Roy Andersson
I love the work of Roy Andersson, a Swedish filmmaker who has a signature style like no other. Any fan of Yorgos Lanthimos’s “Poor Things” with its magical realism and art direction should be aware of Andersson’s work.
His films are comprised of a series of shots that involve highly detailed stages built from scratch in his studio, a static locked-off camera, and works with mostly non-trained actors. The vignettes are driven not by plot, but by incident and abstract dialogue. He never uses close-ups as actors are always framed head to toe, and the shots are like large-scale dioramas with meticulously choreographed action and set design.
He self-funds his films by shooting commercials (which are also fantastic and use the same signature style).
Many write about his work feeling like living paintings and it’s no surprise that he credits Edward Hopper and Francisco Goya as enormous influences.
I’d suggest watching his latest film: “A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence” which took 4 years to make and where many of these stills are pulled from.
