JENS LIEN C. 112 new feature "THE BOTHERSOME MAN" won ACID Prize at The Cannes International Film Festival. It was the World Premiew in the Critic's Week at the Festival. Please see below:
26.05.2006
The Bothersome Man awarded in Cannes
Jens Lien's film The Bothersome Man received Friday night the ACID Prize at The Cannes International Film Festival.Publisert: 26.05.06 Sist endret: 02.06.06
Jens Lien introducing The Bothersome Man to the Cannes' audience
Norwegian director Jens Lien’s entry in the Critics’ Week, The Bothersome Man (Den brysomme mannen), received Friday, 26 May, the ACID prize by Agence du Cinéma Indépendant, which guarantees French distribution of the film. The award is one of seven kudos in the Cannes sidebar.“Also in the market the reception of Lien’s film has been more than positive,” added head of acquisition and sales, Thorsten Schaumann, of Germany’s Bavaria Film International, which handles international distribution. At Cannes Schaumann closed deals for Switzerland (Look Now), Hungary (Budapest Film) and Romania (Transilvania Film), with – among others - France and Germany pending.Produced by Jørgen Storm Rosenberg for Tordenfilm, starring Trond Fausa Aurvåg, Petronella Barker, Birgitte Larsen, Per Schaaning and Johannes Joner.
The film follows 40-year-old Andreas as he arrives at a strange city and a reality he has not seen before. Everything has been prepared for him – an apartment, clothes, a job, even a girlfriend – and all problems are solved by a flying squad of ’caretakers’.It takes a little time before he realises that he has just entered his own after-life – and he knows he has to escape, but there is no way out.
This is Lien’s second feature after the 2003 debut, Jonny Vang, The Bothersome Man is based on Per Schreiner’s award-winning radio play.Related information: - Semaine de la Critique (Critic's Week)- The Bothersome Man
and also:
The Bothersome Man
Original title
Den brysomme mannen
Type
Features
Genre
Drama, Comedy
Director
Jens Lien
Short summary
Forty-year-old Andreas arrives in a strange city with no memory of how he got there. He is presented with a job, an apartment - even a wife. As he explores his new surroundings, Andreas realizes he has arrived in his after-life and must escape.
Summary
Forty-year-old Andreas arrives in a strange city with no memory of how he got there. He is presented with a job, an apartment - even a wife. But before long, Andreas notices that something is wrong. The people around him seem cut off from any real emotion, and communicate only in superficialities. The ominous ”Caretakers”, who make sure the city runs smoothly, keep an increasing watch over Andreas as they find he doesn’t fit in. Andreas makes an attempt to escape the city, but he discovers there’s no way out. Andreas meets Hugo, who has the same longings as himself. Hugo has found a crack in a wall in his cellar. Beautiful music streams out from the crack. Maybe it leads to ”the other side”? A new plan for escape is hatched.The Bothersome man describes a world not unlike our own. A sarcastic and tinted view of our affluent lives in the Nordic countries. A society where all problems have been ironed out. Empathy has become surplus – an empty friendliness has taken its place. Kitchen furnishings have replaced love, and social rituals have replaced friendship. Normality in all its grotesqueness.In The bothersome man there is neither death nor dreams, and no love either. When Andreas Ramsfjell arrives in this society, everything has been laid out for him. He is given a place to stay, a job and clothes. He is handed a life. Not unlike the destiny of a refugee coming to Norway.The film describes total loneliness in a world that has everything – but that’s also all it has. A society which has lost something along the way in its quest for perfection. A dead society.The film takes place in a parallel universe, or the life after death. Our main character is the only one who seems human, with his feelings and needs intact. Through his desperation and despair we can relate and maybe take a look at how we lead our own lives.
Trond Fausa Aurvåg (Andreas) was born in Fetsund, Norway in 1972. He was educated at the National Theatre Academy 1998-2001. He has appeared in films like Junk Mail (Budbringeren), The Crossing (Andreaskorset), Offside, and the short Shut The Door (Døren som ikke smakk), which competed at Cannes in 2000. He is a regular with the Jo Strømgren Company, and has been employed by Oslo Nye Teater since 2001. Aurvåg has also made his mark in some of the most memorable Norwegian commercial films in recent years. Through his various roles he has shown a considerable talent for comedy, as well as being held to be one of the most promising young actors in Norway.Petronella Barker (Anne-Britt) was born in Colchester, England, in 1965. She was educated at the National Theatre Academy 1985-1988. She is one of the most distinguished female actors in Norway, and also seen as one of the most beautiful. Her track record includes 18 TV series and feature films, including the recent success Hawaii, Oslo. She has been employed at Det Norske Teatret, Göteborg Stadsteater and is now with Nationaltheatret.Birgitte Larsen (Ingeborg) was born in Kristandsand, Norway in 1981. She was educated at the National Theatre Academy 2000-2003, and has since been employed by both Det Norske Teatret and Nationaltheatret. On stage she has made her mark in roles like Hedvig in Henrik Ibsen’s The Wild Duck (Vildanden). Birgitte is among the up-and-coming actors who make their feature film debut in The Bothersome Man
Cast
Trond Fausa Aurvåg (Andreas) Petronella Barker (Anne-Britt) Per Schaanning (Hugo) Birgitte Larsen (Ingeborg) Johannes Joner (Håvard)
Screenplay
Per Schreiner
Based on
his own radio play
D.O.P
John Christian Rosenlund
Editor
Vidar Flataukan
Composer
Ginge
Sound
Christian Schaanning
Costume designer
Anne Pedersen
Scenography
Are Sjaastad
Producer
Jørgen Storm Rosenberg
Line producer
Carina Brattvik
Production company
Tordenfilm AS, Marstrandgt. 9 N- 0566 Oslo Tel +47 22 38 90 00 Fax +47 22 38 90 01 info@tordenfilm.no www.tordenfilm.no
Co-producer
Icelandic Film Company www.kisi.is
Country of origin
Norway
Release date (national)
2006-06-26
Release date (international)
2006-05-20
Technical information
Format
35mm
Screen ratio
1:1,85
Colour
Colour
Sound System
Dolby SRD
Length in min's
95
Length in meters
2500
No. of reels
5
International sales
Bavaria Film International tel: +49 89 6499 2686 fax: +49896499 3720 www.bavaria-film-international.de
Distributor (Norway only)
Sandrew Metronome Norge AS
Festival participation
2006 Cannes International Film Festival Critics' Week2006 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
Prizes received
2006 Cannes International Film Festival: ACID Prize in Critics' Week
URL
http://www.nfi.no/film/thebothersomeman
Director biography: In 1990 Jens LIen went to London to play rock 'n' roll. 3 years later he returned as a filmmaker educated at the London International Film School.He started out making documentaries and commercials along with numerous short films. Among his short films is Shut the Door (2000) and Natural Glasses (2001) both invited for the Official Competiton in Cannes. He has won numerous awards all over the world with his short films.His award winning feature debut Jonny Vang from 2003 premiered in Panorama in BerlinDirector Jens Lien returns to the big screen with The Bothersome Man with World Premiere in Critics' Week in Cannes 2006.