Do you have a script yet?
No, I love to pitch my projects, and I pitch them over and over again, until I know how to test them then I write it down. After Oscars the first thing I will do is to sit down for a couple of weeks and write down the script.
You used three non-European actors for the first time in Elisabeth, Dominic and Terry [Notary]. Is the new movie something you expect to be in Swedish, English or multiple languages? Have you even thought of it that far?
Well, the film takes place in the fashion world, and then on a luxury cruising ship and then on a deserted island. It’s kind of an international sea of all of them. It will be an international cast and I guess the main language will be English.
I haven’t heard you talk about this, but so many filmmakers are going to Netflix to make their films because of the creative freedom and significant budgets they allow. Is that something that appeals to you at all? Or do you prefer that it go with the traditional independent financing method?
You know, I really have not thought about it. I think one of the things that I really like about the cinema is that we are watching things together. When we are watching things together, then we have to process it in a different way. We have to verbalize ourselves, we have to discuss what we are seeing. If we are sitting at home and just watching on our own screens by ourselves, then we don’t have to intellectually process. I really think that the cinema is playing a very important role today, maybe more important than ever. Today, if you look at the home everybody’s watching on their own platform. You’re watching on your iPhone, or your TV, or your computer. For example, in Sweden the only thing that we watch together as a family is the Eurovision song contest. Everything else we are watching by ourselves. I think the cinema is more important than ever. That’s why Netflix is not so appealing to me.
Who are you bringing to the show, to the telecast, and is there anything that you’re looking forward to that night, besides hearing who wins foreign language film?
Elisabeth Moss is coming and Claes Bang is coming, the two main actors. Then I would love to do the primal scream of happiness on stage. You know the one that I did in Cannes also. That would be beautiful to end all the work with “The Square” [by doing] the primal scream of happiness together with this black tie audience in the Dolby theater.
That would definitely make a statement. When you were casting the film, was there anything in particular that you had seen in Claes or Elisabeth in that made you want to cast them?
I did improvs with Elisabeth and she’s just such an intelligent actor. She knows how to use the set up. For example, you know the condom scene when she gets the condom and puts it into the trash bin and then she runs away? The last step she takes is running out of the room and that was something that shows her intelligence on how to use the set up and what she should add. I think that her intelligence definitely made me interested in her acting. I did an improv with her in London. That’s when I decided. Then when it comes to Claes Bang, he actually had an improv before I met him for the casting. I asked him write the speech about “The Square.” He wrote this part when he says, “My father just died and I have no one to talk to. Will you talk to me for half an hour?” I thought that was so touching. Claes actually managed to put emotions into this very conceptual idea and that’s one of the reasons that he got the part.
After the Oscars, no matter what happens, are you taking a break or is it just going to be straight into working on the next film?
I will go straight into work on the next film. I’m very curious about it and I think it can be so funny and important. I’m very curious about going into that topic.
“The Square” is now available on iTunes, Amazon Video, Google Play, YouTube and VOD.
