ØLaben var tænkt som en del af en tv-serie NATURENS
UNDERLIGE VERDEN. Der foreligger pt. 3 øvrige manuskripter, ligeledes skrevet
sammen med Sven Omann, Spillefuglen,
Mappedyret og Livet på Stranden. Der
kunne komme flere, f.eks. Platuglen, Hajfamilien (Lånehajen, Narkohajen m. fl.)
og Svinefamilien (Den Gamle Gris, Smatsoen, Det Dumme Svin)
Den lå hos TV2, som syntes dette ville være vældig sjovt,
og som sagde de ville lave den, men tiden gik og ingenting skete. Sådan er det
med de instanser. Til sidst mistede jeg tålmodigheden, og koncentrerede mig om
én af disse film, ØLaben. Imidlertid er den skarpt satiriske stil svær at
sluge for visse dele af det pæne borgerskab. Det første sted jeg søgte penge
var i Sundhedsstyrelsen, fordi jeg tænkte at filmen ville gavne deres sag. Men
der tog jeg helt fejl. Der kom et blank afslag begrundet nogenlunde således:
det er rigtig nok at de bor sådan, men det kan man ikke vise. Det er også
rigtigt at de taler sådan, men det kan man heller ikke vise, det er at hænge
nogle folk ud, der i forvejen ligger ned..
Ironisk nok er denne film meget set og nydt, og det af de
mest forskellige mennesketyper, og jeg får stadige tilbagemeldinger og
bestillinger, lissom den bliver brugt til undervisning mange steder, så det er
slet ikke så tosset.. og allerbedst: så holder ølaberne selv meget af den. De
har åbenbart mere selvironi end funktionæren… så man må vel endnu engang
konkludere at pænheden, med dens altid begrænsede fantasi og mangel på humor,
tager fejl.
Det lykkedes så at få Novellefilm til at finansiere filmen,
og jeg kastede mig over DR, men den der havde magten til at bestemme der kunne
slet ikke lide filmen.. eller også kunne han slet ikke lide mig!
Nu hvor han er væk fra posten overvejer jeg at genoptage projektet, da
Sven Omann og jeg selv holder meget af denne serie.
Ølaben kan købes på VHS ved henvendelse på hjemmesidens
mail-adresse.
The
Beer Monkey is made as a part of a serial WEIRD WORLD OF NATURE. There are
currently three more scripts, The Gambler, (about gambling mania) The Briefcase
Animal and Life on the Beach. All of them also written is collaboration with
Sven Omann.
There
could come more, such as The Shark Family, The Pig Family.
It was at
TV2, who though this was very funny and said they would produce it, but time
passed and nothing happened. So it is with these institutions. Finally I lost
patience, and concentrated on one of these films, The Beer Monkey.
However its sharp satirical style challenged rigid normality, the
bourgeois. The first place I applied for financial support was at the Health
Board, because I thought that such a film would support their cause. But what a
mistake. A flat refusal, given the reason for, fairly like this:
it is very true that these people live like that, but you cannot show it.
It is also true that they speak like that, but you can not show that either.
This is to mock some individuals who already are lying down.
Ironically
this film is very much watched and enjoyed, and that by the most different kind
of people, and I get an ongoing feedback and orders,
just like it is being used in teaching many places, so it’s not bad at
all… and the best: the beer people themselves are very fond of it. They
obviously
have more sense of humour than that of
the salaried employee… so once again one have to conclude that
normality, with its always limitid fantasy and lack of humour, is wrong.
I
succeded in having the Short Film Board finance the film, and then threw myself
on DR, National Broadcast, but the person in power there did not at all like The
Beer Monkey… or he did not at all like me! Now he’s left his post I think
about revive the project again, since Sven Omann and I are very fond af that
serial..
The Beer Monkey can
bough on VHS by using the mail address.