I auditioned 2500 actresses for the role of Naomi. The whole process took two years. A handful of them got to the stage where I allowed them to read the script and I have never had such an intense reaction to a script and the emotional dilemmas of the characters. Anorgasmia is about a generation that seems to have a much harder time than previous generations in finding their footing in the world of relationships and commitment of any kind. The reason is mostly an over-abundance of choice (overchoice) and also an invasion of technology that forces people to make decisions based on doctored two dimensional images instead of basic and fundamental human nature. This is a generation of divorced parents and fractured family patterns, social media influencers and increasing attention deficit disorders. This is the social backdrop of our lead characters - Sam and Naomi. Instead of examining that generation through a lens of judgement and attitude I decided to take the two of them and put them in a place where they could not run away from each other, they were forced to face each other and eventually face themselves. That place is the treacherous Highlands of Iceland. Anorgasmia is a road movie set in the rugged landscape of Iceland. I always intended it to have a very naturalistic feel to it and my approach was to treat the movie shoot almost as if it was a documentary shoot. There were four of us in the crew and the two lead actors took care of their own costumes, hair and makeup and continuity. During the shoot we all lived together on a farm for five weeks where we cooked for each other every night and made a film together during the day. This way we achieved trust that led to intimate performances. We never used a clapper board and no one ever yelled out “quiet on set”. Our actors tapped into their own fears and desires, created their own backstories and chose their own costumes.

I am a big fan of small indie films and I truly think the world needs more small films with a big heart. Lately I have been endlessly bored with most of the films that are offered up for me to see. Everything feels the same. Everything looks the same. I see the same actors do a perfectly decent job in perfectly designed costumes and every focus pull is perfect. Everything has become predictable. 

What has given me hope lately are movies such as How To Have Sex, Vera, RIEN À FOUTRE (Zero Fucks Given) and Anora. What these films have in common is that they, in some magical way, manage to blur the lines between fiction and documentaries. They are all clearly fiction but at some point they all made me wonder, for even a short moment, if some elements were pure documentary. I took my inspiration from those films, both in terms of the creative and technical approach.

A few years ago a volcano in Iceland disrupted flights all over the world. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people were stranded in airports all over the world. That volcano forced a change in many people’s lives. During the first four days of that eruption, and by a fluke, I was the only photographer and cinematographer allowed to fly over the volcano. My photographs were used by almost every single media outlet in the western world. All of a sudden I became an established photographer with credits that others would kill for.

When it finally came to making the movie I had to get to know and understand a whole new generation and figure out what we all have in common. Let’s assume that most of us constantly strive for happiness, or at least try to avoid pain. The more I look around the more I see people in their late twenties and into their thirties unable to find their footing in the world of relationships, commitment and love. Gender roles and family structures are changing and possibly the definition of happiness. Why are some of us never content with what is right in front of us and always think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence?

Anorgasmia is about a generation that seems to have a much harder time than previous generations in finding their footing in the world of relationships and commitment of any kind. The reason is mostly an over-abundance of choice (overchoice) and also an invasion of technology that forces people to make decisions based on doctored two dimensional images instead of basic and fundamental human nature. This is a generation of divorced parents and fractured family patterns, social media influencers and increasing attention deficit disorders. This is the social backdrop of our lead characters - Sam and Naomi.