The Land Director Ingvar Kenne Talks About Fractured Friendships and Unresolved Trauma in This Interview

The Curb

On this episode I chat with director Ingvar Kenne about his haunting film The Land, which screened in 2022 at the Sydney Underground Film Festival and Europe's Snowdance Film Festival where Ingvar won the Best Direction Award. The Land follows Jeremy, played by Steve Rodgers, and Neets, played by Anna Lise Philips, a couple who have a life that many would envy. They have a three-bedroom house, they have a busy family, and they've been married for fourteen years.

They also have a remote property in the middle of nowhere which Jeremy visits with his distant friend Simon, played by Cameron Stewart, who returns after a long sojourn overseas. His returns sets Neets on edge as Simon seeks to atone for something that happened long ago. As they head out to 'the land', Neets is left with the children, who she swiftly leaves with her mother - who she appears to have a fractious relationship with - so she can spend some time by herself.

Yet, it's out on 'the land' that Jeremy and Simon's friendship is both fortified and tested as they unsettle aspects of the past that disrupts who they are as people. Performances across the board are exemplary, with Steve and Cameron building off their real-life friendship to portray a friendship that has been tested by distance and time, even though the echoes of it continue to resonate. For Anna Lise Philips, the moments of solitude where she's finally able to relieve some pent up tension, both in a physical and emotional sense, are all too relatable.

In the following interview with Ingvar, we talk about the foundation of The Land and how his friendship with Steve and Cameron helped create this genuinely powerful film. Our conversation does include discussion about trauma and abuse, so if these aspects are triggering for you, then maybe skip this interview.

For everyone else, please enjoy this discussion with Ingvar. To keep track of where the film will be available to view in the future, please visit thelandmovie.com. And for other interviews and reviews, visit thecurb.com.au.

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