by Alexandra Bowman (continued from part 1)
Alexandra Bowman: So what do you hope that people come
away from this film thinking? How do you hope that their daily lives change?
GÃsli Darri Halldórsson: I hope people will look at their
own life and their daily life, you know? That's why I've made this film for
myself. Somebody told me, and I really took that comment kindly, is that
somebody said that the film had just felt like a hug.
Alexandra Bowman: I was looking at the comments on YouTube
and the comments are beautiful. You should read
them, if you haven't already. Someone said, “This really hit me hard. I feel this
is what life is. We're a bunch of lonely people who are just trying to get
along together. And this film kind of shows that amidst all the sadness we're
going to keep progressing.”
GÃsli Darri Halldórsson: It's funny because it seems like
nothing's going on, but somebody said there's a lot of movies about Marvel
superheroes saving the world but it feels like this is the battle of the everyday
people, just people, who have normal jobs. And this is the biggest thing, how
do I make life a bit more meaningful?
Alexandra Bowman: Realistically, like these are the
battles we’re all are going to be fighting. There's so many definitions and
concepts of what it means to see yourself on screen, but this is very much a
way for everyday people to see things that they might not expect to be cinema-worthy
on screen, in terms of “Wow, this is something that other people are dealing
with and these are interesting kind of conflicts all their own as well.” How
did you develop the humor in this film? Because there are a couple moments that
are pretty dang funny.
GÃsli Darri Halldórsson: I don't know how to answer that…
Alexandra Bowman: Did you get it instantly or did you have
to like think it through?
GÃsli Darri Halldórsson: Some of them, some of those
things have happened. I've seen a moment. I've seen an old man break wind and
his wife go “Eww.” I knew I definitely wanted to have it light because I knew
it was a really dull subject matter and it was going to be not very exciting. I
was trying to go for the silent film format where you don't cut a lot. You
don't have that relief, because that didn't seem right with that subject matter.
[The film has] one still camera and it doesn't move or anything. So I knew it
needed to be light. In fact, during the writing process, my grandparents died and
they came into the story. When people die, you just suddenly see the big
picture of their life as well. That's kind of what really inspired me about
their life - they were married for 65 years or so. I know they got on each
other's nerves and stuff like that, but they just had this unbelievable way to
turn something into a game, or just make a life out of things. I guess maybe
that's what you learn over time, kind of rebelling against the mundaneness. I
don't know…
Alexandra Bowman: Rebelling against it, but almost
reveling in it and seeing the beauty in it at the same time, maybe rebelling
against thinking about the mundane is mundane.
GÃsli Darri Halldórsson: It's just like a twist in
attitude. This person may annoy me, but we can have fun. I don't know, that's
not the right way to say it.
Alexandra Bowman: This is in a way, even though it's so “every
day,” and even though it seems boring and unexciting and regular at the time, there
a beauty in it, and it probably is different, in terms of what that beauty is
for everybody. But there is beauty there.
GÃsli Darri Halldórsson: Yes, a little bit refusing to
take part in this everyday-ness, you know, without having fun, your own fun, something
like that. So I'm really happy because I did, even though the characters aren't
really them, the energy between them is from my grandparents really.
Alexandra Bowman: So what will you be doing on Oscar
night?
GÃsli Darri Halldórsson: I'll be in LA. I'm going to LA
soon and we'll be quarantining until the ceremony. So I'm looking forward to
that. Obviously if I'm COVID positive, I won't be going. [laughs]
Alexandra Bowman: So you're going to be in the Oscar
auditorium then. When your film gets nominated, what does that look like? Do
you get an email or…
GÃsli Darri Halldórsson: I just have to watch the live
show and then you get an email later after that.
Alexandra Bowman: You don't get anything in advance? You find out that your film got nominated at
the same time as the rest of the world?
GÃsli Darri Halldórsson: Yeah. Also when it was
shortlisted, it was the same. I heard they I think I have Price Waterhouse
Cooper to hold the envelope of the results, so nobody knows apparently who wins
and stuff.
Alexandra Bowman: How do you submit a film to the Oscars?
GÃsli Darri Halldórsson: Well, it has to be eligible, so
they have a rigorous process. You have to go through to make it eligible. And
to be honest, I have to say, I was just happy that it was eligible. That was my
peak. And then I got nominated and I'm on cloud nine.
Alexandra Bowman: What makes a film eligible? Is it length
requirements or what does that look like?
GÃsli Darri Halldórsson: Yeah, a lot of requirements. It
has to win in a certain film festival or be screened in a major city for a week
in the cinema. Some other ones - obviously the year counts as well.
Alexandra Bowman: What do you hope wins the best animated
feature Oscar? Do you have preference for those?
GÃsli Darri Halldórsson: I've seen Soul. It's beautiful. I really like it. I have a three-year old, so
I haven't been able to see a movie in a long time. I managed squeezing Soul there, but I'm hoping to use the
time in quarantine to see them. Cartoon Saloon did WolfWalkers. I'm always a fan of them. I went to the same college
as the founders of that studio.
Alexandra Bowman: Speaking of filmmaking, what is your
next project?
GÃsli Darri Halldórsson: Oh, I have a few. I'm not sure
which one is next. I think after this Oscar discotheque I'll know better, but I
have a book that I want to do that’s almost ready. And I have a TV series and a
live-action film and an animated film.
Alexandra Bowman: Any sneak peaks or into what they're
about?
GÃsli Darri Halldórsson: No. I burned myself on this
before, about revealing something too soon that takes a bit of the edge in your
head about it. I've learned that hard lesson before, but believe me, I want
to say it…
Alexandra Bowman: Do you have anything else that you want
to say to the masses about filmmaking or inspiration or art, creativity, any of
that?
GÃsli Darri Halldórsson: I don't know. I don't think so.
Probably when I'm in bed tonight, I’ll go “Aha! I have this golden nugget that
I could have shared.”
[End part 2, as the conversation turns to Georgetown
University and basketball…]