Outline
A young woman spirals into darkness following the death of her mother.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Anna Fredrikke Bjerke
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thank you! Making this film was a way of continuing my exploration with themes that resonate with me: nature, love and loss, redemption and the process of healing.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Outline follows a woman struggling to cope with the loss of her mother, her spiraling into self-destructive behavior, and her meditative journey back to healing herself. It is a quiet, reflective character based study about grief and addiction, which is grounded in something that we can all relate to. Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas (who plays Thea) gives a haunting performance.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The feedback so far has been great. I am excited for its festival run.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I try not to let that get to me. There are always going to be people who don't understand why you did what you did, or the way in which you did it. Sure, there are some things you wish you'd done a little differently, but that's how you learn and grow as a filmmaker. If anything, the feedback I've received so far has made me really excited to keep on writing and directing.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I think any visibility and press is always beneficial in the process of releasing a film! I am honored to be able to feature Outline on We Are Moving Stories.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
There are many personal and universal themes that work into the film: the process of healing, grieving the loss of a parent, conflict between mother and daughter, addiction and recovery.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The film evolved a lot during its development, but the story remained pretty much the same throughout: Thea travels to her estranged mother's house to clean it out after her passing. Her grieving process was always the focus of the story, which ends with her departure and finding back to herself. That being said, things were moved around and left at the cutting room floor. It was such a difficult story to tell. I feel very fortunate to have worked with such a talented and dedicated team, including producer Andrea Backström, cinematographer Catharina Wandrup, and editor Elise Olavsen.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The feedback so far has been great. I am excited for its festival run.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I try not to let that get to me. There are always going to be people who don't understand why you did what you did, or the way in which you did it. Sure, there are some things you wish you'd done a little differently, but that's how you learn and grow as a filmmaker. If anything, the feedback I've received so far has made me really excited to keep on writing and directing.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I think any visibility and press is always beneficial in the process of releasing a film! I am honored to be able to feature Outline on We Are Moving Stories.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Film festival directors would be great!
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I hope that the film makes the conversation about addiction feel more intimate, whether or not audiences recognize some piece of this story as their own or as belonging to someone they know.
Would you like to add anything else?
Outline is the second film in a quartet of shorts that I am writing and directing, entitled Certain Women, which explores themes relating to the female-identifying experience.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I am in the process of editing the third film of the quartet, Fragments, which is a depiction of queer female friendship in the 1990s and an examination of the choices we make when facing a crossroad. I am developing two shorts and writing my first feature film under my indie production banner Marlowe Films, which focuses on female-driven narrative content. And I am directing The Pussy Grabber Plays in Oslo, which is based on the stories of the women who came forward to speak about their encounters with Donald Trump and whose courage inspired the Women's March and #metoo movement. I like keeping busy!
Interview: March 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
Outline
A young woman spirals into darkness following the death of her mother.
Length: 10:41
Director: Anna Fredrikke Bjerke
Producer: Andrea Backström, Anna Fredrikke Bjerke
Writer: Anna Fredrikke Bjerke
About the writer, director and producer:
ANNA FREDRIKKE BJERKE is a writer and director from Oslo, Norway. She holds an arts degree from Central Saint Martins and an M.A. from New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Study, where she self-directed her curriculum to focus on the intersectionality of film and gender politics. She is an alumnus of Mediefabrikken's Directing Initiative for Women and its Directing Program.
ANDREA BACKSTRÖM is a Norwegian producer. Since graduating from Westerdals Oslo ACT with a B.A. in Film and Television Production, she has worked on large scale and independent productions in Norway.
Key cast: Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas (Thea), Luise Nes (Nora)
Instagram: @annabjerke
Other: Vimeo
Made in association with: Marlowe Films
Funders: Viken UNG