Synopsis

​ Blasting technician Johan Grande is a loner living in the small village of Titran, which faces strong winds on a ridge in the province of Trønelag. The village has never fully accepted the Grande family as part of the community. Johan lives on the family farm with his wild horse, Ella, and tons of dynamite. Johann loves nothing but Ella and giant explosions, except for the love of his life, Solvor, the girl next door. Everybody Hates Johann is a comedy film about the exciting life of Johann Grande and his long fight to win the love of his life.

Program Note

​ Johan becomes an orphan when his parents die while trying to prevent the Nazis from landing by blowing up a bridge. Following in his parents' path, Johan gets involved in explosive play and accidentally explodes a neighboring girl into the air, which leads people to increasingly dislike him. With nowhere to go, Johan crosses over to the United States and rebuilds everything by breaking everything down, only to return to his homeland. The film delicately captures the cold yet warm sensibility of people who have adapted to the beautiful yet harsh natural environment of northern Europe. Ultimately, the film presents a balanced sense of the comedic and tragic aspects of life with a keen sense of equilibrium. (Maeng Soojin)

Director

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  • Hallvar Witzø
  • Hallvar Witzø(b.1984) has a degree in directing from The Norwegian Film School. He won the Student Academy Award for best foreign film with Tuba Atlantic, and received a Palm d'Or nomination for the short film, Yes We Love, at Cannes Film Festival 2014. Everybody Hates Johan is his feature debut.