How did you feel when you won your award at the Festival de Cannes?
It was quite an incredible feeling, to be honest. I was back home in Oslo when I received a phone call from my distributor telling me that I needed to come back to Cannes. At that time, we didn’t know which award it was, but I jumped into a taxi and was lucky enough to get a last-minute flight. I had to have a layover in Zurich because all the direct flights to Nice were already full, and I changed into my tuxedo in the airport bathroom in Zurich. I ended up being 15 minutes late to receive the prize on stage, but fortunately, I was able to get backstage to collect the prize and be there with the other award winners. Afterward, we took the big elevator up to the stage when the ceremony was over, and it was the most filmmaker-heavy elevator anyone could imagine. I tried to soak it all in as much as possible. It was amazing to be there with all those people I had admired for such a long time. It was a great night, a late night.
What has this award changed in your life?
Premiering my film at Cannes already meant a lot to me, and of course, this award made it even more special. It became a great starting point for the film’s journey and for my career. I am very proud of it.
What are your best Cannes memories?
It was my first time at the festival, and it was overwhelming. I truly felt the excitement everywhere. This is where cinema belongs. I have many good memories, like the premiere day when so many of the cast and crew, family, and friends had flown in to support the film. It was really moving and made me a very grateful and proud director. And of course, the last night with the award was unforgettable. But also, just walking around, knowing we had our place at this festival, was a very special feeling. This was a small Norwegian film made by a group of friends (and a few more), and the fact that we ended up here was incredible.
What message would you like your film to send to the new generation of filmmakers?
Be bold, be intuitive, and trust what you bring to the table. This is even more important in a time when so much of film and TV has become mass-produced and made according to formulas. We need both commercial films and unique, singular films.
Do you have any projects in progress?
Yes! I’m very excited about it. And now that the work with Armand is basically done, I’m eager to start working on something new.
