In “Beloved,” opening the Norwegian International Film Festival Haugesund, Erik Poppe takes on a script by Nobel Prize winner Jon Fosse.
“It’s a project that has been on my desk for many, many years. Jon Fosse wrote it almost 20 years ago. After he received the Nobel Prize in Literature [in 2023], it felt like the whole world wanted to read it. But I always knew it was a powerful piece of work,” he tells Variety.
“Beloved” follows a couple who meet in a small coastal town. They have a child, but Asle is drawn back to the sea while Gerd remains in the village.
The film, starring Leo Magnus de la Nuez and Kristi-Helene Giæver Engeberg, was produced by Paradox and SF Production. It’s sold by Reinvent Yellow Sales.
One of Norway’s most acclaimed directors, Poppe is known for larger productions, from “The King’s Choice” to “Utøya: July 22,” “The Emigrants” and “Quisling: The Final Days.” But focusing on a more intimate story felt right this time.
“Looking at the world as it is right now, I needed to hold onto some sense of hope – or at least something more human. I wanted to explore the relationship between two people, as well as between a father and son, because it’s a story of daily life I can relate to.”
He adds: “We’ve all seen how well they perform in the cinemas, surprisingly enough. People long for something honest and truthful that they can just dive into.”
The fact that Fosse is only growing in stature doesn’t hurt either.
“He’s about to be named one of the most important living authors in the world today, and this isn’t based on his novels or plays. [The screenplay] is an original piece of work that he wrote with only one goal in mind: to make it into a movie.”
Still more adaptations are likely on their way.
“I’m quite sure more movies will be made from his novels. As a filmmaker, he’s opening up the space between the dialogue for me to fill in. His style is so simple yet deep. You connect with it, understand it, and it hits you right in the stomach. His novels are short, but when you read them, it feels like Dostoyevsky. I find it extraordinary.”
Despite following only two characters and their son, Poppe didn’t change his approach to working with actors.
“On all my movies, I insist on having at least eight or 12 weeks with them [prior to the shoot]. If I can establish a truthful, honest relationship with my actors, I can push them quite far,” he says. He also paid extra attention to their surroundings.
“I spent a lot of time figuring out where to shoot this film. It’s almost like a mythical landscape, a mythical part of Norway. It’s the fourth character in the film.”
Misty and melancholic, it mirrors their insecurities and growing estrangement.
“It’s quite typical of many relationships. It’s so hard to talk to each other,” says Poppe.
“I was raised by two parents who were almost exactly like these two. Except, it was my mother who left and my sister and I stayed home with my father. The film is about the language these two used to share, which is disappearing, it’s about where they are and what they’re longing for.”
Which is why, despite that title, there is a darker side to ‘Beloved.’
“Based on our first screenings, people have been surprised, but they also really love that it’s not your regular love story,” he admits.
“I think it’s a brave piece of work by Jon. I was tempted by the fact that he doesn’t follow the paths we are so used to. I wanted to explore how that could work in a movie.”
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