PORTRAIT
Sound of Noise by Jean-Christophe Berjon
Johannes Sjärne Nilsson and Ola Simonsson shaped their universes with bold short films. In my youth, I dedicated a lot of my time to making cartoons. For me cartooning and filmmaking are in many ways related, both being visual medias dependent on framing, tempo and perfect timing. During my studies at design school my interest for filmmaking grew deeper as the ultimate combination of these both worlds. The second one adds: I never planned to be a filmmaker. I studied music, learning all possible rules of the art. But rules can make you unfree. When we started making films, we had no rules. We never went to film school. We did what we liked.
Since 2001, they had a great success with Music for One Apartment and Six Drummers, their second short, presented in Competition at the Cannes Film Festival, which won many international awards. When they shot their first feature, they made sure to stay true to themselves: The strategy was to think no different; we follow the ideas that make our brains tick. We set out to make a film with music and sound playing the leading parts. If they had to sum up cinema in three words: Complicated. To. Make. ! After two shorts presented at La Semaine de la Critique (the last one was Woman and Gramophone in 2006), they are thrilled to be back in Cannes: It is like coming home. When we've been in the Critics’ Week we have always been close to the audience, we like that. We look forward to meeting the audience again to hear their interpretation of our film. This is most often far more interesting than our own.
And what about this title? Were they traumatized by Simon & Garfunkel? No, but we never got over their split-up. The title is a tribute to Sound of Music, the best movie of all times.
Interview with Johannes Stjärne Nilsson and Ola Simonsson, directors of Sound of Noise.
What made you first want to make films (a film, an actor, a place, an anecdote…)?
Johannes: In my youth, I dedicated a lot of my time to making cartoons. For me cartooning and filmmaking are in many ways related, both being visual medias dependent on framing, tempo and perfect timing. During my studies at design school my interest for filmmaking grew deeper as the ultimate combination of these both worlds.
Ola: I never planned to be a filmmaker. I studied music, learning all possible rules of the art. But rules can make you unfree. When we started making films, we had no rules. We never went to film school. We did what we liked.
Choose three words which best describe your view on cinema.
Complicated. To. Make.
Were you traumatized, as children, by Simon & Garfunkel? Or by classical concert artists?
No, but we never got over their split-up. The title is a tribute to 'Sound of music', the best movie of all times.
Do you consider revolution as a romantic act?
We consider kissing a romantic act.
How did you feel when you found out your film had been selected by La Semaine de la Critique for the third time?
It was wonderful news, like coming home. When we've been in the Critic's week we have always been close to the audience, we like that. We look forward to meeting the audience again to hear their interpretation of our film. This is most often far more interesting than our own.
After the success of your various shorts, what was at stake for you to expend your “touch” to a feature film?
The strategy was to think no different; we follow the ideas that make our brains tick. We set out to make a film with music and sound playing the leading parts.
