If you have something you want to add in addition to these Q’s and A’s, just feel free to include it!
Oh, the irony… a Q&A about a film called “Ask no questions”. Well, it´s not the first time.
Do you have something you want to say to the audience that are going to see this movie?
“Ask no questions” is a powerful, one-take film where you are following our main character, 11-year-old Anders, who is about to make the toughest decision of his life. It will be terrifying and painful, but of course there is a happy ending. Or is it?
Describe the movie with one word.
Intense.
How was the process?
The movie was actually filmed in just two days; one day of rehearsals and then one day of shooting. In a film like this, there is so much that could go wrong, all the time. And if it does, you have to start all over again. We had to wait for the perfect light so that the exposure would be the same inside as outside, we only had limited of ammunition for the gun as well as t-shirts for the father, if we panned a little too much to left or right we might see a person or a light that we were not supposed to show in frame, WE HAD KIDS IN THE BIG PARTS. Briefly summarized: it was freaking scary.
What was your favorite thing about the process?
I think the pressure about having such a limited time and recourses, made it even more fun to actually succeed with the making of this film. We didn’t know for sure if we would be able to do it the way we had planned, even hours before the shoot, but we had the best mini-crew ever and they made us believe that it was possible. They were super patient and positive the whole way (even when we freaked out). We couldn’t have done it without them.
What does this movie mean to you personally?
You will come to realize that this in many ways is a very sad movie, when you get over the scares and are able to get your high pulse down. It´s about an extreme case of domestic violence, where there are kids involved. Kids do seldom have the strength to come forward by them self, so who is to tell when these sorts of things are happening in homes behind closed doors? I hope this film will give those who need it a voice.
What should the audience be looking forward to about your movie?
The whole experience. It´s a very visual film, but the sound and the music is also really great. They fit perfectly together and is amplifying the feelings that you already will be having when watching it.
How was it working with such young children?
I have actually worked with kids on almost every film that I ever made, so I kind of knew what I signed up for. But still, it´s always a bit scary because of the unpredictability that may occur. In this film that was not a problem at all. The kids did such a great job, was focused the whole time and took directions really well. They always tell you “never work with animals or children”, but I have never had an experience with either of them that couldn’t be handled. I think dealing with a real diva sometime in the future will be way more problematic…
I personally got quite scared while watching it, do you have an expected reaction from the audience?
There is always someone in the audience yelling or screaming at some point in the film. The best screening, we´ve had this far, was in Seattle at a youth film festival. People were sitting on the edge of their seats, ready to get up and run away. It was amazing to sit amongst the audience with none of them knowing that I was the maker of that film. Then afterwards you could hear them start whispering, discussing it. Because you will probably be left with a lot of questions twirling around in your head after watching this film. Questions you maybe think I have the answer to, so after watching it, you´re welcome to come ask me. I will not guarantee anything.
Author: Aminda Sæverud
