Pella Kågerman was educated at the Royal Institute of Art. She co-wrote Hugo Lilja’s film “The Unliving,” which won prizes at Berlinale, Stockholm Festival, and Clermont-Ferrand. She has co-directed the short films “A Day in the Country,” and “The Swedish Supporter.”
“Aniara” began screening at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival on September 7. The film is co-directed by Lilja.
W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.
PK: “Aniara” is a space film set in an alternate reality that looks like today. An enormous spaceship with emigrants from Mars gets lost in space, and the people on board start losing their minds.
W&H: What drew you to this story?
PK: I’m from Sweden, and everyone there knows about the poem the film is based on. But it wasn’t until my grandmother had a stroke I fully understood the story’s depth. I started to read the book aloud to her in the hospital. As she got better, we started to roleplay it, pretending the hospital was a big spaceship, and all of the doctors and patients its passengers.
W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?
PK: I want them to reflect on the spacecraft they are already on called Earth. In a vast universe, it’s quite a unique and fantastic place.
W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?
PK: There were so many challenges along the way, so it’s hard to name the biggest. The story was very complex as it took place over decades and was set in space, so we realized that we had to shoot some additional scenes to make it work.
W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.
PK: More than half of the money comes from Scandinavia, the Swedish Film Institute, other regional funds, and TV channels. Eddy Moretti from Moretti Films funded a lot of it. He actually called me up during the editing process, asking me if we needed anything, then funded some important extra footage which made all the difference.
W&H: What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
PK: When I was a kid in the ’80s, my parents bought a video camera which my girlfriends and I took. I was always the one behind the camera and simply stayed there. Being behind the camera is a great way to go places and meet people you wouldn’t have otherwise. The human condition is what really interests me.
W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?
PK: Someone told me that revenge is a great driving force, but that has never worked for me. Someone else said that when you succeed, you learn the most. But I truly believe that it’s the opposite and that it’s all about getting really good at dealing with failure. To learn to fail again and again. I think St. Vincent said that in a magazine I read.
W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?
PK: Keep failing! Learn to fail well. Enjoy it.
W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.
PK: I was stunned by Catherine Breillat’s “Fat Girl” and “A Real Young Girl.” She’s depicting girlhood and sexuality in quite brutal, jaw-dropping ways. I think both films were banned in many countries.
I also absolutely love the writing of Joan Didion and wasn’t surprised when I found out that she had written “The Panic in Needle Park,” which is one of my favorite films. Kathryn Bigelow and Claire Denis are great too.
W&H: Hollywood and the global film industry are in the midst of undergoing a major transformation. What differences have you noticed since the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements launched?
PK: I’ve been so deep into editing that I haven’t seen much. But I’ve noticed that some men seem to be scared now. The movement is putting together an explosive mosaic, and I’m happy and thrilled that it is happening.
