Uploaded by Nathalie Kalina
How did you get involved in this industry?
My education is in theatre design. I worked for years in animations
and expressions, but I thought it was really boring because it always
looks the same; like steel and wood and dust. So I contacted the Danish
film school and got into there. Ever since then I've worked in film.
How are you enjoying your stay in Igloolik so far?
Yes, it's been quite peculiar. I think we landed during Easter, so
things were happening at a different pace than we expected. I only have
a week here, so I really wanted to get things done, but we ended up
here during Easter so it was slow in the beginning, but things are
starting to pick up, so that's really good.
What is your role for this project?
I'm the artistic director of the Danish part, which means that I
help with the costumes (some of which were already produced when I got
in), finding the right items for this period, and I've looked into what
they might have brought with them on the sled. I'm doing the whole
Danish expedition part of the film.
Can you tell me about the process of acquiring props?
First of all, I contacted the National Museum, where they have a
large collection of Knud Rasmussen and Therkel Mathiassen's artifacts
and had a meeting with the woman who's in charge of that exhibition.
She showed me a lot of photographs and told me what they would have
brought with them. Then I went to Knud Rasmussen's house, which is a
small museum. So I went there, had a talk with them, and saw the kinds
of artifacts they had there. From what I gathered from those two places
I started contacting antique dealers, went to the props houses, and to
private people for different kinds of things.
What's the biggest problem you've faced so far?
Get everything in on time, because we have such a short time here.
We've had some sweaters knitted in Iceland, and we haven't received
them yet, because they take so long to be hand knit, so we hope they
arrive before shooting begins. Also knives were very hard to find
because there are some very strong rules and regulations regarding the
export of weapons, but I managed to get them over the internet from
America, so hopefully they'll arrive. I bought seven knives and one has
arrived. I'm still waiting for six, so I hope they'll get here soon
(laughs).
Can you tell me about the Knud Rasmussen story and what it means to you?
Well, I think it means more to my parents' generation, because for
them he was like an Indiana Jones character. He was a big hero in
Denmark. He explored parts of the world which no on had ever gone to
before. So, my parents tell me lots of stories about him, but I think
he hasn't been as big a character for my generation. But he's
definitely a character that we have a lot of respect for because he met
other cultures on their terms.
What other projects have you worked on?
Last year we worked on a film about Hans Christian Andersen's life,
which was set in 1822, which was for both television and for cinema.
We've also worked on a children's horror movie, and another horror film
which is coming out this autumn. Last year I did a wedding film which
is much like The Wedding Planner but a Danish version. Right now I'm
working on another children's suspense film involving a circus and a
criminal grandmother. Actually, I'm doing that right now, but I took
some time off to come here and help with this project.
Can you walk me through your typical day?
Getting in the office early, and getting on the internet before
everyone else does, when there's a chance to get a hold of people in
Denmark. I sort of feel my way along the day, because it doesn't work
the same way as it does in Denmark. It's been difficult the first
couple of days because it was really quiet, but now I'm going over to
the costumes hut because there are some adjustments that need to be
made to our costumes, and then I go look in the workshop to see how the
boxes are coming along and how the sleds are coming along, meet up with
the others in the afternoon. So it comes as it goes, and goes as it
comes.
Any plans for after this project?
I've got another film when I get back. We're still waiting for
funding, but we'll know on Friday. We've already started it, so
hopefully I'll continue with that. That will go on until June this
year, and then after that I have a film with an American company which
is going to be filmed in Iceland in the late summer. So I'm going to be
busy most of the year. Then I'm going travelling for half the year on
the Trans-Siberian railway to China and up through Tibet and Nepal and
over to India.