This past week, I sat down with Hannah Hasseløy and Jakob Skrede Langedal, who facilitate the Vega Filmklubb (formerly known as Vega Ung). The club is made up of thirty members between the ages of 16-25, who curate a film programme for the public every autumn and spring semester. Screenings are open to everyone and membership costs 25 NOK per semester, with an additional 50 NOK per screening. That’s quite the bang for your buck! Continue reading to hear more about this season’s programming and the group’s plans for the future.

Jakob, Hannah and club member Anna in the lobby of Vega Scene. Photo: Hanna C. Nes / PRESSET.

I saw that the group was originally started in 2019, what was the intention behind creating Vega Filmklubb?

- The thing about Vega Filmklubb was that it was originally created by Truls, the head of programming at Vega. I was a high school student at the time and saw the opportunity and I joined the Filmklubb as a regular member, Jakob says.

- We’re facilitators for conversations about film and for the members to run their own film club. We kick off the meetings, help maintain the structure but at the end of the day, they’re the board of the film club, Hannah adds.

What was the inspiration for this season’s theme of “Through America”?

Vega Filmklubb’s Spring programme: Around America
Photo: Vega Filmklubb

- That was actually a collective decision. This was one of the first themes that came up, Hannah says.

- It was THE first, Jakob adds.

- The pitch for the movie was actually My Own Private Idaho, which we’re screening today. We had several pitches for movies and themes and a lot of great ones came up and a lot of them are in the programme right now. The group collectively felt like this was a strong theme and with all the movies that had been pitched, this felt like a natural choice. It was a really beautiful example of how the process works and how they reach those decisions through a communal discussion, Hannah says

What are some of the films in this season you’re most excited for? Jakob and Hannah discuss between themselves.

- I’m excited for this one as I haven’t seen it, Jakob says.

- I’m also excited for the Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense, which is great, Hannah replies. I’m excited for everything as a whole because the group has been so good at picking things from different eras and genres. Personally, I’m obsessed with old film and film history. I talk about it a lot in meetings because it’s really important that they get that aspect and value it for what it is. This program is the perfect marriage between film history and newer work. We have Casablanca which is the ultimate classic, Inland Empire, Army of Darkness, and Night of the Hunter, which is often overlooked. Robert Mitchum is terrifying. We also have newer films.

- Yeah, like Too Late to Die Young.

- It’s a good mix.

Do you have any plans to expand?

- We’ve seen that many, if not all, of the screenings are sold out so a goal would be to grow our audience. The group did just win Best Youth Film Club (beste ungdomsfilmklubb ) at the filmklubbdagene in Bergen. I think that was the goal initially when the club started, which was to create a forum for young film lovers to come together and learn about movies, the process of putting together a programme, because it sounds easier than it is to find the red thread between all the films that you pick, Hannah says.

While we’re chatting, club member Anna wanders in. I learn that she’s the one who originally pitched My Own Private Idaho and ask her what inspired the decision.

- It is maybe my favourite movie of all time. I saw it back in 2019 and just completely fell in love with it. It also made me obsessed with Keanu Reeves. It had a pretty chaotic production. It’s actually based on three different scripts Gus Van Sant had written, and he couldn’t get any of those three individual scripts to come together to be a proper film so what if he just combined all of them into one film.

We get back to discussing the group’s future.

- We’re hoping to expand what we’re doing in the meetings. Earlier, when I was a member, we had lectures on film history from different special guests, Jakob pitches in.

- We also already do internal screenings for members, Hannah says.

- We did First Reformed last Tuesday as a celebration for winning the award, Jakob adds.

- The beauty of the whole thing is that you get to meet likeminded people and talk about what you’re most passionate about. This would have been my dream between the ages of 16 and 25. Even though I’m a bit older than the rest of the group, I don’t feel like I’m sitting in a room with younger people, I feel like I’m with fellow film enthusiasts, Hannah says.

- How do you do, fellow kids? Jakob says jokingly.

The group laughs.

Anna can relate and adds

- I feel the same way because I’m one of the oldest members, I’m almost 25, but it doesn’t feel like there’s a big divide between the high schoolers and students. It’s just one big group.

For more information regarding Vega Filmklubb and their screenings this spring, you can check them out on Facebook, Instagram and their profiles on Vega Scene and Filmklubb.

A Forum for Young Film Lovers