Bjørn Floberg (born 12 September 1947) is a Norwegian actor of film, television and theatre. He is particularly noted for playing unsympathetic
authority figure
Authority is commonly understood as the legitimate power of a person or group of other people.
In a civil state, ''authority'' may be practiced by legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government,''The New Fontana Dictionary of Mo ...
s, but he has also had success playing other types of roles.
Career
Theatre
Floberg joined
Det Norske Teatret
Det Norske Teatret ()Moe, Jens. 2011. ''My America: The Culture of Giving''. Bloomington, IN: iUniverse, p. 133. is a theatre in Oslo. The theatre was founded in 1912, after an initiative from Hulda Garborg and Edvard Drabløs. It opened in 19 ...
Long Day's Journey into Night
''Long Day's Journey into Night'' is a play in four acts written by American playwright Eugene O'Neill in 1939–1941 and first published posthumously in 1956. It is widely regarded as his magnum opus and one of the great American plays of the ...
'', and ''
Saint Joan of the Stockyards
''Saint Joan of the Stockyards'' () is a play written by the German modernist playwright Bertolt Brecht between 1929 and 1931, after the success of his musical ''The Threepenny Opera'' and during the period of his radical experimental work with th ...
''. Particularly notable roles include
Molière
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, ; ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the great writers in the French language and world liter ...
in
Mikhail Bulgakov
Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov ( ; rus, links=no, Михаил Афанасьевич Булгаков, p=mʲɪxɐˈil ɐfɐˈnasʲjɪvʲɪdʑ bʊlˈɡakəf; – 10 March 1940) was a Russian and Soviet novelist and playwright. His novel ''The M ...
's ''The Cabal of Hypocrites'', the
title role
The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piëce. The title o ...
in ''
Volpone
''Volpone'' (, Italian for "sly fox") is a comedy play by English playwright Ben Jonson first produced in 1605–1606, drawing on elements of city comedy and beast fable. A merciless satire of greed and lust, it remains Jonson's most-perfo ...
'', and Jean in ''
Miss Julie
''Miss Julie'' () is a naturalistic play written in 1888 by August Strindberg. It is set on Midsummer's Eve and the following morning, which is Midsummer and the Feast Day of St. John the Baptist. The setting is an estate of a count in Sweden. ...
''. In recent years he has played various roles at
Nationaltheatret
The National Theatre in Oslo () is one of Norway's largest and most prominent venues for performance of dramatic arts.
History
The theatre had its first performance on 1 September 1899 but can trace its origins to Christiania Theatre, which was ...
, including Devlin in '' Ashes to Ashes'' and Professor Kroll in ''
Rosmersholm
''Rosmersholm'' () is an 1886 Play (theatre), play written by Norwegian people, Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It tells the story of Johannes Rosmer, an aristocratic former clergyman and owner of the Rosmersholm manor who is haunted by his wif ...
''. Floberg is particularly fond of
Harold Pinter
Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A List of Nobel laureates in Literature, Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramat ...
. In an interview with ''
Aftenposten
(; ; stylized as in the masthead) is Norway's largest printed newspaper by circulation as well as Norway's newspaper of record. It is based in Oslo. It sold 211,769 daily copies in 2015 (172,029 printed copies according to University of Bergen ...
'', he said: " inter'stexts are like butter in my mouth", and added that Pinter's plays are distinguished by "character disintegration". On different occasions Floberg has played both the
title role
The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piëce. The title o ...
and the role of Henry Bolingbroke in
Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
's play ''
Richard II
Richard II (6 January 1367 – ), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He was the son of Edward, Prince of Wales (later known as the Black Prince), and Joan, Countess of Kent. R ...
''.
Early film career
Floberg made his film debut in 1976, in ''Oss'', a
science fiction
Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
film depicting
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
after a severe
economic crisis
A financial crisis is any of a broad variety of situations in which some financial assets suddenly lose a large part of their nominal value. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, many financial crises were associated with banking panics, and ma ...
. The film was directed by
Laila Mikkelsen
Laila Mikkelsen (20 August 1940 – 13 January 2023) was a Norwegian film director and producer.
Career
Mikkelsen was born in Vardø on 20 August 1940. She made her film debut in 1976 with ''Oss''. Her film '' Little Ida'' is set during the Ge ...
and written by
Knut Faldbakken
Knut Faldbakken (born 31 August 1941, in Hamar) is a Norwegian novelist. Life and career
He studied psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Its subject matter includes the behavior of humans and nonhumans, bot ...
. In the 70's and 80's he appeared in several Norwegian films, playing alongside such actors as
Sossen Krohg
Sossen Krohg (born Sossen Anker Olsen; 18 December 1923 – 12 February 2016) was a Norwegian playwright and stage and film actress.
Personal life
She was born in Kristiania (now Oslo), Norway. She was the daughter of newspaper editor Kristoffer ...
,
Lars Andreas Larssen
Lars Andreas Larssen (27 March 1935 – 29 January 2014) was a Norwegian stage, film and television actor.Carsten Byhring,
Frøydis Armand
Frøydis Armand (9 April 1949 – 11 October 2022) was a Norwegian actress. She was the daughter of actor Eilif Armand, and sister of Merete Armand and Gisken Armand, both actresses. She worked at Nationaltheatret (the National Theatre) from ...
and Geir Børresen. In 1990 he played "The Father" in the
Amanda Award
The Amanda Award () is an award given annually at the Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund, Norway, to promote and improve Norwegian film. The award originated in 1985, and has since 2005 been exclusively a film award (not telev ...
-winning Norwegian film ''Herman'', based on
Lars Saabye Christensen
Lars Saabye Christensen (born 21 September 1953 in Oslo) is a Norwegian-Danish author.
Saabye Christensen was raised in the Skillebekk neighbourhood of Oslo, but lived for many years in Sortland Municipality in northern Norway; both places pl ...
's novel. According to ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', "As Herman's parents, Elisabeth Sand and Bjorn Floberg generate a mixture of love and concern that would be appropriate for any character of Herman's tender age". The film was directed by Erik Gustavson.
Floberg's breakthrough came when he played the title role in '' Telegrafisten'' (1993), another film directed by Gustavson, loosely based on
Knut Hamsun
Knut Hamsun (4 August 1859 – 19 February 1952) was a Norwegian writer who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920 Nobel Prize in Literature, 1920. Hamsun's work spans more than 70 years and shows variation with regard to conscio ...
's novel ''Sværmere''. Floberg plays Ove Rolandsen, a
telegraph
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas ...
operator and inventor, in a small coastal village in northern Norway, around the turn of the 19th century. The film was a success, with Floberg's performance being described as "glowing". In 1997 he appeared in the Norwegian
crime film
Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as Drama (film and television), dr ...
''
Insomnia
Insomnia, also known as sleeplessness, is a sleep disorder where people have difficulty sleeping. They may have difficulty falling asleep, or staying asleep for as long as desired. Insomnia is typically followed by daytime sleepiness, low ene ...
'', playing the
antagonist
An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the main enemy or rival of the protagonist and is often depicted as a villain.Stellan Skarsgård
Stellan John Skarsgård (, ; born 13 June 1951) is a Swedish actor. He is known for his collaborations with director Lars von Trier, appearing in ''Breaking the Waves'' (1996), ''Dancer in the Dark'' (2000), '' Dogville'' (2003), ''Melancholia' ...
. The two men fell out over a perceived slight on Skarsgård's part allegedly regarding Floberg's sexual prowess, although neither party will comment on the incident in question. Despite all this, the movie is still considered one of his finest performances. One reviewer rated the performances as "top notch", with Floberg being "effective as a mysterious figure Engstrom encounters during his investigation". The film was later remade by
Christopher Nolan
Sir Christopher Edward Nolan (born 30 July 1970) is a British and American filmmaker. Known for his Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Blockbuster (entertainment), blockbusters with complex storytelling, he is considered a leading filmma ...
, starring
Al Pacino
Alfredo James Pacino ( ; ; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Known for his intense performances on stage and screen, Pacino is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. His career spans more than five decades, duri ...
, with
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and comedie ...
playing Floberg's character.
In the 1999 Swedish film ''Dykaren'', Floberg played the role of Claes, one of two fishermen who rescues
Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent
* Polish chicken
* Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...
Irena, played by
Izabella Scorupco
Izabella Scorupco (born Izabela Dorota Skorupko; 4 June 1970) is a Polish-Swedish actress, singer and model. She is best known for having played a Bond girl, Natalya Simonova, in the 1995 James Bond film ''GoldenEye''. She is also known for her ...
, from the water. The two fishermen later gets in trouble, as it turns out that Irena is being chased by members of the
russian mafia
The Russian mafia ( or ), also known as Bratva ( ; ) less as Obshchak (Общак) or Brigades (Бригады) , is a collective of various organized crime related elements originating or/and operating in Russia.
In December 2009, Timur ...
. This was the fifth time Floberg played in a film directed by Erik Gustavson, who praised him: " lobergis my Robert De Niro. Our fifth film together. It has always gone well". Floberg, on the other hand, dryly commented: "Yes, I got a phone call rom Gustavsonthis time too". In an interview with ''
Verdens Gang
(), generally known under the abbreviation ''VG'', is a Norway, Norwegian Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper. In 2016, circulation numbers stood at 93,883, declining from a peak circulation of 390,510 in 2002. Nevertheless, ''VG'' is ...
'', he elaborated on his relationship with Gustavson: "We have a really good understanding. We talk a lot in codes, and save a lot of time. Besides, I really like the way Erik works". Floberg also expressed his satisfaction with playing a "good guy" for once, humorously acknowledging that he is probably considered
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
's "number one movie-psycho". Co-star Scorupco, on the other hand, characterized Floberg as charming, and "easy to fall in love with". In ''Misery Harbour'', a
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...
n/
Canadian
Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
collaboration from the same year, Floberg returned to playing a negative character. He received critical acclaim for his depiction of the arrogant literary critic Johan Hoeg, being described as "brilliant", and "taking on the role (...) with razor-sharp spitefulness".
2000–2006
Floberg's next major role was the father of Dina in the 2002 Swedish- Norwegian- Danish film ''
I Am Dina
''I Am Dina'' is a 2002 Norway, Norwegian-Sweden, Swedish-Denmark, Danish film directed by Ole Bornedal. It is based on the 1989 book ''Dinas bok'' (''Dina's Book'') by Herbjørg Wassmo. It was one of the most high-profile films in Norway, Nor ...
''. With a budget of 141 million
NOK
Nok is a village in Jaba, Nigeria, Jaba Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria. The village is an archeological site.
Archaeology
The discovery of terracotta figurines at this location caused its name to be used for the Nok culture, ...
, this was one of
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
's largest productions ever, and
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...
's most expensive movie at the time. The film was based on the novel '' Dinas Bok'' by Herbjørg Wassmo, and starred
Maria Bonnevie
Anna ''Maria'' Cecilia Bonnevie (born 26 September 1973 in Västerås, Sweden) is a Swedes, Swedish-Norwegians, Norwegian actor, actress. Bonnevie received both national and international acclaim for her performance in the Scandinavian epic ''I ...
as Dina and
Gérard Depardieu
Gérard Xavier Marcel Depardieu (, , ; born 27 December 1948) is a French actor. An icon of French cinema, considered a world star in the same way as Alain Delon or Brigitte Bardot, he has completed over 250 films since 1967, most of which as ...
as Dina's husband Jakob. Floberg plays a key role as Dina's father. Floberg initially expressed his high expectations for the movie, but it ended up doing very poorly, being described as an "economic disaster". Floberg's performance received mostly negative reviews. Jon Selås of ''
Verdens Gang
(), generally known under the abbreviation ''VG'', is a Norway, Norwegian Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper. In 2016, circulation numbers stood at 93,883, declining from a peak circulation of 390,510 in 2002. Nevertheless, ''VG'' is ...
'' described his role as "one-dimensional", while others criticized him for speaking English with a heavy Norwegian accent. After ''I am Dina'', Floberg appeared in ''
Salmer fra kjøkkenet
''Kitchen Stories'' () is a 2003 Norwegian film by Bent Hamer, director of '' Eggs'' and '' O' Horten.'' The film was Norway’s entry for the 2003 Academy Awards and was a selection at the Cannes and Toronto Film Festivals.
Plot
Swedish ...
'', a
comedy
Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium.
Origins
Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...
/
drama
Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...
directed by
Bent Hamer
Bent Hamer (born 18 December 1956) is a film director, writer and producer, born in Sandefjord, Norway in 1956.
Biography
Hamer studied film theory and literature at the Stockholm University and the Stockholm Film School. In addition to his feat ...
, starring Joachim Calmeyer as the grumpy old bachelor Isak. Floberg plays Grant, Isak's neighbour. He becomes increasingly jealous as Isak finds a new friend in Folke, an observer from the "Swedish Home Research Institute". The film did well, receiving an
Amanda Award
The Amanda Award () is an award given annually at the Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund, Norway, to promote and improve Norwegian film. The award originated in 1985, and has since 2005 been exclusively a film award (not telev ...
for Best Film. It was also
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
's 2003 entry for the
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (known as Best Foreign Language Film prior to 2020) is one of the Academy Awards handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to a ...
. Floberg received generally positive notices for his performance in an atypical role.
The 2003 Norwegian
horror film
Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...
'' Villmark'' was Floberg's next movie. In it, he plays Gunnar, the abrasive, condescending leader of a small
production company
A production company, production house or production studio is a studio that creates works in the fields of performing arts, new media art, film, television show, television, radio, comics, interactive arts, video games, websites, music, and video ...
. To prepare his young team for their next production, a
reality series
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1990s ...
, he takes them all to spend the weekend in an isolated cabin in the forest without food or
cell phones
A mobile phone or cell phone is a portable telephone that allows users to make and receive Telephone call, calls over a radio frequency link while moving within a designated telephone service area, unlike fixed-location phones (landline phone ...
. Soon mysterious things begin to happen, as the team discovers an abandoned encampment, and eventually the body of a woman, by a nearby lake. Despite this, Gunnar remains adamant that the team should stay the entire weekend. With a budget of only 8 million
NOK
Nok is a village in Jaba, Nigeria, Jaba Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria. The village is an archeological site.
Archaeology
The discovery of terracotta figurines at this location caused its name to be used for the Nok culture, ...
, the film was considered a huge success. It was seen by almost 150000 people in the theatres. Reviewers were generally positive regarding Floberg's performance. Critic Birger Vestmo of
NRK
The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (), commonly known by its initialism NRK, is a Norwegian state-run, government-influenced radio and television public broadcasting company.
The NRK broadcasts three national TV channels and thirteen nat ...
complimented Floberg for his frightening unpredictability, while Twitch's reviewer Collin Armstrong noted that: "Floberg in particular really impressed, switching Gunnar’s passive aggressive nature on and off with ease".
Floberg returned to the big screen in '' Uno'' (2004), a
drama
Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...
set in a shady
gym
A gym, short for gymnasium (: gymnasiums or gymnasia), is an indoor venue for exercise and sports. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasion". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learn ...
in
Oslo
Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...
. Floberg plays a trademark role as the authoritarian, small-time criminal gym owner Jarle. The film was directed by Aksel Hennie who also played the leading role. The film was a critical success. ''
Verdens Gang
(), generally known under the abbreviation ''VG'', is a Norway, Norwegian Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper. In 2016, circulation numbers stood at 93,883, declining from a peak circulation of 390,510 in 2002. Nevertheless, ''VG'' is ...
'' and ''
Dagbladet
() is one of Norway's largest newspapers and is published in the Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid format. It has 1,400,000 daily readers on mobile, web and paper. Traditionally it was considered the main liberal newspaper of Norway, with a ...
'' both rated it 5 out of 6, while Birger Vestmo of
NRK
The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (), commonly known by its initialism NRK, is a Norwegian state-run, government-influenced radio and television public broadcasting company.
The NRK broadcasts three national TV channels and thirteen nat ...
gave it 6/6. Floberg received positive nods from most reviewers, his performance being described as "highly adept", and "frighteningly ice cold". Per Haddal of ''
Aftenposten
(; ; stylized as in the masthead) is Norway's largest printed newspaper by circulation as well as Norway's newspaper of record. It is based in Oslo. It sold 211,769 daily copies in 2015 (172,029 printed copies according to University of Bergen ...
'' called it his best performance since his breakthrough in '' Telegrafisten''.
crime
In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definiti ...
Uro
Uro or URO may refer to:
* Aurochs, the predecessor of modern cattle
* Uro Bonsai technique; see deadwood bonsai techniques
* Uro, Delta, Nigeria
* ''Uro'' (film), directed by Stefan Faldbakken
* Uro (trucks), a Spanish truck manufacturer
* '' ...
Nicolai Cleve Broch
Nicolai Cleve Broch (born 14 November 1975) is a Norwegian theatre and film actor. He rose to national fame playing one of the leading roles in the 2002 drama series ''Lekestue'', which aired on NRK in 2002. He is also known for playing the prot ...
and
Ane Dahl Torp
Ane Dahl Torp (born 1 August 1975) is a Norwegian actress.
Early life
Born on 1 August 1975, in Bærum Torp is the daughter of Norwegian linguistics professor Arne Torp.
Career
Torp had her first film appearance in ''The Woman of My Life' ...
, who were both nominated for
Amanda Award
The Amanda Award () is an award given annually at the Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund, Norway, to promote and improve Norwegian film. The award originated in 1985, and has since 2005 been exclusively a film award (not telev ...
s for Best Actor and Best Actress, respectively. The critical reception was overall good. Veteran critic
Pål Bang-Hansen
Pål Bang-Hansen (29 July 1937 – 25 March 2010) was a Norwegians, Norwegian actor, film director, screenwriter and film criticism, film critic. He is remembered as a television personality and film expert at the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporati ...
, who saw the film at
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world.
Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...
, enthusiastically exclaimed: "Bjørn Floberg is the foremost villain of Norwegian film. In this film he is more of an asshole than ever". ''
Dagbladet
() is one of Norway's largest newspapers and is published in the Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid format. It has 1,400,000 daily readers on mobile, web and paper. Traditionally it was considered the main liberal newspaper of Norway, with a ...
s Inger Bentzrud commended the actors, but noted that all of Cleve Broch, Floberg, and Ahmed Zeyan played similar roles in ''Uno''. One particularly negative review came from ''
Bergens Tidende
is Norway's fifth-largest newspaper, and the country's largest newspaper outside Oslo.
is owned by the public company Schibsted ASA. Norwegian owners held a mere 42% of the shares in Schibsted at the end of 2015.
History and profile
Founded ...
'', who gave the film a 2/6 rating, highlighting Floberg's performance as one of the few positive points.
Following ''Uro'', Floberg starred opposite Trond Espen Seim in '' Bitre Blomster'' (2007). This was the first in a series of films based on
Gunnar Staalesen
Gunnar Staalesen (born 19 October 1947) is a Norwegian writer. He is a major figure in the Nordic noir crime fiction genre through his 20 novels featuring Varg Veum, a private detective in Bergen on the rainy west coast of Norway. The Varg Veu ...
's
crime novels
Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, crime novel, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives or fiction that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a profession ...
. As chief inspector Jakob Hamre, he serves as a
foil
Foil may refer to:
Materials
* Foil (metal), a quite thin sheet of metal, usually manufactured with a rolling mill machine
* Metal leaf, a very thin sheet of decorative metal
* Aluminium foil, a type of wrapping for food
* Tin foil, metal foil ma ...
for shabby private investigator Varg Veum (Seim). The film received mixed reviews, although most reviewers agreed that the two leads, particularly Seim, delivered good performances. Initially, a total of six films were produced, four of them intended for
direct-to-video
Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, television series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strat ...
release. The second theatrically released film in the series was ''Falne Engler'' (2008), directed by
Morten Tyldum
Morten Tyldum (; born 19 May 1967) is a Norwegian film director. He is best known in his native Norway for directing the thriller film '' Headhunters'' (2011), based on the novel by Jo Nesbø, and internationally for directing the historical dram ...
, with Floberg and Seim reprising their roles as Veum and Hamre. The film was very well received, and shortly after the premiere, the producers announced that an additional six films based on Staalesen's Varg Veum character would be made. Bjørn Floberg expressed his satisfaction with the films: " he producers and directorshave set a new standard for this genre, and I would like to be a part of the continued development of the Varg Veum universe, together with the script writers, and not least Trond Espen, with whom I've had a very good cooperation". Production of the new films were scheduled to begin in August 2009. In 2010 he played alongside his long time film rival and personal enemy
Stellan Skarsgård
Stellan John Skarsgård (, ; born 13 June 1951) is a Swedish actor. He is known for his collaborations with director Lars von Trier, appearing in ''Breaking the Waves'' (1996), ''Dancer in the Dark'' (2000), '' Dogville'' (2003), ''Melancholia' ...
in the Norwegian
black comedy
Black comedy, also known as black humor, bleak comedy, dark comedy, dark humor, gallows humor or morbid humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally ...
''
A Somewhat Gentle Man
''A Somewhat Gentle Man'' ( and also known as ''Regnskap'') is a 2010 Norwegian crime comedy film directed by Hans Petter Moland. It premiered on 19 March 2010, and was the sixth feature-film directed by Hans Petter Moland. It was nominated fo ...
Norwegian International Film Festival
The Norwegian International Film Festival ( or ''Filmfestivalen i Haugesund'') is a film festival held annually in Haugesund, Norway. The festival goes back to 1973 and is therefore the oldest one in Norway.
In 1985, the Amanda award was ins ...
in
Haugesund
Haugesund () is a municipalities of Norway, municipality and List of towns and cities in Norway, town on the North Sea in Rogaland county, Norway. As of December 2023, the municipality of Haugesund has a population of 37,855. The vast majority of ...