Elissa Suh — What about comics? Aksel is a graphic novelist, and I take it you’re a fan of R. Crumb.
Joachim Trier — The underground comic scene has meant a lot to me and also that graphic novels have come into prominence. You have artists like Chris Ware who have created something unique. That tradition matters, so it’s not random that I chose to make Aksel a graphic novelist. Back then you could look into those rooms and hear those people talk about things that were unexpected and strange, and R. Crumb was someone who explored that and was honest and philosophical about being the strange human he felt he was, and trying to create an artistic corner where he could do his thing, and someone could do theirs. Everything was unanimous and shared. I think that honesty about the underground is something I admire. I’m not saying I agree with everything he’s done, but I’ve found it fascinating and learned an aspect of human behavior that wasn’t my own—and that’s what art is about. You see something that broadens your horizons.
—Joachim Trier, A Stick, a Stone, the End of the Road: Joachim Trier Discusses “The Worst Person in the World”, Mubi