"1676"

10 April 2026

2 mins 25s

Keep your head together.

The Battle of Lund in 1676 was one of the bloodiest confrontations of the wars between Denmark and Sweden, but there's been enough water under the bridge to make light of it, and this film reminding cyclists of the value of helmets does exactly that... and it does it both brilliantly and beautifully.

The action takes place in a courtyard as the Danes get ready to invade Scania in southern Sweden. The commander of the troops, clad in his iron helmet, is about to lead the charge when one of his soldiers asks whether he can also be issued with a helmet. This dissent leads to grumbles from other members of the corps, and has the leader defensively claiming that the reverberations inside his helmet when he is shot in the head are quite unpleasant.

This was probably done for a lot less money than it would appear, and that is some achievement. On top of that, director Tore Frandsen has coaxed fantastic comedy performances from his actors, and created a scene reminiscent of Monty Python in their heyday.

By itself, this may not persuade many to wear a helmet if they are otherwise inclined, but it certainly raises awareness and if backed by campaigns in other media, it's big, bold statement in favour of this sensible precaution may prove highly effective.

Denmark

Public Information Films