Fra balkongen

From the Balcony, director Ole Giæver's latest essay in film form, covers a lot of ground, from Bjølsen in Oslo to galaxies billions of light years away in the universe. On one level, it is a continuation of Giæver's Against Nature, which featured himself in the lead role as a man trying to find meaning and a sense of presence in his own life - only this time he mostly abandons fiction as a framework. The film follows Ole through a year, lost in his own thoughts on the balcony in Brochmanns gate in Oslo, or strolling in the park with his wife and kids, or visiting film festivals abroad. Along the way, he shares everyday observations and airy philosophical mental leaps, weaving in animation sequences and music, as well as archive footage of himself as a highly confident and aspiring young man.

The result is an innovative and unique film, although one that offers many familiar points of reference and striking observations of contemporary society. The film alternates between roaringly funny, uncomfortably self-exposed and genuinely inquisitive. It is never boring, and admirably honest in its attempts to find answers to questions we all struggle with: What is my place in life and in the universe? How do other people experience the world? Why does time pass more quickly as I grow older? And why can’t I be more present in the moment?

Director Ole Giæver will stay for a Q&A after the screenings on Sunday 11th of June.

Ole Giæver (b. 1977) studied at Nordland Vocational College of Art and Film and at Konstfack i Stockholm. Both the debut film Fjellet (2012) and his follow-up Mot naturen (2015) were shown at the film festival in Berlin, and the latter received theatrical distribution in several countries. Giæver is also known for the short films Tommy (2007) and Sommerhuset (2008).