Elise Lund Larsen - Producer (Barok Films)
How did you get started in this industry?
Actually, I started ten years ago being a production assistant and then production manager in the fiction industry in Copenhagen. Then I applied to the National Film School of Denmark and I went there for four years, so now I have the education for being a producer.
What do you think of Igloolik so far?
For me, I feel like I'm a different place than I knew existed. I didn't know that I could find a place like this. I've been in Qaanaq before, but it's much different here. There's nothing similar at all. But I like it here, I like the people and atmosphere and the feeling that all the people around are connected.
How did you get involved in this project?
I work as a producer at Barok Films and my colleague Vibeke Vogel has known Norman Cohn for many years. Isuma asked Barok and Vibeke if we wanted to produce it. So it's a long story going back with those two, but Vibeke and I are producing it from the Danish side.
What are your roles and responsibilities?
We are responsible for 20% of the film which means that we found three Danish actors and four Greenlandic and 20% of the money. We have 20% of the film creatively and financially.
What's the biggest problem you've faced so far?
I don't have any problems. I've never had a production go so smoothly, we don't really have any problems. We've had a few challenges with regards to getting the money. But people have been checking in on the project in a very positive way, so i think that has been a very good experience.
Can you tell me about the Knud Rasmussen story and what it means to you?
I grew up in a town in Denmark called Hundested, and it's a little town where he had his house. So for me, he means a lot because I've known about him all my life and he's a big hero in Denmark. He's the Danish polar explorer. He had this fantastic relationship with the Inuit, you can feel that all over. But then again, there's a lot of people in Denmark who don't know him, but they recognize the name. He has done a lot for the country.
What other projects have you worked on?
I graduated from the film school almost two years ago, and before that I made fiction features and documentaries which is very different from this project. We made a feature film about a gang with guns and explosions, and different kinds of documentaries with different issues. At Barok we have a lot of things coming up and a lot of projects in development right now. We have a lot of things to do.
Can you walk me through your typical day?
I wake up and go to Norman's house. We talk out the day, and usually I have some questions. It's a routine that Vibeke started and I think that it is good to keep it up because the day is so busy, so I spend half an hour to 45minutes drinking coffee and trying to get in sync. I then go to the office and check my e-mails. I'm developing my routine now where I have to work on stuff from Denmark in the afternoons. My main thing right now is working with the actors, on the story and on the budget. I'm just trying to make sure everything is alright.
