Interview:
Collaborating Talents Alumni Linnéa Haviland & Fran Villalba
One of the biggest
strengths of Berlinale Talents is how it brings film professionals from different
crafts from all over the world together, giving them the opportunity to make
lasting connections. We love seeing this is in action, and Linnéa
Haviland and Fran Villalba are a perfect example.
Fran, a composer from Spain,
and Linnéa a director from Sweden, both took part in Berlinale Talents 2024 and
found in each other a creatively kindred spirit, but that was only the beginning. In
September, they completed a joint residency at Sound Art Lab in Denmark where
their collaboration was solidified, and they are already planning their next reunion
to complete that project. We caught up with them to hear exactly how they hit
it off, and how the experience has been.
How was your experience of taking part in Berlinale Talents?
Fran: I loved it. It was an intense and exciting experience, sharing with so many professionals from different parts of the world was incredibly enriching and motivating. I really enjoyed the atmosphere; cinema was in the air. It was also my first time in Berlin, which made everything even more special.
Linnéa: It was like a whirlwind! Really intense and exciting, I don’t know if I’ve ever been that tired at the end of a day as I was at Berlinale Talents! I met a lot of amazing artists from all over the world and in different disciplines of filmmaking, and at the same time got a crash course in the workings of the film industry.
Can you tell us about meeting eachother there?
F: A mutual friend put us in touch weeks before, when she found out that we were both selected. I immediately wrote to Linnéa to arrange a meeting and get to know each other in Berlin. We met at the first breakfast at HAU Hebbel am Ufer, and it was an unforgettable surprise for me because Linnéa brought some amazing spicy sandwiches, which are her culinary specialty!
L: Yes we had been in touch before Berlinale Talents by email, connected by a friend in common. We decided to meet for breakfast before our first event one day, I brought my spicy sandwiches for us to share, and It was so nice so we ended up having breakfast together like that a couple of times during the week!
If it wasn't for Talents, do you think you would have had much opportunity to meet and connect with each other and other film professionals across different disciplines from around the world?
F: Meeting Linnéa in any other place would have been very difficult because our work environments are so distant from each other. That’s why I find the Talents space so wonderful—it brings together professionals from all over the world for a week in such an inspiring atmosphere. It’s a truly unique and different experience.
L: I’ve connected with other film professionals at festivals before, but what makes Berlinale Talents unique to me is that it brings together professionals from really different corners of the film industry. I met people who worked in animation, artist moving image, genre film, features and shorts, across all disciplines, and I think it’s hard to find that mix in any other place!
What was it about the other person that drew you closer and made you want to collaborate?
F: Definitely her energy and her aura, as well as her unique vision as an animator and director. I have always been interested in animation projects, because there are no limits to creativity, and music and sound play a very important role, so I was really looking forward to meeting Linnéa. Shortly after meeting her, I thought it would be very interesting to have the opportunity to work together.
L: Fran is really kind, sweet and genuine, and it really shines through in his demeanour. He is easy to talk to and we straight away got along very well. I wanted to collaborate with him because we found that we share a similar interest and values when it comes to filmmaking practices, and I really appreciated his open and honest manner. He also has a positive attitude, which in my experience is an amazing asset when working together.
What is something you admire most about the other person's work, technique and vision?
F: I admire her sensitivity, her handcrafted and intimate approach to working on her animation projects. She has her own personal style. She’s always open to dialogue and exploration, unafraid to experiment. That openness creates a very comfortable space for creative collaboration. At the same time, she has artistic clarity to tell what she wants through sound and images. It's a really pleasure to work with her.
L: Fran approaches things with sensitivity and care, and takes his time to consider and think about something before he acts or makes a decision. This is for me a really admirable trait because it allows him to really listen, and respond, to the material as a film professional. He has a really strong vision of how sound and image can work together, and in his process he’s always considering how to find a balance between the two. I also really admire how open and willing to share he is in his process. It makes it really easy to collaborate across disciplines, and means I’ve also learned a lot from working with him.
How did the joint residency come about and how was the experience?
F: The idea came from Linnéa; she knew about the existence of the Sound Art Lab. The experience exceeded our expectations. We had the chance to spend time in a truly inspiring space, dedicating 10 days entirely to sound exploration and experimentation for her short film "Before I Wake", with complete creative freedom. It was my first time going through a creative process in this way—working in real time with the director and starting from a place of total creative freedom. I feel that through this process, we developed a shared language and worked together as a creative team, which is fantastic not only for completing the short film but also for potential future collaborations.
L: I had heard of the residency before, and I thought it would be a perfect fit for us to try out working together in a setting free of external expectation so that we could focus on experimentation and collaboration. I hadn’t worked with a composer specifically before, so this was also a new type of collaboration for me. I pitched the idea to Fran and we decided to apply with my film in development, "Before I Wake", and have the intention of focusing on experimentation and finding good working methods for collaboration where our different practices could feed into each other. It was truly an amazing experience for me! It’s priceless to have that dedicated time to really work together and try things out, and have the space for discussion and reflection. It was also really fun which I think is so important, even when things didn’t go to plan!
What does the future hold for collaborations?
F: We’re planning to meet again in Madrid or Stockholm to do the final mix for the short film in 2025, and after that, we’d definitely love to continue collaborating on future projects.
L: We’ll continue working together for "Before I Wake" to be completed next year - but I hope this is just the start of a long collaborative relationship!
Fran Villalba is an italian-paraguayan composer and sound designer, with a master's degree in film scoring and music for audiovisual media from the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya and master's degree in executive film and series production at ECAM.
Fran is recognized for his composition of the original music for the film 7 Boxes, winner of the Work in Progress at the San Sebastián Festival and nominated for the Goya, and has won the Best Music award for the original music of "Peaches" at the SciFi Film Festival (Australia).
In 2024 he was selected to participate in the Berlinale Talents program and became a member of the European Film Academy.
Fran lives in Madrid, Spain.
franvillalba.com
Linnéa Haviland is an award-winning filmmaker and visual artist based in Stockholm, Sweden. She holds a BA from Kingston University in Illustration and Animation. Her work has been shown internationally in exhibitions including at The Wellcome Collection, The Barbican and the Boston Museum, and in festivals including Annecy, BFI Flare and Oberhausen Short Film Festival.
In 2024 Linnéa was selected to participate in Berlinale Talents and became a member of the European Film Academy.
linneahaviland.com