Gothenburg 49; “The Watchmaker”, a Low-Budget Hostage Triller

The Watchmaker, directed by Jonas Lawes and screened at the 49th Gothenburg International Film Festival, is a low-budget Swedish triller set mostly in a single, enclosed location. The film unfolds in a watchmaker’s shop in Sweden in 1968 and centers on an initially simple situation that gradually grows more complex. As the tension escalates, the film succeeds in immersing the audience in an increasingly claustrophobic atmosphere.

In an exclusive interview with Mo Abdi at the Gothenburg Festival, Lawes discusses the film’s conception and production, as well as the challenges of creating suspense within limited space and budget.