A stylistic departure from his breakout international debut film Reprise, Joachim Trier’s Oslo, August 31st is a mature sophomore effort knee deep in the search for the meaning and purpose of life in contemporary Norway. With a stunningly well-calibrated and nuanced performance from his muse Anders Danielsen Lie, viewers are treated to a dawn till sundown journey of a just released former drug addict who during the last day of summer makes unsuccessful small attempts at regaining his footing among friends and navigating the social norms that society has built for protection. But is this protagonist truly doomed or is the structure around him prolonging its inevitable destruction?
Currently working on several scripts including a U.S-based, English-language family drama with spurts of comedy entitled Louder than Bombs, Joachim Trier returns to the Toronto Int. Film Festival with a titled film that is one week film and which was first introduced in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival – here is my sit down with the filmmaker back in May.