Actor Sven Nordin talks about colleagues and an industry that has been through a tough time over the past year.
Earlier in December, the government introduced new ones coronavirus measures in order to be able to curb the large increase in infection in connection with the omicron variant. The most stringent measures have been introduced in Oslo, and include the use of bandages and the one-meter rule.
For the sake of both infection control and the new measures, most cultural services have found themselves forced to cancel their current and future plans, as it is not possible to fulfill the measures that are requested.
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The fear of a new shutdown is contributing to problems for the cultural industry, and many are now worried that it could cause lasting damage.
TV and theater actor Sven Nordin (64), who will soon make a comeback on the TV screen in the new season of “Wisting”, has himself experienced challenges around work and the corona pandemic. The sequel has been recorded in the last year, and has, like many other film and TV productions, been both scaled down and postponed.
During the press conference in connection with the new season, Nordin tells Nettavisen that he himself has been lucky to have worked with film and TV for the past two years, but that he has great sympathy for colleagues and the industry who are in a difficult situation.
Tough times for the industry
The veteran actor says that even though the recording of “Wisting” was put on a six-month break as a result of the corona pandemic, he is very grateful to have had the opportunity to do his job under these circumstances.
– We have managed to complete another season of “Grandpa” and “Wisting”, so the timing for me has been very good, but the industry as a whole has suffered a lot during the last two years, he says.
Although the 64-year-old has been lucky, he has great concern for his colleagues in the theater industry who have been exposed to layoffs and canceled performances.
– My colleagues who work in the theater industry, they have had tough times, that is. When you go and carry and rehearse a piece and you are ready to have a premiere, it also suddenly becomes a full stop. It’s not very fun, he says.
– And unfortunately that is how it has been the last year, the 64-year-old adds.
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After the new measures that have been presented, Nordin says that he is excited to see what the future will bring, and he does not think we can count this pandemic as canceled completely yet. He thinks there are going to be new tough times ahead during the new year.
– For my part, I will work with film and TV throughout 2022 as well, so I am very happy about that. But I have great sympathy for the industry, which is still in a very difficult situation, he says.
Cultural life despairs
Several of the country’s largest stages, artists and event agencies have warned of economic disaster following the government’s new corona restrictions, and believe that the compensation schemes are nowhere near hitting the various actors.
Dagbladet has previously written about how a number of event agencies have signed a petition calling for a better support scheme. Jan Fredrik Karlsen (48) is among those who claim the pandemic will leave lasting traces in the industry if it continues as it has been in recent years, and that several actors in cultural life will go bankrupt and disappear.
Nordin also believes that the situation we are in now will affect the theater industry and cause permanent injuries the greater the frustration.
The actor emphasizes that he has nevertheless felt safe in the film industry where he has spent the past year, but emphasizes that the longer the corona pandemic puts us out of action, the greater the consequences.
– There is a certain fear of going and sitting in a theater hall when there are headlines every single day about how dangerous this virus is.
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Nordin is busy with a number of TV recordings for the next year, and believes that those who are not dependent on an audience will do well if they take infection control seriously and have control of the situation. However, he emphasizes that it looks very dark for the industry that depends on meeting an audience directly and gathering larger crowds.
– It can probably have a wide range of consequences, especially for the part of the industry that is dependent on a live audience, he tells Nettavisen.
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