Interview with EFA Discovery nominee Mikkel Munch-Fals on his film NOTHING'S ALL BAD


Can you tell us in a few words what your film NOTHING'S ALL BAD is about and what makes it unique?
Mikkel Munch-Fals: Second to hunger and thirst, loneliness is the toughest human condition. My film is about loneliness. The kind of loneliness that is brought upon us and the kind that is self-inflicted. Both can make us behave undignified, angry and (self)destructive. We use and abuse ourselves and others in warped attempts at reaching out. It’s all both endlessly tragic and painfully funny in the darkest of ways. I defend my characters tooth and nail. They need to be forgiven. We all do.
I don´t recall a lot of films dealing fiercely with loneliness.”Taxidriver” comes to mind. Loneliness isn´t often brought to the big screen. I suppose thematically it doesn´t strike people as raunchy or actionpacked enough. Or maybe loneliness is just too much of a challenge to convey cinematically because drama is two people in a room, not one.
I was dumb enough to give it a shot anyway.

How difficult was it to get your film financed and produced?
Movies about loneliness are harder to finance than movies about espionage or sexy aliens. But all movies are hard to finance, I guess.

After this first feature film experience: What do you most love / most hate about filmmaking?
The best part about filmmaking is the creative friendship with the cast and crew. The worst thing about filmmaking is that it is temporary. It all stops when shooting ends. And it´s back to loneliness and the timeconsuming, gutwrenching ordeal of writing the next script. It all seems rather irrational and masochistic.

How did you hear about the nomination for the Discovery Award and what was your initial reaction?
I was drunk, listening to the drumsection of “Sing, Sing, Sing” while vacuuming when a friend called me on the phone with the good news. I was thrilled. I´d much rather be nominated for awards than be vacuuming.

How important is the Discovery Award for you as a young filmmaker and what do you expect from the nomination?
The Discovery Award is important. For professional reasons of course but mostly, I guess, for personal ones. It makes me feel appreciated as an artist and, because my film is somewhat autobiographical, more accepted as a human being. I know that sounds very uncool. To admit that awards are important to you. But I am very flattered be the nomination.