“A Better Man,” backed by Norway’s NRK, a byword today for adventurous exhibits, has a primary teaser, which units out he set-up for one of many main buzz titles set to world premiere this weekend in Canneseries competitors. 

Produced by Maipo (“The Crossing”), which received massive at Canneseries’ first version with “State of Happiness,” “A Better Man” excels – like another of the collection which is able to bow at Canneseries over April 24-29 – in its giant relevance, drilling down on Web trolling, the cancel tradition and males’s notions of masculinity. It’s additionally transient, as many collection shorten, simply 4 episodes. However its points are wrapped in what turns into a social survival thriller.  Most necessary, it’s additionally typically touching.   

Beta Film, which handles worldwide distribution, has simply dropped a teaser which presents the miniseries’ fundamental set-up.    

“Have you learnt what the fats across the penis is known as?” feminist stand-up Stay Steensvaag asks an viewers at her sold-out present firstly of the teaser.  

“A person,” she solutions. Stay will get amusing and actually will get Tom’s goat. For Tom, middle-aged, paunchy, biblical beard, diminished to working in his mom’s clothes retailer, Stay reps every part flawed with trendy Norway. 

“You’re the least humorous PC bitch in Norway,” he tells her on social media after she confesses that she was as soon as “almost” raped. “I’ll do the nation a favor and full your ‘almost’ rape. Search for me within the viewers, I’m the one not laughing,” Tom.

Recognized by hackers after Stay screens his tweet on a TV chat present, his most intimate secrets and techniques revealed – comparable to what porn websites he visits on the internet –  scared to enterprise out onto the road, Tom grabs what’s nearest to him – a wig and ladies’s clothes from his mom’s retailer as an efficient disguise. Feigning to be a lady, the world opens as much as him and he begins to tread a path in direction of redemption.

That street is, as director Thomas Seeberg Torjussen (“ZombieLars,” “Kuppel 16”) instructed Selection, a “curler coaster” journey as Tom, dressed as a lady, suffers a few of the violence he wished on Stay as Stay, when Tom disappears of the face of the earth, tries to seek out him, nervous she has unwittingly pushed him to suicide. 

Alongside the best way, the collection delivers a telling rationalization of why folks grow to be on-line trolls, and the way they may cease. 

“A Better Man” is produced in collaboration with Artbox, and backed by not solely NRK however ZDFneo, .a channel concentrating on youthful viewers.  

Bowing at Canneseries on April 27, “A Better Man” is toplined by Anders Baasmo, star of “Kon Tiki” and Netflix smash hit collection “La Palma,” andIngrid Giæver, lately seen in Dag Johan Haugerud’s 2025 Berlin Golden Bear winner “Goals (Intercourse Love).” 

Within the construct as much as “A Better Man’s” world premiere, they drilled down on their roles’ challenges, the present’s critique of trolling and why Norwegian pubcaster NRK retains on delivering hits, whereas creator-director Torjussen added his tackle he origins of trolling and he and producer Christian Fredrik Martin (“Kifrik”) talked concerning the notable achievements of Norway’s NRK:  

Anders, I feel your function will need to have been massively difficult in that Tom goes by means of not only one however two transformations dressed as a lady and a big transformation as an individual. However would you agree? And what had been the actual challenges when it comes to bodily transformation?

Anders Baasmo: I completely agree, it’s one of many completely most difficult roles I’ve ever had. However, when the writing is that this good, it isn’t that onerous in spite of everything. It’s nonetheless far more troublesome to breathe some life into dangerous scripts. The bodily transformation got here a bit of bit step by step, because it additionally did for the character, type of. We referred to as the 2 Berits for Berit 1.0 (2nd episode) and Berit 2.0 (third episode), and it got here clear to me that enjoying Berit 2.0 was simpler I’ll say – freer find the bodily language and so – than Berit 1.0. I consider that has to do with the character getting safer and entire in a approach. The identical with Tom; in episode 1 his core is insecure and blurry – in comparison with the place he lands on the finish of his journey – and that displays in bodily language, I consider. So, when I discovered and clarified his course of, the bodily transformation got here by itself. And once more; in that case it helps with a superb script.

Stay’s largest achievement within the collection I think, will probably be to attempt to attain out and perceive Tom in a society in different phrases to attempt to perceive the “different,” in a society which suffers from radical polarisation.

Ingrid Unner Giæver: Sure, I feel that Stay strikes from a normal and vengeful (and I need to say, comprehensible) ‘how might you’ to a honest and empathic ‘why’ and ‘how are you’? 

The most important problem, nevertheless, I think was to encourage audiences to sympathise and put money into your character, Anders. That in fact comes with good writing, however had been there facets to your efficiency which additionally tried to encourage this funding.

Baasmo: I consider probably the most necessary components of appearing, and the 1st step within the working course of with a task, is to construct a superb protection for the character. An understanding for why he’s doing what he’s doing. Not essentially supporting his actions in the event that they’re dangerous however discovering a human path which makes it clear why it got here to this after which defend him from there. As a protection legal professional for the character, in a approach. And as soon as once more, the script is King and Queen, as I often say; every part begins there. I have to search for some ‘hooks’ that make sense to me, issues that may hyperlink me – and my understanding of the world – to the character. It might be a sentence from the mom, it might be some reactions, and what he thinks and says in fact. Discovering a path and constructing some ‘flesh and bone’ on that, making a human being. I’ve had a daunting tendency by means of my profession to get the viewers’s sympathy, whatever the dangerous issues my characters have achieved. I don’t know why. Possibly it’s my technique described above, perhaps I’m simply good-hearted by means of and thru, or perhaps it’s my sorry child face;-)

And what had been the largest challenges for you, Ingrid, enjoying Stay?

Giæver: Actually the largest problem was managing my very own expectations to myself. Its such a singular and fantastic script, Thomas is such an incredible particular person and director and everybody else concerned are simply extraordinarily gifted. It’s straightforward to behave an element that’s written so fantastically, I used to be simply afraid I couldn’t ship.

I feel the collection’ largest achievement is give a proof  for Web trolling, deriving in Tom’s case from a way of being unloved and unneeded. When he positive aspects a way of neighborhood and being of worth to others, he turns into a greater man. Or perhaps I’m flawed….

Giæver: I agree, additionally I feel the collection is exploring what it means to be an individual in a society that’s more and more much less social. Tom is especially remoted, however everybody typically has much less eye contact with folks and extra with our telephones. All three characters in the primary forged try and struggling to discover a technique to talk with somebody, to have an sincere dialog. 

Torjussen: I hope you’re proper! I feel being of use, to be wanted and needed by anybody is what all people wants. However it’s simpler stated than achieved. As an city single white male there isn’t a apparent use for Tom, and it’s killing him on daily basis. The sense of neighborhood he feels with likeminded nameless edgelords on-line is a tragic substitute, however the one factor he should begin with. We needed to current an entertaining path from hatred and isolation to intimacy and reconciliation.

Baasmo: I feel you’re spot on. I agree with what Thomas is saying. Getting out of solitude and isolation might be simpler stated than achieved. Particularly in at present’s digital every day life. And I hope Tom might be some type of inspiration, that it’s attainable to discover a approach out of it. I consider that all of us discover out – a technique or one other, in a single part of life or one other – that it’s nothing extra significant than being of worth to others. (As each Ibsen and Shakespeare even have talked about;-)

 “A Better Man” is commissioned by NRK. Yr after yr, NRK is commissioning notable collection and has grow to be probably the most notable public broadcasters in Europe. Is there any rationalization for that or Norway’s rise as a manufacturing drive, now matching Sweden and Denmark when it comes to high quality?

Torjussen: NRK has been good at trusting its creators. That belief and creative freedom carries important weight and feels to me as helpful as the cash they make investments. It permits for a definite voice.

Christian Fredrik Martin: Drama productions are a key focus space for NRK and extremely helpful to them and their trademark. NRK has been good at balancing daring editorial decisions with high-end drama manufacturing for a broad viewers’s section. It’s nearly as if their viewers expects this from them within the myriads of dramas obtainable. I feel one necessary motive why Norway has been on the high of each Scandinavian and worldwide movie and TV-drama for an extended time, is because of a collective and systematic funding in abilities that has been given the chance to develop over time and in continuity.