Maja K Mikkelsen didn’t have the most typical childhood, but it was a beautiful one. Her debut film “The Last Observers” tells the story of her her parents, Karin and Lennart, who spent 36 years watching and recording the weather every third hour, day and night, every single day, from their station by the lighthouse in Falsterbo, Sweden.
Staying in one location — albeit a beautiful location — taught Mikkelsen that she didn’t need to take a conventional approach. Her parents’ responsibility, and commitment to beauty and simplicity, “inspired me to follow my own path and find something I’m truly interested in, regardless of status or income,” Mikkelsen notes.
In “The Last Observers,” her parents joke that they earned “a lousy salary” in exchange for “a fantastic life.” Many filmmakers strike the same bargain.
“I tried out a few careers before finding filmmaking — I am a marine biologist, a science teacher and a scuba and freediving instructor — but this brings me joy in a way none of the others could,” Mikkelsen told MovieMaker. And I definitely think that it makes me a better filmmaker, having experience in several different fields.”
Though “The Last Observers” is Mikkelsen’s first film, she’s earned a very warm reception: The short documentary is enjoying a flourishing festival run that included winning Oscar qualification at the recent Indy Shorts International Film Festival, where it won in the Documentary Shorts category. It has also been viewed more than 1.6 million times, thanks in part to a partnership with Patagonia, which shared the film on its YouTube channel:
Mikkelsen’s parents stepped down from their responsibilities when the government decided to automate the process of weather observation. But they remain committed to nature, and to the pursuit of true happiness.
We talked with Mikkelsen about growing up surrounded by nature, the pressures of recording the weather every three hours, and having a document of her parents’ lives.
MovieMaker: Can you describe the locale and your family life as a child?
Maja K Mikkelsen: As children, we had the luxury of our parents always being home. Since they couldn’t leave the weather station, we never went on family trips, but we instead spent a lot of time in the beautiful surroundings where we lived. It was practically a beachfront property, and the beach was usually deserted, as opposed to the other beaches in Falsterbo, which were packed with people.
So I have many memories of spending the whole summer at the beach. In the spring and fall there were bird ringers at work in the garden, and if we were awake early enough we could help them take the birds from the nets and release them after the ringing. It was wonderful to be the one to release the birds back to freedom and watch them fly away!
As we got older and started school it did feel a bit remote, even if it was no more than a few kilometers away from the village and we could bike everywhere. Of course, as a kid all I wanted to do was fit in and our family was a bit odd in that context. But somewhere in my teens I learned to embrace that and it has surely helped me to cast off societal expectations at later points in life.
MovieMaker: Your parents say in “The Last Observers” that they never once missed a watch — even through having, and your mother delivering, four children. How is this possible? How did they pull it off?
Maja K Mikkelsen: It’s true, they never missed an observation. It was a close call a few times, but they did have one family friend that they trusted to do some observations when they were completely unable to, for example when my dad was hospitalised and my mom was alone with four children. That said, they never took a vacation in 36 years.
Maja K Mikkelsen on the Meaning of Happiness in ‘The Last Observers’
MovieMaker: They note that the pay was never good, and of course the schedule was rigorous, but they say they’re grateful for their lives and seem truly happy. Do you think they are? How do you feel about having made this lovely document of their lives’ work?
Maja K Mikkelsen: I really, truly think that they are happy. But it’s important for context to understand what true happiness means. They don’t walk around smiling 24/7, and they get annoyed and they complain about hardships. But below all that, they have a deep love and gratitude for each other and their life. They know that life has ups and downs and genuinely don’t want anything else. That is the main thing I hope people take away from seeing the film, because it makes your life so much better.
MovieMaker: Did they need much convincing to take part in the film? What were the challenges, if any, in working with them? What were the positives?
Maja K Mikkelsen: They were definitely skeptical when I told them my idea, but it didn’t take long for them to accept it, specifically because I would make it, and they trust me. The biggest challenge in the first few years was finding the time, as I was working full time and most events happen in the early morning. I had no experience, no fancy equipment and no budget, so getting over the imposter syndrome was definitely a challenge as well.
But it was invaluable to get to spend so much time with them, hearing their stories in-depth and having this legacy for future generations to see.
MovieMaker: How did Patagonia become involved, and how did they support the film?
Maja K Mikkelsen: It was my now-husband who has a background in marketing that knew that Patagonia produced films and told them about it. They were immediately interested! It has been a really terrific collaboration, I was initially a bit concerned that they would be very “corporate” and have opinions on everything, but they have been very constructive with feedback and always made sure that creative control lies with me.
In return the film has reached so many people that it never would have if it wasn’t for Patagonia. I really have only good things to say and am excited to work with them again.
MovieMaker: Now that the observation station has become fully automated, how do your parents spend their time? Are they enjoying retirement?
Maja K Mikkelsen: My mother still changes the solar paper every morning before sunrise and clears the cobwebs from the automatic weather station (which cause it to mis-measure if left there). And she gives lectures about weather, birding, et cetera so she is quite busy! My dad enjoys watching sports and going bicycling. He is faster on his cruiser than the young people on speed bikes!
MovieMaker: What do you think is lost when humans no longer observe the weather, but instead have to let machines do the job?
Maja K Mikkelsen: I’d have to quote my mother on the quality of weather reports, as a person can see the whole sky and all varieties therein compared to a machine’s spot observations. But beyond that, the type of work that is slow paced and high quality is disappearing more and more as efficiency and profitability is valued over craftsmanship.
The parallell to AI is easy to make, but that is a whole discussion in itself. Of course, there is something to be said for the comforts efficiency can give us, but beyond quality it’s also about what type of work life we’d like to have. I’m sure many young people today would choose my parents’ life over being forced to work several underpaid jobs just to be able to afford the cost of living. Sadly, these opportunities become scarcer.
Main image: “The Last Observers.” Patagonoia.