Oslo, August 31st

Director's Statement

Oslo, August 31st is the story of a resourceful person with a very dark mind. The paradox to the Anders character is that he's gifted, formerly ambitious, but he lost years of his life because of a lifestyle he couldn't sustain. I've been getting more and more into character studies and I have an ongoing fascination with observing middle class life. I've always been curious about the various destinies I've seen around me. For example my friends from my teenage years as a skateboarder. I saw how their lives went into very different directions. Some became drug addicts, others turned out having very successful careers. There's also great drama in the lives of those with choices. I've always seen myself as a filmmaker who looks at things from a critical point of view, at the same time I make films about the seemingly fortunate and the privileged. I always get a bit sad when people say life is so good here in Norway that there's nothing to tell stories about, that we don't have any conflicts. I completely disagree. There are great tragedies in middle class life as well.