“The Complaint”, interview with the director William Sehested Høeg

At the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, we met William Sehested Høeg, a talented young director selected for the FUTURE FRAMES program. Høeg’s short film “The Complaint” is a satirical exploration of corporate culture and self-help, set against the backdrop of a teambuilding event gone awry.

Future Frames experience

When asked about his experience at Future Frames, William Sehested Høeg expressed his excitement and gratitude. “It’s been a really wonderful experience, especially meeting, you know, nine other directors from Europe who have the same passion for film as I do, but we make films in so different ways,” he said. “It’s been a really inspirational trip for me, and I just really hope that I can follow them in their future careers and see what’s, what’s going to happen.”

Introducing “The Complaint”

Describing his film, William Sehested Høeg said, “The Complaint is a dark comedy about a group of colleagues who attend a coaching seminar during a weekend at this very luxurious hotel. The main protagonist, Mona, then receives an anonymous complaint about her behaviour. That sets her on a journey to find out who had the audacity to complain about her.”

Inspiration behind the film

William Sehested Høeg’s inspiration for “The Complaint” stemmed from his fascination with self-help and corporate culture. “The idea for the film arose during a coaching seminar at a luxury hotel, where I saw the potential for drama in such a confined setting” he explains. “But the other thing is it’s a very personal story. I think my mission is to talk about, you know, different aspects of my personality, especially the sides that I’m not necessarily proud of, but to somehow communicate them in a, you know, funny way so that we can share the emotions, and we can all perhaps learn something.”

Influence of contemporary times

Reflecting on how current times influenced his film, William Sehested Høeg noted, “I always thought that I just want to do films about, you know, how social media has affected us and especially my generation because we’ve grown up with Facebook and Instagram that is like a very narcissistic tool.” The director highlights the influence of egoism and the fragility of our insecurities, which are amplified by social media, leading to a collective desire to belong.

Balancing humor and seriousness

William Sehested Høeg skillfully balances humour and serious themes in his film. “I always say that I want to make films about socially relevant issues. But putting it in a satirical or comic way, I think sometimes it opens up the discussion as more instead of just being a drama, for instance,” he explained. “I think we can always be better. We can always try to work on us, but the most important thing is that we can laugh at the end.”

Collaboration with sister Emma Sehested Høeg

Working with his sister, Emma Sehested Høeg, added a unique dynamic to the film. “Emma and I, we’ve made films ever since we were like six years old,” William Sehested Høeg shared. “When I first talked to her about the film, she could feel that I was trying to tell a very personal story. And she told me: if someone needs to act out all your insecurities, who could do that better than me?”

“The Complaint” is not just a critique of corporate and social dynamics but also a mirror reflecting our own struggles with identity, belonging, and self-worth in an increasingly interconnected world. William Sehested Høeg ’s approach encourages viewers to laugh at their insecurities and ultimately seek improvement, making his work both entertaining and thought-provoking.

Plot