Nordic Reality: Mira Jargil

Nordic Reality: Mira Jargil

– At the beginning of the editing I was afraid that the movie would be too stagnant and introvert. That the audience would be bored, Jargil recalls about working with «The Time We Have».

How did your film project begin, and under which circumstances?

The Time We Have is my graduation film from The National Filmschool of Denmark. It was made under tight conditions. Short preparation time, few shooting days and relatively short time for post production. Originally I had two other ideas, but life took some other turns, and I had to change tracks. Parallel to this I had filmed my grandparents from time to time. It was just for my own sake, because I had always been fascinated by the way they interacted with each other. It is very rare, that two people that have been together for 70 years still can look at each other like they are in love. They have meant a lot for to me in my life. Now they had suddenly gotten very old, and I had the selfish need to immortalize them with my camera. While I was filming, my grandmother became very ill, and I slowly decided that their final goodbye to each other should be my graduation film.

What was the biggest challenge making the film – artistically as well as technically?

I was very afraid that the film would become to personal because of my close relation to the participants. I was worried that the story in the end only would be interesting for myself and my closest family. That I would have difficulty in distinguishing between the personal and the private. And how do you tell about death without it just becoming a sad, sentimental, social depiction? Cinematographer Adam Wallensten and I talked a lot about the visual style. I’m very happy that we ended up shooting from a tripod, as it gives the film a calm and perhaps also the necessary distance unlike a shaky handheld camera.

Why did you choose this specific visual and narrative approach for your film?

Answered above.

What was the most important thing you learned from the people you’re describing in your film?

Gratefulness that I got to experience the final goodbye to life in this way. It has made me less afraid of death. Karen Blixen once wrote: ‘Life and death are like two caskets, each of which contains the key to the other. To understand life you have to consider what death is and the other way around.’ It was beautiful to witness, how my grandfather took care of my grandmother in the last time. I have experienced, how important it is to be surrounded by tenderness and love.

What do want the audience to take away from your film?

I hope that it will get them to think about the things that really matter in life. What is essential and what’s unimportant. We are each given a certain amount of years on this planet, and someday we will die. What do we want to make of these years?

How do you look back at the result yourself?

I feel good about the choices that were made. At the beginning of the editing I was afraid that the movie would be too stagnant and introvert. That the audience would be bored. Today I’m happy that we chose to keep it simple. That the individual moments were enough in themselves.

Which contemporary Nordic documentary film has made the biggest impression on you?

The Regretters by Marcus Lindeen. I saw the film at an industry event in Ebeltoft a couple of years ago and it really made a big impression. I had read a little bit about it beforehand and really didn’t find the story interesting. I thought I would have difficulty relating to the subject, but was very surprised and moved.

Which aspect of life in the North have the documentaries neglected in the recent years?

I think that there is a lack of good filmic stories about the social upperclass. It could for example have been interesting to see a film about the whole Mærsk-dynasty. But that is an area, that is really hard to gain access to.

What’s your next documentary about and why have you chosen this subject?

My next film will be about a special fathers group in Copenhagen. The themes of the film are what it will say to be a good father/parent, and if it is possible to break free of social habits and do away with the past.

If you could change one thing about the conditions of making documentaries in the Nordic countries, what would it be?

A greater focus and research and development. It takes time to find the good character and get to the core of things.

[Return to Nordic Reality DVD: Director interviews]

Legg igjen en kommentar

Dette nettstedet bruker Akismet for å redusere spam. Lær om hvordan dine kommentar-data prosesseres.

Nordic Reality: Mira Jargil

Nordic Reality: Mira Jargil

– At the beginning of the editing I was afraid that the movie would be too stagnant and introvert. That the audience would be bored, Jargil recalls about working with «The Time We Have».

How did your film project begin, and under which circumstances?

The Time We Have is my graduation film from The National Filmschool of Denmark. It was made under tight conditions. Short preparation time, few shooting days and relatively short time for post production. Originally I had two other ideas, but life took some other turns, and I had to change tracks. Parallel to this I had filmed my grandparents from time to time. It was just for my own sake, because I had always been fascinated by the way they interacted with each other. It is very rare, that two people that have been together for 70 years still can look at each other like they are in love. They have meant a lot for to me in my life. Now they had suddenly gotten very old, and I had the selfish need to immortalize them with my camera. While I was filming, my grandmother became very ill, and I slowly decided that their final goodbye to each other should be my graduation film.

What was the biggest challenge making the film – artistically as well as technically?

I was very afraid that the film would become to personal because of my close relation to the participants. I was worried that the story in the end only would be interesting for myself and my closest family. That I would have difficulty in distinguishing between the personal and the private. And how do you tell about death without it just becoming a sad, sentimental, social depiction? Cinematographer Adam Wallensten and I talked a lot about the visual style. I’m very happy that we ended up shooting from a tripod, as it gives the film a calm and perhaps also the necessary distance unlike a shaky handheld camera.

Why did you choose this specific visual and narrative approach for your film?

Answered above.

What was the most important thing you learned from the people you’re describing in your film?

Gratefulness that I got to experience the final goodbye to life in this way. It has made me less afraid of death. Karen Blixen once wrote: ‘Life and death are like two caskets, each of which contains the key to the other. To understand life you have to consider what death is and the other way around.’ It was beautiful to witness, how my grandfather took care of my grandmother in the last time. I have experienced, how important it is to be surrounded by tenderness and love.

What do want the audience to take away from your film?

I hope that it will get them to think about the things that really matter in life. What is essential and what’s unimportant. We are each given a certain amount of years on this planet, and someday we will die. What do we want to make of these years?

How do you look back at the result yourself?

I feel good about the choices that were made. At the beginning of the editing I was afraid that the movie would be too stagnant and introvert. That the audience would be bored. Today I’m happy that we chose to keep it simple. That the individual moments were enough in themselves.

Which contemporary Nordic documentary film has made the biggest impression on you?

The Regretters by Marcus Lindeen. I saw the film at an industry event in Ebeltoft a couple of years ago and it really made a big impression. I had read a little bit about it beforehand and really didn’t find the story interesting. I thought I would have difficulty relating to the subject, but was very surprised and moved.

Which aspect of life in the North have the documentaries neglected in the recent years?

I think that there is a lack of good filmic stories about the social upperclass. It could for example have been interesting to see a film about the whole Mærsk-dynasty. But that is an area, that is really hard to gain access to.

What’s your next documentary about and why have you chosen this subject?

My next film will be about a special fathers group in Copenhagen. The themes of the film are what it will say to be a good father/parent, and if it is possible to break free of social habits and do away with the past.

If you could change one thing about the conditions of making documentaries in the Nordic countries, what would it be?

A greater focus and research and development. It takes time to find the good character and get to the core of things.

[Return to Nordic Reality DVD: Director interviews]

Legg igjen en kommentar

Dette nettstedet bruker Akismet for å redusere spam. Lær om hvordan dine kommentar-data prosesseres.

MENY