One of Scandinavia's most exciting new voices takes to the world's film festival stages with her short film “The Manila Lover.” Oslo-based Johanna Pyykkö, winner of the Norwegian Amanda Best Short Film and Cannes Critics' Week nominee, is competing at the Gothenburg Film Festival as follows: She made her feature film debut, “My Wonderful Stranger,” which she starred in and co-wrote with Jørgen Færøy Flasnes (“Nudes”).
Her debut is helmed by Dyveke Bjørkly Graver (“Sick of Myself”) and “The Worst Man in the World” associate producer Renée Hansen Mlodyszewski, who produced the Oslo Pictures picture, in co-production with France’s Bathysphere and MB17 Films. , Arte France and Garagefilm in Sweden. Pyramid International handles sales.
“My Wonderful Stranger” will be released in French cinemas on June 5 by Pyramide Distribution. Scandinavian Film Distribution handles Scandinavian rights.
The story follows Eva, a lonely 18-year-old who works as a cleaner in the port of Oslo. One night, she finds a beautiful man hurting her head and tries to help him. When she discovers that the stranger has amnesia, she tricks him into believing they are lovers and creates a world for them based on her lies.
“Part of the story is based on reality. I have met women who have similar mythocratic traits and who lie a lot,” says Pyykkö, sitting in the vibrant new hub of the Gothenburg Film Festival's Hotel Draken. . However, the film is pure fiction with a rich mix of thriller, fantasy, romance and humor.
“I wanted to reflect on society. What is love and what is not love? What a real relationship is and what it isn't. I combined it with social topics I'm interested in, as well as storytelling culture such as Stockholm Syndrome, and hostage stories that have been made into movies and books over the years. In a way, I wanted a film that mixes fantasy and reality and keeps it all together with symbolism,” explains Pyykkö.
The film was also her attempt to shake up traditional ways of telling stories. “In some ways, I think life is too stereotypical in storytelling, so I’m trying to challenge that. I love the element of surprise and use it to introduce a deeper layer to the narration and give the audience something more exciting. I've seen it here in Gothenburg and Angers, France. [when the pic bowed at the Festival Premiers Plans earlier this month] People ranging from teenagers to over 65 years old participated very actively. “I love being able to spark debate through surprise and suspense!” Pyykkö jokes.
The themes of power play and identity explored in “The Manila Lover” and “My Wonderful Stranger” were partly inspired by her personal experiences as a Finn in Sweden who endured childhood bullying. “When my parents moved from Finland to Sweden, it was difficult and I experienced a lot of discrimination!!,” she admits. “So I naturally became drawn to questions of race, identity, and inclusion/exclusion. I always tell my story from the outside in.”
The well-crafted screenplay, co-written with Færøy Flasnes, went through several development labs, including Toronto's TIFF Filmmaker Lab, Cannes Film Festival's Focus Pro' Pitch, Cannes' Critics' Week Next Step Lab and MIA Rome. Winner of the 2020 ARTE Kino International Prize.
Jane Campion, Claire Dennis Tips
Although this process was beneficial – “it helped us get rid of everything that was unnecessary” – Pyykkö felt the urge to ask for input from prominent international female directors Jane Campion and Claire Denis. She was able to reach them thanks to mentorship support from the Norwegian government.
“Both Claire and Jane use symbolism deeply. I knew my script would be challenged by professional readers, and I wanted to know how I could stay true to my vision.”
After watching “The Manila Lover,” Pyykkö was relieved when prominent filmmakers told her she clearly had her own style and references. “They told me this: Any time you lose yourself artistically, you’re not following your intuition, so just do it!”
Pyykkö, along with his co-writers, provided the production crew with a 90-page document containing references for each scene. “We wanted everyone to be drawn into the symbolism and motivated,” says the director, who enjoyed teaming with DoP Torbjørn Sundal Holen (“Power Play”) and production designer Kristian Lahn Vestby (“Nach”). , hangs on the wall of the central house and is a location in the movie. Among the main symbols or leitmotifs were the human figure and the seagull. “Many people see them as parasites,” Pyykkö emphasizes.
The assistant, who was deeply involved in all the artist portions of her tour, also praised the contributions of composers Jakob Lindhagen and Delphine Malaussena. “They were influenced by our references and by collaborating with Swedish and French composers we were able to bring a strong European sensibility at all levels.”
A visual and atmospheric reference for his sensuous and fluid style is Ingmar Bergman – “He can mix genres and be completely ironic, funny, existential and symbolic.” – Lynne Ramsay “When it comes to texture in a room, it all comes down to Claire Denis. “I love the way she works with her rhythms and themes. For example, she uses her objects to reflect those themes.”
Casting was a difficult and lengthy process due to COVID-19. The young lead actress, Camilla Godø Krohn, was discovered after casting 700 candidates. She said, “I loved working with Camilla. She is completely different from Ebba in the movie, but she can get into the mind of any character. She also uses her own body to become both vulnerable and strong.”
The male lead, Radoslav Vladimirov, was discovered two days before rehearsals began. “We were very lucky to find him.” said Pyykkö, who was looking for an actor with special beauty who could play a character who uses that beauty to seduce women.
The director said he was honored to be selected in the Nordic competition for Talking Göteborg, a festival that “interacts brilliantly with the audience.” “It’s a very strong lineup. “It must be difficult!” he laughed.
Her next works include fantasy pictures, Swedish feature films and various scripts, again produced by Bjørkly Graver for her new Norwegian outfit Eye Eye Pictures.