Yesterday afternoon my wife and I visited Cinemateket in Copenhagen to watch “Being a Human Person”, a portrait of Roy Andersson (made by F. Scott, 2020, 90 mins.). We have been fans of the Swedish auteur (here the French word fits perfectly) since his short films came out, especially “World of Glory” (in Danish “Dejlig er Jorden”), a stylistical prologue one can say to the four feature films, scenes that do not necessarily “continue”, scenes of fantastic precision, with locations built up in his studio in Stockholm, Studio 24, the building where Andersson lives and works with his dedicated staff. The film takes the viewer to the studio, there are clips from his films, conversations with the master himself and his colleagues, shot during the time where Andersson is finishing his “About Endlessness” – with many delays due to the director’s health that is heavlly influenced by his alcoholism. He is going to a rehab but leaves after 10 days. Money is running out but the film is finished and he wins (again) the main award in Venice.

It is a very honest film in that respect and you feel priviliged to have been invited inside to see the studio and meet the people. Andersson is as vulnerable as many of his protagonists, he is nervous, he is generous and he keeps coming back to the importance of art, the importance of making films that interprets what it means to be a human being. You can’t help admire and love this man!

I remember that Roy Andersson gave me a book that he published and edited with texts, photos, reproductions of painting. All growing out of his humanistic approach to the world and its inhabitants. The idea was that all school children in Stockholm should be given a copy of it, I don’t know if it ever happened.

The films of Roy Andersson are timeless poetic reflections. You laugh and cry. And are stunned by the artistic creations of every scene, in the film portrait you see how they are set up.

Share your love
Tue Steen Müller
Tue Steen Müller

Müller, Tue Steen
Documentary Consultant and Critic, DENMARK

Worked with documentary films for more than 20 years at the Danish Film Board, as press officer, festival representative and film consultant/commissioner. Co-founder of Balticum Film and TV Festival, Filmkontakt Nord, Documentary of the EU and EDN (European Documentary Network).
Awards: 2004 the Danish Roos Prize for his contribution to the Danish and European documentary culture. 2006 an award for promoting Portuguese documentaries. 2014 he received the EDN Award “for an outstanding contribution to the development of the European documentary culture”. 2016 The Cross of the Knight of the Order for Merits to Lithuania. 2019 a Big Stamp at the 15th edition of ZagrebDox. 2021 receipt of the highest state decoration, Order of the Three Stars, Fourth Class, for the significant contribution to the development and promotion of Latvian documentary cinema outside Latvia. In 2022 he received an honorary award at DocsBarcelona’s 25th edition having served as organizer and programmer since the start of the festival.
From 1996 until 2005 he was the first director of EDN (European Documentary Network). From 2006 a freelance consultant and teacher in workshops like Ex Oriente, DocsBarcelona, Archidoc, Documentary Campus, Storydoc, Baltic Sea Forum, Black Sea DocStories, Caucadoc, CinéDOC Tbilisi, Docudays Kiev, Dealing With the Past Sarajevo FF as well as programme consultant for the festivals Magnificent7 in Belgrade, DOCSBarcelona, Verzio Budapest, Message2Man in St. Petersburg and DOKLeipzig. Teaches at the Zelig Documentary School in Bolzano Italy.

Articles: 3908