PopHorror Let's Get Scared
The 2021 short film, On My Mind, may have been shot in a record four days with a total of 10 people—seven crew members and three actors—but the latest creation of writer/director Martin Strange-Hansen and producer Kim Magnusson is making a big impact among critics. Shortlisted for an Oscar, On My Mind chronicles the story of an introverted man named Henrik (Danish actor Rasmus Hammerich), who has one simple goal… sing to his wife the Elvis Presley/Willie Nelson ballad, “Always On My Mind,” using a local dive bar’s karaoke machine.
“It’s a sad thing about death, but I still feel that it gives warmth to the heart. I think it’s about losing, of course, but it’s also about keeping. I believe that’s a very important thing. You keep those memories.” — Martin Strange-Hansen
However, Henrik’s musical mission isn’t as simple as it appears. It’s revealed that Henrik wants a video of himself performing the emotional track to serve as a final goodbye to his dying wife, Trine (Sissel Bergfjord), who’s in a coma. It’s his last chance because later that day, she’s scheduled to have her life support turned off. Over the course of On My Mind‘s 18-minute run time, Henrik experiences a number of setbacks, from his own stage fright getting in the way to the barkeep Preben (Ole Boisen) refusing to turn on the karaoke machine for this mysterious patron. In the end, with the help of barmaid Louise (Camilla Bendix), Henrik is able to finish the song and get to the hospital in time to play the recording for Trine, who once told Henrik that “Always On My Mind” makes the soul fly.
Recently, Strange-Hansen, Magnusson, and Hammerich hosted a press Q&A session via Zoom to discuss On My Mind and its deep, personal message. For Strange-Hansen, Henrik’s quest to say the perfect goodbye to Trine is one that truly resonates with him. When his own daughter became very sick, he spent much of that time in limbo. Should he say goodbye or remain hopeful that she’d survive? She ended up surviving an entire year before her passing. Though his daughter’s death was untimely, Strange-Hansen reflected on the constant laughter that the pair continued to enjoy during her health battle. This blend of heartbreak and comedy was something he wanted to include in On My Mind, which he hopes will “massage the hearts” of audiences.
At first, Strange-Hansen wished to cast Hammerich as the grouchy barkeeper. But after reading the script and realizing that he portrayed that type of character many times before, Hammerich requested the role of Henrik.
“I kind of fell in love with the character. He has big, emotional depth, but he has so much trouble saying it out loud. If he says it aloud, then it becomes real for him, so he’ll do anything to repress it. This is just a regular guy, and I rarely get to play the regular guy. He’s just a guy with a real, genuine problem.”
When it became clear that Hammerich was the man for the job, Strange-Hansen tweaked the writing with a “more silent character” in mind to give Henrik more depth.
Henrik is noticeably shy and uncomfortable on stage, even with only two onlookers. Hammerich, on the other hand, is more experienced in the art of karaoke. In the late 90s when he started frequenting the clubs of Denmark, Hammerich reflected on how popular karaoke bars were at that time. It was a fun challenge to portray an opposite personality from himself, one who needs three attempts at the track to gain some confidence.
“I tried to have the words resonate more with him in the third try. He’s actually listening to what he’s singing, which is a very beautiful song. ‘Maybe I didn’t hold you quite as often as I should.’ He hears it for the first time and gets a little misty eyed.”
Strange-Hansen, who won an Oscar in 2003 for the short film, The Charming Man, is also no stranger to karaoke. Recapping how someone from the film crew suggested he sing a song, he said:
“I remember when we had a wrap party for one of my films, and I was drunk, I was happy, and I was in a karaoke bar. Three hours later, people are still trying to get me away from the mic.”
When asked to describe how it felt to see his passion project shortlisted for an Oscar, Strange-Martin said he was thrilled.
“For it to suddenly be here in the super elite of films is just incredible.”
Magnusson, a two-time Oscar winner for Election Night (1999) and Helium (2014), believes the reason for the success of On My Mind is its ability to quickly get to the nitty gritty of who Henrik is and the pain he’s suffering. Magnusson even mentioned that a two-hour feature wouldn’t have done it any more justice.
“We get right into what it’s about, the character that Rasmus is playing. This is the moment where you have to do something quickly. This is so condensed and you get the same feeling.”
As a whole, On My Mind captures something that basically every human being is forced to experience at some point – the loss of a loved one. Despite this gloomy theme, the film leaves viewers with the comforting idea that even after death, the person isn’t entirely gone. The final scene takes place in Trine’s hospital room after the doctors pulled the plug on her life support. Henrik, now a widower, looks out of the window for a moment before walking away. When he does, a ghostly handprint briefly appears on the glass. This is an indication that Trine did, in fact, hear her husband’s pitchy yet touching rendition of “Always On My Mind” and that it did make her soul fly. As for Henrik, he was able to say the perfect goodbye and can go forth remembering Trine with fondness rather than regret.
Strange-Hansen had this to say:
“This was something I was really, really thinking a lot about. For me, that ending, of course, is the significance that she’s gone. But in a way, she’s left her mark in his heart. I remember going through that period myself, going through sorrow. You feel the presence of the one you just lost and they are so much there. I wanted it to be in the film, all through the film. We never see her face. She’s here inside of him and in a way, that’s why we go there and see that hand, which is kind of the imprint of her soul. It’s a sad thing about death, but I still feel that it gives warmth to the heart. I think it’s about losing, of course, but it’s also about keeping. I believe that’s a very important thing. You keep those memories.”
On My Mind is currently making its rounds at film festivals. Voting for Oscar nominations begins January 27.
