– Now this is getting a bit personal.
The Labor Party politician from Bergen stands just below the iconic Hollywood sign in Los Angeles’ sun-drenched, palm-clad mountainsides.
She is here to follow the Oscars, which take place on the night of Monday Norwegian time.
For the first time in history, Norway has been nominated for a total of eleven Oscars – nine of them for director Joachim Trier‘s Oslo family drama “Affeksjonsverdi”.
– It is an enormous recognition of the artistry, and a great and historic moment for Norwegian film, she says to VG.
The Norwegian Oscar stars in Hollywood: – It’s a bit absurd
Jaffery will be the first Norwegian minister of culture to get a seat inside the hall itself in the Dolby Theatre, and she is on the guest list for the prestigious after-party at the Oscars Governors Ball.
The dress is ready (Norwegian design, white with glitter and glam), expectations are high – and the politician’s heart is bursting with pride at being able to be the head of Norwegian film these days.
But privately, Jaffery is going through a difficult time. And that is where the Oscars and her own life meet.
Awakens bad feelings
Table of Contents
When VG asks which moment in “Affeksjonsverdi” hit her the most, which she remembers best, it evokes strong emotions that she was not prepared for during the interview.
– It is in the scene when Nora and Agnes are together and cry over the bed.
Jaffery has tears in his eyes.
– I lost my mother a little while ago.
Jaffery says that the mother was mentally ill. She died aged 65 on 20 January. Mental health was not the reason for her passing.
After the death, Jaffery shared this post on Instagram with a photo of himself as a baby with his mother:
“Today you left us, mother. Your life was shrouded in darkness. A darkness I got to know early on. I can remember from childhood that I tried to comfort you when you were depressed, I didn’t understand what this was just that you were inconsolable. Life with you as a mother was not easy,” wrote a candid Jaffery.
The scene “everyone” is talking about
The scene in “Affeksjonsverdi” with the sisters Nora and Agnes, played by Renate Reinsve and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas (both nominated for an Oscar for their role interpretation), has become a topic of conversation among many.
Nora has a lot of anxiety and emotional baggage, and her little sister Agnes is worried.
– When I start thinking about that scene, how scared she was for her sister…, says Jaffery.
– Is it something you recognize?
– Yes.
– I think many people are familiar with it
Jaffery is given a tissue by one of the counselors, who is with her in Los Angeles.
She wipes her tears, puts on sunglasses, and pulls herself together a bit.
– This proves what films mean to people. The reason it creates excitement is that people have lived a life. That scene is very powerful for me. She tells how afraid she is for her sister. I think it’s something many people know, that feeling of being worried about a family member.
Jaffery says she saw the film before her mother died. When she thinks back to the film, she experiences the scene as even stronger.
14 years and at the cinema
The Minister of Culture says she has always been interested in film. But when she was growing up, the family could not afford to go to the cinema. The parents are originally from Pakistan, and immigrated to Norway in the late 1970s.
The first time Jaffery went to the cinema, she was 14 years old.
The year was 1993 and the film was called “Benny & Joon”, with Johnny Depp in one of the main roles.
It was a friend’s birthday, who had invited three birthday guests.
Jaffery was captured.
– It was magical. It is an absolutely fantastic world. I have always liked going to the cinema and always liked watching movies. It is a very large part of my life, she says to VG.
Stellan Skarsgård to VG: Refuses to give Trump attention during the Oscars
– That’s where the power lies
Jaffery is concerned with the sense of belonging that film can create.
– People think that a film is just a film, that it’s something we make. That music is just something we play. But it is much, much bigger than that.
– It creates emotions in people’s lives. It gives people a sense of belonging. It can scare you. It can make you happy. It can make you drunk. Therein lies the power of art, believes the Minister of Culture.
WC gold or Oscar win?
Jaffery’s boss, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, made headlines recently when he said that Norwegian football is more important than film. The statement came in connection with a question about extended serving time during the football World Cup.
Afterwards, Oscar nominee Joachim Trier criticized the prime minister in a text message, in which he wrote that film is one of Norway’s most important exports and that he hoped Støre was joking.
– What is more important: That Norway wins the Oscar or the football World Cup? asks VG Jaffery in Hollywood.
– I cheer for football and I cheer for the film. I’m going to the World Cup and I’m here now to cheer them on. Both parts are very important to us, replies the Brann supporter, who does not want to rank the two.
DKK 60 million
In any case, the government via the film support scheme has spent large sums on Norway’s Oscar hopes:
- The Norwegian state has spent NOK 34.2 million to support the production and marketing of “Affeksjonsverdi”.
- 26.7 million tax kroner have gone to the film “The Ugly Stepsister”, which is an Oscar nominee for best hair and make-up.
Over NOK 60 million for two Norwegian films. Was it worth it?
– Yes, the Minister of Culture replies matter-of-factly.
– “Affections value” and “The ugly stepsister” have carried out the artistic and cultural political mission with great brilliance.
At the same time, she understands that the Norwegian film industry wants more – more support and more stable incentive schemes, which Jaffery says the government is working to put in place.
