AFI Fest Interview: Bård Breien director of The Art of Negative Thinking

This outrageously funny-bone friendly film from Norway is served best, black and with drugs. A triumph for writer and director Bård Breien on his feature film debut, The Art of Negative Thinking is an original and fresh comedy about a group of happy handicapped people who travel to convert  another potential member, the depressed Geirr who has drowned himself in drugs, alcohol and the music of Johnny Cash. However the group and  Geirr's wife underestimate him when demonstrates his art of negative thinking that unravels each of them and changes their lives. This film shows that being psychologically handicapped is far worse than physically. Intelligent comedies are a rare breed and this is as good as it gets.

I met with the director Bård Breien after the AFI Fest's screening at the Cinema Lounge.

Yama Rahimi: As you mentioned at the Q & A that the American cinema inspired you, specially Paul Schrader. Do you recollect any specific film that made you want to become a filmmaker?
Bård Breien: I think the first real hard core experience was Taxi Driver when I was a little kid. My father was a lot into pornography and regular films as well, so I got to see a lot of shitty movies when I was young. I was always interested into writing, so I thought being a screenwriter would be the first step. Then it just developed from there that I wanted to direct as well. This is my first feature film as a writer and director.

YR: You did an excellent job on both sides. So tell me how you got the idea for the film and how long it took to get it made?
BB: I was at a film festival in Denmark when the idea hit me watching a Brazilian band perform. I then told my friend about it and then just developed from there. Then we had come up with a idea for a low budget film. They wanted to make a more controversial film. I have a little fed up with the Norwegian cinema, in a way that it always is polite, so I wanted to kick all the doors open.

YR: Well you definitely kick some ass in the film.
BB: I just wanted to be loud and outrageous in a way but it took me two years from the concept to the shooting.

YR: You had an excellent cast with fully developed characters. Was it much improvisation going on? Tell me also about the casting process.
BB: I used a lot of time finding the right characters. I also did a lot of improvisations in the casting process just to see if they had qualities that the characters needed in them. When we shot the film, we sticked very closely to the script with not much improvisation at all.

YR: Are the actors well known in Norway?
BB: They are all very well trained and experienced; all of them but they are not the biggest names because I wanted the attention myself (laughing)

YR: Not that's good. For me there's a term called “Mental Realstate” that comes with famous actors, specially Hollywood stars when you see them in a film you know exactly will whom in the film that's kind of a turn off. So this is main character or hero. So when in a film like yours I have no idea, I absolutely enjoy that. I think that's what the ultimate enjoyments of cinema. One of the reasons I love world cinema.
BB: I focused from the beginning in writing then in shooting that should be impossible to know where it's going. I mean as impossible as possible to know where the film will take you. Of course you know it will be a comedy, a dark comedy but with wild turns.

 
YR: When did the film premiere in Norway?
BB: It was last November and other festivals.

YR: So it has been a year. A very good year then.
BB: Yes a very good year.

YR: Would you consider coming to Hollywood?
BB: Not yet. I want to make few films in Norway.

YR: Thank you so much and all the best with your next project.