Interviews

Director Louisiana Mees had previously explored coming-of-age in her fictional short Waithood, which was about Greek teenagers struggling to make their way in an economically depressed society; that marked her graduation project from Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts. Now she tells a very different coming-of-age story in her feature doc debut And Tomorrow, The Whole World, she tells BDE.

Back in 2017 Belgian producer Frederik Nicolai had a big idea – how were ordinary people’s lives being impacted along the borders throughout Europe? Now that big idea is a big series of six creative documentary features. The producer explains the concept to Business Doc Europe.

The geographical footprint of the Faroe Islands may comprise 99% water and 1% land, and its population may not even have reached 50,000, but the place still boasts a 2-star Michelin restaurant. Director Rasmus Dinesen whets the appetite of Business Doc Europe as he talks island life and the most exquisite of culinary offerings.

There is a rhythm to the film’s sounds and images, a balance between the wild and the thoughtful. It’s as if we’ve entered Hobert’s mind and are dancing with her thoughts, associations and emotions…and what a privilege. (CPH:DOX 2021 review)

Co-directors Cecilie Debell and Maria Tórgarð rap with Business Doc Europe about Skál, which was supposed to be about Faroe Islands hip hop artist Trygvi Danielsen, until his girlfriend Dania made an even bigger impression on the filmmakers. “There was only one rule: we didn’t want to use interviews or talking heads. But that meant we could play with it a lot,” says Debell.

The moment that young Norwegian filmmaker Petter Aaberg stood on a bridge and thought about hurling himself over marks the starting point of Young & Afraid (Nattebarn) the remarkable and harrowing new feature documentary which Aaberg directed with his film school colleague and friend, Sverre Kvamme. Producer Carsten Aanonsen tells Business Doc Europe how the filmmakers convinced him of the film’s qualities and validity.

When Swedish director Jessica Nettelbladt had the idea for her new feature documentary Prince Of Dreams, she knew it would take time to complete. This wasn’t one of those films in which she dipped briefly into her subject’s life. It was full immersion. She explains why to Business Doc Europe.

Of course there can only be one winner, but neither is anybody a loser in this feature-length doc about the world’s biggest football tournament for kids, The Norway Cup, which attracts 30,000 players from 50 countries around the world. Producer Ingvil Giske talks footie, kids and Norwegian docs…and penalties with Business Doc Europe.

Pop stars, like lesser mortals, also age, get gnarly, fall out, get back together again, grow up, slow down and turn to contemplation. The Norwegian band A-ha, whom the likes of Coldplay and Kanye West cite as key musical influences, do all this and a lot more besides, and are the subject of a fascinating new feature doc by Thomas Robsahm and Aslaug Holm, who take on BDE.

Depending on how you assess him, or who you speak to, Icelandic Thorbjörn Steingrímsson is a car farmer, an inveterate hoarder or just a spare parts man. For Helga Rakel Rafnsdóttir, he is a ‘good shepherd,’ which is the Icelandic title of her film. What is beyond question is that ‘Bjössi’ has a passion for wrecked cars, hundreds of which are arranged on his small holding in the north west of Iceland. The director discusses her fascination for him with BDE.