Michael Løfquist

Writer | Director

About

Danish born writer, filmmaker and prolific traveller. Educated in Denmark and Ireland, I have worked, studied or procrastinated in numerous countries around the world. Combining a passion for travel and foreign cultures I have produced several visceral photoessays from Cuba, China and Japan. A lengthy photographic journey across China to and around Xinjiang’s Taklamakan Desert resulted in a thirty minute travelogue of exceptional impressions from this troubled region. I have written and directed two short films set in Japan, a documentary in Argentina, and have written numerous short and feature length scripts - two of the latter focus on East meets West themes.

Opportunities

Miloš Forman expressed a desire to direct 'Red Autumn', a true compliment from a great director. He had some other projects he needed to finalize, but then sadly it was not to be. I partnered with two Australian producers from 2007 - 2010, attempting to raise funds for 'Sayonara Pelle’. We managed to partner with Akira Kurosawa's long term producer, who was enamored of the script. He claimed it was the best screenplay written by a non Japanese that truely exposed the idiosyncrasies of modern Japan. Needless to say post economic crisis it was impossible to find investors. Then life does as it does, gets in the way for some time. Recently I have decided that I would like to get these three films made. Ideally I would like to direct 'The Gentle Sadness' and 'Sayonara Pelle' as they are very personal stories.

Publications

Roaming the Taklamakan Desert (free iBook) & Urban Ennui - Japan (free iBook)

Hikikomori (shortfilm)

A despondent young man decides to become a social recluse. His solitude soon turns to despair as he engages in discourse with imaginary characters.

Watch

Shell Jiang (promo)

Shell Jiang is a talented photographer, based in San Francisco. I wrote, directed and filmed this promotional video to show case her talent.

Watch

Taklamakan (travelogue)

Xinjiang, a remote desolate region of western China, boasts the second largest shifting sand desert in the world: The Taklamakan Desert.

Watch

Sayonara Pelle (Screenplay)

Pelle, a naive Dane, sets himself the impossible task of gaining acceptance in the cloistered society of Japan. Crossing the pervasive boundary of the polite, superficial Japanese and understanding the difficult etiquette of the dating game is harder than he expects. Pelle, exasperated with the girls of his own age, signs up as an escort to wealthy, bored and sexually frustrated middle aged women of Tokyo. A job he definitely is not suited for.

Red Autumn (Screenplay)

In the late summer of 1966 a hopeful young teacher, Shou-Shan, arrives in Shanghai to teach English. His resolve for a solitary academic life quickly evaporates when he meets the sensual Li-Ying, the mistress of an influential city official. A shared passion for foreign literature and language rapidly develops into an irresistible but clandestine love. As the Cultural Revolution gathers momentum, Mao's Red Guards soon unleash their terror against ordinary citizens and the existing government. Faced with the maelstrom of destruction, Shou-Shan and Li-Ying struggle to salvage their lives and their love.

The Gentle Sadness (Screenplay)

Seven individual stories from different parts of the Japanese mindset. These illuminate the beauty, the uniquness, the contradictions and the idiosyncrasies of Japanese culture.

Contact me

mlofquist@guishen.com