Fresh from claiming the prestigious Golden Bear for Dreams, the second installment of his Oslo Stories Trilogy that explores the intricate landscapes of human connection, The Indiependent talked with Norwegian director Dag Johan Haugerud during this year’s Glasgow Film Festival, where his film made its UK premiere.
Haugerud speaks with a disarming frankness about his approach to filmmaking, revealing the organic process behind his deeply resonant storytelling.

The Oslo Stories Trilogy, comprising Sex, Dreams, and Love, unfolds as an intimate triptych examining sexual identity, first experiences of love, and the complex emotional territories that exist between human beings. What emerges in conversation is a filmmaker whose trust in the power of dialogue and human interaction forms the cornerstone of his artistic vision.

“One of the ideas behind the whole trilogy was to get the opportunity to work with different actors that I had been working with before, to write parts for them”, Haugerud explains, noting that his creative process often begins with the performers themselves rather than abstract concepts. For Dreams, he reunited with actress Ella Øverbye, whom he had previously directed when she was just 11 years old. “That was a very pleasant working relationship, so I wanted to revisit her, and see what kind of parts I could do right now that would be relevant for her, at her age. She was 16 then, when we shot it”.

Full interview: https://www.indiependent.co.uk/interview-with-sex-dreams-and-love-director-dag-johan-haugerud/