HOMAGE
During the production of a samurai epic in honor of her father, a workaholic director begins to realize that completing the film could mean she will never see him again.
Based on my experiences of losing my father to cancer, the short film 'Homage' explores the long process of realizing that someone will pass away, and the difficult balance between pursuing our ambitions and being present with those we love.
With actors like Kristofer Hivju (Game of Thrones, Force Majeure, The Witcher) and Eili Harboe (Succession, Thelma) already signed on, this ambitious yet grounded film aims to capture a wide international audience with a grand visual flare, yet deeply emotional core.
MOTIVATON
The film is inspired by my experiences during the production of my previous short film, Cucumber, in Japan. While I was there, my father’s cancer spread to his kidneys. Being in Japan while he suffered at home—the conflict between pursuing my own dreams and the guilt of being so far away—is the emotional core of the film.
The sudden deadline on my remaining time triggered an obsession in me: I had to complete my first feature film before my father passed away. Completely consumed, I escaped from my father’s illness into work, and suddenly had no time to see him. Fortunately, with the help of my friends, I realized what I would miss if I continued. I was able to be present during my father’s final moments, instead of chasing a personal ambition.
But what if I had continued to complete my first film? What if I had been in the middle of production when I got the news of how little time was left? When the cancer spread again, years suddenly became months.
When my father passed away in July last year, I began writing. To confront the grief head-on and create something that could give something back to others, in honor of my father.
The samurai film stems from my love of 1950s and 60s samurai cinema, which began when my father introduced me to Kurosawa’s movies (Ran, Seven Samurai, etc.) during my teenage years, eating burgers when Mom wasn’t home.
Often in these archetypal stories of Vikings and samurai, the theme revolves around the loss of a father, just like in the oldest stories from our Norwegian history. Major inspirations for me were also the mangas Vagabond and Vinland Saga, works dealing with similar themes, which I read when my father first became ill when I was sixteen.
By portraying a father-daughter relationship that mirrors their shared love for samurai films, and my own filming experience in Japan, I present an incredibly personal story, told through epic elements. By having a female lead, I create the necessary distance while also showcasing an incredibly strong female director. Homage is a film about film, the relationship between father and daughter, and how long it takes to understand that you are truly about to lose someone.
VISION
FILMS WITHIN
The samurai film is shot in classic Technicolor tones on 35mm with anamorphic lenses in CinemaScope, inspired by the golden age of Japanese cinema. A bold color palette—strong hues, snow, blood, along with black and white in costume design—creates striking contrasts. The cinematography emphasizes epic wide shots, iconic close-ups of hands on swords, intense gazes, crash zooms, and deep contrasts for a distinctive style. Although we recognize it as a "film within the film," the transition remains seamless enough to keep us immersed in the main story.
The Viking film is also shot on 35mm anamorphic film to mirror the samurai scenes, reflecting Ronja's desire to capture the same sense of wonder that inspired her as a child.
Inspired by films like Lost in Translation and Aftersun, Homage is a film about an inner dilemma—feelings that are difficult to put into words, yet can be expressed visually. The film's pace is calm, and the drama subdued. I want to create a film that gives us time to be with our main character, Ronja, and feel what she experiences. As with my sources of inspiration, the plot is not the main focus; it’s the indescribable feeling that lingers afterward. This is a film that doesn’t explain itself to the audience but slowly unfolds, a story that can only be told through film.
To create a grand experience, both visually and emotionally, I want to leverage genre elements and powerful themes from epic films, giving the audience an easy entry into the films within the film. The Viking and samurai narratives are simple, centered on the loss of a father figure, a familiar theme. This adds broader context to Ronja's personal struggle, making her internal conflict understandable, grand, and engaging.
To achieve this on a relatively low budget, the film is limited to two main locations. In Norway, we film in the vast, snow-covered mountains of Tromsø at sunrise. In Japan, we are at a temple in the north, surrounded by snow-covered valleys at sunset. The snow creates a visual motif that links the films together and reflects Ronja’s emotional distance from her father’s illness.
The acting style remains realistic and grounded, with drama emerging from the cinematic language rather than exaggerated expressiveness. The scenes that are more expressive have a humorous tone, inspired by Japanese and Korean film styles that sometimes verge on the theatrical.
Fight choreography is a key part of the film. The action sequences will be developed in collaboration with a choreographer and the actors, in both Norway and Japan. The two main fight scenes mirror each other to illustrate Ronja’s obsession with fulfilling her father's dream. They are kept short to avoid overshadowing the main story, yet must remain believable to convey the epic scale of the Viking and samurai films.
The film’s visual style is divided into two different aesthetics:
RONJAS PERSPECTIVE
The visual style is characterized by Ronja’s detached relationship with her own emotions, conveyed through a muted color palette of blues, greens, and earth tones, accented by touches of red. The camera remains mostly static or moves slowly, with long takes that either emphasize blocking or stay close to the character to reveal her inner state. Ronja is visually isolated, either through expansive spaces or intimate close-ups, and only surrounded by warm colors only when she enters the ramen restaurant.
The film will be shot digitally with an Arri camera in a 16:9 format, paired with vintage lenses and filters to achieve a soft, classic 'Cooke look.' Camera movements are generally minimal, creating a contemplative, slow-burn style.
SYNOPSIS
Ronja, an ambitious director in her early thirties, is in Japan shooting a sweeping samurai epic, a tribute to her father’s iconic Viking film Jarl. Once a charismatic actor, her father Geir is now gravely ill back home. Determined to finish the film before it’s too late, Ronja buries herself in the work, using the production as a way to distance herself from the reality of his decline.
But when news reaches her that his condition has worsened dramatically, the cracks begin to show. On her way back to the hotel, Ronja suffers a panic attack. She calls her father, but he talks cheerfully about her film, as if nothing has changed. Ronja plays along, unable to face what’s really happening.
The next day, she attempts to shoot the film’s climactic battle scene, but the samurai choreography collides with childhood memories of the Viking fights she once watched on set. As the duel unfolds in front of her, she sees her father’s death mirrored in every movement. A second panic attack hits. Fiercer, and this time in full view of the crew.
Assistant director Reiner sends her home to rest, but even alone in the hotel room, Ronja tries to push forward. Frustrated and blocked, she flees to the hotel’s smoking area where she runs into the lead actor, Kawamura. They share a brief moment of calm, and he carefully asks if death scenes are hard for her, having seen something change in her. But she brushes it off, still unable to face what the question means.
Back on set, Ronja struggles to direct the final death scene between the samurai and his son. Nothing feels right. Frustration turns to despair, and after pushing her team to the brink, she explodes, lashing out at both Kawamura and Reiner. Humiliated, she leaves to call her father for guidance. When he doesn’t answer, the memories she’s fought to suppress come crashing in: the moment he told her about the illness, the short time left. It hits her – this film was never just about honoring her father. It’s about confronting her own grief.
When Geir finally calls back, Ronja knows what she must do.
She returns to set and directs the death scene – not with control, but with surrender. She lets herself feel the grief she’s been avoiding, and breaks down, realising she is about to lose him forever.
With the scene is done, but the film, far from finished. Ronja decides to leave. She says goodbye to the crew and heads home, ready to spend what time is left with her father, finally understanding that some things matter more than even our most cherished ambitions.
Homage is an important part of my growth as a director and will challenge me on the path to my first feature film. I am in the script development phase with Yngve Sæther from Motlys (Force Majeure, Oslo, August 31st, Love) working on the film Dypet, inspired by my experiences as a survivor of the terror attack on Utøya in 2011. With Homage, I aim to create a film that presents many of the same challenges: a personal story about grief, a longer narrative, a larger budget – and a film capable of making a strong impression on the audience.
I feel a responsibility to prepare myself to direct Dypet, a project of such significant cultural importance, and with my experience, I know that Homage is something I can master. And an incredibly important step. It is vital to demonstrate my level of skill to producers, investors, and festivals – and, importantly, to those who make this possible. Homage will showcase my voice as a filmmaker and that I have something meaningful to say – something heartfelt and personal that I want to share.
MY JOURNEY AS A DIRECTOR
Producer Kristian Kvam Hansen is the owner of the production company PUSH, with offices in Oslo, Tokyo, Shanghai, and Sydney. He has produced major projects worth millions for companies like Nike, Adidas, Maserati, Vogue, and Gucci, collaborating with talents such as Kanye West, Billie Eilish, Rosalia, and Megan Thee Stallion. His motivation to move into narrative filmmaking led him to this project, in which he has been involved since the early stages.
Co-producer Mina Moteki has produced several feature films in Japan, including the award-winning December, and also produced my previous short film Agurk, which is currently on the festival circuit, with its international premiere at PÖFF in Tallinn. She is currently involved with the film Tiger, directed by Anshul Chauhan.
DOP Julian Jonas Schmitt, a fellow former student from DFFB, also shot my short film You’re My Bruise. He has worked with prominent actors in the German film industry and has extensive experience as a professional DOP on music videos and commercial projects. He is currently showcasing his documentary Grönland at the ALPS Museum in Switzerland.
Production Designer Madeline Kinney won the industry award for Best Production Design at this year’s Grimstad Festival and has worked on projects for brands like Nike, Adidas, and Coca-Cola.
We are ambitious and determined, and we strongly believe that with support, this will be a high-quality film that can drive further growth for Northern Norwegian creatives, foster international collaboration, and promote Norwegian culture abroad.
ABOUT THE TEAM
Homage is a short film that combines grand entertainment with deeply personal themes, operating on a larger international scale than most short films. With filming locations spanning Norway’s snow-covered mountains to Japan’s historic temple sites, and action-packed sequences from both the Viking and samurai worlds, the film creates an epic backdrop for a subtle drama about loss, belonging, and ambition.
With Kristofer Hivju (Game of Thrones, Force Majeure, The Witcher) in the role of the father, and Eili Harboe (Thelma, Succession) as Ronja, the project gains weight and presence. The film's multicultural dimension – featuring dialogue in Norwegian, English, and Japanese – enhances its international appeal. The unique blend of action, personal drama, and visual storytelling makes Homage a project with the potential to move and captivate a global audience.
Through Ronja’s story, the film explores how, in facing life’s greatest challenges – such as the loss of a loved one – we can discover a new understanding of what truly matters. Homage is an invitation to confront emotions we often avoid: guilt, grief, and the clash between ambition and the need to be seen. The film aspires to create an experience that is both personal and universal, a narrative that resonates deeply and leaves a lasting impression.