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Frantic Attempts: An Interview with Joris Tobé

Please tell us about the projects you worked on before making ‘Frantic Attempts’. How did you start, and how did you learn to make films?

After four years of filmschool, Frantic Attemps was my graduation project. Before this, I worked on many filmsets as a production assistent and got to see the ‘tricks of the trade’ from up close. My job was no other then bringig actors coffee and bringing them home after the shoot - but it gave me the oppurtunity to see directors being at work from close. Every year and with the money I earned as a runner, I would shoot my own low budget short film for my application for filmschool - after failing two times, I finally got in. I experimented a lot during filmschool with more absurdist films and I even made a thriller. I needed this experiments to get closer to my own style of filmmaking. I think Frantic Attempts is a really good reflection of the direction I want to develop myself in as a filmmaker. It’s humour without the sake of being funny - a serious story where comedy comes from recognizable situations and relatable characters.


Tell us about ‘Frantic Attempts’. How do you describe it?

Ultimately, the film is a comic journey through a weekend for personal development, in which

the participants seek for answers they will never really get. Their seeking itself seems to be the biggest problem for them all.


Please tell us about your favorite filmmakers.

That’s a really hard one! I really like new, Scandinavian filmmakers such as Ruben Östlund,

Kristogger Borgli, Thomas Vinterberg… But then there is a category of directors such as Yogors Lanthimos, Greta Gerwig, Ari Aster etc. which I also really admire. So many good films!


If you were given a good budget, what would be your ideal project?

That is a really good question. I am currently working on something that could use some budget! It is an absurd dramedy about a timid girl who finds out she is by accident growing a new micro dosing substance in her vegatable garden. This brings her into a lot of bizarre situations.



Describe how you would ensure that production is on schedule. What steps would you take?

Finding the right people, and trusting them. If that’s set, all you got to have is a good idea and a vision you dare to stick to.


What was the hardest part of making ‘Frantic Attempts’.

Having a really low budget and a limited amount of time. As always I would say… You really need the goodwill of people if you shoot a student production, but we managed it thanks to all the lovely people that contributed!


If possible, tell us about your next work. What plans do you have for your future work?

My next work would be the film I just pitched to you, but I am also working on a mockumentary. You haven’t seen my last film yet! :)

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