How did you start this project. How long did it take from the initial idea to have it finished?

 I had been reading books about the  online subculture called Incel. It stands for involuntary celibate and is a group of men who can't find a romantic partner. The online discussions are often full of misogyny and self-loathing. Some of its members have killed women as a "revenge" for the rejection they have had to experience. This is a very dangerous group and I felt that someone needed to address it. I however did not want to preach. I wanted to understand these men. Investigate their feelings. So early on I decided that a lot of it would take place in a dream world where we could visualise the feelings of the protagonist. It took about 9 months to write the script. The whole process took around 2 years.

 

Has it been a self-financed project or did you find private financing?

I self-financed and produced, directed, filmed and edited myself. The film is rather unorthodox so I decided to not even try to get outside help with the finance.

 

Many filmmakers finance the entire project, finishing it in their spare time while studying or working etc. This makes it a very wear-and-tear process and takes a long time to finish. Even many of these projects never end up being assembled. In your case, how has the process been?

It went very well. I loved editing this film, mainly because there are so many dream scenes where you have a lot of freedom to play around. Yes it does take a lot out of you, but if you don't love the process then you really should not be making films. I think the pain people often experience is more because of lack of faith in themselves and their project rather than because it takes time or is hard work. I always keep in mind that the film is never as bad as the first cut so no matter how terrible it looks, you just have to keep going and find the version that works. Andrei Tarkovsky had to cut Mirror (1975) 33 times. None of the 32 versions before that worked. A filmmaker just has to learn to fall in love with this process.

 

At what point is the project in terms of festivals? Tell us a little about your experience in festivals and what you expect from festivals for this project.

I sent it to festivals in June and has now got awards at 24 festivals (mostly monthly festivals), so my experience has been very positive. This film has done better than any of my previous films. Festivals are a great way to get attention, not only for your film but also for your next project. People want to work with filmmakers who have made award winning films. So that is my main reason for doing the festival rounds.

 

Tell us the best moment and the worst experienced during the process of finishing the project.

The best moments are always when you are on set, filming. I especially loved filming the scenes in the apartment of the protagonist, because we only had one actor and a lot of time to set up the lights and play around.

The worst moment was when I filmed the scene at the restaurant/pub. The guy who was supposed to open the place forgot to set the alarm and showed up late. I had a lot of extras and actors just waiting outside while the clock ticked. It was already going to be a stressful shot with a limited time inside before they opened the place for the public and a lot of scenes to film. Thankfully we managed to get everything we needed but I did not love the stress once we got started.

 

Do you have any other project in mind? If so, can you tell us something?

Yes I do have a lot of ideas for future projects, some with just rough outlines and one which I have written but feel I have to work on more. I was going to film it in the USA but the whole thing fell apart because I lost the location, so I made I'll See You In Disneyland instead. The film is called Great Again and deals with lies we tell ourselves about our past. And yes it is inspired by Trump and the nostalgic view that everything was great in the past. I've also been working on a modern version of Oedipus Rex.

 

Finally I've been in discussions to direct a film about a turbulent marriage. It would be in English but filmed in France. It's too early to say if anything will happen there but it would be the first time I would direct a feature film written by someone other than myself.

 

What do you expect from a film festival? Where do you think they should improve?

I like that there are more monthly festivals these days. It speeds up the process of getting attention. The negative side of these monthly festivals is that they often don't screen the films for the public. I think that is a huge shame. I would love to see film clubs get more involved with festivals. Have a screening once a month of the film or films that won. It should be a no brainer. You don't have to pay for the right to show the film and the audience has a chance to see exciting new projects before everyone else.

 

Now we would like to know more about you.

How did you start in the cinema?

I made short films as a teenager. All of them are really bad. My dream was always to become a filmmaker but there was no film school in Iceland (where I was born) at the time so I studied theology instead. My speciality was theological themes in films, which meant that I studied film theory also. That rekindled my desire to make films so I bought a camera and just started making short films. I knew that a lot of directors had not gone to film schools (many of the french new wave directors were film critics before they started making films). I just learnd from doing.

 

How do you define yourself as a filmmaker? Your best virtue and your worst flaw?

My best virtue is probably that I try to include everyone in the creative process. Everyone is allowed to bring ideas to the table. I'm not on an ego trip showing off how good I am. The goal is to make the best film possible so suggestions from the crew can only help. It goes without saying that I don't always go along with the suggestions being put forward but even bad suggestions can sometimes get your creative thinking going and give you good ideas.

 

My worst flaw is probably that I forget that the actors and the crew need to eat and take breaks. I usually don't eat the whole day when I'm filming and I have no need for breaks. I often forget that not everyone is like that.

 

What percentage do you dedicate to?

Well I try to give 100% to everything in pre and post production because there is no pressure there. I just take the time I need.

-Production/location:

Most of that is done before I start filming. I use a lot of time to find the perfect location. That often means taking long walks. While filming I would say 20%, since I produce my own films.

-Work with actors

It really depends on the actor and what he or she needs. Some actors really don't need much help. I sometimes have a table read with actors who need more guidance. That way I've gone through everything before we are on set. So I would say 20% while filming on set.

-Planning of the shots with the director of photography:

Since I'm the DP on all my films I end up using a lot of time on the photography (which leaves less time to work with the actors). So I would say the remaining 60% while filming.

-Art/costume:

All of that is done in preproduccion. I'm usually not very invested in the costumes unless they are very important for the character. I do however use a lot of time to find the props for the film. Sometimes I make the props myself or find an artist to make them for me. I think props are extremely important so I even start the whole process while I'm writing the script.

-Sound design:

I'm not very good when it comes to sound. I wish I was. I prefer to give that work to someone else.

-Editing:

I spend a lot of time on editing. I love the editing process, especially after the first cut. It is amazing how small changes here and there can change the whole film. Editing takes as long a time as is needed. I'm constantly making small changes, even after the film is supposed to be locked.

-Soundtrack:

I usually start working with the composer once I have a 3rd cut of the film because sometimes you need to cut to the music and because the music often gives you fresh ideas. I'm quite hands on when it comes to the score. It's not only because I have an idea of what I need but also because a lot of composers who are not used to writing music for film can't read the rhythm in the scenes and don't understand that the dialogue and the sound is part of the music.

 

Tell me three favorite movies

The Passion of Joan of Arc /  La passion de Jeanne d'Arc (Carl Theodor Dreyer: 1928).

Lawrence of Arabia (David Lean: 1962)

Mirror / Зеркало (Andrei Tarkovsky: 1975)

 

And directors?

Andrei Tarkovsky

David Lynch

F. W. Murnau

 

For you, a good movie should have:

A film language that serves the story. A lot of the time the camera placement and movements make no sense to me. You have to know why you are filming it that way because placement of the camera and camera movements are part of the story.  The same goes for the editing. A lot of films today have way too many cuts that work against the story being told. So a good film is an organic whole, much like a symphony where every instrument serves the melody.
 

Why did you call the film I'll See You in Disneyland?

 The title is taken from Richard Ramirez. He was an American serial killer, rapist, and burglar dubbed the "Night Stalker" by the news media. When Richard Ramirez was led out of the courtroom he was asked by the media how he felt about getting a death sentence.

 

He answered: "Big deal. Death always went with the territory. I'll See you in Disneyland."

 

It is hard to know what he meant by that but I often wondered if killing and raping women was his Disneyland. So when I decided to make a film about the dark side of men and investigate them in a dream world I felt this was the perfect title. A film about a little more dangerous Disneyland than the one you find in Florida.

 

What inspired you to make I'll See You In Disneyland?

 There were mainly 3 things that inspired this film.

 

1) I'm very concerned about the rise of the Incel culture. Incel stands for involuntary celibate, and consists of a group of men who are sexually frustrated because they can't find women who want them. They chat online. There is a lot of misogyny and radical right wing politics in these chat rooms, along with a very bleak worldview and hatred towards society. Some of these members have taken revenge on society by killing people, usually a group of beautiful women. I wanted to investigate this scary sub culture and try to understand them.

 

2) I wanted to write a script where I first came up with the character before I found the plot. My daughter Mirjam Sveinbjörg Thorkelsdottir did this brilliantly in her film Tape and I wanted to see if I could also pull it off.

 

3) I wanted to make a film only I could have made, where I played to my strengths and did what I love doing, like dream scenes, visual scenes with little to no dialogue and a lot of symbolism. In other words, I made a film for myself, in hope that others might also find it interesting.

 

Is "I'll See You In Disneyland" a feminist film?

In my mind it is a feminist film but I don't think everyone will see it that way. It deals with one of the reasons why misogynistic views are on the rise in the Western World but I go out of my way not to judge the protagonist. I show empathy for him and try to understand what drove him to think this way. I want the audience to care for him, even though he does and says things that we don't like.

 

I don't believe in dividing people into good and bad. We are all a mixture of both. We can all get lost. Empathy is the only way to help those who get radicalized, and the only way to have empathy is to understand the motivations and reasons behind their actions. Hate only radicalizes people further.

 

I'm quite sure this will be uncomfortable for some people. Most films are about heros, good upright people. People we want to be or believe we are. These films make us feel safe and secure and validate our values. This is why they are so popular. We want to be comforted.

 

Anti heroes on the other hand make us question ourselves and they force us to have empathy with people we would normally dislike. Taxi Driver is a good example of that. I personally love watching films that take me out of my comfort zone. Help me see things from a new perspective. That's what I'm aiming for with this film. It is my Taxi Driver. So I'm quite sure that while some will see it as a feminist film, others will not.

 

Is "I'll See You In Disneyland" a Taxi Driver remake?

It's not not really a remake but it is very much inspired by it. Taxi Driver investigated troubled masculinity after the Vietnam war. The problems men face today are totally different. I wanted to make my own Taxi Driver and investigate how a Travis Bickle kind of person would have behaved today. What challenges he would face. He would not be isolated outside, amongst people, visiting x rated cinemas and walking around with a gun in his pocket. He would find like minded people online and get radicalised there.

 

Instead of making the protagonist a Taxi driver I opted for a car mechanic. A "masculine" job where we would see him interact with "normal" men. Making him a car mechanic was a small nod to Taxi Driver. I did however regret that decision when I started writing the script because I know nothing about cars so it was rather hard to write scenes about car troubles. In the end I opted for funny moments to hide my lack of knowledge.

 

Do you think it's common amongst males to be afraid of showing their softer side? That they are afraid of not being masculine enough?

Not as much as before. I just think many men don't know what is expected of them. Should they be soft or strong? Society tells men that they should be soft but women often don't fall for those men. They try to be friends and the girls fall for the bad boys.

 

A lot of these incel guys are soft, sensitive men with low self esteem and they feel like they have done all they could to be what modern society told them men should be today. Still women show no interest in them. This increases their sense of injustice and hatred toward the world around them.

 

Women have been much better at redefining themselves in today's world. Men have a lot of work ahead of them, and that work should not start and end with what women want, or trying to get laid. It should focus on self respect, well being and mental health. And if they want women to fall for them, then start with something practical like learning how to play a guitar. Make yourself interesting. Have something to offer.

 

Was it hard to write a script about a man whom most women fear to come across?

 I have always wondered why men deal so badly with rejection from women. Throwing acid in their faces, rapeing, killing... Of course women can also deal badly with rejection but it is not as violent as with men. Why are we like that? I read a lot of books about incels and the violent nature of men to try to find an answer to this question.

 

My conclusion was as follows:

 

1) Men are supposed to be strong but falling in love makes them vulnerable. They are at the mercy of women, the sex that is supposed to be weaker than men. This power women have over men is even stronger when they reject them. They have no control and have to accept their lot. Their masculine pride is wounded. They are weak.

 

2) It is usually the woman who picks a man, not vice versa. Just look at any dating site. Women get way more requests than men. Biologically when a woman picks a man she is also looking for good genes for her future offsprings. This is why when some men are rejected they not only experience it as a rejection of their personality but of their essence, their genes. They are being told that their genes have no worth for future generations.

 

Those who can't deal with rejection often express their hurt with violence. Some serial killers even kill women to deal with a past rejection. Telling men not to be violent is not enough to stop this. We have to address the reason for these feelings. We have to teach men that a rejection means neither of these things. It does not make them weak and it does not mean that their genes are worthless. It only means that the two of you did not fit together, and that there are other women out there. It may sound strange but sadly for some this has to be spelled out.

 

The hardest part of writing a script about a character like this was to find him within myself. To investigate my own emotions. Now I've never had a desire to hurt a woman but I have experienced rejection so I tried to magnify that feeling and imagine how I would feel if I was socially awkward.

 

Including dream scenes in movies is tricky and there are many in your film. Why dreams?

I did not want to make a traditional thriller or horror film about a man harassing women. I wanted to investigate what was happening inside the head of the protagonist. An author of a book can tell the reader what the character is thinking and how he is feeling. Films don't work that way. You have to guess what is happening in the head of the protagonist. Sure you can use a voice over, but they are usually rather uninteresting and boring. Film is a visual artform and one should try to show everything visually. This is where dreams can help. They can tell us visually everything we want to know about the inner life of a character.

 

I also love poetry and symbolism and dream scenes in films are usually very poetic and full of symbolism. It is interesting that I hate listening to people telling me about their dreams but I love dream scenes in films. I think the reason is because you have to experience dreams visually. Films are maybe the only art form that really can capture the feeling and magic of dreams.

 

I use dreams or dream-like scenes in very many of my films. I think I fell in love with dreams in films when I saw Wild Strawberries (Smultronstället) by Ingmar Bergman. The dream scenes floored me. I know of no director who does dream scenes as well as Bergman did in his films, which is why I have a small homage to him in this film.

 

Why so many dance scenes?

To me dance means freedom and the film deals a lot with the feeling of being stuck while everyone else is free around you. This is why the protagonist watches other people dance but is unable to join them.

 

There is also another reason. One of my dream projects is to make a musical, so if it fits I try to include people dancing or singing. I have however never combined the two in the same film. Hopefully one day I will be able to do that.

​

Why have you chosen to do everything yourself, even producing the movie?

There are many reasons for that. Here are the main ones:

1) I find it humiliating to ask for permission to make art. Why should
someone else - someone I don't know and does not know me - decide if I
can make something I have a need to make? I understand that it costs a
lot to make films and someone has to decide who gets that money but at
the same time, the whole system leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

2) I'm a punker at heart. I think it is dangerous when a committee
decides what should be made. These gatekeepers of finance and culture
are usually not very courageous. They want to keep their job and are
therefore not willing to take big chances. It is however often in the
low budget films that you find new ideas, more creativity and the
stories that are not being told within mainstream cinema. We need to
keep the punk film industry alive.

3) In Norway, where I live, everyone is trying to make Hollywood films
and almost everything that is financed has to look and sound like a
big studio film. I would never have gotten a dime to make I'll See You
in Disneyland. It's simply too strange, both in style and subject. I
did therefore not see any reason for even trying to get any financial
help.

4) Many of my favorite directors started out by doing everything
themselves. They had little to no budget and built up from there. I've
always wanted to do the same. Rainer Werner Fassbinder is one of my
idols. He had his own studio and he used the money he got for his last
films to finance the next ones. I like that!

5) I want to make the stories I want to make and the way I want to
make them. I want to find my own voice. The more people you work with
the less control you have. It would be great to work with a
cinematographer but then you also have to compromise.
Having said that, I will admit that it is excausting to film, direct
and produce at the same time. Add to that a small budget and a
skeleton crew where everyone does everything. It is physically and
psychologically draining and it never ends. Yes writing, editing and
selling the film is done before and after filming but that also means
that you are constantly working. And finally, it's not easy to sell a
low budget film. It costs a lot to get the film out there and you've
usually emptied the coffers by this time.

I guess I will have to make a compromise soon. I have some scripts and
film ideas I have been saving for a later day when I have the budget I
need to make them. I do however think that by starting out this way,
I've been able to find my own voice and learned a valuable lesson. I
can step into any job on set. I know the whole process, from A to Z. I
also know how to work fast and how to work within a small budget.