Joachim Trier () (born 1 March 1974) is a Danish-born Norwegian filmmaker. His films have been described as " melancholy meditations concerned with existential questions of

love Love is a feeling of strong attraction and emotional attachment (psychology), attachment to a person, animal, or thing. It is expressed in many forms, encompassing a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most su ...

, ambition,

memory Memory is the faculty of the mind by which data or information is encoded, stored, and retrieved when needed. It is the retention of information over time for the purpose of influencing future action. If past events could not be remembe ...

, and

identity Identity may refer to: * Identity document * Identity (philosophy) * Identity (social science) * Identity (mathematics) Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Identity'' (1987 film), an Iranian film * ''Identity'' (2003 film), an ...

." He has received numerous accolades, including the

Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural ''Grands Prix'') most commonly refers to: * Grand Prix motor racing, a form of motorsport competition ** List of Formula One Grands Prix, an auto-racing championship *** Monaco Grand Prix, the most prestigious ...

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...

, as well as nominations for an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

, a

BAFTA Award The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTAs or BAFTA Awards, is an annual film award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to f ...

, and two Cesar Awards. He is best known for his

Oslo trilogy The Oslo trilogy () consists of the Norwegian drama films ''Reprise'' (2006), '' Oslo, August 31st'' (2011) and '' The Worst Person in the World'' (2021). The three standalone films are all set in Oslo and feature the actor Anders Danielsen Lie i ...

which comprises the films ''

Reprise In music, a reprise ( , ; from the verb 'to resume') is the repetition or reiteration of the opening material later in a composition as occurs in the recapitulation of sonata form, though—originally in the 18th century—was simply any re ...

'' (2006), ''

Oslo, August 31st ''Oslo, August 31st'' () is a 2011 Norwegian drama film directed by Joachim Trier. It is the second film, along with ''Reprise'' (2006) and '' The Worst Person in the World'' (2021), in Trier's Oslo trilogy. The film is a homage to, and loosely b ...

'' (2011), and '' The Worst Person in the World'' (2021). For the last film, he was nominated for the

Best Original Screenplay The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award (also known as an Oscar) for the best screenplay not based upon previously published material. It was created in 1940 as a separate writing award from the Academy Award for Best ...

at the

94th Academy Awards The 94th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), took place on March 27, 2022, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. The awards were scheduled after their usual late February dat ...

, with the film also nominated for Best International Feature. He is also known for directing ''Louder Than Bombs'' (2015), '' Thelma'' (2017), and the documentary '' The Other Munch'' (2018).

Early life and education

Trier was born in Denmark to Norwegian parents and raised in Oslo, Norway. His father, Jacob Trier, was the sound technician of ''

The Pinchcliffe Grand Prix ''The Pinchcliffe Grand Prix'' () is a 1975 Norwegian stop-motion-animated sports film directed by Ivo Caprino. It is based on characters from a series of books by Norwegian cartoonist and author Kjell Aukrust. It is the most widely seen Norweg ...

'', a notable film produced in Norway in 1975. His grandfather was Erik Løchen, artistic director of Norsk Film from 1981 to 1983 and also a filmmaker and screenwriter known for such experimental work as his 1972 film ''Remonstrance,'' which was constructed so that its five reels could be shown in any order, rendering 120 possible versions of its radical story of a film crew trying to make a political film. As a teenager, Trier was a skateboarding champion who shot and produced his own skateboarding videos. He studied at the

European Film College European Film College (Danish: Den Europæiske Filmhøjskole) is a film school and a Danish folk high school in Denmark, offering 1-year film foundation programme in practical filmmaking covering the fields of screenwriting, camera, sound, acting ...

in Ebeltoft, Denmark and at the National Film & Television School in the United Kingdom.

Career

2000–2006: Early work

Trier started his career writing and directing short films. His early short films include ''Pietà'' (2000) and ''Still'' (2001). After graduating from

National Film and Television School The National Film and Television School (NFTS) is a film, television and games school established in 1971 and based at Beaconsfield Studios in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England. It is featured in the 2024 ranking by ''The Hollywood Repo ...

Trier directed the short film '' Procter'', a thriller revolving around a man who watches a suicide on a videotape and investigates the mystery surrounding the incident. The film premiered at the

Edinburgh International Film Festival The Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF), established in 1947, is the world's oldest continually running film festival. EIFF presents both UK and international films (all titles are World, international, European or UK Premieres), in al ...

where he gained prominence winning the Best British Short Award. Ellen Margrethe Sand of ''

Verdens Gang (), generally known under the abbreviation ''VG'', is a Norway, Norwegian Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper. In 2016, circulation numbers stood at 93,883, declining from a peak circulation of 390,510 in 2002. Nevertheless, ''VG'' is ...

'' praised Trier writing, " eutilises the scarcely allotted time and his film medium to the last drop". The short would also earn nominations for the

European Film Award for Best Short Film European Film Award for Best Short Film has been awarded annually since 1998 by the European Film Academy. Winners and nominees 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s Most wins for Best Short film by country References External links Nominees and ...

and the

Amanda Award The Amanda Award () is an award given annually at the Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund, Norway, to promote and improve Norwegian film. The award originated in 1985, and has since 2005 been exclusively a film award (not telev ...

in Norway. Trier's debut film, ''

,'' is about two aspiring writers and their volatile relationship. Released by

Miramax Miramax, LLC, formerly known as Miramax Films, is an American independent film and television production and distribution company owned by beIN Media Group and Paramount Global. Based in Los Angeles, California, it was founded on December 19, ...

in 2006, it received Norway's top film awards, the

and the Aamot Statuette. Internationally, it won prizes at film festivals in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , ; ; ) is the second-largest List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city in the Netherlands after the national capital of Amsterdam. It is in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of South Holland, part of the North S ...

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

, and

Karlovy Vary Karlovy Vary (; , formerly also spelled ''Carlsbad'' in English) is a spa town, spa city in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 49,000 inhabitants. It is located at the confluence of the Ohře and Teplá (river), Teplá ri ...

. Trier was named one of ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

s "10 Directors to Watch" in 2007.

2011–present: Breakthrough and acclaim

Trier gained prominence for his Norwegian drama film ''

'' (2011). His sophomore effort as a director, revolves around one day in the life of Anders ( Anders Danielsen Lie), a recovering drug addict who catches up with old friends in Oslo. The film premiered in the

Un Certain Regard (; 'A Certain Glance') is a section of the Cannes Film Festival's official selection. It is run at the Debussy, parallel to the competition for the . This section was introduced in 1978 by Gilles Jacob. The section presents 20 films with unusua ...

section at the

2011 Cannes Film Festival The 64th Cannes Film Festival took place from 11 to 22 May 2011. American actor Robert De Niro served as the president of the jury for the main competition. American filmmaker Terrence Malick won the Palme d'Or, the festival's top prize, for t ...

. The film is regarded as an adaptation of the

Pierre Drieu La Rochelle Pierre Eugène Drieu La Rochelle (; 3 January 1893 – 15 March 1945) was a French writer of novels, short stories, and political essays. He was born, lived and died in Paris. Drieu La Rochelle became a proponent of French fascism in the 1930 ...

novel ''

Will O' the Wisp Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...

'' (1931) and

Louis Malle Louis Marie Malle (; 30 October 1932 – 23 November 1995) was a French film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in both French cinema and Hollywood. Described as "eclectic" and "a filmmaker difficult to pin down", Malle made document ...

's ''

The Fire Within ''The Fire Within'' (, ; "The Manic Fire" or "Will-O'-the-Wisp") is a 1963 drama film written and directed by Louis Malle. It is based on the 1931 novel ''Will O' the Wisp'' by Pierre Drieu La Rochelle, which was inspired by the life of poet ...

'' (1963). It received critical acclaim and awards and was featured on several critics' 2012 Top 10 lists.

A.O. Scott Anthony Oliver Scott (born July 10, 1966) is an American journalist and cultural critic, known for his film and literary criticism. After starting his career at ''The New York Review of Books'', ''Variety'', and ''Slate'', he began writing film ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' declared it a "perfectly linear story that bristles with suspense and ambiguity". Trier was named as one of the jury members for the "Cinéfondation" and short-film sections of the

2014 Cannes Film Festival The 67th Cannes Film Festival took place from 14 to 25 May 2014. New Zealand filmmaker Jane Campion was the head of the jury for the main competition. French actor Lambert Wilson hosted the opening and closing ceremonies. Turkish filmmaker Nuri ...

. In 2015, Trier directed the English-language film ''Louder Than Bombs'', starring

Jesse Eisenberg Jesse Adam Eisenberg ( ; born October 5, 1983) is an American actor, filmmaker, and playwright. Recognized for playing smart but awkward characters in both comedies and dramas, his accolades include a British Academy Film Award and nominati ...

Gabriel Byrne Gabriel James Byrne (born 12 May 1950) is an Irish actor. He has received a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for a Grammy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Tony Awards. Byrne was awarded the Irish Film and Television Academy L ...

, and

Isabelle Huppert Isabelle Anne Madeleine Huppert (; born 16 March 1953) is a French actress. Known for her portrayals of cold, austere women devoid of morality, she is considered one of the greatest actresses of her generation. With 16 nominations and two win ...

. It was selected to compete for the

Palme d'Or The (; ) is the highest prize awarded to the director of the Best Feature Film of the Official Competition at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festiv ...

at the

2015 Cannes Film Festival The 68th Cannes Film Festival took place from 13 to 24 May 2015. Coen brothers, Ethan and Joel Coen were the Co-Presidents of the Jury for the main competition, marking the first time that two people co-chaired the jury. Since the Coen brothers ...

where it received positive reviews with acclaim for its leading performance from Huppert. His fourth feature, the

supernatural Supernatural phenomena or entities are those beyond the Scientific law, laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin 'above, beyond, outside of' + 'nature'. Although the corollary term "nature" has had multiple meanin ...

horror-

romance Romance may refer to: Common meanings * Romance (love), emotional attraction towards another person and the courtship behaviors undertaken to express the feelings ** Romantic orientation, the classification of the sex or gender with which a pers ...

''Thelma'', screened at the

2017 Toronto International Film Festival The 42nd annual Toronto International Film Festival was held from September 7 to 17, 2017. There were fourteen programs, with the Vanguard and City to City programs both being retired from previous years, with the total number of films down by ...

to positive reviews. Andrew Barber of ''

'' praised the film describing it as an, "unnervingly effective slow-burn, and those with the patience for Trier’s patient accumulation of detail will find it pays off in unexpected ways." It was selected as the Norwegian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the

90th Academy Awards The 90th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2017, and took place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. The ceremony was held on March 4, ...

, held in 2018. In 2018, he co-directed, with his brother, Emil, a 55-minute documentary, '' The Other Munch'', featuring the writer

Karl Ove Knausgård Karl Ove Knausgård (; born 6 December 1968) is a Norwegian author. He became known worldwide for a series of six autobiographical novels titled '' My Struggle'' (''Min Kamp''). ''The Wall Street Journal'' has described him as "one of the 21st c ...

curating, with Kari Brandtzæg, ''To the Forest'', an exhibition of paintings by

Edvard Munch Edvard Munch ( ; ; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter. His 1893 work ''The Scream'' has become one of Western art's most acclaimed images. His childhood was overshadowed by illness, bereavement and the dread of inher ...

Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...

Munch Museum Munch Museum (), marketed as Munch (stylised in all caps) since 2020, is an art museum in Bjørvika, Oslo, Norway dedicated to the life and works of the Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. The museum was originally located at Tøyen, which was opene ...

. Trier and Knausgård visit locations from Munch's life, discuss his works, themes, obsessions, and process. The Trier brothers connect Knausgård's unorthodox interpretation of Munch to Knausgård's literary works, in a portrait of both artists.

stated "When I was invited to curate the exhibition, I proposed that we make a film to coincide with it." Also in 2018, Trier served as the Jury President of the

Critics' Week Critics' Week (), until 2008 called International Critics' Week ('), is a parallel section to the Cannes Film Festival organized by the French Syndicate of Cinema Critics. History Critics' week was created in 1962, after the French Syndicate of ...

section at the

2018 Cannes Film Festival The 71st annual Cannes Film Festival took place from 8 to 19 May 2018. Australian actress Cate Blanchett served as jury president for the main competition. Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda won the ''Palme d'Or'', the festival's top prize, fo ...

. In June 2018, Trier was invited to become a member of the

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., with the stated goal of adva ...

. On July 7, 2021, '' The Worst Person in the World'' premiered to high acclaim competing for the

at the

2021 Cannes Film Festival The 74th annual Cannes Film Festival took place from 6 to 17 July 2021, after having been originally scheduled from 11 to 22 May 2021. American filmmaker Spike Lee was invited to be the president of the jury for the main competition for the fes ...

, where star

Renate Reinsve Renate Reinsve (; born 24 November 1987) is a Norwegian actress. She made her film debut in the Joachim Trier film ''Oslo, August 31st'' (2011). Her breakout role came in Trier's romantic drama ''The Worst Person in the World (film), The Worst Pe ...

won the

Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress The Best Actress Award () is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival since 1946. It is given to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance and chosen by the jury from the films in official competition slate at the festival. A ...

. Jordan Mintzer of ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' praised Trier's ability as a director writing "More than ever, Trier reveals how well he can keep shifting tones and emotional arcs without losing any narrative momentum." The film was nominated for the

Academy Award for Best International Feature Film The Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (known as Best Foreign Language Film prior to 2020) is one of the Academy Awards handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to a ...

and Trier himself earned a nomination for the

Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award (also known as an Oscar) for the best screenplay not based upon previously published material. It was created in 1940 as a separate writing award from the Academy Award for Best ...

at the

Upcoming projects

Joachim Trier awardee interview at 2025 Cannes Film Festival

In 2023 it was announced that Trier would reunite with actor

for his next film, '' Sentimental Value'', a family drama that subsequently began filming in Norway. The film was screened at the

2025 Cannes Film Festival The 78th annual Cannes Film Festival took place from 13 to 24 May 2025. French actress Juliette Binoche served as jury president for the main competition. Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi won the Palme d'Or, the festival's top prize, for the drama ...

, where it won the

Influences

In 2012, Trier participated in the Sight & Sound critics' poll where he listed his 10 favorite films in alphabetical order: * '' 2001: A Space Odyssey'' (USA, 1968) * ''

8½ ''8½'' ( ) is a 1963 Italian avant-garde arthouse comedy-drama film co-written and directed by Federico Fellini. The metafictional narrative centers on famous Italian film director Guido Anselmi ( Marcello Mastroianni) who suffers from writer ...

'' (Italy, 1963) * ''

Annie Hall ''Annie Hall'' is a 1977 American satirical romantic comedy-drama film directed by Woody Allen from a screenplay written by Allen and Marshall Brickman, and produced by Allen's manager, Charles H. Joffe. The film stars Allen as Alvy Singer ...

'' (USA, 1977) * Bresson's entire oeuvre * '' Goodfellas'' (USA, 1990) * ''

Hiroshima Mon Amour (, lit. , ) is a 1959 romantic drama film directed by French director Alain Resnais and written by French author Marguerite Duras. Resnais' first feature-length work, it was a co-production between France and Japan, and documents a series o ...

'' (France, 1959) * ''

Mirror A mirror, also known as a looking glass, is an object that Reflection (physics), reflects an image. Light that bounces off a mirror forms an image of whatever is in front of it, which is then focused through the lens of the eye or a camera ...

'' (Soviet Union, 1974) * ''

La notte ''La Notte'' (; ) is a 1961 drama film co-written and directed by Michelangelo Antonioni and starring Marcello Mastroianni, Jeanne Moreau and Monica Vitti. Filmed on location in Milan, the film depicts a single day and night in the lives of a ...

'' (Italy, 1961) * ''

Persona A persona (plural personae or personas) is a strategic mask of identity in public, the public image of one's personality, the social role that one adopts, or simply a fictional Character (arts), character. It is also considered "an intermediary ...

'' (Sweden, 1966) * ''

Vertigo Vertigo is a condition in which a person has the sensation that they are moving, or that objects around them are moving, when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. It may be associated with nausea, vomiting, perspira ...

'' (USA, 1958)

Filmography

Feature films

Documentaries

Short films

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Trier, Joachim 1974 births Alumni of the National Film and Television School Film directors from Copenhagen Living people Norwegian expatriates in Denmark Norwegian expatriates in England Norwegian film directors Norwegian screenwriters Male screenwriters