Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso Oscar Sunday with Filmmaker Joachim Trier (‘Sentimental Value’)
Mar 15, 2026
Joachim Trier, a Norwegian writer-director known for intimate films about memory and family, discusses Sentimental Value and its focus on father-daughter and sibling dynamics. He talks about grounding scenes in presence, collaborating with Eskil Vogt, how skating shaped his visual sense, essayistic set pieces across his films, and being inspired by Scorsese to keep stirring the sauce.
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Writing Begins With Presence And Character
- Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt start writing by showing up together daily and treating character development as foundational before plot emerges.
- They anchored Sentimental Value early by casting Renate Reinsve and testing sibling dynamics to shape the film's themes.
Let Production Reveal The Film
- Focus on daily scenes and collaborators to discover the film you didn't fully know you were making on paper.
- Trier credits actors, cinematographer, and designers for revealing better material than the script alone.
Film Explores Work Life Balance From Both Sides
- Sentimental Value explores work-life balance by contrasting two sisters and a father who prioritize art over domestic life.
- Trier uses his experience as a parent to take the father's perspective seriously rather than dismissing it.
