Trying Your Luck // Joel Hokka

Epilogue

Interview by The Telegraph

November 2027

I had just parked my car in front of a typical London townhouse where I was already greeted by Eleanor Bergman (34) dressed in a bright red raincoat that was such a happy contrast to the grey British weather. Eleanor Bergman was one of the hottest and uprising filmmakers in both the homefront in the UK and the US. Just having a premiere at the London Film Festival with her thrilling new drama "Shadow". Her smile was bright and happy as she greeted me and welcomed me into the house.

She welcomed me in the living room where I was greeted by Eleanor's partner Finnish musician and one of the frontmen of the band Blind Channel - Joel Hokka (34). They both were so different, Joel with his rockstar looks dressed in all black, Eleanor in her bellend jeans and worn out The Beatles shirt, but after I sat down opposite of them I saw that Joel almost immediately grabbed his lover's hand and they both smiled warmly at each other. Even though the house wasn't theirs, it suited the couple. Filled with dark green tones that were accented with plants and paintings.

Our conversations switched between their work and some aspects of their personal life. They both knew exactly what the other would say. The couple was enjoying their peace, for now. Joel had just finished touring Europe and even if Eleanor's movie was already surrounded by Oscar's buzz, Eleanor was taking a bit of a break. "I can't let this get too much into my head, I want to stay humble."

Eleanor Bergman made a household name back in 2021 after her Oscar win for the best original screenplay for the movie Promising Young Woman. She was the youngest person to ever win in this category, so on top of her win, she also made history for many young filmmakers. Ever since then people have kept an eye on her work. She made her directorial debut in 2023 with the psychological thriller "One Step Behind" which also received a lot of praise. "It was the hardest thing I have ever done because at that time there was too much going on in my life. And it was my first time directing, so it just put extra pressure. I was glad the film didn't flunk completely."

Her new movie "Shadow" deals with the feeling of constantly being watched and how it affects our minds. "I think this feeling has become much more common because it's become harder and harder to hide your life."

The film stars Jessie Buckley and Matt Smith among some other big names like Cillian Murphy and Ewan McGregor. "It sometimes blows my mind how lucky I am, because I admire all of my actors and what they have done." When I asked if she would ever do something a bit lighthearted Eleanor's response was that she is thinking about it. "I myself love a good comedy and I have been pondering the idea. I don't want to be forced into making something.."

It wasn't unusual for creatives to form romantic relationships, but sitting opposite Joel and Eleanor it felt different. Both loved to chat about their work and both spoke with enormous pride about each other's work. "We tend to help each other out, but Eleanor is mostly the one helping me. I struggle with the right words or sound and then Eleanor steps in and blows my mind."

The couple speaks highly of each other, but none of them misses the opportunity to tease. A while ago in an interview, Eleanor mentioned that she wasn't the biggest believer in love until she met her current partner, "Clearly I didn't mean Joel," Bergman laughed when I brought it up, but Joel took his opportunity to speak again to clarify it. "I never understood people in relationships nor how you find this one person who knocks the air out of your lungs, and then I met this woman and I knew that she was the one." I saw how both of them were smiling at each other, "And this man has gotten sappy over the years." Eleanor added. Their friendly teasing made this interview so much easier even when we moved to harder topics.

Eleanor, as well as Joel and his band, is involved in a support program for people who suffer from domestic violence. The program mainly focuses on giving the right support to the victims as well as the right punishment for the abusers. "I was very lucky that my abuser got imprisoned but this still happens so rarely and in cases when you almost die. It feels like a spit in a face, it feels like the institution either needs for you to die or become crippled to do something. So I decided I need to wear my scars out and be proud if it means I can help people." One could see how much fire and anger was in Eleanor's eyes but it was the truth. Domestic abuse was still treated as a taboo thing not only in England but in many other countries and most of the time there is a loophole that can be used in favour of abusers. "I was fortunate because I had money, I had supporting family and friends. I am not saying this to sound like a snob, but this is the harsh reality, not every victim can afford to get help and have supportive people around them. Even now I have Joel who is there for me because if you think life goes on, it doesn't. I still have nightmares, and I still am hesitant to touch, but Joel is there every day, even if it's just a phone call. We have to think about the future we want to build not only for ourselves but for the generation to come. Ever since becoming a mother, I want to do everything in my power to protect my son from everything bad."