The new refugee home for children is being discussed at a public council meeting. Two people standing on opposite sides try to get heard. Who Talks raises questions about whose opinions actually matter and what creates polarization.

Interview with Writer/Director/Producer/Editor Elin Övergaard

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

I was at a city council meeting in 2015 in the middle of the big immigration wave in Sweden. The meeting was, just like our film, about a new refugee home for children that was about to open. People were angry that they hadn’t been part of the decision. I was struck by how much we people are just in the hands of our own feelings. It was like I could see a polarization taking place right in front of me during this meeting. The city council was there to inform and was not interested in answering any questions, and the people of the community were there trying to get their questions answered but weren’t interested in hearing the answers that were actually given. It was a meeting doomed to fail from the start. As nobody was being listened to, everybody stopped listening to each other as well. I wanted to capture this creeping sensation of separation that’s going on in our country, and in so many other countries as well.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

I think every person watching this film is judging the characters based on their own background and this affects their viewing of the film. We’ve seen that different people in the audience view the different characters depending on what background they themselves have, and I find this extremely interesting. Regardless, I’m hoping that everybody watching can see the ongoing polarization being created in the plot of the film and what negative impact this is having on our society.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

Manne Indahl and me wrote the script as we were casting and rehearsing with the actors. A lot of these actual meetings are filmed and then put up on the internet, so Manne has transcribed loads of these clips and a lot of the lines in the film are actually what people have said at meetings that have taken place in reality. Actually, in the real meetings that are filmed people say much more racist things than what is said in our film. We didn't want to reproduce racism without cause.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

Not really, but I'm aware of that people don't really express their negative opinions when a film is this political. People don't really dare articulate their views. But I'm hoping for more challenging feedback after the Cannes international premiere!

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

Hopefully, this means that more people will be interested in the film and in the long run getting it out to as many people outside of the film industry as possible. We’re seeing a trend in the industry that left wing people make politically left wing films, and we want to reach out to a broader audience than this and try to break this barrier to make everybody think about the ongoing political polarization around the globe, regardless of where you stand politically.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

I hope that everybody who watches the movie, regardless of their political view, can agree that polarization isn't helping anybody.

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

What creates polarization?

Interview: April 2019

We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela

Ingen lyssnar (Who Talks)

Length: 14:30

Director: Elin Övergaard

Producer: Elin Övergaard, Manne Indahl

Writer: Elin Övergaard, Manne Indahl

About the writer, director and producer:

ELIN ÖVERGAARD was born 1994 in Uppsala, Sweden, and grew up in Sigtuna and Salt Lake City, USA. Today she is based in Stockholm as a film director and producer and has directed several award-winning short films. As of 2018, she is studying Film Directing at Stockholm University of the Arts. Earlier she worked as assistant director on many productions. Her films are often about the fear of being abandoned, and she likes to test how far characters are willing to go to avoid confrontation.

Key cast: Kristoffer Appelquist, Cecilia Milocco

Facebook: Ingen lyssnar - Who Talks

Hashtags used: #ingenlyssnar #whotalks #elinovergaard

Website: elinovergaard.tumblr.com

Other: IMDb

Made in association with: Lovisa Sirén

Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?

Cannes Film Festival