Joakim Trier

Joachim Trier returns with ”Thelma”, a multi-layered supernatural thriller about suppression and liberation. Thelma, a girl or a young woman, from a small town at the Norwegian west coast, is exposed to a whole new world when relocating to Oslo for her university studies. As she there encounters love for the first time in her life, Thelma also painfully realises that she is in the possession of unknown powers, which are as frightening to her as they also are inexplicable. “Until now, I have been focusing on character-driven dramas and thereby emphasised the people in the film rather than the actual story. With ’Thelma’ however, I wanted to concentrate more on the plot – although still with a strong principal as foundation” says Trier.

“I never know from the start where I want to go with a film. In the beginning I always kind of fumble in the dark”, Trier explains. Regarding ’Thelma’, the work originated from the director’s own fear of losing control, which in the film is manifested by mysterious epileptic seizures, that the main character is hiding away from her family. Another thing that Thelma is forced to conceal is her lesbian relationship with one of the co-students, which would be unthinkable for her strictly religious parents to accept. As the story continues, these two secrets together start creating a dark space somewhere deep inside her. An undefinable matter, that eventually begins pushing to emerge from where it is trapped.

“I believe that there is a need to expose yourself to boredom”, Trier says. In the creative process, he and his co-writer for the past 20 years, Eskil Vogt, spend a lot of time on discussing different ideas and concepts. While they sometimes have the feeling of wasting time, the two long-time friends have come to the conclusion that they need this procedure to be able to feel what is right for each film. And eventually, from the many ideas, it starts to develop a character, a situation or an image that they can base their story on. “When you begin to see the shapes of the main character, then you know that things are starting to come together”, says Trier. “The initial work, our long discussions and conversations, is almost therapeutic. And there is also a strong element of trust, which I like to bring to the film team, at the recordings”, Trier continues. To him, the work with a movie is always an ongoing process, where it is “okay to make mistakes, as you do not always know from the beginning what you are heading for”.

”Thelma” is a multi-layered feature. It is indeed a thriller with supernatural elements, but also a kind of bildungsroman, including a love story, elements of loneliness, suppression and liberation, as well as a story about breaking free from the family. Defined by its characters, the film displays a young woman growing up in a society of different cultures, where it is increasingly hard to fit in, in many ways. At home she is restricted by her conservative and somewhat prejudiced family, as loving as they might be. In her social and university life, among other, she faces the challenging and sometimes cruel landscape of social media, with all the insecurities and questions that it brings on a daily basis.

“Thelma is a modern superhero, but at the same time a bit of a freak, who has not quite found her place in the community yet. I believe that her issues are things that the audience can relate to”, Trier says and explains that part of the objective for him when creating film is to raise important questions and join societal debates. In this case concerning topics like religion, sexuality, mental health and shame. By using a supernatural thriller to embody the realistic and complex, social context of the story, he hopes to attract a broad audience and achieve the right combination of excitement and seriousness – but also of fantasy and truth.

Marina Stepanska

”Falling” – a fragile love story about two young people looking for their place in today’s post-revolutionary Ukraine. ”The core topic is actually found in the title of the film – the acceptance of falling. In one way falling means falling in love but it also refers to falling down – going down to zero and then start over again. In Ukraine there was a time, before and around the revolution in 2014, where the whole country reached a zero point, from where we wanted to build a new society again. We still have to see how that works out in the end but at least the mentality of the people has changed, and we now have a more engaged community, which in turn puts positive pressure on the authorities.”, director Stepanska says.

The starting point of”Falling” is Stepanska’s life and the life of her friends. ”In Ukraine there is a trend to only display ’big stories’ and ’big heroes’ in media, but those characters are not real people. And it was ordinary people, just like you and me, that made the changes happen during the revolution. Hence their lives deserve to be showcased too, to a bigger audience. For me it is important that the audience are able to identify themselves with the personalities and the atmosphere of the film. And these are the kind of characters that many Ukrainians can relate to.”, Stepanska says.

At the moment, the art in Ukraine is very much influenced of social and political topics, Stepanska explains. ”People are starting to get quite tired of this kind of stories. Initially, I did not want to set my film in such a serious context. However, as I started working on the script I realised that I had to. You cannot get away from your environment anyway, just as I could not get away from it when creating the film. One day all you care about is your loved ones and your future. The next day you may be called up for military service, for instance, and there is no way to get around it. Besides, a serious, or tough story may help us to grow stronger. Or, to use the words of Aristotle: ’tragedy purifies us’.”

Laurent Cantet

”The Workshop” – a writing workshop for young people in southern France takes a new turn where one of the participants come up with a scaringly detailed text about a fictive terror attack. ”The Workshop is a portrait of young people today, who are facing a world that is becoming increasingly complex to understand. It is difficult to find a place, the adults do not recognise or accept them, and many adolescents feel alienated and live without much perspective in life. I find it very important for us to look at the way we look at them. In the film, I use the plot to embody the bigger sociological background, and with the workshop format, I had the opportunity to make the participants and teacher speak to and confront each other. During the workshop sessions, one student writes a story about terror and violence – and the film, The Workshop, then adopts the ambiance of his story.”, director Laurent Cantet says.

Cantet doesn’t intend to bring a message with a film. ”Instead, I raise a question: how can we live together; how can young people grow up today; and how can we be an active part of society, rather than just going with the flow? In the film, there is the relationship between Olivia, the teacher, and the young students, which is one of attraction and repulse, as they try to understand each other. Another example, from real life, is after the terror attacks in Paris and Nice, how there was a kind of desire in the community of being together. At the same time, I felt that this desire was in fact merely a reflection of our inability of connecting, and of how isolated many people, especially creatives, are feeling in today’s societal atmosphere.”, Catent says.

To have personal conversations with the crew is essential for Catent while recording. ”During the rehearsals we used to talk a lot, the whole crew together, and at the end of the recordings one actor came up to me and thanked me. He said that this was the first time he really had been talking to someone about existential things; like who we are and what we want. And perhaps that kind of actions is a good way to understand that the people around you may bring something that you can learn and grow from. One important aspect of ‘The Workshop’ is extremism and how it attracts young people that have not yet found their place in society. Even though you may not share their believes, extremist movements tend to offer answers and a community that you are perhaps lacking in your current social environment. It can be virtually any kind of extremism; the crucial thing is the seduction they use to gain followers.”

Gustavo Róndon Córdova

”La Familia” – a father and his 12-year-old son are forced to leave their home in Venezuelan Caracas, after the latter has injured a boy in the neighbourhood with a knife. ”To me this is an exploration of what we are doing in our closest environment. In Venezuela, violence is very spread throughout society, and the general tendency is always to blame someone else for the issues that are going on around us. I wanted to explore whether we are all responsible somehow, because of the way we act in our homes. There are two main characters in the story, the smallest kind of family. Not the family you would wish for, but on the other hand better than no family at all. At the same time, the family, as well as the plot, is also strongly marked by the absence of one character.”, director Gustavo Róndon Córdova says.

Róndon Córdova wants to raise questions with his films, rather than giving the answers. ”With ‘La Familia’, I raise the question about violence and responsibility, which I mentioned above. I do not think that the world can be changed with a film only, that would be giving it too much of responsibility. But perhaps a film can make people stop and reflect on the society we live in and how we treat each other. And that may at least lead to small changes in our behaviours. The situation in Venezuela is very difficult at the moment, just like in the film, but I still wanted to give the audience a bit of light at the far side of the tunnel. Hence the story has a kind of open ending, and it is up to the spectator to decide whether it is a ruin or something to build on.”, Róndon Córdova says.

In Venezuela, people don’t want to see films showcasing social and political issues, as they are so strongly surrounded by them in their everyday lives, Córdova explains. ”That is why I tried to present the story in a kind of playful way, with a lot of energy in the beginning, and give my personal perspective on the violence and how it has become part of our culture. While the plot may seem quite local, I believe that the aspect of family and bonds is something that everyone can relate to. Another interesting point is that in the film, the two main characters are exposed to a variety of environments at different social levels. And still, everyone they encounter kind of behave in the same bad way. That is something I would love the audience to pick up, and ask themselves: is there another possibility – how can we act differently, to make the world a better and more welcoming place to live in?”

Elina Psykou

Son of Sofia – a film about 11-year-old Misha, who is thrown into an alternative reality as he is forced to leave Russia for his mother’s new home in Athens, where at the same time the Summer Olympic Games of 2004 are taking place. ”I wanted to make a story about childhood and what it means to be a child, which also took me back down the memory lane to my own childhood. There is so much happening during these years: the whole identity formation takes place, including sexual identity, national, linguistic and politic, which is all strongly influenced by the way you are treated by your environment. And I see a strong parallel between how parents grow up their children and how a society form and educate its citizens.”, director Elina Psykou says.

”As a mother, I often ask myself what to respond to my son’s questions. And to me, the only way for a parent to find answers is to go back to their own childhood. Then, I always like to set my films to a strong social and political background. The Olympic Games in 2004 were very important to Greece, as we did not get the 100 years jubilee games back in 1996. Everyone were really proud and happy but at the same time it was like a bubble. A lot of money were spent on the stadium for instance, and in the end the bubble was deflated. It was all an illusion – just like the illusion of innocence and childhood. After the games, the innocence disappeared in Greece – the same way it does at the end of one’s childhood”, Psykou says.

Psykou says she makes film to communicate. ”What I hope with Son of Sofia is that at least someone from the audience takes the image that I have created and reflects on it. In Greece, there is a social and political crisis going on that existed long before the financial one, which has a lot to do with how the citizens are treated by the authorities and what they feel for their country. And there is still a problem in how Greek people treat each other in our everyday life. I would like the spectators to start being more conscious about the choices they make, and how they act against other people. Movies are like peaceful weapons that way, and can be used for positive change.”

Credits
Words by Johanna Bergström
Special thanks to Stockholm Film Festival

Image credits
#1 Thelma (2017), Joakim Trier
#2 Falling (2017), Marina Stepanska
#3 The Workshop (2017), Laurent Cantet
#4 La Familia (2017), Gustavo Róndon Córdova
#5/6 Son of Sonia (2017), Elina Psykou

]]> 14416 https://theforumist.com/listen-closely/ Sat, 07 Oct 2017 19:28:13 +0000 http://theforumist.com/?p=12891 For thousands of years, the power of sound has been used in cultures all over the world to access different stages of consciousness. The Forumist headed to London to discover how it’s being harnessed to help with self-exploration and fulfilment.

The multidimensional healer Susan Rozo has developed her own approach to sound and light alchemy, which she describes as an art form that can heal and transform through self-exploration and creativity. In her studio in central London, we experience a two-step process that leads us deep within ourselves. During the first phase, we sit upright while Rozo gently talks to us, asking abstract questions that take us to different places in our mind to help start the introspective process. For phase two – a “sound bath” – we lie down, comfortable and relaxed, as Rozo uses different sounds to alter our level of consciousness until we fall into a meditative state. When the session ends, it feels as though we are waking from a deep sleep. We are rested and energised but also slightly confused: where have we been? And what has happened in the meantime?
Rozo explains that alchemy is all about change. Her clients often talk of being dissatisfied with their lives, but unable to pinpoint why they’re feeling like that or find a solution. Which is where sound comes in, says Rozo – as an alternative way to understand and perceive reality. Using different sounds, she takes her clients on an inner journey to explore their flow and equilibrium, until they find a way to move on to a different state of mind.

During these journeys, diverse internal patterns or issues are revealed by the client, patterns that have different levels of complexity and, in some cases, may have existed for generations. Some people come to Rozo to open their minds and further their personal development. Others have a more specific issue, such as anxiety, loneliness, a recent loss or other lifestyle-related types of stress.
“Sound is an abstract language that is led by a higher intelligence. You can’t really put your finger on what it is – you can only feel it,” Rozo explains. For her, sound is a gateway to opening up yourself to understand a reality that is a lot richer than what most of us experience in our daily lives. Through its own volatility, sound connects us to other abstract parts of the world. Rozo also sees it as a way of breaking down and perceiving music, which as well as being a form of entertainment, is an intangible space that allows us to reconnect with ourselves.

Born in Columbia, Rozo grew up in a Catholic family and spent her first 13 years living in the countryside, a lush and diverse tropical environment. The noises of nature were always important to her and she was constantly surrounded by the organic and traditional music of the region. It was a period of balance and harmony that laid the foundations of what is her practice today.
Later, while at university in Bogota, Rozo initially struggled to adapt to urban life, which turned out to be so different from what she had experienced during her childhood. However, she still had a dream of one day moving to an even larger and more foreign city. One of the teachers Rozo felt close to told her about London and its many diverse faces, leading her to make the decision to head to the British capital when she was 21 and learn English. It was a huge personal step for her in many ways, but upon her arrival she soon realised she would be staying there for a long time: London was where she belonged.

It was also in London that Rozo really began to explore the universe of sound. She was amazed to see how the people around her would immerse themselves in music on a Thursday night, for instance. In her home country, she had experienced music being used in a very different way, most commonly as a part of ritual practices. Through a friend, she found out about The British Academy of Sound Therapy, based in southeast England, where she studied for two and a half years to become a sound therapist.

Her studies there helped Rozo to understand the research that backs up sound-therapy methods, but she also felt there was more to be explored in the area and went on to develop her own system. It was an experiential journey that unfolded as she learnt more about different traditional methods from places such as Japan, India and the African continent. She also later had the chance to reconnect with her Andean roots and Amazonian healing methods by becoming involved in projects that support indigenous people in South America. This was a period of deep exploration, where she felt herself taken one step closer to the elements, receiving intrinsic wisdom that contributed to shaping her into who she is now.

Rozo talks of always having been led by her heart and spirit in life, which is why she strives to channel her energies towards a greater good. As a sound alchemist, a lot of her work centres on the emotions, and if any of her clients’ issues have an emotional connotation, getting to the root of the issue is key if it is going to be healed. “I go one layer deeper, to connect with the spiritual world. And sound is one way of doing that,” Rozo says, explaining that her sessions are a way of harmonising through rhythm. While there is science behind what she is doing, there is also a complexity to it that cannot really be put into words. It has to be experienced.
“It takes strong dedication and commitment to explore sound and tune in with our deepest core and truth,” she says. To her, dedication is crucial and her journey is one of fulfilment: “We can only experience a sense of devotion if the heart is fully in it.”

Credits:
Words by Johanna Bergström
Photography by Daren Ellis
susanrozo.com

Meditation has been practised for thousands of years and using a variety of techniques. For many, this is a way to shut out the world around us, look into ourselves and find new energies for everyday life. When I think about meditation, I typically imagine a slender Buddhist monk, sitting atop a mist-surrounded hillside, somewhere in the Himalayas, far away from the hectic, technology-based civilisations of the western world.

Enter PandoraStar, and at first it turns my image upside down. We are in a new and highly digital era that influences every bit of society and where new techniques are used for anything f¬¬¬rom babysitting to gardening. So why should there be an exception when it comes to meditation?

PandoraStar is a powerful, deep-trance device that uses flickering light to guide your brain to experience a range of beneficial states of brainwave activity for a number of empowering purposes. It is a highly programmable stroboscopic device that allows its users to reach altered states of consciousness through a process called brainwave entrainment. This is a process whereby our brains are attracted to a repetitive signal that it will latch onto and follow.

During a PandoraStar session, users sit in front of or lie under the device, with their eyes closed. It’s preprogrammed with about 15 sessions that are designed to offer a variety of experiences to the user, although there are more than 60 other sessions available. Some of these have been produced by PandoraStar but others have been created by practitioners and shared in the private community forum on the company’s website. The device is also programmed with a bespoke software, allowing experienced users to create their own sessions.

PandoraStar was launched in April 2015 at the Mind Body Spirit Wellbeing Festival in London. According to creator and cofounder Jimi Simpson, it has been received extraordinarily well into many practices. Simpson was inspired to develop PandoraStar after a trial session with a similar device, Lucia No3. He had already been thinking about creating a machine that would allow him to reach altered states of consciousness, associated with two of his personal interests: out-of-body exploration (OBE) and lucid dreaming.

Simpson explains that, for him, meditation is an opportunity to look deep inside for guidance on thoughts and inspiration on future developments. Sometimes he also practices it just to obtain stillness of mind and to recoup energies. “I would say that it is one of the most powerful opportunities we have as humans,” he says.

PandoraStar often becomes quite an attraction at shows and events, where it is typically used to offer individuals the opportunity to explore their own innate ability to create beautiful, internally generated artwork that remains a lasting experience in the mind. This is achieved by a four-minute preprogrammed session that takes the user into a relaxing brainwave state and then adjusts various parameters to generate highly visual internal artworks: dramatic, kaleidoscopic, hallucinogenic, spiral-swirling mandala-like patterns of vibrant colour and form.

Brainwave entrainment as such is not a new concept. It has been approached in various ways throughout the centuries, including via audio technologies, such as binaural beats and isochronic tones, as well as other light technologies, such as illuminated glasses and eye masks, and electromagnetic means. In fact, PandoraStar could more or less be considered a 21st-century stroboscope, which utilises an illumination method that has been around for more than 200 years – a method that could be generated by little more than waving your hands in front of your closed eyes in bright sunlight. With the PandoraStar device, however, the experience is taken to another level, allowing users of various levels of experience to journey into endless variations of deep and transformed states of consciousness.

“Today, with increased knowledge and use of light therapy, the aspiration for technologies like PandoraStar is to gain ground in many professional areas,” says Simpson. Although PandoraStar does not officially claim to treat any conditions or illnesses, the device is suggested for activities and issues such as stress and depression management, sleep improvement, cognitive enhancement, remote viewing and self-hypnosis. At present, it is used privately and commercially by brainwave-entrainment enthusiasts, biofeedback technicians, consciousness researchers, personal-development trainers, holistic and metaphysical practitioners, spiritual retreats, floatation-tank centres and health spas. And, of course, by curious explorers like you and me.

As meditation takes its first steps into the digital age, Simpson points out that PandoraStar is not to be considered a champion over conventional meditation practices. Instead, it can complement and fit alongside traditional techniques. For instance it can assist the user to get into a suitable state of consciousness and awareness for the activity they are about to practice. “The ancient, non-digital methods undoubtedly pervade,” says Simpson. “But considering that meditative practice is about altered states of consciousness and awareness, I think that technology that can directly elicit this effect rightfully has a place.”

There will probably always be mixed views on the use of electronic devices for meditation purposes. While there is no need to question the lifelong practice and conventional ability of traditional practitioners, perhaps, as the majority of us are increasingly accepting new, progressive technologies in our lives, there is room for both.
In order to be able to introduce PandoraStar to a broader audience, the company recently launched PandoraSpa in London – a futuristic “mind spa” dedicated to the exploration of consciousness and human potential. The spa has a resident hypnotherapist and a spiritual healer, among other therapists, and will routinely host individual and group sessions using PandoraStar.

The more I talk to Simpson about PandoraStar and its possibilities, the more inquiring I get. As I was never good with meditation anyway, perhaps a session in the spa would be my way of testing the water of what seems to be an infinite world of unexplored energies.

Credits:

Words by Johanna Bergström
Photography by Darren Ellis

PandoraStar

Summer is finally here, with sunshine, flowers, beautiful greenery and those much anticipated extra hours of daylight, lifting our moods to a whole different level than in the winter. Summer is the time to relax, to enjoy life and to spend time with friends – or even alone – while recharging the batteries ready for autumn. But how to do this in a way that is fun, inspiring and energising?

We have all been there: great party, great company, great outfit, fabulous cocktails, with the clock turning quickly from late night to early morning. And what a morning. In best-case scenario, you at least wake up in your own bed, preferably alone and having managed to get into your pyjamas. Your head is pounding, your tongue feels like sandpaper and you’re struggling with a sense of nausea that you know can only be cured by a fat-infused full English breakfast. And how many times have you asked yourself whether it was really worth it?

This is where Morning Gloryville comes in.
Started in east London in 2013 as a daytime-raving movement and safe platform, this is a dance party that features all the positive sides of clubbing, all the joy, playfulness and socialising, all the feelings of community and letting go – only there are no drugs or alcohol involved. The events now take place in more than 20 cities all over the world – from Amsterdam to Tokyo – and usually run from 6.30am to 10.30am, allowing you to gather energy for the new day, rather than leaving you completely drained, deflated and hungover the day after.

Sober morning clubbing is a novel way to bring people and communities together. By challenging daily rhythms and conventional barriers, it gives a sense of new possibilities, adding a touch of magic and wonder to your day – and all this before the day has even really got started. “Morning Gloryville is the world as we would like it, a place where there is no judgement, where you can really unleash your human spirit and start your day with our community in a stylish, wild and unique way,” says Samantha Moyo, the club’s founder.

The crowd at the events is a mixed one: mothers and babies, city workers, clubbers, hipsters, festival goers, grannies – you name it, everyone’s there. It seems that Morning Gloryville attracts virtually all different sorts of people. At the same time, though, it also brings out the best side of its guests, regardless of ethnicity, age, background, occupation, gender or preferences. The special atmosphere makes people open up. There is less prejudice and judgement, more connection and fun.

When you think about it, it’s no surprise that the notion of “raving your way into the day” is gaining ground right now. People are becoming increasingly conscious about their consumption choices and green and healthy lifestyle trends are becoming more appealing all the time. Morning exercise accompanied by a kale smoothie suddenly has a lot more value than downing drinks on a nightclub dance floor into the early hours. During the Morning Gloryville parties, clubbers can also benefit from healthy and enriching add-ons from the movement’s partners, such as organic juices and coffee, yoga and personal motivation. “We choose to collaborate with people and companies who inspire us, who are enthusiastic and who share our ethical values,” Moyo continues.

Even if you don’t like parties, mornings, socialising or even organic coffee, there is still a lot of inspiration to be drawn from the Morning Gloryville mentality. Most of us live in a fast-moving society, where it is easy to forget to relax, to enjoy and to do what is good for you. Too often we spend time and energy on activities and people who take more than they give. And that is a difficult pattern to break.

“A happy you means a happier world,” says Moyo. And by changing little things in your routines, you – and only you – are able set the foundation for a happier and better self and life. And perhaps this summer is the perfect occasion to start doing so. Look over your eating habits, ensure you get healthy amounts of sleep, aim to keep “things” balanced and remember to have fun – continue to play every day.

“Africa and Africans inspire me because of their ability to see sunshine on a rainy day,”Moyo says with a smile, before dashing off to continue infusing the world with happiness. And that is how we are kicking off summer – by spreading the word of embracing and enjoying life.

Credits:

Words by Johanna Bergström
Photography by Alice Peperell & Alistair Veryard

Morning Gloryville