Michael Graversen

In 2015, Michael Graversen directed Dreaming of Denmark.[http://www.dfi.dk/faktaomfilm/film/en/94902.aspx?id=94902 "Dreaming of Denmark" fact sheet at Danish Film Institute] For over three years, the director followed the underground life of the Afghan boy Wasiullah – one of the many unaccompanied refugee children that disappear in Europe after they receive a rejection on their asylum claim. The film was nominated for a F:ACT Award[http://cphdox.dk/en/programme/film/?id=3216 "Dreaming of Denmark" at CPH:DOX] at CPH:DOX and was broadcast in prime time at DR1.[https://www.dr.dk/tv/se/droemmen-om-danmark/-/droemmen-om-danmark "Dreaming of Denmark", DR TV, 15 November 2015] Subsequently, the film has toured international festivals, TV and won awards – most recently{{When|date=March 2025}} the Amnesty International Award at Giffoni International Film Festival.[http://dokincubator.net/dreaming-of-denmark-gets-double-success-the-amnesty-international-award-and-the-second-prize-at-giffoni-international-film-festival/ "Double success of Dreaming of Denmark: Amnesty International Award and the second prize at Giffoni International Film Festival", 2 August 2016, Doc Incubator]

In 2013, Michael Graversen directed the predecessor No Man's land.[http://www.dfi.dk/faktaomfilm/film/en/87941.aspx?id=87941 "No Man's Land" fact sheet, Danish Film Institute] The film is a portrait of an asylum center in Jægerspris for unaccompanied minor refugees and was selected for numerous festivals including IDFA.[https://www.idfa.nl/industry/tags/project.aspx?id=45114b28-0498-48bd-9322-f5cc92659a86 "No Man's Land" at IDFA]

Dreaming of Denmark premiered at the peak of the refugee crisis in Europe and the director has regularly appeared in Danish[https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/kultur/film/filminstruktoer-om-afslag-til-uledsagede-flygtningeboern-vi-har-et-ansvar "We have a responsibility towards unaccompanied minor refugees", 5 November 2015, dr.dk][http://www.b.dk/kommentarer/nedlaeg-boerne-asylcentrene "Close the children's asylum centres", Berlingske, 4 August 2016][https://www.information.dk/debat/2016/04/lever-skyggerne-aldrig-del-samfundet "The live in the shadows and will never be a part of society", information.dk, 8 April 2016] and international[http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-05-07/documentary-highlights-plight-of-children-seeking/7392850 "Documentary highlights plight of children seeking asylums", 6 May 2016, ABC News] media advocating for the rights of refugees and in particular the unaccompanied minors. Michael Graversen was one of the first to make films about and document the lives of the unaccompanied refugee children in Europe.[http://cinepivates.com/dreaming-of-denmark/ "Michael Graversen talks about “Dreaming of Denmark”", Cinepivates film magazine, 15 March 2016] In 2016 he received the Salaam Film Prize 2016 as a result of his work.[http://www.salaam.dk/salaams-filmpris-2016/ "Salaam Film Prize 2016", 14 September 2016]

In 2012, Michael Graversen directed The Last Night Shift about women keeping lone dying people company in their final hours.[https://www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk/danmark/debat-om-et-helt-s%C3%A6rligt-erhverv-trak-fuldt-hus "Debate about a special kind of job made for a full house", Kristeligt Dagblad, 2. juni 2012] The director has also worked with experimental and poetic film as An Anxious Mind (selected for Australian Experimental Film Festival[http://www.aieff.org/2013.html "Australian Experimental Film Festival", 1 May 2013.]) which is about Michael Graversen's own experience of having been affected by childhood cancer. Michael Graversen's first film was Toxic Ground about a pollution scandal in his hometown Grindsted. Toxic Ground aired on DR2 and was selected for CPH:DOX and created a lot of debate. Subsequently, a public meeting in Grindsted was held and a bill was presented in Danish parliament.[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0933056/?ref_=nm_flmg_cin_4 "Toxic Ground (Jorden er giftig)" at IMDB]

• Dreaming of Denmark (2015)
• No Man’s Land (2013)
• The Last Night Shift (2012)
• An Anxious Mind (2012)
• The Pact (2011)
• Toxic Ground (2006)

• IDFA, official selection[https://www.idfa.nl/industry/tags/project.aspx?id=45114b28-0498-48bd-9322-f5cc92659a86 "No Man's Land", IDFA, November 2013]
• CPH:DOX, nominated for F:ACT Award[https://cphdox.dk/en/programme/archive/programme-2015/?ser=2015007 "F:ACT Award nominees", cphdox.dk, November 2015]
• Amnesty International Award, Giffoni International Film Festival[https://www.dr.dk/om-dr/nyheder/omdiskuteret-film-vinder-amnesty-pris "Topical doc wins Amnesty Award", dr.dk, 28 July 2016]
• Best Documentary 2nd prize, Giffoni International Film Festival[http://www.cineuropa.org/nw.aspx/Files/2016/10/25/nw.aspx?t=newsdetail&l=en&did=313320 "Giffoni 2016 winners", cineuropa.org, 26 July 2016]
• Freestyle Award at Mo&Friese International Children’s Film Festival[http://moundfriese.de/index.php?id=4626&L=1. "2014 Winners", moundfriese.de, May 2014]
• Helsinki International Film Festival{{Cite web |url=http://hiff.fi/en/elokuvat/dreaming-of-denmark/ |title="Helsinki International Film Festival", hiff.fi, 23 September 2016 |access-date=13 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170205181851/http://hiff.fi/en/elokuvat/dreaming-of-denmark/ |archive-date=5 February 2017 |url-status=dead }}
• Thessaloniki Documentary Festival[http://www.ekathimerini.com/205810/article/ekathimerini/life/thessaloniki-doc-fest-tunes-in-to-refugee-crisis "Thessaloniki doc fest tunes into refugee crisis", Ekathimerini, 11 February 2016]
• Human Rights Watch Film Festival, Amsterdam[https://ff.hrw.org/film/dreaming-denmark "Human Rights Watch Film Festival", ff.hrw.org, 29 January 2017]
• Nordische Filmtage, Lübeck,[http://www.luebeck.de/filmtage/en/programm/movie/view/2016/7796.html "Nordic Film Days Lübeck", leubeck.de, 4 November 2016]
• Japan Prize, International Educational Program Contest[http://www.nhk.or.jp/jp-prize/english/2016/entrylist_contents.html "Japan Prize", NHK, 26 October 2016]
• One World, Romania[http://oneworld.ro/2016/l/en/dreaming-of-denmark-246/ "One World", oneworld.ro, 23 March 2016]
• Human Rights & Arts Film Festival, Melbourne[http://2016.hraff.org.au/event/dreaming-of-denmark/ "Human Rights and Arts Film Festival, Melbourne", hraff.au, 7 May 2016]
• Salaam Film Prize 2016[http://www.salaam.dk/salaams-filmpris-2016 "Salaam Film Prize", salaam.dk, September 2016]
• Olympia International Film Festival[https://olympiafestival.gr/past/2014-2/17th-olympia-festival/screening-schedule-int-competetion/ "Olympia International Film Festival", olympiafilmfestival.gr, 30 November 2014]
• Uppsala International Short Film Festival[http://www.shortfilmfestival.com/filmer/no-mans-land/ "Uppsala International Short Film Festival", shortfilmfestival.com, October 2013]
• Belo Horizonte International Short Film Festival[http://www.davidayoun.fr/16-festcurtas-belo-horizonte/ "World Movements Exhibition", davidayoun.fr, September 2014]
• World Film Festival, Estonia[http://worldfilm.ee/archive/2014 "World Film Festival", worldfilm.ee, March 2014]
• Watch Docs International Human Rights Film Festival[http://www.watchdocs.pl/2015/a/no_mans_land-film-165-en.html "Watch Docs", watchdocs.pl, 7 December 2013]
• Document Human Rights Film Festival, Glasgow[http://www.documentfilmfestival.org/films/dreaming-of-denmark/ "Document Film Festival, Glasgow", documentfestival.org, 23 October 2016]
• BUFF International Children's Film festival, Malmø[http://buff.se/filmer/dreaming-of-denmark/ "BUFF, Malmø", buff.se, 22 March 2017]{{Dead link|date=April 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

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• {{Official website|http://www.michaelgraversen.com/index.php}}

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Category:1980 births

Category:Living people

Category:Alumni of the National Film and Television School

Category:Danish documentary filmmakers