Jens Lien
A Norwegian filmmaker who won international acclaim for his darkly comedic and visually striking portrait of a hitman's midlife crisis.
Born 1967 (age 59)·Norwegian film director·Birthday: September 14·Generation X
Biography
Jens Lien announced himself on the global cinema stage not with a whisper, but with the sharply funny bang of 'The Bothersome Man.' A graduate of the London International Film School, Lien honed a style that blends stark, almost surreal visuals with deeply human, often morbidly humorous storytelling. His 2006 breakthrough film, 'The Bothersome Man,' is a quintessential example: a pitch-black satire about a man who finds perfection unbearably dull. It won the Amanda Award for Best Norwegian Film and became an international cult hit, praised for its unique tone and aesthetic precision. Lien followed this with 'The Guardian,' a thriller, and 'Sons of Norway,' a coming-of-age story set against the 1970s punk scene, demonstrating his range. While not excessively prolific, his work is defined by its careful composition and a persistent, off-kilter exploration of alienation and the search for meaning, securing his place as a distinctive voice in Scandinavian film.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Jens was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jens Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Jens's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Directed the award-winning dark comedy 'The Bothersome Man' (2006), which won the Amanda Award for Best Norwegian Film.
- His film 'The Bothersome Man' was selected as the Norwegian entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 80th Academy Awards.
- Helmed the coming-of-age drama 'Sons of Norway' (2011), exploring the 1970s punk movement's impact on a family.
- Graduated from the London International Film School, a training ground for international directors.
Did You Know?
Before film school, he studied marketing and business administration.
He has directed several popular and award-winning commercials in Norway.
His short film 'Frida - straight from the heart' was part of the portmanteau film 'The Heart of Lone Wolf.'
“I'm interested in the absurdity of our search for a perfect life.”
