The Iris Prize Documentary Film Fund is excited to present its second iteration, aimed at promoting and supporting emerging documentary and factual film talent from Wales.
Discover the journey of Magnus Mork, winner of the 2010 Iris Prize for The Samaritan. He shares insights on his career, including his film Burger, which won at Sundance and screened worldwide.
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In 2010, Magnus Mork won the Iris Prize for his thought-provoking short film The Samaritan, capturing complex human interactions with a sharp cinematic eye.
'Burger': Magnus Mork on Set
As part of his prize, Magnus returned to Wales to direct Burger, an intimate and observational short film set in a late-night fast-food restaurant. The film resonated with audiences worldwide, screening at major festivals including Sundance, OUTFEST, Frameline, and Palm Springs ShortFest, and winning the Special Jury Award for Direction and Ensemble Acting at Sundance. Recently, we asked Magnus a few questions about his Iris Prize journey and career evolution:
When The Samaritan was nominated by OutFest LA for the Iris Prize, what was your reaction? Did you ever imagine it would go on to win?
I just realised this was FIFTEEN years ago!! I remember having a wonderful journey with The Samaritan on several festivals, so the Iris nomination came on top of that as an unexpected bonus. I worked as a nurse aid in a hospital at that time, and during an evening shift I had some missed calls from a mysterious foreign number. When I finally called back it was Berwyn’s jolly voice announcing that the film had won…
Burger_still
Burger is such an observational and intimate film. What was your vision behind it, and what challenges did you face in bringing it to life?
In Oslo there was a burger joint next to the iconic gay venue “London pub”. It was called the “Red Onion” and at weekend nights it got packed with an unlikely mix of drunk people. It was a sort of clash of identities from camp gays to football fans to posh girls. That was my direct inspiration. This seems to be a universal urban spot that a lot of people recognise, as I guess you do with Chippy Lane in Cardiff.
When it comes to challenges, I was very slow coming up with the idea (it took two years before we shot it) and during the shoot we lost electricity and sound, which was quite stressful. But I remember having such a good time casting the film with the lovely Olivier Namet and Grant Vidgen, and both I and Iris got to befriend the one and only Mathew David who must be one of the older siblings in the Iris family by now.
Mat and Magnus Meet Again
Burger won at Sundance and screened at top festivals worldwide. What was your biggest “pinch me” moment during that journey?
Sundance felt unreal from I got there till I left. To me the US have always felt exotic and Park city even more - it’s a town literally in a slope in the mountains of Utah. I spent a week giggling with Mathew who charmed everyone with his British English and innocent smile. I got to have a two-minute chat with Robert Redford who wanted me to tell him about Wales (I did my best).
Sundance: Magnus Mork and Robert Redford
The whole festival was so much fun, enthusiasm, great films and great people. Obviously, it felt surreal to win a prize there, but some of the best moments were in the condo we stayed in, with the lovely (and legendary LGBTQ-film-producer) Lewis Tice who tragically passed a few months later. One night we stayed home, and Lewis put on Miss Congeniality to have a “Sundance-break”. Afterwards we went in the jacuzzi on the veranda and then jumped in the snow. I love snow bathing.
What are you currently working on, and what stories are you most excited to tell next?
I run the production company Alternativet with some fellow filmmakers in Oslo. There I have a project that I’ve been developing for a long time, an anthology film about men sleeping with each other. It’s a very gay project… During pride in June 2022 there was a mass shooting in Oslo where a terrorist aimed at queer people celebrating at the “London pub” mentioned above. Two people were killed and one of the wounded is the cinematographer I work with. He was hit by a bullet on the top of his head, just millimetres from being killed.
That was a shock, and I think it changed my project. We feel less safe now. And the hatred and hilarious political attacks on trans people is devastating. We’re all part of the same family as queers and I think our visibility and solidarity is super important. I’m deeply concerned about the darkness we see on the world stage these days. Maybe this is why I’m interested in groups of people or ensembles, more than individual stories right now.
