From Norway comes first-time feature director Eivind Landsvik, who generously shared his thoughts on Low Expectations, a warm reflection on the state of depression that premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight section of the 79th Cannes International Film Festival.

Cineuropa: In light of the considerable recent success enjoyed by Norwegian cinema, including your country’s first Oscar win earlier this year, a title like Low Expectations could come across as somewhat ironic...
Eivind Landsvik: It was the first and only title I’d had in mind since around 2020, and it refers to the state of depression. I think the phenomenon of expectations is an interesting one; we’re surrounded by them every day, and they come from both ourselves and others. The film plays around with this via our main protagonist, Maja, and the expectations of her family and friends, of the fans of her musical artistry, of what life might bring her – expectations that are very low, as far as she’s concerned. As for me and this film, I still remember when I wrote the title on the first page of the script and was more or less convinced that, no, this movie would never be made. And what I then explored in the script was exactly that: how lost you can get in creative professions, how your hopes and dreams may or may not ever be realised, with your own identity constantly at stake. It's worth some reflection, I think.

We’re certainly taken under the skin of Maja, this musician who is clearly suffering from some severe identity crises, as her artistic career is put on hold and she retreats almost completely. It almost gets claustrophobic, doesn’t it?
I agree, and I hope I’ve managed to convey that not private, but personal, feeling. That sense of claustrophobia also feels close to a state of angst and depression, and it’s hard to pull yourself out of it.

You found a main performer who also conveys these feelings effectively. Marie Ulven/girl in red is first and foremost a musician, and a renowned one at that. What made you think of her as you chose your lead?
Her presence and her face. She was the last one to come in and read for the part, and after that, I closed down the casting.

In other words, the part wasn’t written with Marie in mind?
Not at all, and many have had this assumption. I actually had very low expectations of her accepting the part, in light of how big she is as an artist, suddenly being asked to play the lead in a little first feature made in Norway. But she was interested, and when I did some shots of her with my camera, her face just drew me in, and the character I’d written instantly came to life. The collaboration was very good.

She’s surrounded by some experienced actors, playing her colleagues, her pupils, her mother and her friends. These characters also provide relief and warmth. “In the end, things will work out, despite everything” seems to be the message here.
I think so, yes. But I wasn’t always certain myself, along the way.

Are there any inspirations for Low Expectations, film-wise?
I’m very fond of the cinema of Mia Hansen-Løve and the way she paints everyday situations and just fills them with details that draw you in. And she, in turn, is very inspired by Eric Rohmer, who is also able to capture everyday life. And then, there’s Hirokazu Kore-eda, who makes these fantastic small dramas about families. One of my favourites of his is Our Little Sister.

How do you feel, working as a filmmaker in Norway at this time?
We were a fantastic gang who worked on the film together, and many of them told me afterwards that they enjoyed the work. Personally, I almost felt a kind of heartbreak when we were done – like when you’re having the best summer holiday ever, and then everyone goes their separate ways and you lose touch. If I get to make another film, I really want to gather the same people.

As for the current state of Norwegian cinema, my own entry into it occurred about 20 years ago. Now and then, we’d hear about some Norwegian or other going to the United States and working on some US film. It neither interested me nor appealed to me. But then, in 2006, I saw Joachim Trier’s first feature, Reprise, in the cinema, and then it dawned on me that you can actually make films like that, here at home. I went back and re-watched it five times, if I recall correctly.