THE STORY – On the precipice of adulthood, teenagers converge at a traditional folk high school in Arctic Norway. Dropped at the edge of the world, they must rely on only themselves, one another, and a loyal pack of sled dogs as they all grow in unexpected directions.
THE CAST – N/A
THE TEAM – Heidi Ewing & Rachel Grady (Directors/Writers)
THE RUNNING TIME – 106 Minutes
Documentaries have always been a great way to travel the world for the mere price of a movie ticket (or, nowadays, a hydra-like collection of streaming service subscriptions). “FOLKTALES,” the new doc from filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, takes audiences 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle in beautiful Norway to what’s known as a folk high school, or “folkehøgskule” in Norwegian. There, the film follows three young adults as they work to try and grow up, with each encountering their own difficulties and joys. The film is an inspiring, emotional journey through the school year that shows how we all have so much more in common than not, especially the struggles and hesitations that we may feel are unique problems but, more likely than not, are shared by nearly everyone.
Folk high schools are unique institutions, most commonly found in Nordic countries. There, young adults who typically straddle juvenile education and university spend the school year. But, as the film says, “It’s a lot more than a gap year.” In “FOLKTALES,” the filmmakers show the various programs that the students are instructed in, mostly centering around dog sledding, camping, and other outdoor activities. But what’s most important is the bonds that form between the students: that social education may be more valuable than anything they’ll learn sitting at a desk. Smartly, the filmmakers chose just three students to focus on out of the large class. This keeps the school year easy to follow, and the varying experiences that this trio goes through – both as individuals and as a group – comprise many of the themes that the documentary subtly examines.
Each of the three is unique and different from one another. Bjørn is a lovably awkward boy who admittedly has trouble making and keeping friends. The film highlights some of his more painful attempts at casual conversation in ways that are both hard to watch and wholly relatable. Romain also has social difficulties (as he says, “I feel like if I talk I’m annoying and if I don’t talk I’m boring”), and he struggles the most with the tough outdoorsy tasks, giving him a quality that’s easy to root for. And Hege is arguably the center of the film. It opens and concludes with her outside of the school, making it seem as if the filmmakers are most interested in her story (which gives the narrative a slight feeling of imbalance, especially with an overlong epilogue). But still, she’s resourceful and headstrong, making for a perfect hero.
The film tracks their journey in a well-paced, compelling way. By the time graduation day arrives, it’s hard not to feel as moved by what came before as the students are. Also, the cinematography is stunning. The Norwegian landscape is an inarguably gorgeous sight, but the film wisely doesn’t merely preoccupy itself with the surroundings. It would be easy to lean on the natural beauty of the school, but instead, it’s just a handsome happenstance wrapped around an interesting story.
Thrilling dog sledding sequences, hilarious teenage embarrassments, and sympathetic emotional breakthroughs all work together to make “FOLKTALES” a powerful watch. It almost makes one want to quit the real world and take a year off to venture into the gorgeous Nordic wilderness in search of greater humanitarian understanding.
