Whatever City

Hederlig omtale på Den norske filmfestivalen i Haugesund 2024

"Liksom City" ble tildelt hederlig omtale av juryen i Next Nordic Generation programmet på Den norske filmfestivalen:

"Hederlig omtale går til en film som fanget vår oppmerksomhet på en noe uforklarlig måte. Vi vet ikke helt hva vi så på, men vi ble grepet av karakterene, den quirky humoren og den smarte fortellerteknikken. Filmen bryter med konvensjonell dramaturgi og har en virkelig særegen rollebesetning. I tillegg var kinematografien ryddig, klippingen skarp og lyddesignet godt gjennomført. Den hederlige omtalen går til “Liksom City” av Tobias Klemeyer Smith."

Directors statement

I wanted the team and myself to set aside what we knew about proper dramaturgy and narrative rules, to see if we could create an engaging film built on gut feelings, intuitions, and hang-ups. That's probably why “Whatever City” ended up revolving around the freedom and accompanying vulnerability you expose yourself to when you don't build your narrative around the safe pillars of the rulebook.

I now see a film that, with a compassionate and wondering eye, tells a story of great doubt, slight hubris, and fragile ideas, through an odd cast of characters, and trivialities of varying sizes. It's about feeling misunderstood and about misunderstanding. And about throwing yourself into the world with what you have of childlike naivety and wavering enthusiasm in the hope of finding affirmation and meaning, but ultimately landing somewhere where you accept that the questions will always outnumber the answers.

But that's just me. It'll be exciting to hear about what everyone else sees.

Vimeo