Denmark's early film industry dominated Europe by specializing in sensationalist social dramas
Denmark became a global cinematic powerhouse in the early 1900s by producing provocative social dramas that made Asta Nielsen the world's first international female film star.
By 1912, the Danish company Nordisk Films was the second-largest production house in the world, trailing only France's Pathé. Founded by Ole Olsen, the studio specialized in 'white slave' dramas and sensationalist stories of jealousy and murder that bypassed the conservative tastes of other nations. Their 1910 hit 'The Abyss' became a global phenomenon, largely due to the magnetic performance of Asta Nielsen.
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