Jakob Strom: The Source

Another Film Company director Jakob Strom shares his thoughts on teleportation and being stuck on a boat without Facebook.

What is the most creative advertising idea you've seen in the last few months?

 The world's biggest reality game for iPhone, MINI Getaway Stockholm, by ad agency Jung von Matt in Sweden. It transformed good old analogue Stockholm into a living digital game board for seven days. Thousands were running like mad. Grand Theft Auto for real, what could be better for a cult brand like MINI?

Which website do you use most regularly?

That would be two news sites, dn.se and svd.se, which are the two biggest newspapers in Sweden. The constant update of news is phenomenal and addictive in a way.

What's your favorite website?

Ted.com, you have instant access to some of the best lecturers in the world in every possible subject. It’s a treasure trove of knowledge.

What product could you not live without?

I would say my phone or my laptop. I was on a surfing trip in Indonesia during which I lived on a boat for two weeks with absolutely no reception/connection anywhere. At first we all freaked, every night I found the other surfers standing on the highest point of the boat with their arms stretched out to the sky trying to get one dot of reception on their phones but failing. OK I tried it too. Then the abstinence – no connection to the outer world, not even Facebook... crisis. After a week I accepted it and after another few days I loved it, and then we came back to civilisation and I realised how much I had missed it. So my answer has to be my laptop with everything that comes with it.

What product hasn't been invented yet that would make your life/job better?

1. Taking cab/train to the airport.

2. Waiting in line for check in.

3. Waiting in line for security.

4. Waiting for the delayed plane.

5. Waiting in line to enter the delayed aircraft.

6. Being uncomfortable and breathing recycled air for a long time.

7. Waiting to exit the aircraft.

8. Waiting for luggage. So my answer is easy – teleportation.

Mac or PC?

Never had a PC. Will never have a PC.

What is the best film you've seen recently?

A Single Man. The art direction was impeccable and it was a visual journey that I have seldom experienced. The tempo is very slow and not much happens, but still I sat on needles and walked out physically tired. Tom Ford is a multi-talented guy and his debut as a director… well all I can do is bow and congratulate him.

What show/exhibition has most inspired you recently?

Last year, I did a job in Bucharest, Romania, and by chance I saw a photo exhibition that was out of the ordinary. This volunteer group working with homeless children had, with a lot of heart and almost no money, started this project where they taught these children basic photography and then handed out cameras to them. The exhibition was a collection of their work. It made you both laugh and cry.

If you could live in one city, where would it be?

I love Stockholm where I live now but I have to say LA since it’s the mecca of filmmaking, and it’s full of weird and interesting people, plus the surf, I am a sucker for surfing. Also, my old buddy Fredrik Bond lives in LA and I am always up for kicking his ass at tennis.

What fictitious character do you most relate to?

Dave Lizewski in Kick-Ass (played by Aaron Johnson). Who doesn't wanna put on a spandex suit and kick some bad ass, or get kicked around? Everyone has, at some time in their life, dreamed of being a superhero, but this guy was all about heart and no super powers, so I liked him a lot.

Who's your favorite photographer?

I have always been fascinated by real life and especially the life lived far from our reality. I saw a documentary about the Swedish photographer Martin Adler, who was shot and killed in Somalia, in 2006, during one of his assignments. Adler spent nearly 20 years traveling around the world, covering wars and conflicts in more than 30 countries. His work is worth looking at.

If you could have been in a band, what band would you choose?

I was in ABBA my whole childhood since my older sister forced me to be Björn while she was performing and singing to their songs with a skipping rope as a microphone. Sometimes she even let me be Benny. So my heart will always be with this fantastic group.