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A Film Issue

Roy Andersson

Roy Andersson refused to follow up his commercially successful debut A Swedish Love Story and was, ironically enough, punished with a 25 year sentence of directing commercials.

By Milene Larsson

Photo By Emma Engkvist

A Swedish Love Story

Songs from the Second Floor

You, the Living

A Swedish Love Story

Vice: For this issue our Italian photo editor shot a fashion story inspired by your film A Swedish Love Story. He’s been obsessing over it ever since he first saw it.

Roy Andersson:

What inspired you to make the movie?

Ådalen 31

A Swedish Love Story

That contrast works, you feel almost ill at ease watching it.

Annons

But A Swedish Love Story is also an idyllic portrait of first love. Who was your first love?

Are you a romantic person?

Still you made a film that left me all starry-eyed and the imagery is beautiful. But it’s almost scary how Swedish it feels.

Loves of a Blonde

Closely Watched Trains

Yeah, your style is very different now.

How did the idea of becoming a filmmaker come about?

The Bicycle Thief

Do you think growing up in the 50s or the “armchair decade” as you call it, made you socially aware?

How come you only made two films in the 70s and then it took you 25 years until the next?

Giliap

And now you’re one of the most renowned Swedish commercial directors. But considering you’re somewhat of a social activist, aren’t commercials against your principles?

Has that affected the way you make films?

It must take ages and cost loads to build up your distinctive settings.

Songs From the Second Floor

That’s pretty funny. What makes you laugh?

What was it?

Ådalen 31

Your comedies make fun of people’s desperation. Do you ever get a bad conscience?

Has that ever been misunderstood?

Songs From the Second Floor

So it works then, you trigger people.

Rumors say Ingmar Bergman told you to never make another film after Giliap, I thought that’s why you didn’t make films for so long.

But it’s well known that you two disliked each other.

MoMA just put on a retrospective of your work.

What don’t you like about them?

I read somewhere that you’ve decided to surrender and stop making films.

A Dove Sat on a Branch—and Thought About Existence

For more information, visit royandersson.com