In 2015, Swedish filmmaker, Sanna Lenken, invited us to see her debut film, My Skinny Sister. You’ve not heard of it? Shame on you. An intimate, authentic story about two young sisters. And a kind of sibling bond many of us will recognise – rivalry, compassion, worry, loyalty – which is prodded further when one of the sister’s is revealed to have an eating disorder.
I snatched the opportunity to speak to the writer-director, Sanna Lenken, having gleefully added her film to the Femme Filmmakers Festival. To not only praise her insightful vision, but to find out more about the woman behind the film. Read the interview below, then check out the recommended links and where to watch My Skinny Sister.
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Robin Write: What is it about the movies that gets you out of bed in a morning?
Sanna Lenken: I want to understand life, and film is a great way of digging into hard questions that I have been thinking of. It’s such a gift to work with film. To get a greater understanding of how human beings work, and raise the questions I think about. And of course it’s a form of escapism as well, in a world which is not always easy to be in.
Was filmmaking always the plan or did you want to go a different path?
I have always been into art since I was a kid. I drew a lot as a child. I wrote diary from the age of 7 – and still write. And I played the piano. But I think theatre was the step into film. I used to play in the theatre when I was a teenager, and also watched a lot. From theatre to film, the step is not that big.
Even though I was 25 when I realized I wanted to make movies. I didn’t have that many förebilder (role models), so I think it took some time to dare to say that I wanted to be the boss of everything.
So you’re not bossy by nature?
I love to be the one in charge. So maybe yes I am. But as a director you have to know a lot of different things, and it can be frightening in the beginning. To be honest, the most important thing is to be able to make decisions, and inspire the people around you.
Right. Absolutely. Were you creative as a child, like writing stories or playing out movies with toys?
Yes, but not movies, just plays. I was always in some sort of fantasy world. I was a “child” for a long time. When my friends became teenagers I stayed with my toys a little bit longer. It’s a safe place.
I know what you mean.
And it still is a safe place for me.
My mother used to say I’m too old for toys as I grew older. I still love toys. I have two kids now so I have a great reason to go look at the toy section when we go shopping.
Film to me is so much about playing!
Yes. So before we talk about My Skinny Sister, I want to touch on some of your other films. Are your short films accessible to watch?
I have a Vimeo account, but I don’t have all my films there. I will actually check with my producer if we can put some of the older ones there.
You should. The world should see them.
I’d love to. I think Eating Lunch is Vimeo now. And also a film I made after My Skinny Sister – a TV movie.
Yes. I saw you made a documentary.
I made one about being a mother and an artist, with myself and my two kids. It’s not really a documentary, more a mix with fiction. It will be screened during the Nordic Film Festival in New York.
Oh wow. Great stuff.
That film is only 9 minutes. It was made during my month at home with my baby.
Do you have a mental list of things you want to say in your films? Like, do you have certain themes or messages you want to convey?
I just want to raise questions, and make the audience both think and be touched. Of course, you have to think about what the film is about a hundred times when you write. But the interesting part is that the audience will make their own interpretations. It might not have anything to do with what I first wanted to tell. And I love that.
But I think a lot about what sort of story I want to tell – and how to tell it of course. I don’t do any lists, I just discuss everything with my producer and team. To make sure everyone is going in the same direction.
So I saw My Skinny Sister with my wife a year or so ago. And we loved it. My wife says it’s one of those films she still thinks about.
That’s so lovely to hear, it means a lot! Thank you!
Is My Skinny Sister based on personal experience?
Yes, I was sick as a teenager and also have a lot of friends around me with the same problems. But I did a lot of research as well. It just made me crazy how many girls got sick. To me it’s a symptom of a sick world.
And there’s still not a great deal of coverage of these issues on TV and film.
No, exactly. I felt I really needed to tell this story.
I just want to add, how does having children change how you might have told the story?
I had my oldest daughter when I shot the film. I don’t know if it changed anything really. But I could imaging making a film only from the parents perspective as well.
The dynamic between the sisters in the film is remarkable. How do you give them such life and yet make them so different? How did you see that the audience would love their relationship?
I wrote it as a love story. And it was easy because I also have a sister, and she’s my best friend. But we can also have horrible fights (still). It’s a relationship I was very interested in, how sisters compare to each other. I see the story as a love story between two sisters.
I like that. How did you cast the young actresses? They were terrific by the way.
One of my strength as a director is that I put a lot of effort casting – and don’t choose the easy way with people already famous. I worked with a casting director with the same aim as me. We looked for the girls for almost a year, and when we found them we put them together. It was magic to watch Amy [Deasismont] and Rebecka [Josephson] together. It was a moment of luck in my life, I had searched for so long.
That’s great. So just on the writing. What is your writing process? Where? What time of day is your most creative? Do you take notes while out having coffee or while on the train?
I think it is hard work. Sometimes I have a flow and write a lot, but most of the time I start to Google things and end up not knowing why I even started Googling in the first place. I really have to force myself to write, even though I like writing. The best part is when you feel that you have the story and only have to place scenes differently as a puzzle. Or just get rid of scenes, I like that as well. Then you are shaping your story to just have what is most necessary.
I prefer directing where I’m surrounded by people. I think it is very lonely to be a writer, and I get a bit of angst being lonely. I just start to think about things I am worrying about. But I love being able to tell my own stories. So I force myself to write.
I know the film had a good run on the festival circuit, like Germany and in Sweden. What is that whole festival experience like?
It was a crazy year when the film was released. We first went to Gothenburg Film Festival, and won the Audience Prize. And then Berlinale, and won both the Crystal Bear and a prize from the Jury. After that the film was invited to many festivals. I traveled a lot during 2015. And the film was also sold to many countries around the world. I was exhausted in the end, and I had to say No and rest. But it was worth it. I met so many great people during the year, and also talked to audiences around the world, who shared my experience from the film.
How do you think small films like yours can become more accessible to the bigger film markets?
I don’t know really. I wish I knew. But of course the internet is good, but it’s hard because of all the rights for music and so on. For a small film, festivals around the world are great – to give the film real buzz.
Do you have many female filmmaker friends in a similar boat to you professionally?
Yes, I have a group of friends that I always call to get tips and we support each other. I think Sweden could be even better on that though. We sometimes work on our own and don’t share enough experience, or let each others into our process and work. I know the directors in Denmark do a lot.
Where do you see the current state of female filmmakers in the industry?
I still think there is a lot to do. We still need many, many more women. Though it’s better now then before. But if you look at the big festivals, it’s often mainly a man’s world.
Right.
It’s just sad. I think that some of the subjects female directors are interested in is not seen as art. And that makes me crazy.
Which filmmakers do you admire – male or female?
Lars von Trier, Andrea Arnold, Jane Campion, Cassavetes, Celine Sciama and many more. I watch a lot of European films, and I think many female European directors are great. Deniz Gamze Ergüven and Carla Simón are two. Carla Simon made a film called Summer 1993, which is one of the best films I watched lately. I don’t admire Lars von trier as a person though.
Summer 1993 is great. As is Mustang. What advice would you give a girl who passionately wanted to be a film director?
Just do it! Look for people or an education that will take you there. The internet is a great place to contact the ones you want to learn from. Directing is the best job, even though you have to fight hard to get there.
What is next for you? Another feature film?
Right now, I made a TV series in Sweden called The Thin Blue Line, which is a character driven story about police in Malmö. It’s a great script written by Cilla Jackert.
I am also working on my second feature, which I hope to film next year. It took six years to make My Skinny Sister, and it seems like it will be the same for my next film. That’s the hardest thing – to keep up the lust and spirit when you finance your film.
I can’t imagine. Well, you should be proud of My Skinny Sister, it is really something.
Thank you.
Recommended Links
My Skinny Sister Recommended – Jake Moody (Four Three Film)
TIFF 2015 Women Directors: Meet Sanna Lenken – Women and Hollywood
