Frogner Cinema. Photo: Amanda Kvinge / PRESSET

What’s the state of Oslo’s cultural scene? Who would know it better than the Norwegian master of many Jan Vardøen. Movie director, owner of multiple restaurants, musician and writer, Vardøen spared some time between Cannes’ cinema premieres to talk about his cinema that is currently on sale, the ever-changing cultural scene of Oslo and the immortal meaning of movies.

What makes the Oslo cultural scene special for you?

– I started building my places just about 20 years ago. I've lived in many cities in Barcelona, London or Toronto. Almost by accident, I started building my places. And I’ve seen now 20 years later that Oslo has transformed. It has really become a very vibrant city. And it's a city that I've become very proud of. It's been an enormous change. Before people felt like they had to ask for permission for what they were doing and now they just go ahead and do it. And it's created a much more european atmosphere, which is unusual since we're not that european sometimes. And I think it's a pretty collective feeling that we're moving very fast in a very good direction and no one wants to stop it. And that's another thing about the culture as well. It's tied together, you know? Restaurants, cafes, bars and culture. They’re part of the same package. I think they stimulate each other.

How is Oslo different from other cultural scenes you’ve experienced?

– I think with other countries, there's a such larger population that it's possible to be a lot more experimental – You will always find an audience. Norway maybe hasn't been that experimental, although it has developed. We have lots of work funded by state sponsorships or state aid. But on the other hand, a cutting edge culture has to be a bit uncomfortable. And if it is solely paid by the state, then things can become a bit too comfortable.

What made you want to be part of that Oslo cultural scene?

– I've never really had any plan. If I think it's a good idea, then I just do it. I'm very impatient. And that's an unusual thing in Norway. You know, a lot of people like to make sure everything is planned before they jump into something. I don't plan anything, I just do it. So when it comes to the cinema, it was just an interest in saving it. Because you're so sad to see something special vanish. It was just a spontaneous decision based on feelings. Thanks to these spontaneous ideas I get to be very productive. Because I like things to be finished. I have always had the thought that if I like something, I have to share it with people. I just assume that my taste is so good that everyone will enjoy it (laughing).

Does Oslo have an inspiring effect on you?

— I think what's most inspiring is that an improvement is visible: 20 years ago, over 70% of the population was working for the government in some capacity. Now a more independent culture is created. And I think that has contributed to a more independent way of thinking. Instead of relying upon the government to somehow provide culture, people think, well, we can do this ourselves. And this expands when some people are so successful that people say, maybe they can do the same thing.

“My ambition from day one was to introduce children to cinema”

In 2019 Frogner cinema reopened after you bought it a couple years earlier with the intention to make it look like hundred years ago, when it was originally opened in 1926. What role does the cinema play in this Oslo cultural landscape?

Cinema hall of Frogner Kino which has been restored to look as it did when the cinema opened for the first time in 1926. Photo: Amanda Kvinge / PRESSET

– We are a typical arthouse cinema, but my ambition from day one was to introduce children to cinema. My hope was, when a child comes to see a film for the first time in their life in this place, you have a really romantic, good experience and it will spark their interest to film for the rest of their life. So it's kind of a mission to create accessibility for families, especially children.

It sounds like you didn't seem to be interested in the profit of the cinema from the very beginning. Is it a labor of love for you?

– I never thought that there is any chance of making money with the cinema ever. If we managed to survive, I'd be very happy. A labor of love, that's exactly the way it is.

So why do you want to sell the cinema then?

– The building is for sale, but the sale includes the cinema. The cinema will continue, it will not vanish. That's the condition of sale. Right now, I can’t afford to keep it, because I’m getting taxed too much. And I’ve achieved what I set out to do, to restore the cinema.

But are you remaining in your position?

– Yes.

”I'm fighting for film to be shown in its proper environment.”

How do you feel about the future of Frogner cinema?

– We're finding our audience, finding out what people like, and we reinforce that. I hope that we'll also push the programs for school visits so that school children will be able to come and watch movies. Frogner was originally a silent movie cinema. So I hope that the schools can give lessons on the history of film. I personally wish to have a fixed matinee every weekend for children, but it's not working so well yet.

The idea of restoring a cinema to its original state of 1926 is innovative and at the same time retrogressive, because it represents a reality that existed 97 years ago. So maybe innovation doesn't always have to be forward-looking, but can also be, as in the case of cinema, a return to a cinema culture that invites the visitor to stay, to enjoy and to dive into another world?

Ceiling of Frogner Cinema which creates an open air atmosphere. Photo: Amanda Kvinge / PRESSET

– Exactly. I think we've seen recently that streaming services like Netflix or HBO are not doing as well as they thought they would. The death of the cinema has been proclaimed many, many times. And cinemas always change to suit what's modern. People come to the cinema to get an experience they don't get at home. Anyone can watch anything on streaming channels, but it doesn't give you the same experience like in our atmospheric cinema. A film that you can see pretty much anywhere, but you get that experience of being together with people in a good environment, a romantic environment, both architecturally and maybe socially. That's really what people come for, and that's something I think worth fighting for. And I think that also will be what saves cinemas. It'll be a very sad time if everyone watches their Disney film on their own. I mean, already over 60% of films are watched on mobile phones. I'm fighting for film to be shown in its proper environment.

“Oslo has become a vibrant city”