Tuva Novotny’s directorial debut on the big screen has been a long way coming – and 2018 is her year!
Tuva Novotny grew up in Arvika, Värmland, and is the daughter of Barbro Hedström, who after an interesting but short acting career during the 1960’s has devoted her time to sculpting and painting, and David Novotny, Czechia-born director and lecturer at the College of Journalism. Her interest in theatre and music came early on in her life, as a child she both played bass and attended classes in classic ballet.
In Stockholm she later attended the theatre programme, specialised in music, at S:t Erik’s upper secondary school, acted at Vår teater and was part of the cast behind the so called letter-films, illustrating stories sent to the programme by letter, a well known part of the Swedish television show Bullen, aimed at kids and teenagers. Her breakthrough came with the channel 4 (TV4) soap opera Skilda världar 1996, and on the silver screen she made a well-liked debut in Tic Tac the following year – all before turning 20 years old.
During the 2000’s Tuva Novotny has lined up great performances, in films such as Jalla! Jalla! (2000), Herr von Hancken (2000), The Invisible (Den osynlige, 2002), Slim Susie (Smala Sussie, 2003), Day and Night (Dag och natt, 2004) and Bang bang orangutang (2005), with regular appearances in both Danish and Norwegian productions, among those the tv series Dag (2010-13), ID:A (2011), A War (Kriget, 2015) and The King’s Choice (Kungens val, 2016), with a few selected roles in international productions, like Stoned (2005), Eat, Pray, Love (2010) and Annihiliation (2018), and Close to Heaven (Blízko nebe, 2005). She has been awarded several prizes and nominations, and was chosen as one of the Shooting Stars at Berlinale Film Festival in 2002.
Her directing career began with several episodes of the Norwegian tv comedy Dag and one episode of Lilyhammer (2014) in the same genre and country. 2018 brings her directing debut on the big screen, not once but twice. In Sweden she is the director behind Britt-Marie var här, based on the novel by Fredrik Backman who’s most famous for his novel A man called Ove, which was made into an Oscar-nominated film in 2016. Script writers are Maria von Heland and Øystein Karlsen with fellow actor/director Pernilla August portraying the title character. This year Tuva Novotny is also writing as well as directing as well a feature film in Norway, Blindsone that tells the story of a mother-daughter relationship in crisis.
Sweden-born Novotny has long been at home both in Norway and Denmark, is fluent in all Scandinavian languages. She is based in Copenhagen. In interviews she has at times been rather sceptical of the kind of stories told in Swedish films, and has preferred the films of the other two neighbouring countries. “The mental climate is not as uptight and anxious as it is in Sweden” she’s said, particularly calling for “all the nuances between Beyond (Svinalängorna) and Sunny Side (Solsidan)”. Perhaps this will be subject to change during 2018.
Jan Lumholdt (2018, translation by Freya Kilander)
Basic info
Main profession: Director
Born: 1979
Active: 1996-
Filmography
Regi:
Diorama (2022)
Britt-Marie var här (2019)
Blindsone (2018)
Dag (tv-serie, 4 avsnitt, 2010-2015)
Lilyhammer (tv-serie, 1 avsnitt, 2014)
Manus:
Diorama (2022)
Britt-Marie var här (2019)
Thea (2018)
Roll:
Riket (tv-serie, 1 avsnitt, 2022)
Bonusfamiljen (tv-serie, säsong 4, 2021)
The Middle Man (2021)
Noia (tv-serie, 1 avsnitt, 2020)
The man with no future (2019)
Intrigo: Death of an Author (2018)
Annihiliation (2018)
Borg (2017)
Kungens val (2016)
Rosemari (2016)
Nobel (tv-serie, 2016)
Dag (tv-serie, 2010-2015)
Kriget (2015)
Kapten Sabeltand och skatten i Lama Rama (2014)
Afvej (2014)
Resan til Fjäderkungens Rike (2014)
Farliga drömmar (2013)
Maria Lang 3 – Inte flera mord (2013)
Maria Lang 2 – Kung Liljekonvalje (2013)
Rosor, kyssar och döden (2013)
Mördaren ljuger inte ensam (2013)
Tragedi på en lantkyrkogård (2013)
Mammas pojkar (2012)
Anonym Identitet (2011)
Bröderna Karlsson (2010)
För kärleken (2010)
Ett tyst barn (2010)
Lyckan, kärleken och meningen med livet (2010)
183 dagar (2009)
Bröllopsfotografen (2009)
Original (2009)
Guldkalven (2008)
Små mirakel och stora (2006)
Snapphanar (2006)
Bang Bang Orangutang (2005)
Fyra veckor i juni (2005)
Stoned (2005)
Gustaf (2004)
I väntan på regn (2004)
Dag och natt (2004)
Norrmalmstorg (2003)
Midsommar (2003)
Smala Sussie (2003)
Kommer du med mig då (2003)
Den osynlige (2002)
Anja (2001)
Naken (2000)
Jalla! Jalla! (2000)
Sleepwalker (2000)
Herr von Hancken (2000)
Ernst Billgrens Kontakt (1998)
Tic Tac (1997)
Skilda världar (TV-serie, 1996-1999)
Bullen (TV-serie, 1996)
Awards
2019 FIPRESCI-priset, internationella filmkritikerpriset vid Göteborgs filmfestival för Blindsone/Blind spot.2016 Robert, Danmark – Kriget
2011 Golden Screen, Norge – Dag
2006 Guldbaggenominerad Bästa kvinnliga biroll Bang Bang Orangutang
2006 Guldbaggenominerad Bästa skådespelerska Fyra veckor i juni
2004 Silver Hugo, Chicago – Dag och natt
2004 Screamfest, Los Angeles – Den osynlige
2003 Guldbaggenominerad Bästa skådespelerska Den osynlige