This is Nicolas Winding Refn’s new series ‘Copenhagen Cowboy’

Angela Bundalovic (“The Rain’s” Beatrice) plays Miu, the mysterious heroine known and bought for her supposed gift of luck, in this six-part “neo-noir” series. We follow him closely amid surprisingly stylized footage as he navigates Copenhagen’s criminal underworld. On the occasion of the premiere, NWR gave us the only interview he ever gave for a Spanish media.

How did you end up back in shooting in Denmark?

It was because of the pandemic, simple as that. We’re stuck here, and I’ve started working on not going crazy.

He referred to “Copenhagen Cowboy” as the “biggest hit” of his career, and it will be fun for fans to connect the dots and examine how its various stages fit together here. First of all, we find actors from the revealing ‘Pusher’ trilogy such as Zlatko Buric, Leif Sylvester or Maria Erwolter.

The world of cinema is somewhat nomadic. You wander all over the place and meet some people again and some you will never see again. It was really gratifying to be back home again, working with people I knew. Lifecycles provide you with opportunities to take advantage of.

On this occasion, she shares her writing with three female screenwriters. [Sara Isabella Jønsson, Johanne Algren de ‘Kamikaze’ y Mona Masri de ‘Dinero fácil’]. How has this collaboration changed your perspective on gender roles or sensuality?

I am surrounded by women at home. He was surrounded even more now. The main writers Sara and Johanne were great partners. Not that they changed my view of things, but they added a lot of nuances. When you do a series, it can all be very mechanical in some ways. You have to do a lot in a short time. It looks more like a military exercise than shooting a movie. You appreciate having people around you who inspire you, help you get into a certain ‘flow’ and give the best shape to the material along the way.

Indoor and night scenes are mainly shot in two colors: black and red or black and blue. ‘The neon demon’ followed this plan a bit. Is there any symbolism behind the red and blue in the series?

I’m colorblind so this partly goes to sum it all up. Colors that I prefer aesthetically because I can see and feel. On the other hand, with ‘The neon demon’ I discovered that these colors immediately evoke a supernatural setting.

‘Copenhagen Cowboy’ can also be seen as an extension of the ‘Too Old to Die Young’ series. Primary Video considering the idea of ​​television as an installation. It’s a series that you’ll want to be in again and immerse yourself in.

I have very strong views on technology. At a time when we are so overwhelmed with content, it is necessary to ask: What is the purpose of this content? Going to the movies when you and I were younger was a bit like visiting an installation, especially if the projection was on celluloid; It was like going to a museum with a big screen. I think that television should be treated with the same respect and should be an experience. It’s what creators have to give the viewer in return for their time, which is invaluable.

And parts of the series are basically short ‘fashion movies’. Although it was mostly lived in the eighties, the bad criticisms of the cinema, which was influenced by the advertising language, still remain valid. You don’t seem to care.

Oh, not at all. Stories I love are stories that allow me to create images I want to experience. Image is currently one of the dominant factors in society. And it will continue to be. Everything is image based. And for me it is the most important part of the environment in which I move. I love directors who reinvent themselves without fear.

“The narrative models we’ve been basing ourselves on for decades are completely obsolete. The new is being created in a different way.”

You probably don’t want to talk about any special effects for the series. Partly because it can be difficult, and partly because they don’t reveal their secret sources. But I’ll still ask: Is there an ambiguous revenge title, martial arts title, or a more ‘flashy’ title that guides you?

I would say the main influence is in Denmark. I asked myself, “What would Hans Christian Andersen do if he were alive right now?” I remember asking. Make a fairy tale with very real feelings. As a Dane, I found it interesting to review such sources. For some time in my country and in Northern Europe in general we have been giving up on our superstitions or our spiritual environment. It is the product of political developments. And yet, all of this is ingrained within us. Why don’t you make a fairy tale? As screenwriters, we drank from this idea: the idea of ​​a young heroine with supernatural powers related to touch. His knowledge of kung fu was something that came to my mind after shooting for months. [risas].

Apparently, social networks seem to him a new form of cinema and he finds them very inspiring. Tell us more about it.

I entered the cinema not by going to the theaters, but by watching it on television. When my family moved to New York when I was very young, I was astounded that I had so many TV channels at my disposal and that I could switch from one channel to another at the push of a button. I didn’t care if there was no narrative connection. I loved to jump from one emotion to the next. And social networks seem to me a more sophisticated and intelligent evolution of that. Right now, the narrative models we’ve been basing ourselves on for decades have become completely obsolete. The new is created in another way. It looks like an interesting terrain to explore. I made a half-film with Prada (“Touch of raw”) in which I could free myself from all the shackles of the commercial narrative.

There has been talk of the economic instability of platforms lately and I don’t know if this crisis has affected the remake of the 80s classic ‘Maniac polis’. HBO. This series hasn’t been talked about for a long time.

Hmm… No, I won’t.

And what will he do?

[risas]. As they say, the world is my oyster. There is so much chaos right now, and this curiously creates many opportunities. What I usually do is ask myself what inspires me, where I want to go, what I want to play with. This instinct of creation is sacred. In reality, something artificial intelligence cannot do. AI can analyze, recreate, reproduce, fabricate, shape, but not with its heart; it is one of the few privileges we are left with as human beings. But to answer your question: I see the possibility of a second season of ‘Copenhagen Cowboy’ with Hideo Kojima returning as the Infinite Sage, we would meet the mysterious Giants and there would be a lot of chaos and a lot of things. colorful and too much sex and too much violence. All good things for the human heart!