Tea time with Min börda

An interview with Niki Lindroth von Bahr, director of Min Börda (The Burden)

 What was the idea behind the use of animals?
I’ve used animal characters in all of my films, I like to see them as modern fables in a way. The animal look also creates a kind of cuteness filter between the audience and the actual story, that might add some comfort to the apocalyptical atmosphere.

 Can you tell us about your choice of locations (hotel, call centre, etc.)?
I wanted the film to be enacted in this very modern and generic market place, there must be thousands of them located beside our main highways in Sweden. These areas fascinate me somehow, they are perfectly made for extremely effective consuming by motorized customers. They also remind me of lonely satellites, floating in empty landscapes.

 Why did you choose the title “Min Börda”?
Because of the song performance at the end, when everyone is singing about their burdens being lifted from their shoulders. Some kind of liberation through the apocalypse.

 Can you tell us about your background in animation? How would you describe your particular style? 
I made three animated puppet films in the last ten years, Tord and Tord (2010), Bath House (2014) and Min Börda. I consider myself to be an artist more than a filmmaker, working in other areas as well. Such as sculpture and sometimes costume design. I’d say that my style is very focused on the models and puppets, which I make mostly myself. My film productions are very time demanding, The Burden for example took me two and a half years to finish.

 Do you have a specific interest in the musical format?
I love old Hollywood musicals and also Bollywood productions, I watched them all the time when growing up. The Burden is a tribute to these films, but with a somewhat darker theme.

 What sort of freedom would you say the short format allows? 
I think that it’s easier to be much more daring as a filmmaker. Since the short film is very far from the commercial platforms and will never make any money in theatres etc., you gain a lot of artistic freedom. But it also sucks to be poor…

Min Börda is being shown in International Competition I1.