Today, I'm pleased to present a new interview with emerging Norwegian genre director Reinert Kiil, who's been involved with numerous feature films and shorts in his native Norway for almost two decades now. With the release of his new film Christmas Blood here in the states, I sat down with him for a brief look at his career as well as the making of the yuletide slasher effort.
Me: Hello, and thank you for taking the time to do this. We'll start off in the beginning, where did you get your love of movie-making?
Reinert Kiil: Hello, thank you for giving me space on your page. Everything started in when I was 5 years old. I had seen cartoons and some comedies. But I Will never Forget when I found my uncle movie collection and picked out a movie with the text «translated from Norwegian» Cyborg. Sexy mechanic, drifter. Ninjas. Robots, kannibals, and a lazerbad Guy! (***EDIT: This is the film Eliminators, confirmed to me after-the-fact ***) After this I was sold. I just fell in love with movies. I started making shorts in my home back in 1991. I got a lot of inspiration from trash films, video nasties, B film and underground movies that I found back then. I Learned everything from just filming my friends and myself and by watching films.
RK: First, it was questions I started asking myself. Why do I like watching this kind of stuff? Then I started why people wanna make it. After I read interviews from Wes Craven after the last house on the left and John Carpenter about they live. I just felt the love for movies with shock element or movies with an underground and B quality over it. Back in the 80's, so many movies were made of first-time directors in the horror genre. And you can see it in the film. A lot of bad stuff. But at the same time, many of the bad films have more entertainment and quality than many of the big movies coming up. So for me, it was going deep into playing with the Meta aspect of the horror universe. So my first feature is actually about «why do you want to see this movie?» You know there will be a rape. And I made a lot of boring scenes before the rape scene happens where I play with sexuality and nudity. To get the audience attracted and almost feel horny when the bad stuff is happening. I feel the movie hit the marked pretty good. We had people puking in Frogner kino in Norway on the first screening in 2009. And in Breda at BUT Film Festival we had a person passing out. He said after that it was because he felt sick in the build-up for the rape scene. Before the gruesome stuff happening became too graphic. I Believe it was because he felt the «good» feeling before the worst stuff was about to happen. Also in Minneapolis Underground Film Festival, they need to have a Secret screening of the film because it was too hard for the censorship and they were not allowed to screen a movie that hard. But for me, it was mostly just to play with people feelings in a wrong Way when something bad happens. And also make yourself ask the question. Why the fuck do I watch this stuff?
Inside the Whore is a Meta film. It is pretty more intense than Hora when it comes to the Meta psychological aspect of the film. I wanted to see what's going on when you mix acting with reality. So 70% of the film is reality and the rest is shot in fiction. After all, this reality series has become so popular and they are everywhere I started to ask the question. What is legal in entertainment… How far can you pull the string from porno to reality and how can you say it is acting or not. I came up with the idea by putting together Funny Games by Michael Haneke and Sam Raimi's Evil dead then mixing them in one episode of Big Brother or let say Paradise Hotel.
But my influence comes mostly from the 70's and 80's when I write. I just love the atmosphere and that you never knew where any of the films where headed.
RK: No. I'm not a fan of Norwegian films. I think Norwegian films are really safe and sorry to say BORING. I just feel we don't have any guts in this country. It starting to get better. But we got a long Way to go. And I'm not talking about just violence or Extreme stuff. But with storytelling as well. That's one of the reasons why Christmas Blood is so long with the drama part. I just wanted to make fun of Norwegian films in general. You got to know. Most people in other countries only see the Big films from Norway or films in the genre they love. When it comes to a normal Norwegian cinema year. We get probably 20 movies about depression, or just a Guy and a woman talking for 90 minutes about normal Life stuff. And many remakes or sequels in children films. When we make Big budget movies (1 - 2 a year) it is mostly just copies of Hollywood stuff just with a smaller budget. So for me, Norwegian films are pretty boring. But I loved Tappeluft back then and Tommy Wirkola. He made a movie called Kill Buljo. A parody of Kill Bill that I like a lot. And he just started pre-work on dead Snow when I wrapped the post-production of Hora (my first feature). So I was supposed to work on dead Snow but had to let it go because of the schedule. But I got to work with him on Hellfjord and Dead Snow 2 so I think it is great. I love that he has made it on the side of the Norwegian film Community and just gone on his Own to Hollywood and makes Big budget stuff over there. He is almost like the Norwegian Version of Peter Jackson. Almost :)
Me: How would you describe the style of film you've developed during your career?
RK: I love 3 things in special when I make films. I Believe it comes from not having much money and time so I Focus on 3 things first. 1. Make them fast with a few takes. Most of my films I only use 1 to 3 takes at most. And almost every scene I have as few as possible camera angles. Huset I shot in 2014 and was released in Norway in 2016 Cost only 60 000 euro. That's almost like a no-budget film when you think about it. All the money went to equipment and traveling and food. So when I shoot I need to think about time all the time. Because of money. So the first thing is the mood. When I don't have time-saving myself with many takes then I save the shoot by building mood and tension.
Number 2 is the time period. Hora was 70 style. Huset was 70 style. Juleblod was pure 80's. I Even want people to think Juleblod is made by a one-hit wonder director in the 80's by making it that way. A director who you probably never hear about but you will remember the title. Maybe from the beautiful 80's synth music from composer Kim Berg or the sleazy dark and gritty cinematography from Benjamin Mosli or from Santa's killing spree. For me, it was important to have some less interesting kills in the film. Because back in the 80's all the cheap VHS movies I saw had one to two interesting kills. If you compare it to Braindead, Dead Snow 2 or even Re-Animator. It is not many kills I remember from these films. Because there are so many Extreme kills. But if you take the feel from Burning, Halloween or maybe just one of the Halloween movies or Friday the 13th movies. You will remember some kills better than the entire film. And I'm a firm believer that if Christmas Blood was released in the 80's it would have been an automatic hit. So for me, the 80 style was sooooo important. The Only feature I made without a specific time period is Inside the Whore. But that's a psychedelic movie about TV and movie politics in the 2000's… the photo is more about reality-style, handheld and light were always in Frame when we filmed. So we were behind the scenes all the time. So that is the only feature I made without a time period in focus.
The Third thing is a shock. I want to shock the Audience in a way. With violence, languish. Breaking the law. Doing stuff in films that opens people eyes for something new. Or something familiar but set in a new way. Norway never made exploitation films or undergrounds films like grindhouse movies back in the days. Hora was the first real exploitation movie from Norway. I believe the worst thing Norway have screened before Hora was Cold Prey. And Hora came from the underground. It was not normal producing films outside the system. Some films had been made but most of these were drama or comedy. This was a movie that nobody has Heard of before it was released. But it went out to be one of the best-sold DVDs from the distribution company in Norway and did pretty good internationally. The movie has been on over 50 film festivals and won prizes. And I promise it is not because it is that good made. It is because the people who understand the Meta aspect of the film really want to screen it.
RK: In the beginning, I did almost anything. I needed the money and also I just wanted to learn. I worked on reality, commercials, soap series, and music videos. Mostly as a prop man. But I did other stuff as well if I had time. One year I did 4 feature. 1/4 of a TV series and over 40 commercials and music videos. To save up to make Inside the Whore. But my Focus has been mostly on prop masterwork.
Me: Having worked so many different professions, do you have any preference towards performing any?
RK: I love to write and direct. I have written over 20 feature script over the years. And probably 100 short films. Only 4 features and 10 shorts have been made so far. But when I direct something I feel that I do what I do best. So far I would not say I'm a director. I'm a film creator. Because I do all kind of stuff on my films from producing, directing, Production Design, First AD, etc. Because I don't have money to pay people to do this kind of stuff. In Juleblod, I had 6-10 actors on set every day. And a team of 15 people. Half of the production I was a First AD, Director and Producer. The rest I was producer and director and production manager… When I see what most people get out of 200 million dollars in studio films I just get good vibes what I can do for the same. Because I always work without nothing. And still, my cinema movies look just as expensive as a general Norwegian movie.
RK: It's better now in what's coming out to the audience. Much better. But still, a long Way to go before I feel I want to Watch Norwegian film. Don't get me wrong. I see every Norwegian film that comes out. I actually collect them on DVD and BD. But I never ever are looking forward to seeing them. I always hope they are 10 times better then the critics say and I hope they Will shock me or Grab me in a way. But it never happens.
When I started we also filmed on film. 16 and 35 mm. So it always felt more important in a way. I don't know why. But it just did. Now everyone can make a film.
RK: I will work more on my scripts, films… I have a producer now in Norway. In a talk with a producer in England and of course I'm trying to get Contacts in the states. But I will not wait for a movie to fall in my lap. I will keep on doing what I always did. Just getting things done. I have not made one film so far in my carrier that has been released (important), that I am ashamed of. And for every feature/movie I make I learn. Plus I get to create movies I would have loved to see on cinema. Only thing is that I don't have time for any private Life Working like this… But I started to love films long before I knew what love was. So today I don't even know a Life without films…
Me: That brings us to your new film, 'Juleblod' or 'Christmas Blood.' What can you tell us about the film in general?
RK; Christmas Blood is a script I did first when I was around 14 years old. 10 pages story about a detective going after a serial killer. I took up the script again in 2010. I had a producer back then. Daniel Henriksbø. Me and him wanted to make it really cheap and quick. We got actors on board and Santa was going to be played by Gunnar Hansen. Texas Chain Saw Gunnar. But first, my producer died in an accident on the West Coast of Norway. They were filming a movie called Skumringslandet and he got taken by a wave. The script was given to many producers after. But none wanted the film. So I took it up myself 3 years later. Then Gunnar passed away. I just felt the entire film was a big black hole in my life. I didn't want to do it anymore. And also it just felt like there was something evil over the entire thing. So I put the script away and I started with Huset instead.
When I took up the script again. I was in Los Angeles at Scream festival. This was in October I think. And I just said. Fuck it. I will make a new film this year. I just wanted to do a movie right a Way to keep myself warm director vise. Plus Huset went really well over festivals. So I got a little warm from that. I started to get crew and actors together and the little money I could get. The entire movie cost 90,000 euro. It was a really hard and tough filming. After the filming, I got really sick. And I knew I had to get the movie done within 6 months. So I could barely walk or breathe normally. So the post-production of the film was probably the hardest part of the entire thing.
But I will say that I got to film my first film in my home place. A Little redneck Town in the north called Honningsvåg. Or North Cape - for the International readers. I got many of Norway's finest actors in the film. It was an incredible experience. Mr. Santa is played by my friend Jørgen Langhelle. One of the leads in the remake of The Thing. Also, Stig Henrik Hoff is an actor in the same film. They are also among the biggest name in Norway. Frank Kjosås I finale got to work with. And Julia Schacht! I always wanted to work with her. All are big names in Norway.
Sondre Krogtoft Larsen also played in the House/Huset. So him I knew a lot. And I really love to work with him. The Egg lady in the buss is actually my Teacher when I was 13 to 16 years old. So it was fun getting her to play a person like that. It is actually a reel Life person I remember from when I was Young she is playing. Also the party scene in Christmas Blood. Where I'm from, Christmas time is party time. Everybody meet in Honningsvåg. People who moved comes home and meet old friends and drink and party. We also use to drink a lot when we were Young during Christmas Eve. It is not that normal. But all my friends use to do it. We meet after the parents went to bed and drink at one or the other place. Then go to a party later on in the Night-time or early morning.
The Australian is partly because I love Australian accent. But I also wanted to use something I Believe everyone in Norway has experience. That you get a person from another country learning to understand Norwegian but not talk it. This is something half of the Spanish fishermen I worked with as young did. Plus a lot more. Especially Americans I meet. Learn to understand Norwegian long before they learn how to talk about it. And I never seen-heard it on film before. So I thought it would be nice. Plus I love miming language. Everything that gets Norwegian away. In Inside the Whore, I had English, Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Philippines and Sapmi languish.
Me: What inspired you to work on a Christmas-themed genre film? Is there any kind of traditional Norwegian celebrations that helped to inspire the film?
RK: I just wanted to be part of the director club who fucks up Christmas. Christmas is a wonderful time for many people. But also it is terrible. For me, Christmas was wonderful when I was young but when I got older I saw the bad things about Christmas. if you have sickness in your family or you are alone. Christmas can be the worst time ever. So for me, it was a time I felt bad because I didn't have anything or anybody for a long time. I just was home eating alone and watching films. Christmas horror was the main topic. Halloween is the perfect, yes, Halloween movie out there. I just wanted to make something similar for Christmas time.
RK: I like shadows and darkness. I think most of that comes from German films from Olaf Ittenbach or Jorg Buttgereit. So I try to play with the darkness. I know I Will lose many audiences by making my films like this. But when I make movies with my own money and my own scripts I make them as I want to see them. And I always love darkness. I don't need to see everything. I need to feel and hear and see. Then my Mind works perfectly why watching movies. And that's the style I would put Focus on in your question. You can clearly see it in the House as well. Probably even better there. But what we did differently in the House is that I wanted the light to be almost burned out many places. And the darkness be completely dark. I wanted a kind of sharpness in the actors face so they almost look drawn. When I made Juleblod I wanted a more gritty VHS quality of the filming. And I Believe we did. Some people hate it and some people love it. I am one of them who love that kind of style.
RK: Marte Sæteren. The Main Actress who plays Julia. She had never been in a horror film before and actually never seen one. Especially not a graphic film like this. But she was so good and easy to work with. Reel professional. She had played in soap series for many years and done some features before also. Even the coldest days she didn't complain. She was also really good at keeping everyone together. She fit the part perfectly. Plus she is so beautiful and charismatic in the frame. I think she looks kind of same. But she says she isn't. We had some strange days with body parts lying everywhere in the house we were filming in. People were eating their lunch over spilled head or guts on the table. But we got used to it. The only day everybody had a problem eating lunch was the day we had the scene at the morgue with the dead lady and the Guy eating over her. That felt disgusting. Is something about shrimps and dead vagina put together that does not work.
RK: Many. But I want to to choose one. But what is cool is that we manage to film this film during the longest storm in Norway since 1948. We were stuck in Honningsvåg - the location for 6 days. With actors trying to fly in from Oslo and actors trying to fly out from Alta. None could go anywhere…. Also, some of the shot you see is filmed on Steadicam during the storm. I don't know if that is done before. But Stig Indrebø - the Steadicam operator got to test himself up there. It was not dangerous. But still, it was really hard. And with the storm and temperature down to minus 12. We felt it…
RK: I'm working on a documentary as we speak. It is a documentary with a really strong expression that put Focus on the 80's and 90's wave true porno and horror movies seen true a child. Also, I'm working on a sci-fi movie. It is the first film in my Life I got money for pre-work on. Never got money before from Norwegian film commission. So I was so happy. Me and my producer will travel to the USA next year for pre-work on that film.
Thanx for having me!
R Kiil
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