My father was an amateur filmmaker who shot 8mm color documentaries.
I am always more interested in performance and character depiction, and my direction says as much.
I always try to preserve my cinematographic style, even while I work in the US. I wish to always be European.
I really want to have actors contribute their own ideas, with phrasings and ideas on all levels.
My father would tell anyone who would listen that this dentist thing he was doing was not his passion; cinematography was.
My key interest in choosing scripts is character-driven stories, because there are so many stories that sacrifice character for plot.
I think I avoid stepping into sentimentality by trying to be as truthful as possible with performances.
I was always attracted by the European way of life, but I am deeply Swedish.
Kevin, as the whole cast is, just wonderful people and great people, and people who are attracted to this kind of material and accepting the idea of going to Newfoundland and knowing the kind of lack of amenities.
Many of the comedies I had made in Sweden were slightly based on semi-autobiographical experiences, so adapting novels was a very different experience.
My films do have characters who have trouble escaping the world around them.
To see my wife getting inspired from my notes and thoughts, going in the direction I wanted, and have her surprise me with wonderful choices was a real treat.
A film that is bleached tends to have a more realistic quality.
ABBA: The Movie; I got a lot of grief for working on that.
But I notice that there is a lack of darkness in my movies and I don’t know where that comes from.
But now I wish I could back to Stockholm to make international films there.
I always need a couple of highlights to really spark the passion for a project.
I love mixing amateurs and professionals.
Its just, for me, the natural standard: a woman should be able to decide over her own body.
I imagined that it might be awkward to talk to your wife about her performance, so going into it I was a little nervous. But doing it was actually a wonderfully inspiring experience.
Cinema has become a global economy, totally international.