Best Norwegian documentary movies

The secret life of a young World of Warcraft gamer is vividly reimagined when his online friends contact his family after his death.

When two of artist Barbora Kysilkova’s most valuable paintings are stolen from a gallery at Frogner in Oslo, the police are able to find the thief after a few days, but the paintings are nowhere to be found. Barbora goes to the trial in hopes of finding clues, but instead she ends up asking the thief if she can paint a portrait of him. This will be the start of a very unusual friendship. Over three years, the cinematic documentary follows the incredible story of the artist looking for her stolen paintings, while at the same time turning the thief into art.

From a young age Magnus Carlsen had aspirations of becoming a champion chess player. While many players seek out an intensely rigid environment to hone their skills, Magnus’ brilliance shines brightest when surrounded by his loving and supportive family. Through an extensive amount of archival footage and home movies, director Benjamin Ree reveals this young man’s unusual and rapid trajectory to the pinnacle of the chess world. This film allows the audience to not only peek inside this isolated community but also witness the maturation of a modern genius.

When "Take On Me" reached nr 1 on Billboard in the US in 1985, the dream came true. Or did it? The band was not prepared for what the success could bring, including tension between the three band members.

"Kon-Tiki" was the name of a wooden raft used by six Scandinavian scientists, led by Thor Heyerdahl, to make a 101-day journey from South America to the Polynesian Islands. The purpose of the expedition was to prove Heyerdal's theory that the Polynesian Islands were populated from the east- specifically Peru- rather than from the west (Asia) as had been the theory for hundreds of years. Heyerdahl made a study of the winds and tides in the Pacific, and by simulating conditions as closely as possible to those he theorized the Peruvians encountered, set out on the voyage.

The film "Supervention" addresses all aspects of modern free-skiing.

DRONE is a documentary about the covert CIA drone war. Through voices on both sides of this new technology, DRONE reveals crucial information about the drone war in Pakistan and offers unique insights into the nature of drone warfare.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is possibly the most powerful technology of our time. It has the potential to solve humanity’s biggest challenges yet some fear AI will be our downfall. iHUMAN follows pioneers at the frontline of the race to develop the ever more sophisticated AI to find the questions we need to ask at this crucial point in history.

The 42 year long relationship between legendary actress Liv Ullmann and master filmmaker Ingmar Bergman.

This is the third documentary of Norwegian singer AURORA. It will follow the production of her second album. Filmed in La Fabrique, France.

In a forest in Norway, a family lives an isolated lifestyle in an attempt to be wild and free, but a tragic event changes everything, and they are forced to adjust to modern society.

Our modern civilization is likely to be confronted with the biggest paradigm shift in the perception of reality ever, and through our productions we wish to bring insight from the forefront of this development.

Two friends discover the perfect beach at a remote Norwegian shore just above the Arctic Circle and decide to spend the winter here – surfing. Building a hut from driftwood and living on expired food only, the young men turn sustainable living into their own Robinson-adventure, keeping their calm even in the face of personal danger.

With Olin's 85-year-old father as guide, we experience Norway's most adventurous valley, Oldedalen in Nordfjord. He grew up here, and here generations before him have lived in balance with nature.

Interviews with central members of early Norwegian black metal bands about Mayhem, the early black metal scene and the crimes they committed.

A portrait of a deserted fisherman's village in Northern Norway called Børfjord - a place with an incredible personality in the middle of a magnificent Arctic nature. The 12 minute short film was filmed in 70mm Super Panavision, using a specially developed "nature animation" technique. The result is a magic flight in one single shot, along the remains of an internal village road. At the same time a whole year passes by at 50 000 times normal speed! Most of the year, the village of Børfjord lies empty with virgin snow between cold houses. People show up only during a short and hectic summer season. But the cycles of nature go on as they have always done, totally independent of what people might do.

The siblings Magnar and Oddny never left their childhood home. They run the family farm as it was run by several generations before them. Time seems to be standing still, as it is running out.

A 30th anniversary special celebrating the Norwegian sitcom Mot i brøstet. Actors Nils Vogt, Sven Nordin and Hilde Lyrån share their memories.

Jens Stoltenberg had planned to step down after nine years in the powerful position of NATO Secretary General. The 65-year-old politician had packed his bags to go home to his wife in Norway, as he had promised her. But then Joe Biden called and asked him to stay another year. Because in a troubled world, an experienced leader is needed more than ever. With unprecedented access, we follow Jens Stoltenberg through his last year as Secretary General of NATO.

Drama teacher Knut has always been interested in clowns. He has researched them and taught about them, and he has played the clown. But as a 61-year-old, he became deeply depressed and disappeared into his own darkness for over two years.

On August 4th, the Theater in Kristiansand was the arena for a very special event, when two of Norway's foremost philosophers and three of our key authors met to discuss Bjørneboe and his masterpiece trilogy "Bestialitetens Historie".

When dreams and reality entangle, Torstein identifies himself as a Native American Indian. Indian Summer is the director's personal story about her younger brother, who has been battling schizophrenia for 17 years.

This documentary takes us on a journey to Chile where the cultural diversity is as big as the country itself, made up by a number of aboriginal and ethnical groups. Many of these people possess a unique knowledge about nature, tilling of the land and the symbiosis between all living organisms surrounding them. At the same time Chile is a country with rising financial, ecological and climate related issues, and capitalism cannot find a solution. Rather it’s making it worse.

A series of five ‘movements’. Each movement lasts between one and three minutes on a continuous loop. Individual movements can be shown on single or multiple screen systems.

Svetlana has lost her son who was found dead while he was in the army. As she tries to shed light on the culture of violence and abuse in the Belarusian military, a group of young friends from the techno underground soon face being drafted themselves. They go to rave parties in undershirts and round sunglasses, but in a moment the party could be over – at least until huge protests break out in the streets following the recent ‘re-election’ of dictator-president and Putin sympathiser, Aleksandr Lukashenko. A glimmer of hope and a promise of change, which only causes the brutality of the authoritarian society to erupt in full force.

Ten years ago, Carina Bergfeldt covered the terrorist attack in Norway, and as one of the first reporters on-site, she gained a unique insight into the aftermath of the tragedy. For two days she lived with survivors and parents who were looking for their missing children in the hotel that was turned into a crisis centre. Now she has returned to see what happened with the families and with Norway.

The key male members of the far-right political party Golden Dawn are imprisoned accused of carrying out organized criminal activity. To maintain Golden Dawn's position as the fifth largest political party in Greece, their daughters, wives and mothers step up to the task of leading the party through the upcoming elections.

While much of the world struggles to keep the planet going, a frighteningly large group of American fundamentalist Christians are working to promote the apocalypse. The evangelical movement is convinced that they will be saved when Jesus appears in the state of Israel on horseback and, with a sword raised to heaven, kills the infidels so that the blood reaches the horses’ bridles. Natural fires, corona, wars and crises are evidence that the time is nigh. But for the prophecies to be realized, the state of Israel has to grow stronger, so they provide huge financial support and are so far inside the White House that they help influence US foreign policy.

In a rough style, by way of unique footage, the brutal consequences of modern wars are exposed. The film also depicts the ability of women and children to handle their everyday life after a dramatic war experience. Many of them live in tents or in ruins without walls or roofs. They are all in need of money, food, water and electricity. Others have lost family members, or are left with seriously injured children. Can war solve conflicts or create peace? The film follows three children through the war and the period after the ceasefire.

In 2003, the infant Chinese twin sisters Mia and Alexandra were found in a cardboard box. They ended up in an orphanage and were put up for adoption, at which time the authorities apparently decided that it was a good idea to separate them, and to keep silent about the fact that they were twins. Twin Sisters tells their story from the perspective of both sets of adoptive parents: one from Sacramento, California, the other from a tiny village in picturesque Norway. Through a series of coincidences that they later attribute to fate, the parents meet each other during the adoption procedure in China and launch an investigation that reveals the little girls are sisters.

How can something in the public domain not be publicly available? A critical investigation of public domain—a legal term that has nothing to do with free access or public availability—that uses powerhouse commercial archive Getty Images as its example. If the world's visual history remains locked behind a paywall, who will ever see it?

A film about the close relationship between two brothers. Markus (10) and Lukas (7) live in an old, yellow townhouse in the middle of Oslo. The river runs close to their home. A paradise in the heart of a big city. Here the brothers grow up with their dreams and longings for the future.

As a child, Frøydis experienced violence and neglect. When she grew older, she made the difficult decision to cut off all contact with her parents. The Final Chapter chronicles Frøydis’s experience after she learns that her father, to whom she has not spoken in years, is dying. Deeply conflicted at the prospect of reconnecting with him, she explores her feelings with her oldest friend and her partner. In these candid exchanges, she describes the sanctuary she found in staying with her friend’s family when she was young, how much the safety and connection meant to her. The warmth of these exchanges starkly contrasts with her fears about revisiting a relationship that is both painful and central to her life. Stunning cinematography and visual metaphors resonate with Frøydis’s poignant words as she approaches this momentous decision with beauty and restraint.

Life as a prima ballerina over 30 is tough enough for Maiko when she decides to start a family....

Supervention 2 is an inspiring documentary that explores the world of action sports through skiing and snowboarding.

Ballet Boys takes you through disappointments, victories, forging of friendship, first loves, doubt, faith, growing apart from each other, finding your own way and own ambitions, all mixed with the beautiful expression of ballet.

Bergensbanen is a real time documentary film of the entire journey by rail from Bergen to Oslo in Norway. The journey, lasting almost seven and a half hours, was filmed by cameras on the outside of the train, and is interspersed with interviews, archive footage and music. An alternative cut (the version commonly available on the internet) consists entirely of unbroken phantom ride footage.

A documentary portraying the life of Norwegian folk singer Lillebjørn Nilsen. Lillebjørn's talent brought him into the limelight as a shy 15-year-old. This is his own story about music, fame and an eternal longing for peace.

Wandile is studying at an expensive university in South Africa, dominated by white people. As a black trans person Wandile feels alienated and joins a massive student protest at the university. The students demand decolonization of the university, and soon the protests evolve into a national movement for free education and the end to all forms of repression in the former apartheid state. Suddenly they find themselves the target of attacks by the university leadership, police and army, while internal conflicts threaten to tear the movement apart.

In Open Call the relationship between art, the people and the municipality is put to a test. An artist gets the commission to create an artwork to mark the city jubilee. With “participation” as method, a group of citizens of Oslo joins the project. They are asked to develop and present their own art proposals under the guiding principles “trust, creativity and joyful collaboration”. Together the group will come to a joint conclusion of the best artwork for the city. The project develops into a tragicomic dystopia when the artist attempts to please the municipal bureaucracy as well as multifaceted public.

Gabi just wants to be Gabi. But this is not as easy as it sounds. Debut filmmaker Engeli Broberg has followed Gabi during the five formative years between the ages of 8 and 13, as she transforms herself even more than most children. Even as a young child, she does not believe that there is a difference between boys and girls, and as the years go by, she feels less and less at home in the two genders on offer. Apart from having to deal with moving away from Stockholm with her family and going to a new school, puberty kicks in, and she slowly gets anxious about the changes in her body. Gabi has a burning desire to have her hair cut short and daydreams by looking at Google images of football players with beautiful hairstyles. But will the rest of the world understand Gabi? Broberg’s attentive film is a unique portrait of a child who insists on the right to be herself. In the meantime, Gabi grows up literally before our eyes.

A journey through one year in the life of Ole and his family, living in Brochmannsgate 12A, Oslo, Norway, Europe, Earth, Universe. What if you would take a break from the rollercoaster called life and just sit and ask yourself: how did I get here? Do you live alone, with a family, or roommates? In a small village on the countryside or maybe in a big, foreign city? Was this the place you were supposed to be by now? And how do you keep going, even if you know that at some point the sun will burn out and everything around you will be gone forever?

Palestinian filmmaker Mohamed Jabalay is on a month long work trip to Norway when the Egypt/Gaza border closes and he is unable to return home. He details his seven year fight to get back to his family, during which time he made his award-winning film, Ambulance.

A documentary about youth politicians changes radically on July 22nd 2011, when a right-wing extremist murders 69 people at a summer camp run by the Workers Youth Party.

The documentary is a portrait of an artist and a portrait of a deadly disease. Lene Marie Fossen was a gifted photographer who suffered from severe anorexia. Self Portrait is a film about the power of art and survival, but it also raises important questions about what treatment one who suffers from severe anorexia needs.

This documentary follows a group of children in a rural kindergarten for a year, portraying a genuine learning process in the midst of nature.

Nikolai and Vegard were childhood friends who spent their free time on the ski slopes. Now, Nikolai has become a professional skier, while Vegard lives in caves and trains obsessively to complete a perilous and physically demanding ski tour. This is a story about friendship and setting ambitious goals.

Today, more than 200.000 men, women and children are locked up in North Korea's concentration camps. Systematic torture, starvation and murder is what faces the inmates. Few survive many years in the camps, but the population is kept stable by a steady influx of new persons considered to be 'class enemies'. A small group of people have managed to flee from the camps to a new life in the prosperous South Korea. Some of them gather and decide to make an extraordinary and controversial musical about their experiences in the Yodok concentration camp. Despite death treats and many obstacles the musical becomes a tour de force for this ensemble of refugees and for them a possibility opens to talk about their experiences and inspire others to protest the existence of the camps.

Satan rir media (‘Satan Rides the Media’) is a 1998 Norwegian documentary by Torstein Grude. The film covers the controversy that surrounded black metal musician Varg Vikernes in the early 1990s, who not only has been tied to a series of church arsons in Norway, but received widespread media attention for the murder of Mayhem band member Øystein "Euronymous" Aarseth.

The modern movement in skiing is progressing more than ever, and it is hard to keep up with the stream. Field Productions has gathered skiers with all different backgrounds, but they all share the same vision about skiing. Yes, skiing is about taking risks to invent new tricks and styles, but most importantly to have fun. ”Eyes Wide Open dvd” gives you both. The movie includes top notch skiing in deep powder, big mountains, city streets and terrain parks featuring many of the most talented athletes out there. Look out for many unseen rail combos by Tom Wallisch and Even Sigstad, bottomless powder at Mica Heli with Åsmund Thorsen and Eric Hjorleifson, epic park heli shoots on the most beatiful places in Norway, JT Holmes and Eirk Finseth charging Lake Tahoe, Norwegian invasion in Montafon Austria, Jon Olsson shows why he is the best park kickers, and much more. Some parts of the movie is filmed with the RED One camera, which gives ski movies a whole new meaning.

People You May Know follows Charles Kriel, specialist advisor to UK Parliament on disinformation, when he discovers Cambridge Analytica collaborating with a software company creating a microtargeting platform for US churches, targeting vulnerable people - the poor, the grieving, the addicted - to radicalise them for far-right politics. With US 2020 elections coming, Kriel gathers a team of whistleblowers and journalists, and journeys across America with his young family, where he discovers a powerful organisation with ties to the heart of the White House. The man who commissioned CA is a member of the most powerful secret political organisation in the United States, with an agenda to rewrite the Constitution according to Christian law. Going undercover, he risks everything to gain access where no outsider has ever set foot.

A documentary about the Norwegian noise rock band Årabrot. About life, death, art and the music that wouldn't die.

In 2017 Petter (24) decides to end his life, but at the very last moment, is stopped by the police. His best friend and fellow film student Sverre is determined to help and suggests making a film to keep Petter busy and focused on getting better. Equipped with a camera, they search the streets of Oslo to find out how other troubled souls deal with their lives. With a naive and spontaneous approach, they end up in dramatic and unpredictable situations. They meet Monica, whose past has led her to self-injurious behavior. Oliver and Cornelia, both escaping their demons with alcohol and drugs, and Emma, who is transsexual, lesbian, and proud of who she is. They also meet Miriam, who becomes Petter's girlfriend. By getting to know their destructive patterns, Petter becomes aware of his own. He sets off on a bumpy therapeutic journey, that eventually brings light into his darkness. Young and Afraid is an authentic and raw documentary about choosing to live.

On April 24, 1974, the brutally murdered body of Anni Nielsen Iranzo was discovered in her Oslo home. There was only one witness to the crime, Anni’s four-year-old daughter, Maria. Now 48 years old, Maria sets out to find the truth about who killed her mother.

Constructed in 1955 to initially connect Kiruna in Sweden to Altavatn in Norway, the work with the Solitary road was stopped for military reasons. Five small villages had been connected by the road and they were left with a deserted 20 km stretch in the wilderness. Along the road Sami people and finish farmers continue their lives. They still have the road and they have brought really old cars over the ice of Torneträsk so they could drive during summer time. One of the old men that built the road, Sven-Erik Stöckel, writes a letter to the politicians in Kiruna, asking them to finish the road so people do not have to risk their lives getting to the road crossing the dangerous lake of Torneträsk. Will it ever be finished? And what happened to the children that were born as a result of the road workers coming into the wilderness meeting the local girls?

Filmmaker Linn Helene Løken's unknown mother's story and the program she was a part of. In the summer of 1957, four-year-old Gaby came from West Berlin to Sandefjord, where she was to spend the summer with an unknown family. Gaby was one of around 70,000 German children sent to Norway and Sweden in the post-war period, as part of an attempt to create reconciliation in a continent that was still strongly affected by the worst war in human history. But even if the intention was good, the stays in Norway were not exclusively positive for the German children.

After his serious fall in Kitzbühel, Aksel Lund Svindal decides to continue his career despite possible consequential damage. This documentary follows the last seasons of Aksel, his family and his team, with all the ups and downs of one of the best skiers of all time.

Lars Winnerbäck is one of Sweden's biggest artists for 15 years. At the same time he is one of those we know least about. Now Winnerbäck celebrates 20 years as an artist, despite barely filling 40. This documentary takes us closer to him than ever, while summarizing a musically unlikely career. But most of all, it gives an insight into an extremely complex human being, with all its weaknesses and characteristics reflecting an entire generation's feelings. In addition to Lars Winnerbäck is featured in the film Rolf Lassgård, Per Gessle and Melissa Horn. Director and producer are Øystein Karlsen, who is behind successes like Dag og Lilyhammer.

A fast and furious documentary about a seemingly normal 15 year old driving a rally car with 600 HP accelerating 0-100 km/h in 1,9 seconds? Well, Oliver Solberg is son of multiple world champion Petter Solberg, and Pernilla Solberg.

Digital Dissidents are the warriors of the digital age: republican patriots, radical anarchists and cyber-hippies fighting side by side for transparency and privacy in a digital world which is permeating our lives more and more. For this they are imprisoned, live in exile, and have lost careers and families. Why do they do it? What motivates them? What are they warning us about?

Kids Cup is a character driven coming-of-age family film from the world´s largest sports tournament for kids. We dive into a teenage universe and follow 13-14 year olds from different parts of the world, competing at the football tournament, Norway Cup, in Oslo.

A 3-year-old girl and her family's long journey from a Greek refugee centre to Uppsala.