IndieWire's Filmmaker Toolkit 'Sentimental Value' Director Joachim Trier
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Dec 17, 2025 
Norwegian-Danish director Joachim Trier, known for his acclaimed films like Worst Person in the World, dives into his latest work, Sentimental Value. He shares how personal memories influenced the film's narrative and the complex emotional storytelling tied to a family home. Trier discusses using unique cinematic techniques to capture different perspectives and highlights Elle Fanning's nuanced performance. The conversation touches on themes of generational trauma and the delicate balance of storytelling that intertwines fiction and reality.
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Places Stage Memory And Time
- Memories are anchored to places and a house can stage entire eras of a life.
- Joachim Trier used the house to show how quickly human life moves and to give the story temporal perspective.
Personal Family Home Inspired The Film
- Trier's family home (built 1905) was put on the market while he wrote the script and that emotional experience informed the film.
- He describes dreaming about the house and feeling tied to it even after losing ownership.
Cinema Conveys Place Subliminally
- Trier emphasizes cinema's power to make viewers 'experience' a place beyond explicit exposition.
- He cites filmmakers who make spaces almost smellable and uses that subliminal spatiality in his work.