BeatBoxBetty Interviews Bjork on Dancer In The Dark!

Written by BeatBoxBetty
October 2000

In "Dancer In The Dark," Icelandic music visionary BJORK plays Selma, a woman from Czechoslovakia who dreams herself away from her tragic life with escapades filled with dancing and music.

In other words - it's a musical tragedy that's both magnificent and hard to watch. And it's a bold move for this singer/songwriter. And it's her recent launch into such a powerful role that has everybody's head spinning in Hollywood.

Here's her take on the whole glorious mess...

Photo by Christina Radish

Bjork in Dancer In The Dark

Question: You've said it in the press before, but do you still feel like you never want to act again?
Bjork: It's not because of the film -- because I've always felt like that -- but it was more because being in that creative environment the way the film was, I sort of made an exception [that] once. So, it was because of the film that I wanted to act. It's not because of the film that I don't want to [do it again]. I just think I should do music. I think that's where I'm at my best.

Question: So, maybe you'll act again?
Bjork: It's not like I've got it all planned out, you know? Things keep happening that I could never have even imagined. Right now, I feel very strong about focusing on music. I think there's quite a lot of people out there that can do excellent films, but I get really depressed when I go into Tower Records [because] I don't think there's a lot of good CD's there. I still feel like . . . I get embarrassed listening to my last CD's and stuff, so I've got a lot of work to do, let's put it that way.

Question: Are you proud of the work you did on the music for this film?
Bjork: Oh, for sure. I'm very proud because what I was really into at that time was giving my interior up to someone else. For a person as obsessed with music as I am, I always hear a song in the back of my head, all the time, and that usually is my own tune. I've done that all my life.

Suddenly, to have someone else's songs in there is a bit scary but I was ready for that. I think also because I'd done three solo albums in a row and that's quite narcissistic, so I was willing to get really craftmanshipy. I did 10 years of academic classical education as a child and I was ready to go really anal and [get] into the music.

The whole idea of writing the music and then hooking up with Lars [von Trier] and then going back and getting somebody else's vision, I was really into that and that's a challenge. I think that people that complete other people's vision are understated. I think sometimes that's even a harder job than just sitting there and just thinking of something. I was ready to go on the other side. I guess right now -- and it's not like I wanna get all egomaniacal again -- [I'd like to go back to writing music] more in first person, more one-on-one, rather than so . . .

Selmasongs: Dancer In
The Dark Soundtrack
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Question: What were the parameters that Lars gave you for the songs?
Bjork: Well, I read the script and my immediate reaction was very emotional, so I would start writing the songs from a very emotional point of view, as more of a form of love for Selma rather than anything else. For me to react in an intellectual way about things like that, I couldn't even if I tried. That's not what I'm about. When it comes to arranging the music, that's kind of when I can get slightly clever and sit down and . . .

But then again, that's the part that Lars wasn't interested in at all. That's why he contacted me because he wanted someone who had opinions on what they were doing and was their own person because otherwise you could imagine how many other people he could have hired. My being one of the most idiosyncratic people around, he wanted someone to have . . . So I kind of did the music very much how I wanted to.

Question: Can't you see why you were such a natural fit for this film?
Bjork: I guess from day one, in fact, very instinctively because my instinctness is 50 times more wise than my head, for sure. To start off with, my instinct was going, "Yeah, go, go, go!" and my head was going, "This is the most ridiculous thing you could ever do in your life. It's so stupid." All the people that I work with since I was a teenager, all [went], "Don't do it. It's ridiculous." I had to do this, you know? I didn't know why at the time, but I have to follow my instinct.

Question: Do you have to get into a certain mind-set to write your music?
Bjork: Well, I guess my music, when I write, is always an emotional thing and it just comes to me. I could never sit down and decide, "Let's do it now." ... If you think you can control it, you're just being an arrogant cunt, really, so, if it comes to you, it's not your choice. It's finding strength in being vulnerable and being open from a very emotional way.

I do believe sometimes discipline is very important. [I'm] not just lying around like a lazy cow all the time. I think you have to be very careful in what areas you put discipline into, more like maintenance or making sure there's electricity in your house or there's food in the fridge. You have to nurture and all these things. I would prefer to call it protecting rather than controlling.

The reason why I do interviews, for example, is because I'm protecting my songs. When I arrange songs, that's the same thing. I could go with my academic education and sit down and say, "Okay, here we have something . . . Make sure it's got what it deserves." With a lot of this music, I was in the studio for 12 or 16 hours a day in the studio for a year. There's a lot of hours that go into music like this. You're definitely not inspired. You just sit in there with a button, with big bags under your eyes and a cup of coffee.

Bjork

Question: How did you go about playing Selma?
Bjork: Well, she's not a happy woman. She experienced a lot more pain than I've ever experienced. I've had a very lucky life. So, a lot of these songs that come from a painful place, it's not mine. Some people have asked me if it was cathartic or therapeutic to do this film and it's like, "No," because it's not my pain. I've never felt this pain. But when it comes to understanding or sympathizing with people that I don't know anything about, [I can do that]. I was bad before. I would be at airports or undergrounds or subways and I'd see someone and I'd cry all the time. I'm terrible. Just people kissing each other goodbye in airports and whatever. Now, I'm like 10 times worse. So it definitely provokes empathy, for sure, but it wasn't my pain.

Bjork's Homogenic
Buy it Now

Question: What's it like seeing yourself on screen?
Bjork: I can't really relate to it, to be honest. I'd be lying if I tell you I know what it's like because I just watch and I go, "Blah," or I don't even have an opinion on it. I can't look at it from the outside. I just remember what happened. I know I gave everything I've got and a lot more, so I feel very proud of the film. If I close my eyes, I know all my heart is in there and that's all I can do. I sit and watch it and, if I don't like something, it's out of my hands because I'm not controlling like that at all about my acting or my image or visual stuff.

I just don't care. I always knew that, when it came to visual vanity, I don't really give a shit. I was right because I was sitting there and there would be a handi-cam up my nostrils after I hadn't slept for like a month and [I wouldn't care]. But then there would be one wrong note and I'd be like, "Help!," and I'd be running to the studio.

Question: What was it like to work with Catherine Deneuve?
Bjork: It was amazing. She's just so experienced. She's done 70 films and I've respected her for a very, very long time. Also, I'd never done this before so I [felt like I] was jumping off a cliff. I would go to her and say, "Is this supposed to be like this? It feels a bit funny, you know?," and she was like, "I wouldn't have done it this way, but everything's absolutely excellent, so don't you worry about a thing," and that really made me more confident and, I think, a lot braver.

Question: What do you think about the praise you've received for your acting?
Bjork: I guess I'm very flattered, but it's not that simple. I guess because I've been in the public eye for so long, you kind of train the side of you that doesn't take these things in. I don't want to sound ungrateful but, if these things start to affect you, you'll be in trouble.

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