Neon’s Horror Subversion ‘Handling the Undead’ Director Thea Hvistendahl on the Patience To Face Your Nightmares
02.06.2024 - By No Film School
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How do we deal with losing someone we love? Is it even possible to move on? These questions are explored in Handling the Undead, a film that meditates on topics such as grief and loss and the impossible wish of wanting the past to become the present. Handling the Undead, which is based on the best-selling Norwegian novel of the same name, premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
In today’s episode, No Film School’s GG Hawkins, speaks with Director Thea Hvistendahl to discuss:
Thea’s feelings and thoughts post-premiere
Having the sound and images tell the story as opposed to dialogue
Her approach to directing and staging actors
Using a mix of real people, prosthetics, VFX, and dolls
Finding the balance between looking dead but not like zombies
The challenges in shooting the final scene
How Thea became a filmmaker
Financing the feature and shooting in multiple countries
Getting the balance right between the different stories within the film
Feeling anxious during the screening process
Trusting her gut feelings in the editing process
Having a much needed celebration when the film was finally finished
Memorable Quotes
“For the human brain, it’s more unsettling the more realistic it is… I wanted it to be as realistic as possible.” [16:15]
“The finale was the hardest part to solve, but it worked in the end.” [20:21]
“It really pains me to do stuff that doesn’t feel right, but sometimes I try it.” [27:29]
“It dragged out a very long time, so it wasn’t like a cathartic moment…It was a very slow finishing process.” [30:07]
“It’s always better to make something…rather than wait and hold back.” [31:16]
Mentioned:
Handling the Undead
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