Kristoffer Borgli, the 40-year-old Norwegian director of the upcoming film The Drama starring Zendaya, details a past age-gap relationship with a teenage girl in a resurfaced 2012 essay. Written when Borgli was 27, the piece reflects on his romance with someone a decade younger, who was still in high school.
Details from the Essay
The legal age of consent in Norway stands at 16, yet Borgli notes that close friends viewed the relationship as outside acceptable bounds, marking it as a classic May-December romance. He describes waking up one morning to find ‘a blonde girl, a high school student enjoying the sporadic holidays in May’ beside him in his apartment.
Borgli writes, ‘I chose to see her that way, to define her by her age, and I chose never to see her again. But you can’t choose what the heart wants.’ Despite this, the pair continued communicating via Facebook and text messages. He later calls the summer ‘the best and most exotic I’ve ever had.’
Influence of Woody Allen
Prior to this relationship, Borgli had been in another age-gap dynamic, but as the younger partner. Fascinated by a teenager interested in piano, writing, and films, he draws parallels to Woody Allen’s 1979 film Manhattan. In the movie, a 42-year-old character dates a 17-year-old, portrayed positively and romantically.
Borgli questions, ‘Then why shouldn’t my relationship – with a considerably smaller age difference – in 2012 be “within bounds?” I chose to listen to Woody over my friends.’ Allen himself faced controversy over his 35-year age-gap marriage to Soon-Yi Previn in 1997.
Social Media Reactions
The essay recently surfaced on Reddit, prompting varied responses. One user commented, ‘Ooooof that’s disappointing. Had no idea about this. I liked Dream Scenario and bought it physical not that long ago. Yuck.’ Another simply stated, ‘Yikes, I was not aware of this.’
The Drama: Upcoming Release
Borgli directs The Drama, an A24 romantic dark comedy set for theaters on April 3. Zendaya and Robert Pattinson star as an engaged couple whose wedding week derails with an unexpected twist. Early screenings have drawn mixed feedback, with some calling the plot ‘disturbing’ and noting the lack of a trigger warning, despite marketing as a wedding film.
The cast includes Mamoudou Athie, Alana Haim, Hailey Gates, and Zoe Winters. Borgli previously helmed Dream Scenario (2023) with Nicolas Cage. Zendaya and Pattinson will reunite in future projects like Dune: Part Three and The Odyssey.
