Bent Hamer
Encyclopedia
Bent Hamer is a film director
, writer
and producer
, born in Sandefjord
, Norway
in 1956.
and literature
at the University of Stockholm and the Stockholm Film School. In addition to his feature films, he has written and directed a number of short films and documentaries
. His first film, Eggs
, premiere
d at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival
where it was shown in the Directors' Fortnight
section. That same year, it was shown in competition at the Moscow International Film Festival
where it won the award for Best First Film; it also received the FIPRESCI
Prize at the 1995 Toronto Film Festival. His 2003 film Kitchen Stories
screened at many international festivals and was the Norwegian submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
.
In April 2004
, Bent Hamer started shooting Factotum
based on the novel of the same name by US poet
and writer Charles Bukowski
. The screenplay was written by Hamer and Jim Stark
(Mystery Train
, Cold Fever
), who produced the film together with Christine Walker (American Splendor
). The film premiered at the Kosmorama Film Festival in Trondheim
, Norway
, on 2005-04-12.
Hamer is the owner and founder of the BulBul Film Association, established in Oslo
in 1994
.
Short Films:
Documentaries:
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
, born in Sandefjord
Sandefjord
is a city and municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Sandefjord. The municipality of Sandefjord was established on 1 January 1838...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
in 1956.
Biography
Hamer studied film theoryFilm theory
Film theory is an academic discipline that aims to explore the essence of the cinema and provides conceptual frameworks for understanding film's relationship to reality, the other arts, individual viewers, and society at large...
and literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
at the University of Stockholm and the Stockholm Film School. In addition to his feature films, he has written and directed a number of short films and documentaries
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
. His first film, Eggs
Eggs (film)
Eggs is a 1995 Norwegian comedy film by Bent Hamer. It was awarded the 1995 Amanda for best Norwegian film.-Plot:Two old brothers, Moe and Pa, have lived together for their whole life and are content with their daily and weekly routine...
, premiere
Premiere
A premiere is generally "a first performance". This can refer to plays, films, television programs, operas, symphonies, ballets and so on. Premieres for theatrical, musical and other cultural presentations can become extravagant affairs, attracting large numbers of socialites and much media...
d at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival
1995 Cannes Film Festival
-Jury:*Jeanne Moreau *Gianni Amelio *Jean-Claude Brialy *Nadine Gordimer *Gaston Kabore *Michele-Ray Gavras *Emilio Garcia Riera *Philippe Rousselot *John Waters...
where it was shown in the Directors' Fortnight
Directors' Fortnight
Directors' Fortnight is an independent section held in parallel to the Cannes Film Festival. The section was created in 1969 after the events of May 1968, in which the Cannes festival was canceled in solidarity with striking workers....
section. That same year, it was shown in competition at the Moscow International Film Festival
Moscow International Film Festival
Moscow International Film Festival , is the film festival first held in Moscow in 1959. From its inception to 1995 it was held every second year in July, alternating with the Karlovy Vary festival. The festival has been held annually since 1995....
where it won the award for Best First Film; it also received the FIPRESCI
FIPRESCI
The International Federation of Film Critics is an association of national organizations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the world for "the promotion and development of film culture and for the safeguarding of professional interests." It was founded in June 1930 in...
Prize at the 1995 Toronto Film Festival. His 2003 film Kitchen Stories
Kitchen Stories
-Plot:Swedish efficiency researchers come to Norway for a study of Norwegian men, to optimize their use of their kitchen. Folke Nilsson is assigned to study the habits of Isak Bjørvik . By the rules of the research institute, Folke has to sit on an umpire's chair in Isak's kitchen and observe him...
screened at many international festivals and was the Norwegian submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
.
In April 2004
2004 in film
The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol...
, Bent Hamer started shooting Factotum
Factotum (film)
Factotum is a 2005 film directed by Bent Hamer, adapted from the novel of the same name by Charles Bukowski. The script also makes use of poems published in What Matters Is How Well You Walk Through the Fire and The Days Run Aways Like Horses Over the Hill as well as some of Bukowski's notebook...
based on the novel of the same name by US poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and writer Charles Bukowski
Charles Bukowski
Henry Charles Bukowski was an American poet, novelist and short story writer. His writing was influenced by the social, cultural and economic ambience of his home city of Los Angeles...
. The screenplay was written by Hamer and Jim Stark
Jim Stark
Jim Stark may refer to:* The protagonist in the film Rebel Without a Cause, played by James Dean* Jim Stärk, Norwegian pop band* Jim Stark, Vacuum Cleaner empire builder in the northwestern United States...
(Mystery Train
Mystery Train (film)
Mystery Train is a 1989 independent anthology film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch and set in Memphis, Tennessee. The film comprises a triptych of stories involving foreign protagonists unfolding over the course of the same night...
, Cold Fever
Cold Fever
Cold Fever is a 1995 Icelandic film directed by Friðrik Þór Friðriksson. It is a road movie set in Iceland and was the first of Friðrik's films to be made in the English language. The movie depicts the travels of a Japanese man across Iceland...
), who produced the film together with Christine Walker (American Splendor
American Splendor (film)
American Splendor is a 2003 American biographical comedy-drama film about Harvey Pekar, the author of the American Splendor comic book series. The film is also in part an adaptation of the comics, which dramatize Pekar's life...
). The film premiered at the Kosmorama Film Festival in Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, on 2005-04-12.
Hamer is the owner and founder of the BulBul Film Association, established in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
in 1994
1994 in film
1994 was a significant year in film.The top grosser worldwide was The Lion King, which to date stands as the highest-grossing traditionally-animated film of all time...
.
Filmography
Feature Films:- EggsEggs (film)Eggs is a 1995 Norwegian comedy film by Bent Hamer. It was awarded the 1995 Amanda for best Norwegian film.-Plot:Two old brothers, Moe and Pa, have lived together for their whole life and are content with their daily and weekly routine...
, 1995 - Water Easy Reach (En dag til i solen), 19981998 in film-Events:* February 14 - Sharon Stone marries Phil Bronstein.* Former child star Gary Coleman is charged with assaulting a young female bus driver at a California shopping mall.-Top grossing films:...
- Kitchen StoriesKitchen Stories-Plot:Swedish efficiency researchers come to Norway for a study of Norwegian men, to optimize their use of their kitchen. Folke Nilsson is assigned to study the habits of Isak Bjørvik . By the rules of the research institute, Folke has to sit on an umpire's chair in Isak's kitchen and observe him...
(Salmer fra kjøkkenet), 20032003 in filmThe year 2003 in film involved some significant events. Releases of sequels took place with movies like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, Pokémon Heroes, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,... - FactotumFactotum (film)Factotum is a 2005 film directed by Bent Hamer, adapted from the novel of the same name by Charles Bukowski. The script also makes use of poems published in What Matters Is How Well You Walk Through the Fire and The Days Run Aways Like Horses Over the Hill as well as some of Bukowski's notebook...
, 2005 - O' HortenO' HortenO' Horten is a 2007 Norwegian film directed by Bent Hamer. The film's title character Odd Horten is a habit-bound train driver, who is about to retire. On the day of his retirement he ends up in an unexpected situation, and is forced to reconsider his life. As in other films by Hamer, the themes...
, 20082008 in filmThis is a list of all major films made in 2008.-Highest-grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2008... - Home for Christmas, 2010
Short Films:
- Rødvyn Aargang 81, 19811981 in film-Events:*January 19 - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquires beleaguered concurrent United Artists. UA was humiliated by the astronomical losses on the $40,000,000 movie Heaven's Gate, a major factor in the decision of owner Transamerica to sell it....
- Longitude Latitude (Makrellen er kommen), 19891989 in film-Events:* Batman is released on June 23, and goes on to gross over $410 million worldwide.* Actress Kim Basinger and her brother Mick purchase Braselton, Georgia, for $20 million...
- Happy Hour, 19901990 in filmThe year 1990 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* CGI technique is expanded with motion capture for CGI characters, used in Total Recall .* The first digitally-manipulated matte painting is used, in Die Hard 2....
(co-director: Jörgen Bergmark) - Sunday Dinner (Søndagsmiddag), 1990
- Stone (Stein), 19921992 in filmThe year 1992 in film involved many significant films. -Top grossing films:-Awards:Academy AwardsGolden Globe AwardsNational Film Awards...
- Applause (Applaus), 19931993 in filmThe year 1993 in film involved many significant films, including the blockbuster hits Jurassic Park, The Fugitive and The Firm. -Events:...
- Just for the hell of it (Bare kødd), 19951995 in film-Top grossing films:-Events:* March 22 - The Dogme 95 movement is officially announced in Paris by Danish directors Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg.* March 28 - Actress Julia Roberts and singer Lyle Lovett announce their plans for separation....
Documentaries:
- Courage to Dignity (Mot til verdighet), 19941994 in film1994 was a significant year in film.The top grosser worldwide was The Lion King, which to date stands as the highest-grossing traditionally-animated film of all time...
- Norway the Conqueror (Norge erobreren), part of documentary series 2001-05