Last week, Joachim Trier took home his first Oscar for Sentimental Value — after 9 nominations.

(The only films with more nominations were in English and had movie stars in them.)

Before that, Sentimental Value had already earned Barack Obama’s seal of approval and most of the European Film Awards.

There’s never been a better time to dig into what makes Joachim Trier's films so good.

Sentimental Value is a masterpiece, but it's not Trier's first. That was Oslo, August 31st.

And Sentimental Value builds directly on the ideas Trier first explored in Oslo.

On the surface, these films seem straightforward:

Sentimental Value tells a story about family reconciliation.

Oslo, August 31st tells a story about someone who feels hopeless.

But they don't quite reduce to that.

Sentimental Value is comforting, but the reconciliation it depicts has limitations.

Oslo, August 31st is a tragedy, but it's also one that offers the audience hope.

That kind of double meaning only becomes visible when you look beyond the plot and dialogue.

It comes from something harder to see: the film's form — how Trier uses images, sound, and structure to create meaning.

And the better a film is, the harder it is to spot that layer.

It isn't underlined in red ink. It's just felt.

Which means it’s easy to miss.

The Deep Focus: Oslo, August 31st is about tuning in to that layer — and seeing how the films open up when you do.

This April, we start with Oslo, August 31st, because it’s the clearest way to learn to see this in action.

Then, we apply what we learn to Sentimental Value.

So what does tuning in to that layer actually look like — and what does it open up?

​Let me show you →​

Alex

P.S. Haven’t seen Oslo or Sentimental Value yet, and worried about clicking? No need! The example it links to is spoiler-free, from the beginning of both films, and will make sense even if you haven't seen them!