Susanne Bier

Susanne Bier is a Danish writer, director, and filmmaker. She studied Religion, then Architecture which led to her interest in set design and Film. Bier graduated from the Danisch School of Film in Copenhagen (1987). As stated by film critic Lisa Schwarzbaum, Director Susanne Bier's has an expressive way of storytelling; in which she accomplishes the rare feat of realistically incorporating violence in another part of the world into an intimate study of shifting domestic relationships. We do live in a fraught world of interconnections, Bier makes clear, and what happens far away matters, in unexpected ways, close to home. One such film that exemplifies her talent is “Brodre” released in 2005. This is actually one of my favorite films that I’ve ever seen. I find this film intense and at times disturbing, because of its portrayal of two brothers and their troubled personal and family lives. The changes that these two brothers undergo show how circumstances can drastically change people's lives in unforeseeable ways. In the beginning we see two brothers that remind us of the story of Cain and Able in some ways. One brother is happy and has a family and the favorite of the family. The other is the black sheep so to say, and is released from prison in the beginning of the film. As the film goes on we're invited into the lives of these brothers. We get a glimpse of human relations on the screen. “Brodre” is also one of the only films to show so graphically how the traumas of war can transform someone into a deeply disturbed maniac. One of the brothers in this case experiences a grizzly incident as a prisoner of war which changes him for the duration of the film.

Bier likes to have a lot of close-ups and extensive use of handheld (camera) in her films. She likes to get close to her actors and give us a view from every angle no matter what the situation is. Her style of filmmaking captivates us and achieves suspense of disbelief rather quickly. We almost feel as if we’re a part of the film with the characters in each scene. Being an aspiring filmmaker myself I admire her for her achievements and style of filmmaking. I agree with what she says below about being restricted by a fixed camera position. The story is completely different and more realistic in terms of how the story is told by the camera when we don't limit ourselves to a static position.

“I use it [hand-held-camera] in order to enable actors to move around freely because I want them to be truthful at all times and that means they should be able to move and not be bound by a fixed camera position. I think if it's used for style it's a mistake. It's there to do something very specific.” – Susanne Bier

With a fine balance of compassion and hardheadedness, this movie explores the shattering of an illusion entertained by men, more than by women, of their godlike autonomy, and their reflexive fury at its sudden loss wrote Stephen Holden (NY Times). Susanne Bier's films almost always deal with the happiness and tragic events or despair that effect this happiness. She credits this to having grown up in a Jewish family where the importance of family was generated. Though Bier's credits officially date back to 1992, she achieved her first significant breakthrough in 1999, when she directed “The One and Only” a well-received romantic comedy about dating, marriage, child-rearing, and adultery. That film reportedly grossed a heftier amount than any picture in Danish history. Bier has had 13 nominations and 23wins to date! This is an amazing achievement for any filmmaker regardless of gender, race or ethnicity.