This is Alaska

Participants:

Kim Hiorthøy

Louise Peterhoff

Kristiina Viiala

Henrik Vikman

Lisa Östberg

Direction: Gunilla , Mårten Nilsson

Script: Gunilla Heilborn

Photo: Mårten Nilsson

B-photo: Adam Nilsson

Sound: Svante Tidholm

Music: Kim Hiorthøy

Editing: Mårten Nilsson

Producer: Mårten Nilsson, gnufilm

A version of this film was screened during the performance of “Alaska” at GöteborgsOperan.

This short film won the Uppsala International Short Film Festival 2009.

Medverkande:

Kim Hiorthøy

Louise Peterhoff

Kristiina Viiala

Henrik Vikman

Lisa Östberg

Regi: Gunilla , Mårten Nilsson

Manus: Gunilla Heilborn

Foto: Mårten Nilsson

B-foto: Adam Nilsson

Ljud: Svante Tidholm

Musik: Kim Hiorthøy

Klippning: Mårten Nilsson

Producent: Mårten Nilsson, gnufilm

En version av “This is Alaska” visades i samband med dansföreställningen “Alaska” på GöteborgsOperan. Denna film vann priset för bästa kortfilm på Uppsala Internationella Kortfilmsfestival 2009.



Alaska

”I think everybody should be free and just do exactly what they want.

Nobody should decide anything over anyone else. Anyway, that´s what I think.”

Commission work for The Göteborg Ballet.

Premiere at the Göteborg Opera, Göteborg, april 17th 2009.

A group of people meet together. They all cherish a vague, common dream to move to somewhere far away, to freedom, maybe to Alaska.

Or perhaps they are actually already there? They look as though they come from there. Some of them are talking together, someone is singing. What’s the penguin doing there? And the woman in the poncho with the strange hairstyle? Each of them has their own story, but deep down there lies that same longing for the wild, wide open spaces.

Someone once said that it is the people who have not been able to manage life so well elsewhere who move to Alaska.

Alaska is the first work by Gunilla Heilborns for the Göteborg Ballet. She trained as a choreographer at the Danshögskolan in Stocholm and has worked with several different genres, including dance, performance, text and film. Alaska was created for and with the dancers of the Göteborg Ballet.

More about this performance:

See also the film “This is Alaska”, originally made for and shown in the performance, but later recut and now shown as a shortfilm.



Press quotes

”Heilborn är mer intresserad av vad vi människor gör, det vill säga hur vi beter oss, än att skapa tjusiga turer och bilder. Resultatet brukar bli dans med underfundig humor, träffsäkra iakttagelser och mänsklig tafatthet som kännetecken. Så även i Alaska.”
Lis Hellström Sveningson. Göteborgsposten

”Dans, tal och sång faller i varandra som vore det den naturligaste sak i världen. Med kurssituationen som samlande centrum förenas uttryckssätten och de brokiga berättelsefragmenten i en humoristisk, vacker och melankolisk studie av människan och hennes underliga fågeldans”
Birgitta Johansson SvD


The Five Year Plan

“I hate films where people grow old towards the end, and sit by a fireplace with a blanket and a cat”

A co-production between Gunilla Heilborn and the Norrlandsopera.

World Premiere: NorrlandsOperan Dans, Umeå, Sweden Oct 1st 2009

Four individuals meet in a basement somewhere. But who are they? A family, a group of friends or just some guys who happened to buy the exact same sweater? They are all in need of a plan. Some structure in their lives. As an experiment and a challenge and maybe also as a quest for meaning, they decide to make a plan for the next five years. Something bigger than themselves…

With ironic and warm observations, Heilborn explores concepts of value, things we hold dear, things we need to get through the day. Value that can last for five years.



Press quotes

”… The Five Year Plan is a wonderfully entertaining performance about life, death, and everything in between. Existential comedy at is most relevant.”
Västerbottens Folkblad

“… It is witty and intelligent: Filled with all the absurdities and contradictory truths of everyday life.”
Västerbottens Folkblad

“… One crazy idea is stapled upon the other, it is incredibly funny, and the audience gets plenty of laughs, both in recognition and compassion.”
Västerbottens-Kuriren