It was producer Bjarte Mørner Tveit who introduced me to the cinematographer, Joakim. It was the summer of 2018, and we met over a café table.
I shared a bit about my intentions and the themes, and handed him the headphones with the music. He sat there, silent, in deep concentration, for a long, long time. He listened to the soundtracks from start to finish. Then he took off the headphones, looked into my eyes, opened his mouth, and shared his associations with just a few words. I had no doubt that Joakim was pure gold.
Joakim is the embodiment of calm. He moves gently around his surroundings, yet his presence is strong.
Eventually, Joakim took over the producer role for Birds.
The Toronto Art Film Spirit Awards is quite a prestigious «arthouse film» festival. We won the award for Best Cinematographer. This is Joakim’s award.