The Bothersome Man (Den brysomme mannen)

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The Bothersome Man
Original title	Den brysomme mannen
Type	Features
Genre	Drama, Comedy
Director	Jens Lien
Short summary	Forty-year-old Andreas arrives in a strange city with no memory of how he got there. He is presented with a job, an apartment - even a wife. As he explores his new surroundings, Andreas realizes he has arrived in his after-life and must escape.
Summary	Forty-year-old Andreas arrives in a strange city with no memory of how he got there. He is presented with a job, an apartment - even a wife. But before long, Andreas notices that something is wrong. The people around him seem cut off from any real emotion, and communicate only in superficialities. The ominous ”Caretakers”, who make sure the city runs smoothly, keep an increasing watch over Andreas as they find he doesn’t fit in. Andreas makes an attempt to escape the city, but he discovers there’s no way out. Andreas meets Hugo, who has the same longings as himself. Hugo has found a crack in a wall in his cellar. Beautiful music streams out from the crack. Maybe it leads to ”the other side”? A new plan for escape is hatched. The Bothersome Man describes a world not unlike our own. A sarcastic and tinted view of our affluent lives in the Nordic countries. A society where all problems have been ironed out. Empathy has become surplus – an empty friendliness has taken its place. Kitchen furnishings have replaced love, and social rituals have replaced friendship. Normality in all its grotesqueness. In The Bothersome Man there is neither death nor dreams, and no love either. When Andreas Ramsfjell arrives in this society, everything has been laid out for him. He is given a place to stay, a job and clothes. He is handed a life. Not unlike the destiny of a refugee coming to Norway. The film describes total loneliness in a world that has everything – but that’s also all it has. A society which has lost something along the way in its quest for perfection. A dead society. The film takes place in a parallel universe, or the life after death. Our main character is the only one who seems human, with his feelings and needs intact. Through his desperation and despair we can relate and maybe take a look at how we lead our own lives. Trond Fausa Aurvåg (Andreas) was born in Fetsund, Norway in 1972. He was educated at the National Theatre Academy 1998-2001. He has appeared in films like Junk Mail (Budbringeren), The Crossing (Andreaskorset), Offside, and the short Shut the Door (Døren som ikke smakk), which competed at Cannes in 2000. He is a regular with the Jo Strømgren Company, and has been employed by Oslo Nye Teater since 2001. Aurvåg has also made his mark in some of the most memorable Norwegian commercial films in recent years. Through his various roles he has shown a considerable talent for comedy, as well as being held to be one of the most promising young actors in Norway. Petronella Barker (Anne-Britt) was born in Colchester, England, in 1965. She was educated at the National Theatre Academy 1985-1988. She is one of the most distinguished female actors in Norway, and also seen as one of the most beautiful. Her track record includes 18 TV series and feature films, including the recent success Hawaii, Oslo. She has been employed at Det Norske Teatret, Göteborg Stadsteater and is now with Nationaltheatret. Birgitte Larsen (Ingeborg) was born in Kristandsand, Norway in 1981. She was educated at the National Theatre Academy 2000-2003, and has since been employed by both Det Norske Teatret and Nationaltheatret. On stage she has made her mark in roles like Hedvig in Henrik Ibsen’s The Wild Duck (Vildanden). Birgitte is among the up-and-coming actors who make their feature film debut in The Bothersome Man Screen Review The Times
Cast	Trond Fausa Aurvåg (Andreas), Petronella Barker (Anne-Britt), Per Schaaning (Hugo), Birgitte Larsen (Ingeborg), Johannes Joner (Håvard)
Screenplay	Per Schreiner
Based on	his own radio play
D.O.P	John Christian Rosenlund
Editor	Vidar Flataukan
Composer	Ginge
Sound	Christian Schaanning
Costume designer	Anne Pedersen
Scenography	Are Sjaastad
Producer	Jørgen Storm Rosenberg
Line producer	Carina Brattvik
Production company	Tordenfilm AS, Marstrandgt. 9 \| N- 0566 Oslo \| Tel +47 22 38 90 00 \| Fax +47 22 38 90 01 \| info@tordenfilm.no \| www.tordenfilm.no
Co-producer	Icelandic Film Company \| www.kisi.is
Country of origin	Norway
Release date (national)	2006-06-26
Release date (international)	2006-05-20
Technical information
Format	35mm
Screen ratio	1:1,85
Colour	Colour
Sound System	Dolby SRD
Length in min's	95
Length in meters	2500
No. of reels	5
International sales	Bavaria Film International \| tel: +49 89 6499 2686 \| fax: +49896499 3720 \| www.bavaria-film-international.de
Distributor (Norway only)	Sandrew Metronome Norge AS
Festival participation	2006 Cannes International Film Festival Critics' Week 2006 European Film Festival of Brussels Competition 2006 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2006 Neuchatel International Fantastic Film Festival Competition 2006 Norwegian International Film Festival, Haugesund New Nordic Films 2006 Sarajevo Film Festival 2006 Espoo Ciné International Film Festival 2006 Toronto International Film Festival 2006 Helsinki International Film Festival 2006 International FIlm Festival Arsenals 2006 Athens International Film Festival 2006 Copenhagen International Film Festival Competition 2006 Sitges Festival Internacional de Cinema de Catalunya Competition 2006 Warsaw International FIlm Festival 2006 Hamptons International Film Festival Competition 2006 Pusan International Film Festival 2006 RomeFilmFest Marked screening 2006 Festival Internacional de Cine de Morelia 2006 Festival Nouveau Cinéma Montreal, Canada Competition 2006 London International Film Festival 2006 Hawaii International Film Festival Competition 2006 Hof International Film Festival 2006 Nordische Filmtage Lübeck Competition 2006 AFI Fest, Los Angeles 2006 Utopiales de Nantes, France 2006 Festival on Wheels, Turkey 2006 Braunschweig International Film Festival Competition 2006 Arras International Film Festival, France 2006 Scanorama, Lithuanian 2006 Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival 2006 Goa International Film Festival, India 2006 Bratislava Film Festival, Slovakia 2007 Palm Springs International Film Festival 2007 Göteborg International Film Festival Nordic Competition 2007 Festival du film fantastique de Gerardmer 2007 Portland International Film Festival 2007 Fantasporto, Festival Internacional de Cinema do Porto 2007 Cinequest Film Festival 2007 Mar del Plata, Argentina 2007 Cleveland Film Society 2007 Norwegian Film Festival, Stockholm 2007 Nordic Film Festival, Rouen Competition 2007 Hong Kong International Film Festival Society 2007 Istanbul International Film Festival Mined Zone Section 2007 Philadelphia Film Festival, USA 2007 Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival Competition 2007 Minneapolis Film Festival, USA 2007 Seattle Internatonal Film Festival, USA 2007 Transilvania International Film Festival, Romania Shadow Section 2007 Norwegian films at the Cinemateque, Copenhagen 2007 Libertas Film Festival, Croatia 2007 Palic European Film Festival, Serbia and Montenegro 2007 Malmö Film Festival, Sweden 2007 Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival, Brazil 2007 Haifa International Film Festival, Israel 2007 Reykjavik International Film Festival, Iceland 2007 San Sebastian International Film Festival, Spain "Cold Fever" - Nordic Focus 2007 European Film Festival, Abu Dhabi 2008 Norwegian Film Week, Helsinki, Finland 2008 Nordic Film Week, Sofia, Bulgaria 2008 Scandinavian Film Week, Bonn, Germany 2008 Laterna Magica, Finland 2008 Norwegian Film Week, Delft, Nederland
Prizes received	2006 Cannes International Film Festival: ACID Prize in Critics' Week 2006 European Film Festival of Brussels: BeTV Prize of Best Film 5.000€ in form of distribution support 2006 Neuchatel International Fantastic Film Festival: H.R. Giger Award "Narcisse" for Best Movie 2006 Neuchatel International Fantastic Film Festival: Méliès d'argent for the Best full length European Film 2006 International Film Festival Arsenals: FIRPRESCI Award 2006 Athens International Film Festival: Best Director Award 2006 Sitges Festival Internacional de Cinema de Catalunya: Best Production Design to Are Sjaastad 2006 Hamptons International Film Festival: Golden Starfish Narrative Feature Film Award 2006 Hamptons International Film Festival: Kodak Award for Best Cinematography John Christian Rosenlund for his cinematography in THE BOTHERSOME MAN 2006 Festival Nouveau Cinéma Montreal, Canada: Jury's Special Mention 2006 Festival Nouveau Cinéma Montreal, Canada: The AQCC (Association Québécoise des Critiques de Cinéma) Award 2006 Utopiales de Nantes, France: price of the jury 2007 Göteborg International Film Festival: FIPRESCI Award 2007 Festival du film fantastique Gérardmer: Grand Prix 2007 Festival du film fantastique de Gerardmer, France: International Press Award 2007 Festival du film fantastique de Gerardmer, France: Sci-fi Award 2007 Festival du film fantastique de Gerardmer, France: Youth Jury Award 2007 Fantasporto, Festival Internacional de Cinema do Porto: Special Mention of the Jury 2007 Cinequest Film Festival: Maverick Spirit Award 2007 Nordic Film Festival, Rouen: Young European Jury Award 2007 Norwegian Film Ciritcs' Award: 2007 Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival: Main Prize: Black Tulip Award 2007 Kosmorama, Trondheim: Best Cinematography to John Christian Rosenlund 2007 Kosmorama, Trondheim: Best Innovative Achievement: Set designer Are Sjaastad and cinematographer John Christian Rosenlund for the visual universe 2007 Kosmorama, Trondheim: Best Lead Role to Trond Fausa Aurvåg 2007 Kosmorama, Trondheim: Best Original Screenplay to Per Schreiner
URL	http://www.nfi.no/film/thebothersomeman

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Director biography:
In 1990 Jens Lien went to London to play rock 'n' roll. 3 years later he returned as a filmmaker educated at the London International Film School.

He started out making documentaries and commercials along with numerous short films. Among his short films is Shut the Door(Døren som ikke smakk/2000) and Natural Glasses (Naturlige briller/2001) both invited for the Official Competiton in Cannes. He has won numerous awards all over the world with his short films.

His award winning feature debut Jonny Vang from 2003 premiered in Panorama in Berlin

Director Jens Lien returns to the big screen with The Bothersome Man with World Premiere in Critics' Week in Cannes 2006.