Among the first to use intimacy coordinator in Norway – NRK Kultur og underholdning

– I think it was necessary. I think it made us both feel very safe on set. That’s what 16-year-old Ebba Lindgren says. She and 15-year-old Hauk Hellestveit Hannemann play Sofie and Leo in the NRK series «Like me». In the new season, Sofie and Leo meet each other at a party, and they have sex for the first time. The background for the season is a sexual debut, and the series wants to show how small and lonely it can be – in stark contrast to what children and young people see in porn. – Many young people learn about sex from porn. We thought it was important to show what it is like to have sex for the first time in a more realistic way, says screenwriter and director Anne Wisløff. Photo: Oda Elise Svelstad / NRK Advanced sex scenes It was in this connection that the production chose to bring in an intimacy coordinator – from Sweden – to make the young shooters safe and comfortable enough to carry out such a scene. According to intimacy coordinator Malin B. Erikson, the “Like me” production is among the first in Norway to use intimacy coordinator. – I think it is necessary that there is a coordinator on this production considering that the shooters are so young, she says. Malin B. Erikson is the intimacy coordinator. She thinks “Like me” should be praised for being among the first to use intimacy coordinator in Norway. Photo: Riksteatern Ebba and Hauk were only 15 years old during the recording. – In addition to the fact that they are very young, there were also advanced sex scenes that were to be played out. Precisely because it is about how small it can be, Wisløff says. – To secure both them and me, it was important to have an intimacy coordinator who could take care of setting boundaries and questions about nudity. That way I could focus on the game deira, the emotions in the scene and the technicalities around, she adds. – We were shocked According to the shooters, such a scene can put you in a vulnerable position, something Lindgren and Hellestveit knew when they first read the script. “I think we were both a little shocked. I felt a lot of emotions, and was excited about how it would feel to be exposed in that way. – Ebba Lindgren Hauk was also excited and nervous, and thought a lot about the scene they were going to record. – We are young, and there are few youth series that go so in depth on sex. Together with intimacy coordinator Malin B. Erikson, they were confident in what they were going to do. They had several conversations in advance to find out what they were comfortable with and not. They carried out a simulated sex scene, but the choreography was set up so that the sex scene would look as real as possible. At the same time, it took care of the shooters. “It’s a lot about planning, and being safe. She was there to help us say where our boundaries go. Controversial role The use of an intimacy coordinator has been debated. Some directors believe that such a coordinator undermined their role. Although it is becoming more and more common in international productions, such as in the Bridgerton series, the Nordic countries are lagging behind. Malin B. Erikson believes that much of the skepticism is about not knowing or understanding what an intimacy coordinator is. – We are there to help the director fulfill his vision, but also make sure that it happens within the actors’ boundaries. I have never received negative feedback from directors, she says. Win-win situation She receives support from Knut Alfsen. He is a member of the Norwegian Actors’ Association. Photo: Oda Elise Svelstad / NRK – If you want to make an explosion on a film set, you use a pyrotechnician without thinking of it as an insult to the director. – Having someone who can focus on the intimate, while the director can focus on the film technical is a win-win situation. Therefore, I do not fully understand the opposition. He thinks it was a good idea for NRK to use an intimacy coordinator. – I think it makes sense. When the shooters are so young, it is especially important that they get help to express where they set boundaries. Recommend to other screenwriters and director Anne Wisløff recommends others in the industry to use a coordinator if they have young shooters with them. – Otherwise I would have asked the shooters who will participate in these scenes. Because it’s about making the shooters feel safe. Ebba Lindgren and Hauk Hannemann agree. – It is still a very difficult job to perform such scenes. A coordinator may be necessary for most people, especially when one is young, says Hauk. This year’s season of Like Me is about a sexual debut, among other things. Hauk Hellestveit Hannemann and Ebba Lindgren play the main roles Leo and Sofie. Photo: NRK



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