Most of your films are original scripts. What motivated you to adapt Levi Henriksen's compilation of short stories ‘Only soft presents under the tree'?
My wife had read the short stories. She thought it was a wonderful read and that it might be something for me to adapt. I read it and understood what she meant. Henriksen has a sharp view of people and writes with deep heart, mixing humor, tragedy and melancholy. I have the same elements in my own work.
Did you use all short stories or just a few and what were the biggest challenges in adapting them for the screen?
There were different challenges. First of all, by making a film based on short stories, you can't get deep into each one of the stories. But that's a concept that of course I was aware of and accepted. I selected half of the stories I liked the most then obviously wrote the script in the personal style that I've developed over the years. I also tried to balance the stories with characters at different stages of their lives, different genders, different types of problems and so on. I also decided very early I didn't want to tell them one by one. I wanted to let them touch each other in a subtle way. Most are connected because at the end, all stories should be one.
Does the Christmas theme have a particular significance for you?
I never intended to do a Christmas film. The stories happen to take place around Christmas, but they are strong on their own. Christmas certainly highlights the human experiences, plus it was a great framework for the structure of the film.
Personally, I'm not very religious, but the Christmas references are linked to memories of childhood, feelings and atmosphere. That inspired me. After the premiere of the film this week in Oslo, some 120 people came to talk to me, many were crying. You do laugh and cry at the same time. My films are all slices of human lives. I try to understand human beings and perhaps that helps me to understand myself.
Why did you set the prologue in former Yugoslavia?
I often stay local and describe local stories. That's probably one of the reasons why my films have travelled so well. The exotic element is attractive to foreigners. It's still small stories about people in their own environment. I wanted to put the opening in a bigger context, but use it in a poetic way, not political. The prologue is still very integrated to the rest.
This is your third film with cinematographer John Christian Rosenlund. How do you work together in creating this magical light in your films?
When we first worked on Factotum, we started talking about his vision for the colors. He is very technically-skilled (unlike me!) and precise, and spoke about using his own pre-grading system. This time we started to discuss the look of the film while I was writing the script, trying to define the visual concept with our art department as well. We worked on this idea all the way from the very beginning to the shooting and post-production in Berlin. It's fantastic to be able to see on screen a concept you have in your head.
You're a writer/director/producer. But how tough a producer are you really on you as a filmmaker?
The producer takes care of the director in me. Doing everything gives me more freedom and flexibility. When I plan things while I start developing the script, I think as a producer. If I can't secure some financing, it forces me to think the story in a different way. That rarely happens, but I have no problem with that.
People say "if you were just a director, you could make more films", but I don't want to shoot a film every year. It's nice to do different things. I can keep up my enthusiasm. I enjoy being a director and a producer.
Because of your international reputation, is financing your films just putting the pieces together with much the same partners (with Pandora as German co-producer and The Match Factory as sales agent) or is it harder in today's financial climate?
From the outset, I'm always very careful when I choose a project. But financing a film doesn't get easier with each film. I create an interest more easily than if I was a first time director, but I always compete with other films. Usually, my films are well structured financially and I always shoot on budget. I hope to continue working with the same partners in Scandinavia and in Germany. It's a good way to get the film out to different audiences.
Scandinavian cinema is expanding artistically and reaching new international audiences. Do you find this stimulating?
I always thought that we have a wonderful system of financing and it's getting better and better compared to other countries, especially in the US where it would be impossible to make this kind of film, to take this kind of risk. To have a variety of films is fantastic. We take chances on different types of films.
However, the situation is difficult concerning the distribution of our films across the borders. It's impossible and that really bothers me. It's particularly difficult with Swedes and I don't know why they are so reluctant to see Norwegian films. We lack a star system, but we do have the same quality of cast and crew, we share the same culture, more or less the same language. We are no more than 20 million people in Scandinavia. We should all see each other's films and at least three to five films from Norway, Denmark and Sweden should cross borders each year without problem.