Comfortable Norwegians says co-productions not a priority
by Sakis Kontos
A Norwegian delegation is out in force in the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, July 1-9. Liv Ullmann came to receive a life-achievement award but the strength is in numbers and the Norwegian Film Institute representatives and at least a dozen of filmmakers, producers, actors and agents are on a mission to confirm that.
They are promoting Norwegian cinema in the best way they can. But, unlike the rest of Europeans, they are not necessarily looking to find partners for films. “I wouldn’t exactly speak the truth if I said that it would be us to initiate co-production deals. We have a quite sufficient system in place” says Jan Erik Holst, of the Norwegian Film Institute. Of the 11 Norwegian films presented in various sections in Karlovy Vary only two are co-productions and one of the two is with neighbours Denmark.
For the Norwegians there are a number of reasons for going alone. More often than not is the conflict of production practices. “For example a German producer might want to finance a film through pre-sales, something we never do whereas we sell a film only after is completed” argues Holst. He and the others take pride in that the establishments of the Norwegian support system for cinema date back in 1949 – one of the first in Europe. Through it almost € 27 million were handed out to 15 projects in 2005 alone. That’s more than the support received by Czech, Slovak and Hungarian projects together through their respective state funds in the same year!
Filmmakers confirm that the system actually works, although the cost of living and working in Norway belie the real strength of the support. “It’s becoming harder to make films in Norway. More talent out there, to share the same [financial] pie” says director and actor Aksel Hennie.
But for director Nils Gaup that argument is not a good enough reason for seeking partners abroad: “If you go for a co-production with, let’s say, a French producer, you immediately accept that there will be certain compromises. I want my films to be authentic even if that means I have to reduce my budget”.
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