Roar Uthaug

No matter the genre, subject matter, or form of entry, Norwegian filmmaker Roar Uthaug approached just about every one of his cinematic endeavors with the same unmistakable dark sensibilities. Early short films like "The Martin Administration" (2002), horror dramas like "Cold Prey" (2006), and action pieces like "The Wave" (2015) all rode high on the macabre sensibility that made Uthaug such an interesting creative presence. Roar Uthaug was born in Lørenskog, Norway. His earliest cinematic pursuits were grim comic shorts like "Snørr" (1993), "En aften i det gronne" (1994), "DX13036" (1996), and "A Fistful of Kebab" (1998). After enrolling in the Norwegian Film School, Uthaug developed the Student Academy Award-nominated short film "The Martin Administration" (2002), a politically charged comedy about a doomed blind date. He also spent his early days directing music videos for Norwegian artists like Vidar Busk, Unni Wilhelmsen, and Gåte. Uthaug made his first attempt at feature directing next, delivering the horror drama film "Cold Prey" (2006). Uthaug experimented with a much lighter tone for his sophomore feature, the family-friendly fantasy picture "Magic Silver" (2009), but reverted once more to his natural severe sensibilities for his action-thrillers to follow. First, he released high stakes period piece "Escape" (2012), about the surge of the Black Plague. Next, Uthaug took on natural disaster in his Norway-set tsunami picture "The Wave" (2015).