history in english

(translation from Google, so beware of mistakes)

Winning best art video at Västerås Film Festival in 1991, was a welcome triumph for fRa-film. After several years struggling with incomprehension panel members, fRa-film finally found a home for their films. To produce a winning video, without betraying their ideals, was undoubtedly an achievement. However, the path had been a long and arduous. fRa himself acknowledges that he before this festival was set to close down all artistic production, instead to invest in commercial industrial film. The turning point was some appreciative lines in the newspaper Filmkrets, where Mystomtefilm in an interview highlighted fRa film as their favorites among the film amateurs in Sweden. This, plus the profits of art video award became crucial for fRas decision to continue. In order to fully understand how fRa film works and why the films look like they do, we must go back in history, namely to the first industrious years that came to characterize fRa-films future. We go to the year 1976. After using his father’s double-eight camera, then young fRa purchase a much sought-after Eumig S-8 camera, and thus began his career as stubborn and completely insane amateur film maker.

The year was 1976.

The amateur film makers of Sweden was in blissful ignorance of what was going on in the industrial town Västerås.

The very first production, mystical gatherings, film up in the family’s summer cottage, with the twain cousins as willing actors. In addition to pure madness, stood out this first fRa film for what later came to permeate all production, which is a great feeling for art and music in harmony.

The next production, Sequens, filmed aimlessly at home with friends, busy acting in front of the camera. There was now no doubt about how fRa-films coming works might look like. Image and music as a functioning whole.

There were also attempts at drama, however, providing that beautiful women played the main role.

Anna Pia starred in the three feature films with explicit act, but with music as load-bearing element. The third movie in the trilogy was never finished by unknown reason. fRa now started work on the form that would permeate all production until the present-day video productions.

Film Du Arth with its playing time of 30 minutes, thus giving shape to future productions. Contains a number of sequences, all built on a musical composition, and for the outsider seemingly without purpose, this form was perfect for the productive fRa, which completely poured out film sequence one after the other. The next few years, followed a series of similar films, Dramyztica, Vadådada and Vadåfralla. An interruption of these half-hour productions came with Nasatureve, filmed in such widely diverse places as Östersund, Stockholm and V-ås. The final scene, where the image burns a’la Bonanza was about to have a serious impact on fRa film. The height of the flames came close to setting fire to the bedroom where the scene was shoot.

It was during screenings of these works that fRa came to know photographer Ante Edelman. Following various location of each other during the persistent té drinking evenings, it was agreed that fRa-film needed a new direction. They decided to produce Avantgardistiska jazzfilmer. The idea was to make it easier for the audience who started to complain that they do not understand. The question is whether or not the new direction, made it more difficult for the audience. The suite was to include a number of short films and a 45-minute epic that went under the name Anno 19.00.

Shorts was a co-production between Ante and fRa, where stills was projected together with film. Casa in pellicola – studio, was a document on the Park hotel situated next to fRas housing.
Casa in pellicola – live, was the same film performed live before an audience of fRa-film themself. The world’s first live film?
The return of the giant hippopotamus is a Ante production right through. Camera work was managed by fRa, however, according to Antes instructions were followed verbatim by fRa. The film stands out perhaps mainly for its title sequence, which is longer than the movie. The only person outside fRa-films inner circle who had the experience of fRa-films productions at this time, was former reporter for Filmkrets Erik Fasth. fRa rang and Erik let himself willing attracted to the V-ås. It was at that time that the famous photos were taken of fRa film outside the Park hotel. Because of the hat fRa wore at the photoshoot, many who read the interview believed that this was a gang of pretencious deep people, who tried to infiltrate the super eigth film sociaty of Sweden.

At that time had a third person joined fRa-film, Claes Jonsson, who was also photographer with the sense of the absurd. fRa came to know Claes in the military and realized that he found a person whose music and film interest was a perfect fit for fRa-film.

It was during work on the avant-garde jazzfilmerna fRa who came to know a composer whose audio production had many similarities to fRas image. A striking similarity was to have appreciated what they are doing. The conditions for the interaction was, in other words, excellent. Since Ante ruled in fRa film on a more public and commercial road fRa realized that we could not afford to use STIM connected music. The solution was, therefore, the composer Conny Olivetti, which at that time found it difficult to spread his sound and music. Olivetti’s first contribution to a fRa film can be heard on Conny Olivetti plays music for coffeeplantage and fRa drinks the same coffee. Anno 19.00 learn about disco rise and fall and introduced a new figure in fRa-films mythology, Mikael Poprope, the last disco fan.

All of this is seen by a mysterious figure, Stappler, which stapplar into the movie’s beginning and out of the movie’s end. Some unjustified snow scenes was shoot in Storlien, and at the premiere, the response from friends and acquaintances were positive. This is not to say that anyone understood what was happening on the sceen. Everything was, as usual, despite the new direction. Perhaps it was during one of the subsequent té drinking evenings that Ante realized what was needed. A script! Of course! A script that tells a story!

The same evening Ante began working on the script that became Popropes revenge. A week later they filmed everything in a single day and the participants did their roles without knowing what the film as a whole was about. At the premiere the film received with great enthusiasm, perhaps because all grasp the document, perhaps because all were in the movie.

Governor Andy in an early role

Work on a new suite, Ich bin ein pilot!, Consisting of the Banalistiska popfilmer began. fRa was convinced that banalismen was the new direction for fRa film. fRa locked up and got the ball rolling as Ante continue called sovrumsprojekt. Ante and fRa-films third Monday, Claes Jonsson, remained in the background and watched it all with great scepticism. The film suite was the most complex, which fRa implemented when most films based on a wild experimentation with the double-projection technique, which fRa discovered during work on Vadåfralla. Today fRa recognize that half would have been enough, but feels that the experiment was a must, in order to reach the gems, that the suite, after all, contained. Two of the films, Whalehunting in Nepal and Lekfullheten, managed to find interest in the Chairman of Modern museum, which, after a private screening in the museum announced to a somewhat confused fRa, that these should be included in the upcoming film festival that was planned, the Nordic film March 26-10april 1983.

The fact that to carry around the Norris projector home on the train, was not quite as difficult as it would have been on the journey to Stockholm. Happy and proud struck fRa up programme for the festival and read that fRas film would be involved with two films. fRas film?

Despite the succes at the modern museum, Ante could not see any public acces in the banalistiska popfilms and forced fRa into a temporary sidings. Ante, therefore, wrote scripts for Disturbed love, a normal feature film, which was carried out without major problems.

Between 81 to 86 organized and participated fRa film in a number of public views. 18dec.81 participated Monday in a rock at 88: an in V-ås. 20 March 82, held Monday a separate display on Bryggis in the V-ridge. 25 nov.82 premiered filmsviten Ich bin ein pilot on the city library in the V-ås.

March 26-10 april 83 participated in the Modern Museum’s exhibition of Nordic film. October. 83, they participated in the Unifilmcoops film contest. 12 april 85, they shared the scene with Twice A Man at Bryggis in Västerås.

2 May 86, it was again time, with Danielle Dax at Bryggis in Västerås. This was a somewhat fragmented period for fRa film. On the other hand, revealed Monday the introspective banalistiska popfilmerna, including on the municipal library in Västerås, while set in UNIFILMCOOPs film contest in Stockholm with the relatively normal Disturbed love.

Clas, Ante and fRa view the display of UNIFILMCOOP

This does not prevent the two-way successful in isolation. Filmsviten Ich bin ein pilot was extremely well-receipt of VLTs Ulla Siljeholm, who made parables with the film Werner Herzog.

In Stockholm, won fRa film with their Disturbed love. Maybe we should point out that fRa-film were the only, in addition to UNIFILMCOOP themselves, who put up. Thus, four people were involved at that screening. Three confused youths from fRa film and a confused man from Unifilmcoop. In addition to the work of the suite Ich bin ein pilot fRa and Claes had written a script for a feature film with the name Gåtlakol, a suspens thriller with Signe Zeilich Jensen in the lead role as the heroine Jane. Claes and Ante were involved as the movie’s villains. Gåtlakol was probably the most demanding film fRa implemented. One reason for this was the riots which erupted between Claes and fRa when they did not agree on the responsibilities of directing the film. But the movie was completed and when work on the sound was to start a major problem arraived, there was no music, in itself a trifle, but there was no one who wanted to do the music.

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The film was put on hold.

Instead fRa began work on the next great epic, Nagowakas remembrance, which will summarize and put an end to fRa-films S-8 period. The film was a roadmowie in fRas bottling, with Stappler as the movie’s narrator, now referred to as Nagowaka. As Nagowakas companion, Bomtjack in evening dress, Signe Zeilich Jensen, onces again worked for fRa-film. Nagowaka and Bomtjack in evening dress, meet up together in the film’s latter part with Mikael Poprope, well-known figure from Anno 19.00 and Popropes revenge. fRa did also used scenes from Gåtlakol, if it was to make the audience even more confused, or if it was needed for the document, should we allow to be unsaid. fRa himself believes that “Nagowakas remembrance” was the final masterpiece from S-8 period. This is the only movie where fRa-films three leadingladies are gathered. Signe who had the great leading role, Anna, which laer came to dominate fRas video films and, finally, Anna Pia that appeared in scenes probably taken from Sinister sisters. The music was written by Conny Olivetti and also contained songs of Dots, Pål and legendary Snaap Hunter Ensemble

After the unofficial premiere of Nagowaka, a rumour started circulating that fRa in recent years, filmed and completed a feature film. This would have been completely on his own initiative, without Ante or Claes. One reason for this may be that fRa-film at that time was divided, in order to focus all activities to fRa. According to rumour, it would consist of a psychological cliffhanger with Anna Pia in the two parts. The film is said to have taken three to four years to complete, mostly due to fRas problems with the initial nightmare sequence. Only this opening sequence is said to have been filmed on both five and six times. One guess is that fRa stopped the movie because of the brutal content. They who had witnessed an early version says that it is reminiscent of an acoustic version of motorsågsmassakern. This early version was shown twice and went under the name Sinister sisters.

fRa-films transition from super eight to video took some time. The resistance may be said was hard, especially from fRa himself, which directly did not know so much, but persistently maintained S-8 films superior quality. A significant person at the time was Per-Axel Gjöres that directly contributed to this transition to video. Per-Axel worked at Medieverkstan in the V-ås and came into contact with fRa when working on an educational film. Of course, the film was made on S-8, but transferred to video for sound work. During the process and in his continuing contacts with Per-Axel, fRa was convinced of the benefits of video. During the same period fRa sorted out some old influences, convinced of the alcohol influence on the creative process and explored various film tecnical concepts, such as tilting, steadycam and 360-degree pans … In combination with alcohol, the result was extremely avant-garde .. Spring 88 the converted fRa began his first video production at Medieverkstan in the V-ås. Video-a fRafilm the production was called, was images set to a piece of music composed by Pål Janson. The images sampled (stole) fRa from existing films and television series, which is then processed, so that they fit into Påls music. The end result was estimated by the majority but there were few who fully appreciated Påls music. fRa decided to re-make contact with Conny Olivetti. Together with Olivetti fRa went through his vast production of songs and sounds, and chose five of which were considered to fit the new video collection. Script was written on the basis of the music and people started to look for suitable actors and actress for the different roles. The role of Arab and singer went to Per-Axel Gjöres. The video was called Any day. It went on the form that was founded during the S-8 period. All the videos were produced for a special videokollektion. The moon landing scene and singing head section was a co-production between Per-Axel and fRa.

In november 1988 participated fRa film for the first time since UNIFILMCOOP, in a film contest, namely Västerås Film Festival. Any day was given a special price and fRa became brutally aware of the dubious pleasure to participate in a film contest. During the party it came to fRas attention that there was only one person on the panel, which estimated the video and thus forcing up a special price, the other was completely unresponsive, but gave way to enthusiasm of this juror. The following film contest would only reinforce that first impression. Per-Axel also contributed film material to the film She put on the red. The video collections name became The little french maid, and the maid herself was played by Anna, who was in the additional three videos. Anna came to be seen as fRa-films new leading lady.

As the work on the French maid took both time and effort, it was necessar for a creative break. fRa left the editing room at the end of January 1989 to recharge the batteries. However, a brief meeting with Mr Olivetti was inevitable and soon the two were engaged in selecting new songs and write scripts based on these. Among other things, they contacted Anna for a new large role.

Anna listens to the ideas for the new film serie about lady Jane.

They planned a series of films based on silent film eras cliffhanger series, with Anna in the role of the heroine lady Jane and Claes Jonsson as the mad professor. The idea of Claes fell apart when this man went out on a round the world trip. When it was short of time and fRa wanted to have such a small production team as possible, he decided to play the role himself.

Recording of the first movie in the series, Peril of lady Jane, episode four-On a larger scale, began at the end of april and continued until October the same year. Despite the fact that a script was at hand, it was an arduous recording. It was only during the editing, that fRa knew uf the filmed material was suited to the music. This approach contributed to a variety of different scenes. Fragments or parts of scenes perhaps suited to a very different place than it was planned from the beginning. The reason for this approach was the eternal quest for the perfect synthesis between the image and sound that began 15 years ago. The film attracted no major successes in the film festivals, but after having been in SSOV was appointed as the as one of the films that got to represent Sweden in Unica Festival, which that year, 1990, would be held in the V-ås. At the display the film was met with a compact silence. fRa himself felt that the audience was completely puzzled. But the reward would come from a completely different direction. Some hours after the display of the Swedish contributions fRa were contacted by a representative of the Nordic Channel (current TV5). They wanted to show an excerpt from Perils in its forthcoming report from the festival.

When it then went up for fRa to Peril was the only Swedish contribution fRa was happy enough to continue his work. Peril of lady Jane, episode four – On a larger scale, therefore, became the first satellite fRa movie. In episode six, which came to win best art video at Västerås film festival in 1991, Ante wrote manuscript to the initial nightmare scene, which came to cause such uproar at SSOvs festival the following year. One of the members of the jury was horrified over this nightmare scene and the movie’s perception of women in general. fRa who participated in this display were asked to give his view on the whole. This was not easy in view of fRa-films policy. “It is up to everyone to give its interpretation of the movie they see. And no one interpretation is wrong.” This is the very core of fRa film.

While working at the lady Jane movie was ongoing work with the other videos for the upcoming videocollectio, fRa resumed work with Ante. The result was a one minute movie, with some success in the one minute movie film contest in Stockholm, and later was appointed to represent Sweden in Unicafestivalens international minutcup. Ante also participated in the production of Peril of lady Jane, episode 5 – Revenge, where he was responsible for directing, and some camera work. The video collection was renamed to Rub your nose with my Eskimo, and despite the fact that fRa himself was finished with his parts, it would take an additional two years before the collection was completed. The reason for this was that PerAxel Gjöres offered to work one of Olivetti songs. The song that Olivetti did concede, was the very much appreciated Gordon from ghost city. It should be noted that this video has to this day not come in to fRa film. The year that followed fRa grope around in an artistic vacuum. The conditions changed when the city’s cultural incompetent politicians changed Medieverkstan. The business changed to something that came to be called a local television workshop for a few years. fRa was thus in the interesting situation of having to pay for editing time, which makes quite different demands on the planning of the works. It would take until January 93 before fRa found an approach that worked. 1992 was devoted to miscellaneous film jobs for a modest clientele. Among other things, he produced a presentation video for the two artists Stig Fröberg and Catharina Warme. Music by Mr Olivetti, of course.

fRa involved himself in LMCs television program BRUS, but only for one program. fRa succeeded, but not consciously, to put such a large imprint on the program that neither viewers or LMCs own production staff, estimated the result. The program was discontinued. Simon Ydhag previously worked at Medieverkstan, was responsible now for LMC video and made contact with fRa for a possible co-production. Simon filmed and fRa edited the material to music by Olivetti. The result, Saw Walks again, became a triumph for Conny Olivetti, when he won the prize for best film music in the 1992 edition of the Västerås Film Festival.

Saw

One idea that has long circulated in fRa film was to produce ambient videos. In January 94 began work on the new collection as the bar challenging the name “Ambient maid pussybility.” What slowed the project was the obvious danger to emerge as poor copies of Brian Eno. To go into someone else’s footsteps has never been typical fRa film, but then, from the outset worked with minimalism, the idea was most appealing. The structural idea was to build the films in a single shot, where the image all the time changed. They had already made a successful attempt with Rub your nose … collection with the part Frog city. Work on the ambient videos came to take longer time than planned. The main reason was that it took a long time to obtain sustainable scenes that would work. In order to expel the time between work on these scenes so began fRa work with a new collection. Working title Erotic Error In The Attic. This would be the first video collection which not only built to music by Conny Olivetti. Old and new songs and sounds were used. Among other things, an unused song from The little french maid collection, Chant for absent lovers, and a very early song of Olivetti where fRa himself contributes vocal efforts. Otherwise we find contributions from Pål, Dots, Snaap Hunter Ensemble and the band as Olivetti started to play with, Callboy from Cairo. As a whole, it was noted a certain spin on the traditional music video in terms of form and imagery. Erotic Error was however never completed. Some explanation for this was given never. Probably fRa was not satisfied with the outcome when the requirements on their own productions grew in line with fRa-films developments that now was faster than the completion of a collection. Instead, work started on a collection that was to go under the name Evil Jam. With all certainty, it was built up by Erotic videos from the collection. Videos that were considered to hold against the now so high requirements. Evil Jam came to be completed in 1995. At the same time fRa produced a video with the name Siberian Transistor Woman. .

Work on Siberian Transistor Woman were made in collaboration with Maria from film sociaty Sandy. A cooperative that also came to include contributions from Mystomtefilm. From the first test editing fRa was convinced that it was a winning film they were working on. There was thus no great surprise to fRa when STW went and won best experimentell film in the 1995 edition of the Västerås Film Festival.

After the Siberian movie fRa ended up in a creative vacuum. He described it as that everything was futile, there was simply no motivation. No production could live up to the high standard that Siberian movie had set for future productions. During a five-year period, 1996 – 2001, fRa produced only a movie. Say Uncle, which is the the only production that lived up to the high requirements. However, despite the fact that the film was released fRa was hesitant and was not very happy with it, it is only in recent years as fRa realised that it is a nice little film. There were a directors cut of the first lady Jane film, where Olivetti sampled himself and reconstructed the sound track, sound for sound, and fRa himself used some shots left off, or who was to daring to be used in the original version. During the five-year period this site was launched.

A valiant attempt at a traditional feature film was made in 1998.

In 1997 and 1998, began a project closest to describe as a mistake for a lady Jane films. This time, it is an involuntary heroine, in reality, which, by renting a video, Peril of lady Jane, confronted with figures from these films. Fiction mixed with reality ……. Story in brief is that the professor’s right-hand, DOM, is looking for revenge on lady Jane, as the professor died in the conflict with aliens who closed ep.6. The only problem is that lady Jane also was killed in this confrontation. Only her legs are unharmed. (What else?) We are now searching for an appropriate upper body. We know that it sounds like crazy stuff, but remember that it is a fRa-film we are talking about. Script was written early in the autumn of 97 and filming began in the spring of 98. When they were completed with the scheduled filming, fRa realized that it needed some retakes. It was agreed to wait with them in the autumn. During the summer some miscellaneous things happened, that lie outside the powers of fRafilm and they ended up with an incomplete film and actress who disappeared. This video is interesting from several perspectives. It is a feature film with dialogue and everything that belongs to a normal film. In addition, fRa cooperated with Ante for the first time in a very long time.

During the process of Tyngdlösaprojektet, fRa came into contact with an actress and plans were made for future cooperation. What we understand the film Legacy of lady Jane was included in those plans. In the spring of 2001 fRa felt that the battery was fully charged, and a very active period began. Much was due to the acquisition of their own editing facilities. Everything became much easier and thus revealed about 10 new productions in the spring. These would be compiled into a new video collection, but other things came between. fRa in cooperation with new member Tom Hell edited Chilly & leafy video, and then we had tyngdlösa film project, during that autumn. Tyngdlösa is a collaboration between the 18 independent filmmakers, who made 18 separate part of a major production. The idea was presented by Henrik Möller on NoBudget film site. After Tyngdlösa fRa film focused its energies on the new movie about lady Jane, Legacy of lady Jane which was completed in 2003.

They also participated in the new collage film project, DDT. The participants made their films, but the project as a whole was very uncleare and without focus. fRa-films contribution to DDT became the movie I die who had success in the SFV festival where it ended up in third place in the amature class, and then competed for Sweden in the UNICA Festival in Prague.