CPH:DOX 2025 – Cirkeline & the invisible artist / Cirkeline & den usynlige tegner

Everyone knows the animated heroine Cirkeline and her mousy friends Ingolf and Frederik. For generations they have been enjoyed by children and their parents. But few people know the woman who invented Cirkeline. Her name is Hanne Hastrup, and like many other women, she lost her place in the spotlight to a man – but in this case, to her own husband, artist and animator Jannik Hastrup. They found each other and began collaborating on the famous Cirkeline films, and now they sit side by side on a sofa and tell the story of the creation of the icon in the red dress with the black spots. It’s a personal story about how Hanne Hastrup invented the imaginative universe out of necessity. It’s a touching story of love between two creative, idealistic young people who were against the bourgeoisie and who insisted on doing things their own way. And not least, it is a coming-of-artist story about a woman who finally gets her well-deserved place in the spotlight.