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»Capitol« cinema hall in Gothenburg
Photo:
Gothenburg Film Festival
SPIEGEL:
Mr. Holmberg, you like to take unconventional paths for your film festival.
As early as 2021, you sent a woman to a lonely island – and had films watched there, isolated from the outside world.
What is your goal with this?
Jonas Holmberg:
We wanted to experiment with human perception.
The idea for the “lonely cinema” originally came from the corona pandemic: we observed that it was often films that kept people company in their quarantine.
We wanted to take this interplay of isolation and film to the extreme with the project.
With that, we also started a discussion – not only about the films shown and their producers, but also about how we watch films today.
On the day we sent our participant to the island, we in little Sweden were the top news worldwide.
That was unbelievable.
SPIEGEL:
At the upcoming festival you want to try out hypnosis - what's behind it?
Holmberg:
As with the »lonely cinema«, we asked ourselves: How can we influence film watching and eliminate any disruptive factors?
A fundamental problem today are the streaming services.
Those who use them to watch films at home are usually distracted by something, unlike in the cinema.
We want to put the focus back on the experience of watching a film itself - through hypnosis.
SPIEGEL:
Is that more than a PR stunt?
Holmberg:
Film and modern hypnosis are cultural-historical twins that emerged from the same zeitgeist at the end of the 19th century.
They share a real love story.
Hypnosis plays a particularly important role thematically in Disney films, such as in »Aladdin« or »The Jungle Book«.
In fact, the feeling of being under hypnosis is very similar to the feeling of being mesmerized by a movie.
Our project investigates which new emotions arise in this unusual state.
It is a hymn to the cinema.
SPIEGEL:
Don't you see the danger that hypnosis will rob viewers of their attention all the more?
Holmberg:
It's not the clichéd kind of hypnosis that makes you think you're a donkey.
We want to sharpen the concentration of the participants.
SPIEGEL:
Participants may have to go to the toilet during the performance.
Can you easily get out of hypnosis?
Holmberg:
We just want to do an artistic investigation into how films are perceived.
Nobody is tied to the seat.
Participants can leave the room at any time, but it would affect their hypnosis experience, so I don't recommend it.
SPIEGEL:
First the lonely island, now hypnosis - can the idea be topped again in the coming year?
Holmberg:
It's not about being as extreme as possible.
But the further you push a thing, the clearer you can see it.
That's why we like to go the unconventional route.
We want to shake people up.
