mountain – Choo chooooo!