2020
What a journey so far. Thank you for coming to this space today, where I share my process and work for my final project at Arthaus Berlin. Three months ago it was not even thinkable that our group would not host a festival and make our pieces together in Berlin. And in this very moment I am on an island above the arctic circle together with my dear colleague Sigrun, far away from the reality that used to be. What a painful process, what a beautiful experience and what a pleasure to explore the unknown, in ways I never could be prepared for.
Welcome to my first dip into the world of filmmaking. Of collaboration between borders and through screens. Of making digital work. Of not seeing a live audience. Of exploring the outdoor spaces of a childhood home. HABITAT is all of this and more. Enjoy.
H A B I T A T
The type of area a living being prefers to live in. Where you find what is needed for life to be lived. Fully.
Excerpt from notebook 13.01.20
The bathroom
Safe not safe
She fills the tub
Let the warm water touch her
Bit by bit
Under each fingernail
Between all creases
Into every single pore
Each strand of hair gets heavier
The water and her are one
Only her face above it
Big breath
Closed eyes
She dives
Holds it. Holds it. Holds.
She always holds
Cold, crisp ocean cooling her down
She has arrived
They meet with curious eyes
Sensitive touch
Playful slaps and laughing tears shaped
Into rage and freedom and madness
And when they hurt each other
It doesn't hurt
And when they tickle each other
They laugh for weeks
It is not necessary to hold
THE ARTISTS
Leander Håvik
Leander Håvik is a Norwegian Cinematographer currently studying at the Norwegian Film School in Lillehammer. He worked as a freelancer in Oslo for many years before returning back to studying in 2019. He mainly prefers working with fiction, like short films, features, TV serier and a music video from time to time.
Cécile Lacharme
French cellist, Cécile Lacharme, has spent her life traveling and playing cello, whilst developing her cultural interests.
Classically trained, she explores music styles that are rarely played with a cello (improvisation, rock, indie-folk or ambient music).
Thanks to her musical sensitivity and her creativity, she has been involved in multiple artistic collaborations in France (Merryn Jeann, The Traveling Lights) and overseas (contemporary dance in Cambodia, jazz music in Hong Kong..).
In 2020 she launched her own solo cello project, consisting of an electric cello and a loop station. Her music evokes mysterious landscapes, located somewhere between Asia and the West, between classical and modern times.
Sigrun Hasselgård Bøe
Sigrun (Ru) Hasselgård Bøe is a Norwegian performer, theatre maker and choreographer currently based in the Lofoten Island in Norway. This year she is completing her last year of Advanced Devising Practice at Arthaus Berlin which combines the completion of the two 1-year courses in Devised Theatre and Performance and Embodied Dramaturgy. In addition, she has a MFA in Fine Arts with a specialization in Performing Arts (2018) and a BA in Theatre Education (2016) from The University of Agder, Norway.
Since 2015 she has been working close with Ida Fugli and Flux Manøver as a performer and choreographer. Their latest project Fluid: Negotiating Limits was performed last in September 2019 at SKMU (the southern of Norway’s Museum of Arts). Their next project Hudhunger will take place October 2020
Max Adams
Max Adams is a French songwriter and musician developing his own electro-pop ambient music style. Maintained by ambient chords on keyboard and heady melodies, his music evokes deep melancholy and rhythmic darkness.
Beside his musical skills, Max Adams has taught himself sound mixing & sound engineering for 10 years. After several collaborations, he makes his official debut as a sound engineer in 2020 with the sound mixing of "Habitat" short movie's soundtrack composed by the French cellist Cécile Lacharme.
The project was mentored by:
Cat Gerrard
Lionel Ménard
Thomas Prattki