{"id":12509,"date":"2016-04-20T10:49:41","date_gmt":"2016-04-20T08:49:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/berlin030.de\/?p=12509"},"modified":"2016-04-20T10:49:41","modified_gmt":"2016-04-20T08:49:41","slug":"es-gibt-weder-cannabis-noch-orgien-interview-mit-thomas-vinterberg","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/berlin030.de\/en\/2016\/04\/20\/es-gibt-weder-cannabis-noch-orgien-interview-mit-thomas-vinterberg\/","title":{"rendered":"“There is neither cannabis nor orgies” – Interview with Thomas Vinterberg"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tTogether with his Danish compatriot Lars von Trier, Thomas Vinterberg is one of the authors of “Dogma 95”, that manifesto which demands that directors forgo the use of camera tripods and lighting in favour of an immediate narrative style. <\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t\n<\/p>\n

\n\tIn accordance with these rules he directed “The Celebration” in 1998, which caused a stir internationally and won the Jury Prize at Cannes. The Dane made “It\u2019s All About Love” with Sean Penn and Joaquin Phoenix, followed by “Dear Wendy” with Jamie Bell. After an artistic flop with “Submarino” six years ago, Vinterberg used “The Hunt” to tell the story of a modern witch hunt against a nursery school teacher accused of sexual harassment. After an excursion into historical drama with “Far from the Madding Crowd”, Vinterberg now shifts his focus to shared living in the 1970s with “The Commune”. [030] staff member Dieter O\u00dfwald spoke with the director.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tMr Vinterberg, to what extent is “The Commune” a reflection on your childhood?<\/i>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tVinterberg<\/b>: I definitely wanted to show my childhood with this film, both the good and the bad sides. I really enjoyed living in the commune, but there were also unpleasant aspects. For me it was important to give an honest depiction, not shying away from controversy.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tIt is surprising that in this commune, politics barely features, and there are neither drugs nor orgies. Were Danes different from Germans?<\/i>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t

\"Thomas
Thomas Vinterberg \u00a9 Marc H\u00f8m<\/figcaption><\/figure>Vinterberg<\/b>: Politics bores me \u2013 and I can’t write about things that bore me. All those political discussions that took place back then were really just a way to hide behind something. My approach was quite deliberately to leave out all those things one would expect from a film about a commune. That’s why there is hardly any nudity, there is neither cannabis nor orgies. I wanted to get to the core of the characters and show how individuals behave within the group.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tThe Scandinavian, however, can’t do entirely without nudity: eventually everyone jumps naked into the lake together\u2026<\/i> \n<\/p>\n

\n\tVinterberg<\/b>: That’s true, that is the big clich\u00e9 in our film (Laughs<\/i>).\n<\/p>\n

\n\tDo you see the commune also as a metaphor for Danish society, in which everything is meant to proceed harmoniously and be discussed, yet this fails in practice?<\/i>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tVinterberg<\/b>: While writing, I never have any metaphors in mind. If you are writing about love, cohabitation and death, you should absolutely switch off all analytical thoughts in your head. It would be really foolish to develop a story with any preconceptions or intentions. We simply portray a microcosm with emotions \u2013 interpretation is left to the viewer. If someone wants to see the lack of unity in this commune as a symbol for contemporary Europe, they will certainly find good reasons to do so.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tWhat impact did life in the commune have on your life?<\/i>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tVinterberg<\/b>: The experiences in the commune had a tremendous influence on my personality and professional life. I had to learn very early and very quickly to deal with people’s behaviour. You develop a good feel for assessing your fellow human beings, for example when new housemates introduced themselves. It mattered a lot to me at the time that everyone felt as comfortable as possible \u2013 something that’s remained with me to this day, for example during filming.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tWas the atmosphere during filming as relaxed as it was in the commune?<\/i>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tVinterberg<\/b>: There was definitely a great sense of community on this shoot. For rehearsals we lived together in this house for three days. Our leading actress Trine Dyrholm turned out to be a real gem, I\u2019d move into a commune with her straight away \u2013 though I wouldn’t say that about everyone on the team. (Laughs<\/i>)\n<\/p>\n

\n\tWith what feelings do you look back on “Dogma”?<\/i>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tVinterberg:<\/b> Dogma was an incredibly creative endeavour. We had so many rules that we imposed on ourselves, which, ironically, then became the basis for great liberation. Thanks to this whole set of rules around reduction, writing became much easier \u2013 but these days I don’t really like talking about Dogma and tend to avoid the topic.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tHow seriously did you actually take all this Dogma business? Didn\u2019t the whole commotion in Cannes secretly amuse you quite a bit?<\/i>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tVinterberg<\/b>: For me, Dogma was a very healthy blend of incredible playfulness and great earnestness. Artistically, it certainly opened up a new form of inspiration \u2013 but of course there was also arrogance and vanity involved.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tDogma was important at the time and has now run its course \u2013 is that similarly true for communes?<\/i>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tVinterberg<\/b>: I\u2019m afraid so. The values of the ’80s have changed; these days people don’t want communal living any longer, but rather individual freedom and a right to privacy. Ironically, many complain about great loneliness \u2013 but that’s the price you pay for it. If people share their experiences only on Facebook, it\u2019s simply of a different quality.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tDoes this development make you sad?<\/i>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tVinterberg:<\/b> It does make me a little sad, yes. If you\u2019re just sitting alone watching porn instead of sharing sexual experiences together, you are definitely missing something.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tHow did your old commune react to the film?<\/i>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tVinterberg:<\/b> It was a strange experience meeting my former housemates after 20 years. You quickly realise that the old times are irretrievably gone. Each of us has changed significantly, you get older, become aware of your own mortality and somehow have to deal with that. And you notice how quickly you can be replaced by other people.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tLike the hero in the film, you also replaced your wife with a younger girlfriend\u2026<\/i>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tVinterberg: <\/b>That\u2019s true and I do feel guilty about it. I tell my children never to do such a thing unless there are very important reasons for it. For me, that was the case; the rest is a private matter. In the film, I wanted to use this separation to show that life moves forward and you can’t undo the past.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tWhat are you working on next?<\/i>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tVinterberg<\/b>: My next project will be a cinematic hymn to alcohol. I think a lot can be achieved with alcohol, but everywhere it is demonised by political correctness. On the other hand, I will be showing how indispensable alcohol is as a factor in society.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tYou can probably expect a strong backlash for that\u2026<\/i>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tVinterberg<\/b>: I\u2019ve already had the backlash. At the Berlinale, I publicly stated that I\u2019m ashamed to be Danish \u2013 because our state places adverts in the media of war-torn countries with many refugees, informing them they shouldn\u2019t bother coming to Denmark. I think such things give me every right to feel ashamed of my homeland.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tCinema release: 21 April 2016
\n<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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