Folktales
Description
Teenagers attend a rural high school in the Norwegian wilderness where the curriculum includes lessons from dogs, dances in the forest, and unexpected friendships. The hope is these students will emerge from a year spent north of the Arctic Circle as self-assured and more self-reliant adults. Lessons include ancient folktales, engaging in leatherwork, and outdoor adventures. Under the watchful eyes of their patient teachers—and far from any form of technology—the students are encouraged to think deeply about their relationship with themselves and the physical world. Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s stunning documentary, gorgeously shot amidst vast expanses of snow and tall barren trees, takes an empathetic measure of these students as they undertake a journey toward a spring of sorts. As they embrace their vulnerability and shed their confusion, these young people blossom into the confident humans they were destined to become. —Bedatri Choudhury
Recommended for ages 11 and up.
PRESENTED IN COLLABORATION WITH
Heidi Ewing is a partner with Rachel Grady in Loki Films. Their prolific collaboration has yielded features, shorts, and series episodes. In 2020, they made Love Fraud, a miniseries that was nominated for a Film Independent Spirit Award for Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series. She made her narrative directing debut with I Carry You with Me (2020), winner of the Sundance Film Festival’s NEXT Innovator Award and Best of NEXT! Audience Award and a Film Independent Spirit Awards nominee for Best First Feature.
Rachel Grady made her directorial debut with Mad Justice (2004). A year later, she co-directed with Heidi Ewing The Boys of Baraka (Festival 2005), a News & Documentary Emmy Awards nominee and the winner of an NAACP Image Award. Among their feature collaborations are Oscar® nominee Jesus Camp (2006), 12th & Delaware (2010), Detropia (2012), Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You (2016), One of Us (2017), and Endangered (2022).
Film Details
LanguageEnglish, Norwegian
Year2025
Runtime106
CountryUSA, Norway
DirectorHeidi Ewing, Rachel Grady
ProducerHeidi Ewing, Rachel Grady
Executive ProducerMary Lisio, Jenny Raskin, Ryan Heller, Christine Connor, Michael Bloom, Ian Stratford, Regina K. Scully, Lisa Schejola Akin, Jeffrey Akin, Maiken Baird, Ian Darling
EditorNathan Punwar
CinematographerLars Tubaas Øymo
MusicT. Griffin
Print SourceLoki Films
Closed CaptionsClosed Captions are currently confirmed for this film
Audio DescriptionAudio Descriptions are not currently confirmed for this film
American Sign Language (ASL) InterpretationAmerican Sign Language Interpretation is not currently scheduled for this film
