HIM follows a day in the life of three male characters in Oslo as they deal with the emotional fallout of situations which leave them deeply embarrassed and distressed. Harald, a young schoolboy, faces the frustration of being misunderstood by his classmates and reprimanded by his teacher; unemployed Eirik is left alone and distressed when he is denied more help from the unemployment agency; while screenwriter Petter is blindsided when his passion project loses funding in favor of a female screenwriter’s project. Feeling attacked, alienated, and unbearably alone, the mental battle has just begun. How much of the pressure can these guys handle - or will they crack? HIM combines nuanced tragedy with grounded comedic wit in its sobering exploration of humiliation, exclusion, and the male role in contemporary society.
HIM is an indie film in the sense that it is made on the initiative of the filmmaker with relatively little funds, manpower, and shooting days. Guro Bruusgaard started writing the screenplay several years ago together with co-author and sparring partner Fijona Jonuzi. After founding her own production company together with fellow filmmakers Mariken Halle, Magnus Mork, and Katja Eyde Jacobsen - Alternativet Produksjon AS - Bruusgaard started the production of HIM. The film has since received development and production support from the Norwegian Film Institute and won the Eurimages Project Lab award in 2019 that contributed to the post-production. The film was shot on location in Oslo, Norway. The cast is dominated by a large ensemble of established actors from the National Theatre and other major scenes including the diversity-focused theatre school Nordic Black Xpress in Oslo. Key functions are held by the director of photography Marte Vold, editor Astrid Skumsrud Johansen, sound designer Gunn- Tove Grønsberg, and composer Erik Hedin.
