- Talking might help bursting the bubble

Tuva Novotny is known as a recognized actor in Swedish, Danish and Norwegian films, but she has also played in international films as Eat Pray Love with Julia Roberts, and the Netflix-film Annihilation this spring. When she makes her debut as a film-director it is in a Norwegian film, Blind Spot (Blindsone).

The film is just now being shown at the prestigious filmfestival in Toronto in Canada.

Blind Spot is the story about a family falling to pieces when the teenage daughter tries to take her own life - an incident no one had foreseen. The film follows the mother Maria (Pia Tjelta) trying to understand what has happened - and why, and the father Anders (Anders Baasmo Christiansen) who first shows up at the hospital. 

The blind spots

Tuva Novotny wants people to think - and talk - when they see the film.

- I first got the idea to the movie when experiencing a case of severe mental illness in my close surrounding, and realizing I was not appropriately equipped to talk about this matter. And seeing people around me struggling with the same lack of psychological tools, I wanted to make a movie about these blind spots- the moment where people suffering from mental illness get isolated from others because their surroundings do not know how to detect or handle the situation, Novotny says.

We need openness

- I wanted to shed light on the fact that openness is a great help in situations like this; simply asking and talking openly helps bursting the bubble surrounding this subject, and can work preventative, Novotny says.

This film is shot in one take – and doesn’t give much room to try and fail. It is a bold decision for a filmmaker. 

- I always knew that the movie was to be shot in real time and in one continuous take, and never abandoned that idea. The biggest challenge I believe was for cast and crew to have faith that they and we could make it, she says. 

Three versions

The film, which is shot in Oslo, was made in three different versions - three takes.

- We were lucky to actually have three versions to choose from. Since we only had money to go three times, we had to work with the possibility that none of the shots would be good enough. In the end; one of the versions where beautiful, shot on a winter day with snow and frost all around. I loved this version, but ended up choosing the version that was shot on the last day; everyone were tired, the snow had melted and there was a storm outside: the whole look was more grey, dull, and for me, more sober, she says.

- This was very important; since the whole mission with the movie was to keep a sober focus on the in betweens; not dramatize or romanticize the subject matter, but to simply state: ”talk about it- you are not alone”.

Blind Spot premiered in Norwegian cinemas August 24th, and received fantastic reviews, named "The most important film of the year". The film has been supported by The Norwegian Film Institute. It is being shown in Toronto several time during the festival, as a part of the Discovery-program.

- Since my wish with this movie has been to raise awareness on the way we all handle mental illness, I am  very happy and thankful that this mission now reaches further and to more people across borders, Tuva Novotny says. 

Blind Spot is also going to the Film Festival in San Sebastian later in september, where it is competing in the main program.

Watch the trailer here.