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film issue dear reader, Even though Norway has had its own film industry since the silent movie era, with few exceptions – such as when “Kon-Tiki” won an Oscar in 1951 – it catered mostly to a domestic audience. Traditionally, Norwegians often have preferred foreign movies, especially those made in Hollywood. Norwegian filmmakers worked in the shadow of Sweden through the 1960s and ‘70s with names such as Ingmar Bergman in the spotlight, and in the 1980s, it was Danish film, with Lars von Trier and his “dogma” concept movies and his disciples, that won international acclaim. However, there has long been an international awareness of Scandinavian filmmaking and its unique perspective on the human condition. The good news is that in the last 15 years we have seen a remarkable surge of Norwegian films, reflecting contemporary life and human challenges. Many of these films have received awards at major film festivals in Europe and North America. There are some key explanations to why we now see a vibrant and internationally recognized Norwegian movie industry. Firstly, we need PHOTO BY ARILD STRØMMEN to go back to the 1980s, when commercial TV arrived in Norway. With it came new job opportunities for filmmakers to make TV commercials for the domestic and international markets. A lot of creativity was released, and Norwegian commercials became cool and won major prizes abroad with their particular brand of humorous storytelling. Young and unknown filmmakers gained the confidence they needed to move to short films and feature movies. Secondly, the establishment of the Lillehammer Film Academy increased interest in filmmaking and laid the foundation for a larger and more professional filmmaking community. Finally, the government made the strategic decision to substantially increase long-term funding of Norwegian film production. Since then, the cultural policy has been to fund many film projects, both the small and independent films in addition to the more commercial ones. Today, we are reaping the fruits of this investment. As someone involved in public diplomacy, I cannot think of many other forms of communication that so effectively can tell a story about my country and help place it not only in people’s minds, but also in their hearts. You can read more about Norwegian films and actors in this issue of News of Norway. Many of the Norwegian movies presented here are available at better stocked DVD stores around the United States, are sold on the internet, and are frequently screened at film festivals and independent movie theaters in larger cities. Do take the time to see some of them! jannicke jaeger, counselor of communications, royal norwegian embassy Royal Norwegian Embassy 2720 34th. St., NW Washington, D.C. 20008 (202) 333-6000 www.norway.org AMBASSADOR Wegger Chr. Strommen COUNSELOR, COMMUNICATIONS Jannicke Jaeger EDITOR Arild Strommen EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Eli Havn SUBSCRIPTION News of Norway (ISSN: 0028-9272) is published by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Washington, D.C. The magazine was founded in 1941 and reaches 37,000 subscribers in the United States and Canada. For a free subscription, write or call with your name and address, or send an email to subscription@norway.org Norwegian film through 100 years by ingerid lund & eli havn 1906/1908: The first film produced in Norway has been lost and source material is ambiguous. Produced by Hugo Hermansen in 1906 or 1908, it was entitled "Dangers of a Fisherman's Life" ("Fiskerlivets farer") or "A Drama at Sea" ("Et drama paa havet"). 1931: Norway's first movie with sound, "The Big Christening," is released, written by Tancred Ibsen, grandson of authors Henrik Ibsen and Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson. The 30s were a time of growth and heightened popularity for the film industry. 2 | news of norway | spring 2009 PHOTOS IN TIMELINE COURTESY OF NORWEGIAN FILM INSTITUTE
film PHOTO COURTESY OF NORWEGIAN FILM INSTITUTE Aksel Henie stars in World War II drama “Max Manus.” It is the second most seen Norwegian movie of all time. record year for norwegian film by eli havn The biggest Norwegian box-office success of 2008 was the World War II drama “Max Manus,” which premiered in mid- December, and is still running in Norwegian movie theaters. According to NRK TV, 140,500 tickets were sold during the opening weekend, 40,000 tickets more than the previous record. “Max Manus” is the second most seen Norwegian film in Norway ever – one in four Norwegians have seen it to date. One has to go back to 1975 to find the most seen film ever, “Pinchcliff Grand Prix.” “Max Manus” is one of the most expensive Norwegian films ever made and is based on the true story of World War II resistance hero Max Manus. It is nominated for nine 2009 Canon awards, which are awarded by the people in the film industry, like the Academy Awards. Nils Gaup’s “The Kautokeino Rebellion” came in as the second most seen Norwegian film in 2008. The film is set in 1852 in the north of Norway and deals with a native Sami uprising. Traditionally, foreign film has captured most of the Norwegian market, but last year a total of 23 Norwegian films premiered, accounting for an all-time high of 22.5 percent of movie goers. Among the five most seen films in Norway, two of them were Norwegian (“Max Manus” and “The Kautokeino Rebellion”) and among the top 20, five were Norwegian. (In addition to the two already mentioned were “Long Flat Balls II,” “Cold Prey II,” and “The Man who loved Yngve.”) Norwegian director Bent Hamer believes that the Norwegian film industry is experiencing success because it has become braver. “From the middle of the 1990s, the industry has taken chances and seen that things work. I am very optimistic about the future.” Trond Espen Seim, a popular Norwegian actor, says, “There is a totally different confidence in the film industry now.” Since the 1990s, Norwegian films have not only become very popular with Norwegian audiences, but have also gotten more attention from abroad. Several Norwegian films have been exported and received international awards. In the first two months of 2009, the film “North” premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival and “Dead Snow” screened at Robert Redford’s Sundance Festival in Utah. To keep the film industry moving forward, the Norwegian government has allocated an all time high of almost $100 million in production support for Norwegian film. 1951: The documentary "Kon-Tiki" by Norwegian explorer and writer Thor Heyerdahl wins an Oscar for documentary feature at the 24th Academy Awards. It is the only feature film in Norwegian history to win an Academy award. 1957: Film director Arne Skouen's "Nine Lives" is released. The movie is nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Palm. In 1991 Norwegian television audiences vote the movie the best Norwegian feature film ever made. www.norway.org | 3
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Page 5 and 6: los angeles celebrates 10 years of
Page 7 and 8: film worth the ride by anne myklebu
Page 9 and 10: debut in her to 31- en nal ave she
Page 11 and 12: society & policy PHOTO BY SIRI WOLL
Page 13 and 14: ooks The Conqueror “ by anahita y
Page 15 and 16: calendar PHOTO BY WWW.KNUTERIKJENSE

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