Experiencing Interruptions?

Figurine

Karin leads a quiet life working at a truck wash and ushering part-time at the hockey arena. Her solitary routine is broken when she meets James, a truck driver seeking work closer to his children. As autumn approaches winter, Karin opens herself to the possibility of romance.

  • Hans Olson
    Writer/Director/Producer
    The Auctioneer, 58 min, 2013 (Hot Docs, CBC Documentary, iChannel, Produced by National Film Board of Canada). Previous short films include: Champagne, 2010 (TIFF, Newport Beach, CBC Reflections), Baby Boots, 2008 (Special Jury Award–NYC PictureStart), Where Credit Is Due, 2008 (Best Film Award–JHR Docfest, Global Visions), Bronwen's Ark, 2006 (Movieola–The Short Film Channel, EIFF, NSI Film Exchange)
  • Kyle Armstrong
    Producer
    Abandoned, forthcoming 2015 (Telefilm's Not Short on Talent at Cannes), Magnetic Reconnection, 2012 (AFI, SXSW, Ann Arbor, CPH DOX, Full Frame, Raindance, Rooftop Films, Seattle, Big Sur, Camden, Cucalorus, Cinema Eye Shortlist)
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 19 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    August 15, 2015
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    HD
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival
    Middlebury, Vermont, USA
    August 29, 2015
    Award for Best Feature Film (shared)
  • Edmonton International Film Festival
    Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
    October 6, 2015
  • Blow-Up: Chicago International Arthouse Film Festival
    Chicago, Illinois, USA
    (Juried initiative. No screening.)
  • Lisbon International Film Festival
    Lisbon, Portugal
    (Juried initiative. No screening.)
    Award for Best Feature Film
  • Miami Independent Film Festival
    Miami, Florida, USA
    (Juried initiative. No screening.)
    Award for Best Feature Film - December 2015
  • Ridgefield Independent Film Festival
    Ridgefield, CT
    May 22, 2016
  • AMPIA Awards (Alberta Media Production Industries Association)
    Edmonton
    Canada
    Nominated for Best Dramatic Feature Film
Director Biography

Hans Olson is a Canadian filmmaker with a passion for observational storytelling. Figurine is his first feature film. In 2012, he directed The Auctioneer, a one-hour documentary produced by the National Film Board of Canada (Hot Docs, CBC Documentary, iChannel). In 2009, he was a Directors' Lab resident at the Canadian Film Centre. His short film, Champagne, premiered at TIFF and is broadcast on CBC Reflections and The Movie Network. Hans fell in love with world cinema when his family started a film festival in the basement of their country home (2000-2010).

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Director Statement

With Figurine, I was excited to make a quiet drama with a documentary approach to production. The cast consists of non-professional actors, including Kelly Goetz (Karin), who was encountered at an outdoor art market in Edmonton. Albert Cseh (James) was working as a truck driver at the time of casting.

The seed for the film was the image of a solitary usher, standing alone in a crowded hockey arena. I'm filled with gratitude that Figurine has come to fruition with the generous support of many collaborators, new and old.

Figurine was made possible by grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, Alberta Foundation for the Arts and Edmonton Arts Council.