"Elling" is a good-natured Norwegian fable which celebrates the friendship between two eccentric middle-aged men. Its director, Oslo-born Petter Naess, previously directed the stage version of "Elling", which was itself adapted from the best-selling novel, "Blood Brothers" by Ingvar Ambj酶rnsen. It's now being remade by Kevin Spacey's production company.
Having directed the stage version of "Elling", what made you want to make the film?
The play takes place entirely inside the apartment of two men, Elling and Kjell Bjarne, who are afraid of the world outside. My idea for the film was to go further with these characters. I wanted to make them go places they wouldn't dare to go on stage, to make them meet the real world.
Why did you cast the same leads from the play, Per Christian Ellefsen and Sven Nordin?
My producer and I initially agreed not to use the same actors. We spent two months auditioning and casting and we still ended up with Per Christian and Sven anyway. You can't force an actor into becoming somebody else. You have to use their assets and what's specific to them. And these guys have known each for a long time. Per Christian is a guy who knows it all, and Sven is much more easy-going. The film is partly about the differences between these guys.
Was it difficult to avoid being sentimental in telling this story?
I wanted it to be a very straightforward and simple film, not a cinematic extravaganza. I think the difficulty is finding a balance between humour and seriousness, and making the audience laugh with the characters and not at them.
Why has the film struck such a chord with audiences, not just in Norway but around the world?
The success of "Elling" was hard to foresee! I think there's a lesson here, that you have to be personal in your storytelling and have characters and stories that you have empathy for. I've found, when I've introduced the film at festivals, that the neuroses, anxieties, and traumas of the characters are universal. It's also the Norwegian language and environment which seem exotic to people, if they come from, say, India or Spain.
What is the latest news on the Hollywood remake of "Elling"?
Kevin Spacey's production company, Trigger Street Productions, bought the rights to "Elling" last year. They're planning to shoot it in America, although when I met Kevin Spacey at the Tribeca festival in New York, he told me that he wasn't going to act in it himself.
