A Man Called Ove: Q&A with Screenwriter/Director Hannes Holm
By Ron Gordner, DC Film Society Member
A Man Called Ove (Sweden, 2016) is a film based on the novel by Fredrik Backman about Ove, a grumpy, isolated widower who has been made redundant and lost his job to automation. He spends days walking around his housing complex enforcing the block association rules to all who pass by. He also faithfully visits his wife’s grave and takes her fresh flowers. He has decided to end his lonely life when the new neighbors move in next door and ruin his fated plans but also make him useful again. The film also shows Ove when he was young and how he met his wife. The screening was held at the American Film Institute Silver Theatre September 25, 2016 and it will open in the DC metro area in mid to late October. The film is this year’s foreign language Oscar nominee for Sweden. Todd Hitchcock, AFI Programmer was moderator.
Todd Hitchcock: Can you tell us how you got interested in this story and film?
Hannes Holm: It was about two years ago. I was sitting in my small very cold apartment in Sweden and I had read this story about this grumpy old man and wrote the screenplay based on the novel in only about two months. It usually takes me about a year to do that. I mailed the screenplay to the author Fredrik Backman to see if he liked my story and within two days I got his answer: I opened the letter and it had one word: "yes." I never thought it would take me to Washington, DC, and Moscow and Japan.
Todd Hitchcock: Congratulations on this wonderful film and coming to AFI Silver. I would like to ask about the main actor, Rolf Lassgard, who many of you will remember from the Wilander series in the 2000’s and films like The Hunter which we showed here as part of our Scandinavian Crime retrospective. He’s an inspiring choice for Ove, did he come knocking on your door or did you have to court him to play the role?
Hannes Holm: When he came on set in the morning he was not Rolf but Ove and came in character as Ove every day. We were at times a bit afraid of him but at night I would say how are you Rolf and he would become Rolf again and his friendly self. So he is really a method actor. We also drove around looking at these housing areas built in the 1960s and 1970s and in one we were approached by an Ove type man demanding what we were doing so we knew that were in the right kind of places and Oves still existed.
I made comedies for TV in Sweden in the 1980s and 1990s but am now more mature. I was asked by the producer to do this story about a grumpy old man who meets an immigrant lady and changes somewhat. It was a Swedish best seller and later also in English so I rejected doing it. I see from a show of hands that several of the audience here also have read the book so it’s a lot of pressure writing a screenplay for someone else’s novel, especially a best seller. But I kept a copy of the book and read it that night. The sun came up the next morning and found myself crying and called the producer and said I want to do it. It was more than a sort of comedy of a grumpy old man and immigrant woman, it allowed me to look into the brain and heart of this man and became much more than what I had thought it was. When writing the screenplay I thought of Rolf, since he is one of maybe five very talented Swedish actors that could do this. I called the production company which was still calling this a light comedy, and said I want Rolf to do it. They said, "But he is not that funny." I said, "I don’t need a comedian, I need a good serious actor for this role." Rolf was also reticent to do the role at first saying also that he is not a funny guy, but after reading the script agreed to work together with me on the film.
Todd Hitchcock: I also want to mention the excellent acting by Bahar Pars who plays Parvaneh, how did you find her? I see she has done some short films and television.
Hannes Holm: Sweden is a small country. It is hard to find an actress for this immigrant role. They all came to the casting call saying this is my story and many were good, but many at playing victims. When Bahar came she exploded and when I connected her with Rolf they had such a warm rapport that she was perfect. Her father is also a famous Persian documentary filmmaker.
Audience Question: I have a question about the white shirt characters. Is it possible or was it possible in Sweden that a person could have told the firemen, "Don’t put that fire out?"
Hannes Holm: On a film everything is possible. In the 1960s and 1970s in Sweden the local government was more powerful and it could have happened. Now there are more private businesses. You will notice I am wearing a blue shirt not a white shirt today. (laughter)
Audience Question: If Ove is universal how did the Russian or Japanese view him or their Oves?
Hannes Holm: I will have to tell you in a few weeks since it hasn’t shown in those places yet. It may also be interesting how they view the suicidal tendencies in the film in those countries. It has been very popular in Sweden and it won the audience prize at the Michael Moore festival recently.
Audience Question: The older man, pregnant woman and memory plays reminds me of Wild Strawberries. Was that intentional?
Hannes Holm: Yes and no. The screenplay is based on the novel so I followed it. I don’t think the novel’s author was into that. I do like Ingmar Bergman and his use of actors. This was one of the few films I hadn’t adapted from my own work so it was different. The author said he didn’t know much about filmmaking.
Audience Question: When you are making a film like this are you thinking you are just making it for Sweden for a domestic audience, or for a wider audience in Japan, U.K., United States, or internationally since it seems so universal?
Hannes Holm: I love audiences, even tonight if it is shown without an audience what good is it? I don’t think of national audiences, just of the individual audience and what they want to see or how they may react. The production company wanted a real comedy and wanted to take out the cat. I struggled for the cat, although I am a dog owner and we couldn’t afford digital cats. We had two cats, Magic and Orlando. They looked like twin cats, but Magic was very aggressive and Orlando was very lazy. We tried to use the cat where it would be appropriate for the scene, but they looked alike, so many days we took the wrong cat but soon found that out when we started shooting and had to switch cats. I think I had more problems with the cat owners/trainers than the cats.
Audience Question: I am from Russia and was interested in our use of the novel The Master and Marguerita.
Hannes Holm: Yes we thought it was appropriate for that book which was about a person on a train without a ticket. [A show of hands from the audience was done to see that several people had read that text also.]
Todd Hitchcock: How much of the side story about the Volvo versus the Saab is real?
Hannes Holm: Well it is exaggerated in a way. That was something I used for the Swedish audience because we had this kind of rivalry for 30-40 years as long as the Saab was produced. The Volvo family was more a richer one and the Saab family was looking more for adventure. I come more from a Saab family (laughter). Now I drive a Chevy. When we found the place to shoot the back story it was in the town that manufactured Saabs and has a museum. Every day we would go to the museum and request a different car to use in the film.
Audience Comment: In the 1980’s the Volvo was the number one import car in the Washington DC area.
Audience Question: Did you always know how you would shoot the bus accident scene?
Hannes Holm: It is a low budget Swedish production so I had to think how to do this scene. We built the bus toilet and took it up on a truck and turned it upside down and around. Filip Berg who plays the young adult Ove came and said you know I very easily get car sick. He made it through the scene ok even when we threw things at him.
Audience Question: Have the actors who played the younger Ove and Sonja done other films?
Hannes Holm: Filip has been in some movies you can find on IMDB. Ida Engvoll really has one of the hardest parts to play in the film since she doesn’t have much of a speaking role but has a great presence. The novelist can use pages to describe how wonderful and beautiful Sonja was, but I had the camera which is magic also. Think if Ibsen or Shakespeare had cameras also. She just had to be this wonderful person but had very few scenes so it was hard to cast her. The first time Ida Engvoll came in the room I could tell she had this quality. Filip perhaps doesn't look so much like the older Ove but has the feelings. Filip studied Ove and brought the character to life in his youth quite well. Both actors have done some Swedish movies but nothing international I believe.
Audience Question: I noticed that the close ups of both Sonja and the cat had blue eyes and wondered if that was intentional to show that maybe the cat was a guardian or Sonja come back somehow?
Hannes Holm: Good question. Of course I used the cat as a metaphor especially when he is in bed with the cat.
Audience Question: Do you like to still shoot on film or are you pressured to do video now?
Hannes Holm: You can do either but it depends on the kind of story you want to tell. I talked early to my Director of Cinematography about using big frames early in the film to show Ove coming. When Parvaneh is more into the film it comes closer and the flash back scenes needed to look warmer.
Audience Question: Are there government subsidies in Sweden to help independent filmmakers?
Hannes Holm: The Swedish Cultural staff could answer that better but I will say we always want more but Sweden is a good country to make a film in and supports filmmakers. This film was made for only about $350,000. Norway also subsidizes films very well.
Audience Question: Have you had any feedback from immigrant families in Sweden about the film?
Hannes Holm: Yes I have heard from families including positive comments from the parents of the children playing Parvaneh’s children. This story is classical and archetypical with a Scrooge type character but with new elements. In Sweden we now have second generation immigrants. When Parvaneh comes with the food when they move in that may have been done in Sweden in the 1950s or after but that is not done today. We have Swedish Trump people now also but funnily they are called the Swedish Democrats. Even the leader of that party praised the film and Parvaneh so I hope it will bring people together.
Calendar of Events
FILMS
American Film Institute Silver Theater
The AFI Latin American Film Festival ends October 5. You can still see Magallanes, Mr. Pig, Olive Tree, Oscuro Animal, Take Me for a Ride, La Gunguna, Room of Bones, Neruda and Kill Me Please.
"Portrait of an Actress: Remembering Setsuko Hara" is a tribute to the great Japanese actress who died last year. She worked with some of the greatest directors including Akira Kurosawa, Yasujiro Ozu and Mikio Naruse. The AFI's portion of this tribute starts October 29 and ends November 22. Titles in October are Sound of the Mountain (Mikio Naruse, 1954) and Sudden Rain (Mikio Naruse, 1956). More in November. See below for more in October at other locations.
"Small Stories" (October 8-November 23) is a film series inspired by architecture and co-presented by the National Building Museum which also exhibits historic objects through January 15, 2017. Film titles in October include Marie Antoinette (2006), Sense and Sensibility (1995), Love and Friendship, Mon Oncle, Attack the Block, The Innocents and The Uninvited. More in November.
"Halloween on Screen" (October 28-30) includes silent films, Count Gore and the Silver Spring Zombie Walk. Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922) has live music accompiment by the Silent Orchestra. Count Gore presents a double feature of The Thing from Another World (1951) shown with The Thing (1982). The Zombie Walk film is Night of the Creeps. Other titles are Shaun of the Dead, Attack the Block, The Innocents (1961) and The Uninvited (1944).
"Noir City DC," the 2016 Film Noir Festival (October 15-27) includes The Lodger (1944), In a Lonely Place, Gilda, Rear Window, Blow-Up, The Two Mrs. Carrolls, Humoresque (1946), Deception (1946), The Dark Corner, Crack-Up (1946), The Killers (1946), The Narrow Margin (1952), The Bad and the Beautiful, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945), The Big Knife, Peeping Tom (1960), Specter of the Rose (1946), Corridor of Mirrors (1948), Bluebeard (1944), Young Man With a Horn (1950), and Shoot the Piano Player (1960). This is also a double feature of Fritz Lang (2016) shown with M. Eddie Muller from the Film Noir Foundation and film noir scholar Foster Hirsch will introduce select shows.
"Objects of Desire: The Films of Luis Bunuel" (October 27-November 23) is shown in several locations. The AFI's titles include The Exterminating Angel, The Young One and The Strange Passion with more in November.
"Roald Dahl Centennial" concludes in October with Fantastic Mr. Fox and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
"Silent Cinema Showcase" (October 28-November 20) starts off with Nosferatu (1922) with music accompaniment by the Silent Orchestra. More in November.
The "Spooky Movie Festival" (October 5-9) begins October 5. Filmmaker Ricky Bates will do a Q&A with Trash Fire. Other titles are Peelers, Sadako vs. Kayako, Neither Heaven Nor Earth, Phantasm: Ravager, Creepy, The Eyes of My Mother, My Father Die, Bad Blood: The Movie, Another Evil and the North American premiere of Beyond the Walls. Most films are preceded by shorts.
Special Engagements during October include Blue Velvet (1986) and Daisies (1966).
Freer Gallery of Art
The Freer is closed for renovations. Films will be shown at varying locations.
"Portrait of an Actress: Remembering Setsuko Hara" is a tribute to the Japanese actress shown in collaboration with the AFI Silver Theater and the National Portrait Gallery. On October 8 at 2:00pm is No Regrets for Our Youth (Akira Kurosawa, 1946) shown at the National Museum of American History. On October 9 at 2:00pm is Late Autumn (Yasujiro Ozu, 1960) shown at the National Museum of American History. On October 16 at 2:00pm is Repast (Mikio Naruse, 1961) shown at the National Portrait Gallery. On October 16 at 4:30pm is The End of Summer (Yasujiro Ozu, 1961) shown at the National Portrait Gallery. On October 22 at 2:00pm is A Ball at the Anjo House (Kozaburo Yoshimura, 1947) shown at the National Museum of American History and on October 23 at 2:00pm is Daughters, Wives, and a Mother (Mikio Naruse, 1960) shown at the National Portrait Gallery. More in November. See the AFI above, for more.
National Gallery of Art
"Film, Video, and Virginia Dwan" (October 8-30) is an eight-part series of films and documentaries. On October 8 at 2:00pm is "Dwan Los Angeles," a program of historic works related to the Los Angeles-based Dwan Gallery featuring short animated 16mm films by Robert Breer. On October 8 at 4:00pm is Niki de Saint Phalle: An Architect’s Dream (Louise Faure and Anne Julien, 2014), a documentary on the life of Saint Phalle. On October 9 at 4:00pm is "Dwan New York City." On October 15 at 2:00pm is "Ongoingness: Smithson and Holt Films," with an introduction by Alena Williams. On October 15 at 3:30pm is Casting a Glance (James Benning, 2007). On October 16 at 4:00pm is "Nancy Holt Film and Video," introduced by DeeDee Halleck. On October 29 at 2:00pm is "Of Minimalists and Land Artists." On October 30 at 4:00pm is "Produced by Virginia Dwan."
Special events this month include "Ellsworth Kelly Fragments" on October 9 at 2:00pm with an introduction by curator Harry Cooper and the American Premiere of Cinema, Manoel de Oliveira and Me (Joao Botelho, 2016), a documentary about the Portuguese director with an introduction by Carlo Chatrian.
Smithsonian American Art Museum
On October 1 at 3:00pm is the documentary Cave of Forgotten Dreams (Werner Herzog, 2010) about a cave expedition revealing the world's oldest surviving figurative paintings.
On October 15 at 3:00pm is the performance-based documentary Conjure Women (Demetria Royals, 1995).
Washington Jewish Community Center
"Seret DC" (October 5-9) is a series of contemporary Israeli cinema. Titles include One Week and a Day, Abulele, AKA Nadia, Atomic Falafel, Fauda, Mr. Gaga, Princess and Sandstorm. See the website for tickets, passes and more information.
On October 25 at 7:30pm is the documentary Touch of an Angel (Marek Tomasz Pawloski, 2015).
French Embassy
On October 18 at 7:00pm is the program "Alice, Diop, Documentary Filmmaker" with two films Danton's Death (2011) and Towards Tenderness (2015).
The Japan Information and Culture Center
On October 19 at 6:30pm is Godzilla (Ishiro Honda, 1954) and on October 28 at 6:30pm is the anime film The Boy and the Beast (Mamoru Hosoda, 2016), winner of the Japan Academy Prize for Best Animated Film.
The Textile Museum at GWU
On October 27 at noon is the documentary In Search of Lost Colour: The Story of Natural Dyes (2008), featuring a range of dye techniques and origins.
National Archives
On October 4 at 7:00pm is Equal Means Equal, a documentary about how women are treated in the United States today. Filmmaker Kamala Lopez will be present to discuss the film.
On October 13 at noon is The Year of the Tiger--JFK 1962, a documentary about the Cuban Missile Crisis. Filmmaker Joe Looby will discuss the film following the screening.
Bethesda Row
"Cinema Arts Bethesda" is a monthly Sunday morning film discussion series. On October 30 at 10:00am is Wedding Doll (Nitzan Giladi, 2015) from Israel. Breakfast is at 9:30pm, the film is at 10:00am and discussion follows, moderated by Adam Spector, host of the DC Film Society's Cinema Lounge and author of the column "Adam's Rib."
National Museum of Natural History
On October 7 at 2:30pm is Trobriand Cricket (Gary Kildea and Jerry Leach, 1975), a documentary about cricket as played by the Trobriand Islanders of Papua New Guinea. Filmmaker Jerry Leach will be present for discussion.
The Avalon
On October 5 at 8:00pm is Dancer (Stephen Cantor, 2016), a documentary about Ubrainian born ballet dancer Sergei Polunin who became the Royal Ballet's youngest ever principal dancer at age 19. Part of the "Avalon Docs" series.
On October 12 at 8:00pm is the fairy tale Seven Ravens (Alice Nellis, 2015) part of the "Czech Lions" film series.
On October 20 at 8:00pm is the comedyThe Student and Mr. Henri (Ivan Calberac, 2015), starring Claude Brasseur. Part of the "French Cinematheque" series. (Note the date is a Thursday).
On October 26 at 8:00pm is The Pracht Inn (Tamar Yarom, 2014), this month's pick for the "Reel Israel" series.
Library of Congress
The Mary Pickford Theater at the Library of Congress starts a new series of films showcasing the Library's collection and including newly preserved films. On October 20 at 7:00pm is Only Two Can Play Sidney Gilliat, 1962), a comedy with Peter Sellers, Richard Attenborough and Mai Zetterling, based on the novel "That Uncertain Feeling."
Anacostia Community Museum
On October 7 at 1:00pm is Presenting Princess Shaw (2016), a documentary about New Orleans resident and singer Samantha Montgomery and her discovery by Israeli composer Ophir Kutiel.
Hill Center
"Political Nightmares" is a film series hosted by New Yorker staff writer Margaret Talbot and movie critic Nell Minow. On October 16 at 4:00pm is Keeper of the Flame (George Cukor, 1942) starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. On October 23 at 4:00pm is A Face in the Crowd (Elia Kazan, 1957). More in November.
Angelika Film Center Mosaic
Hitchcocktober is a series of Alfred Hitchcock films shown every Thursday in October at 7:00pm. On October 6 is The Birds; on October 13 is Suspicion; on October 20 is Dial M For Murder; on October 27 is The Trouble With Harry; and on October 31 is Psycho.
Angelika Popup
Hitchcocktober is a series of Alfred Hitchcock films shown every Thursday in October at 7:00pm. On October 6 is The Birds; on October 13 is Suspicion; on October 20 is Dial M For Murder; on October 27 is The Trouble With Harry; and on October 31 is Psycho.
FILM FESTIVALS
