Interview: Isabella Eklöf – Holiday

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I was lassoed by the pre-fest launching of the accompanying marketing materials for this Danish-Dutch-Swedish co-production Sundance’s World Cinema Dramatic Comp selected debut, and a mere minutes into the screening, I knew I was in for the type of delight I’m accustomed to seeing in the comp for the Palme d’Or. You see, this examination of femininity through masculinity under the guise mafioso world in swim trunk vaca mode adheres to a quality that we find in some master filmmakers who adorn Cannes. With a firm control with long takes, still frames, subtext loaded language, Isabella Eklöf‘s Holiday invites curious onlookers to witness how one might conform, assert and essentially climb the ranks machismo with actress Victoria Carmen Sonne’s character making power moves with bare minimum in terms of “physical” effort. I got to sit down with the filmmaker to discuss several facets of the screenplay, the mise-en-scène, some of the film devices she uses in terms of exploring time and gender dynamics.

Eric Lavallée
Eric Lavalléehttps://www.ericlavallee.com
Eric Lavallée is the founder, CEO, editor-in-chief, film journalist, and critic at IONCINEMA.com, established in 2000. A regular at Sundance, Cannes, and Venice, Eric holds a BFA in film studies from the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema. In 2013, he served on the narrative competition jury at the SXSW Film Festival. He was an associate producer on Mark Jackson’s "This Teacher" (2018 LA Film Festival, 2018 BFI London). He is a Golden Globes Voter, member of the ICS (International Cinephile Society) and AQCC (Association québécoise des critiques de cinéma).

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