5 Questions with Anna Fredrikke Bjerke
Photos by Jeppe Fredrik Gautier Bjerke
Set against a desolate Nordic backdrop, “Outline” follows a young woman dealing with the death of her mother. We asked director Anna Fredrikke Bjerke how the project began, about keeping exposition to a minimum, and a recent film she’s loved…
1) Can you talk briefly about your background, and how you first got interested in filmmaking?
I went to Central Saint Martins in London, where I got to develop an interdisciplinary practice across various artistic mediums. But it wasn’t until I wrote and directed my first short film, where I was able to combine the different creative elements, that I really decided to become a filmmaker. I applied for an MA in Film Studies and Gender Politics at New York University after interning at a production company in New York City, which served as a vehicle for the ideas I want to explore as a filmmaker. Then, after almost nine years abroad, I moved back to my native Oslo, where I am currently based.
2) What was the original inspiration for this project, and what were some of the first steps to get it going?
Outline is the second short in a trilogy of films that explore the queer-identifying female experience. The first in the series, The Way Things End, which was recently released on Aftenposten, is about two friends who are coming to terms with the painful truth that a shift in perspective can sometimes end a friendship. I wanted the second short to continue this exploration of women's complex and unique relationship with one another by focusing on a mother-daughter constellation, which was polluted by substance abuse, misunderstanding and heartbreak. The production team behind The Way Things End were immediately onboard and within a few weeks we were shooting on location. The third and final installment, Fragments, which is about the reconnection of former lovers Iben and Kaya, is currently in the festival circuit.
3) I love the simplicity of this - it really captures a feeling and an atmosphere without giving much information. Can you talk about your decision to keep your exposition minimal? At any point, were you tempted to give the audience more story / backstory?
I wanted to tell a story about a daughter who is struggling to cope with the death of her mother, who suffered from substance abuse, which is something that I feel that I haven't seen deeply portrayed in all its complexity. I wanted to explore the deep-seated wounds this disease creates in a family, and how things don't get better simply because one removes oneself from the situation or the person who is suffering passes away.
It is a dark and complex story, which perhaps could have had more dialogue in it, but I didn't feel the need to over-explain things and wanted the audience to fill in Thea's story with their personal experiences.
I did want Thea to have a spiritual moment with a deer, which Thea interprets as being her mother, on her way back to the house after falling asleep in her car, but we didn't have the budget for it.
4) What’s a film you’ve seen recently, new or old, that you really loved and why?
I recently rewatched Andrea Arnold's American Honey, which is truly honest and unpretentious, yet magnificent. Her unique subtlety and distinctive visual style is an inspiration.
5) What’s next for you?
I am currently in post-production with the neon-lit and music-infused web series Gemini, which follows two queer women navigating the messiness of their twenties. Next, I am directing the coming-of-age short Sucker, which has received funding from The Norwegian Film Institute. The film is about growing pains, adolescent desire and casual sex.