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FUTURE FRAMES 2018

Dawid Ullgren • Director

“Some of our deepest desires are perhaps best left alone”

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- We talked to Swedish director Dawid Ullgren as he prepared for the screening of his short film 1981 as part of the European Film Promotion’s Future Frames in Karlovy Vary

Dawid Ullgren • Director

An intense and erotic portrayal of a married couple looking to reignite their love life, Dawid Ullgren’s 1981 is a stylish and thought-provoking short film. Cineuropa stole a few moments with the Swedish director as he prepared for the film’s unveiling to Czech audiences at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, as part of the European Film Promotion’s Future Frames programme.

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Cineuropa: Can you explain the significance of the year 1981, and why you decided to use it as a title?
Dawid Ullgren:
The year 1981 was an interesting time for the gay community here in Sweden. It was a kind of in-between time, where everything began to look a little bit brighter. In 1979, The National Board of Health and Welfare declassified homosexuality as a mental disorder, and the first AIDS death didn’t happen until 1982, so 1981 was the year where the future really did look bright. I chose to set the story in 1981 because I wanted to portray a time in history where the characters could experience a sensation of freedom, while at the same time feeling they still had to live their lives in the shadows.

Title aside, there is a clear 80s aesthetic running through the film. Who are your influences and were there any 80s films which particularly inspired you?
I wanted to create an environment that felt believable, and not overdo anything. For me, less is more, and that became my mantra for the whole process. One big influence for me was the documentary Paris is Burning, and the idea of capturing the moment. Ultimately, what I wanted to capture was a feeling of desire, so my main influences were actually music videos. Beyonce’s “Lemonade” was one of the biggest.

Can you tell us more about the change in aspect ratio in the beginning of the film and after the opening credits?
I used it as a way of communicating the couple’s relationship. When we’re in their apartment, we see their life in 4:3. It’s very comfortable and safe, they have the same routine every day. When they make the decision to go out to the sauna club, the whole world opens itself up to them, presenting new and unforeseen opportunities. And of course, it’s also a way of situating the story in a certain time-period, of letting the viewer know that this is a film set in the 80’s.

Tell us about the casting of the film.
The casting process was very easy for this film. I don’t really like the casting process because it’s so easy to lose focus. I’m more interested in getting to know the actors themselves. None of them attended an audition. I had lunch with Bengt and we just talked about our experiences and films in general. From the very beginning, I wanted Bengt’s character to be Danish, but after that meeting I changed the character so that it was a better fit for the actor. I want my films to feel grounded in some way, so I always make sure there’s a certain closeness between the actors and the characters they play. It’s all about finding common ground that we can work around. We all need to know what we’re talking about so that the film feels honest and sincere.

What is it about the extremes of human behaviour – and especially the extreme behaviours taking place within relationships – that interests you?
I wanted to explore the notion of self-need in a relationship, and questions such as ‘How can two “I”s coexist in a “We”?’. Feelings like love and sexuality are in constant evolution. We don't stop having desires, but it can be difficult to explore them in a relationship. I find it interesting that we can coexist with another person, but still not really trust them enough to let them in on our fantasies. My characters try to figure out how they can act out their desires without changing anything else in the relationship. Some of our deepest desires are perhaps best left alone.

What are your expectations for Future Frames?
I’m so excited! I can’t wait. From what I’ve understood, it’s going to be a pretty intense week. Personally, I’m really excited about meeting the other filmmakers. I’m looking forward to getting to know them and to sharing our different thoughts on creativity and filmmaking. It’s going to be a trip to remember!

Are you working on any other projects?
I’m in various stages of the development process for a couple of projects. One of them is a feature film - a dark and bizarre crime story that’s based on real events which took place here, in Sweden.

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