Villa Lofoten Film is a film production company that explores the relations between humans and their surroundings, the connection between time and space and awareness of history, memory and recollection.
I Cannot Breathe - George Floyd
Helene and Marthe read a poem. They take us to another continent. To a man who calls out to his mother in desperation. The poem and the music are written and composed by Helene, Marthe, Oda and Linnea. Four young voices from the Lofoten Islands.
Short film / 2023 / 4 min
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Text and music: Helene Krogh Evensen, Marthe Ellingsen, Oda Frantzen Løvdal and Linnea Hagvåg
Reading: Helene Krogh Evensen and Marthe Ellingsen
Teacher in composition: Camilla Barratt-Due
Teachers in poetry : Endre Ruset and Joakim Kjørsvik
Class teacher: Gøril Jenssen
Concept and production: Aaslaug Vaa
Cinematographers: Bénédicte Liénard and Virginie Surdej
Editing: Anna Eborn
Sound design and mixing: Camilla Barrat-Due
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This film Is part of Villa Lofoten´s project I, in the middle of the History and Villa Lofoten AIR
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This film has been produced with support from Villa Lofoten AIR, Nordisk kulturfond, Kulturrådet, Nordland Fylkeskommune, Vestvågøy commune, HATS Hålogaland amatørteaterselskap, Figurteatret i Nordland & Lofoten Film Collective, Røst Municipality and Lofoten Sparebank.
Audiocopter and the Midnight Sun
Magic occurs when the Swedish film composers Sebastian Rubinstein Öberg and Magnus Jarlbo together with the young multi-artist Emelie Markgren present new instrumental inventions in an encounter with northern Norwegian nature. Together, the two composers have created music for nearly 100 films. Sebastian Rubinstein Öberg with directors such as Jan Troell and Magnus Jarlbo composed the music for the Berlinale winner "A Soap".
Short film / 2023 / 13 min
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Composers and musicians: Emelie Markgren, Sebastian Rubinstein Öberg and Magnus Jarlbo
Concept: Emelie Markgren, Sebastian Rubinstein Öberg, Magnus Jarlbo, Tor Edvin Eliassen and
Aaslaug Vaa
Cinematography: Tor Edvin Eliassen
Editor: Kristoffer Elfström
Director and producer: Aaslaug Vaa
Music design: Emelie Markgren and Sebastian Rubinstein Öberg
Sound and mix: Manne Kjellander
Visual post production by Nordisk Film Shortcut Oslo
Colorist: Bianca Rudolph
Thank you to our beloved Åsa Mossberg
This film has been produced with support from Villa Lofoten AIR, Nordisk kulturfond, Kulturrådet, Nordland Fylkeskommune, Vestvågøy commune, HATS Hålogaland amatørteaterselskap, Figurteatret i Nordland & Lofoten Film Collective
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RUINS
As the war accelerates in Europe, multi-artist Emelie Markgren and musician and composer Sebastian Rubinstein Öberg from Sweden premiere their song RUINS inside a fisherman's cabin in Lofoten. Sebastian has composed music for almost four dozen films and performed as cellist in the Fläskquartet.
Music video / 2023 / 4 min
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Composers and musicians: Emelie Markgren and Sebastian Rubinstein Öberg
Concept: Emelie Markgren, Sebastian Rubinstein Öberg, Tor Edvin Eliassen and Aaslaug Vaa
Cinematography: Tor Edvin Eliassen
Editor: Tor Edvin Eliassen and Aaslaug Vaa
Director and producer: Aaslaug Vaa
Music design and mix: Emelie Markgren and Sebastian Rubinstein Öberg
Colorist: Tor Edvin Eliassen
Villa Lofoten AIR, Nordisk kulturfond, Kulturrådet, Nordland Fylkeskommune, Vestvågøy commune, HATS Hålogaland amatørteaterselskap, Figurteatret i Nordland & Lofoten Film Collective
Children of Stars
Children of Stars invites us on a journey into outer space, conceptualised via a road trip through the Lofoten Islands. In the physical world, we are met with powerful mountains and wide open sea, through which we symbolically explore our solar system and humanity’s place in the universe. The audience is drawn into an adventurous excursion with astrophysicist Jean Surdej (67) and a group of 15-year-olds. With wonder and fascination, they enter an exciting universe full of challenges and impossible questions, and are confronted with small situations that are surprisingly moving.
This is an experimental film that borders between fiction and documentary.
2022
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Director: Jørn Nyseth Ranum and Aaslaug Vaa
DOP: Virginie Surdej and Jørn Nyseth Ranum
Sound: Cyril Harrison and Olivier Touche
Editor: Nanna Frank Moeller
Producer: Aaslaug Vaa
Co-Producer: Turbin Film AS
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This film has been made possible by support from Kulturrådet, Nordnorsk Filmsenter,
Bergesenestiftelsen, Vestvågøy Municipality, Røst Municipality and Lofoten Sparebank.
Every Song a Story
Over centuries, lay songs have had a central place in Norwegian culture. This film is about a small community, high up in the mountains near Hardangervidda, where this musical tradition is understood and continued to this day. Through these songs, people around Møsvatn create meaningful stories about their lives, forming connections between past and future, memory and anticipation, through constant interaction. - From daily life to special occasions, from the cradle to the grave - songs are used to retell old stories while creating new ones, keeping a heritage alive and evolving.
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Every Song a Story was nominated for the Amanda price - Best documentary of 2016.
The film has been shown at a series of cinemas and festivals both nationally and internationally.
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Contributors:
Jon Inge Øverbø Særsland, Ragnhild Øverbø Særsland, Randi Øverbø Hove, Kjell Hove,
Einar Øverbø, Inger Lien, Marthe Nordjordet, Jarle Nordjordet, Britt Karin og Halvor Nordjordet,
Hillborg Romtveit, Trygve Vågen, Birgit Landsverk og Lars Erik Skjøtskift Øygarden.
Director: Aaslaug Vaa
DOP: Virginie Surdej
Sound design: Olivier Touche
Editor: Nanna Frank Møller og Jon Endre Mørk
Producer: Knut Skoglund og Aaslaug Vaa
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This film has been made possible by support from Norsk kulturråd, Nordnorsk Filmsenter, Telemark fylkeskommune, Fond for lyd og bilde, Vinje kommune, Seljord kommune, Sørnorsk Filmsenter, Fritt Ord, Bergesenstiftelsen, Landskappleikfondet i Seljord og Seljord Sparebank.
Sing lingeling
In a classroom in Telemark, five young girls further their Norwegian cultural heritage. In the film Sing lingeling, the bright girls convey traditional song – and the joy of language – together with famed traditional singer Agnes Buen Garnås. They ask: “How many steps are there to learn, and who has written the songs?”
The film received NRK’s Audience Prize during the 2014 Short Film Festival in Grimstad. In addition, it has been screened at a series of Norwegian film festivals, purchased by NRK Super and its libraries, and shown on Aftenposten TV.
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http://www.filmarkivet.no/film/details.aspx?filmid=400547 og Norsk kort 2015
2014 / 11 min
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Contributors: Agnes Buen Garnås, Kristine Dyrland, Gunhild Teigland Kleivi, Karianne
Haustveit Aase, Tårån Øverbø Aarbak, Marit Kultan
Director: Aaslaug Vaa and Anders Øvergaard
DOP: Virginie Surdej
Sound design: Olivier Touche
Editor: Anders Øvergaard
Producer: Aaslaug Vaa
This film has been produced with support from Norsk Kulturråd, Nordnorsk Filmsenter,
Telemark Municipality, Fond for lyd og bilde, Vinje Municipality, Seljord Municipality,
Sørnorsk Filmsenter, Fritt Ord, Bergesenstiftelsen, Lanskappleikfondet in Seljord and Seljord Sparebank.
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Screenings:
Telemarksfestivalen 2013, pre-screening
By Land and Sea
According to health authorities, many fifteen-year-olds are more sedentary than retired people. In Lofoten, the opportunities for physical activities in nature are endless, but what can inspire the local young people to get out and enjoy it? In this documentary, a group of teenagers accepts this challenge through the making of a film about the great outdoors, where they themselves are the participants. Through meetings with outdoor enthusiasts Finn Å Holst Sandnes, Finn Olav Olsen, Jann Engstad and Oscar Nordin, they gain skills, enthusiasm and a new understanding of nature. The film is the result of an outdoor education and film workshop for youth during the Lofoten BygdeFilmFest 2013.
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2014 [23 min]
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Directors: Jørn Nyseth Ranum and Anders Øvergaard
Cinematography: Workshop participants, Jørn Nyseth Ranum and Anders Øvergaard
Sound: Workshop participants
Editor: Anders Øvergaard
Concept and Producer: Aaslaug Vaa
This film has been produced with support from Røst Municipality, Vestvågøy Municipality,
Moskenes Municipality, Lofotrådet, Nordland County, Nordland Filmsenter, Norsk kulturråd,
Norsk Filminstitutt, Film&Kino and Lofotposten during the Lofoten BygdeFilmFest 2013.
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Screenings:
Pre-screening Lofoten Bygdefilmfest 2014
World Premiere, Northern Character Film- & TV-festival, Murmansk, 2014
Stars above Lofoten
A middle school class from Bøstad School in Vestvågøy lifts their gazes towards the polar night sky, and philosophizes about the universe and earthly existence. The film is the result of a workshop in astrophysics and night photography, held during Lofoten BygdeFilmFest 2012.
The film has been shown at a series of festivals both nationally and internationally.
2014 [3 min]
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Director/Editor: Jørn Nyseth Ranum
Astrophysicist: Jean Surdej
Producer: Aaslaug Vaa
This film has been produced with support from Røst Municipality, Vestvågøy Municipality,
Moskenes Municipality, Lofotrådet, Nordland Municipality, Nordnorsk Filmsenter, Norsk
kulturråd, Norsk Filminstitutt, Film&Kino, and Lofotposten through Lofoten BygdeFilmFest 2013.
Screenings:
Pre-screening: Lofoten Bygdefilmfest 2013
Premiere: Northern Character Film- & TV-Festival, Murmansk, 2013
Mountain Film Festival, Telluride, Colorado, USA, 2014
BIENALE INTERNACIONAL DE VIDEO Y CINE CONTEMPORANEO VIDEOFEST, Mexico, 2014
Bergen International Film Festival, 2014
International Environmental Film Festival GREEN VISION, Russia, 2014
EURODOK, Oslo, 2015
Viva Film Festival 2015, Bosnia & Herzegovina
International Short Film Festival SHORT FORM 2015, Serbia
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The Journey through Lofoten
The Journey through Lofoten is a documentary film with seven stops. Here we meet a group of young people from Lofoten, honestly presenting themselves and their homes, both in front of the camera and behind it. Their conversations with seven Lofoten locals draw us into a multilayered everyday, and shows that Lofoten is more than just fish. The film is the result of a workshop pilot for young people between 14 and 18 years old, during Lofoten BygdeFilmFest 2012. After the workshop, support has been given to produce a finished product from the material filmed.
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2013 [58 min]
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Cinematography and Sound: Jørn Nyseth Ranum, Anders Øvergaard and the workshop participants
Music: Torkil Lund Johansen
Manuscript: Anders Øvergaard and Aaslaug Vaa
Director and Editor: Anders Øvergaard
DOP: Jørn Nyseth Ranum
Concept and Producer: Aaslaug Vaa
Screenings:
Pre-screening: Lofoten BygdeFilmFest, April 2013
Premiere: Northern Character Film- & TV Festival, Murmansk, 2013
DKS Nordland, autumn 2014 and spring 2016
Distributed by NFI
Metamorphosis of the Rorbu - a Living Museum Catalogue
This film is the result of an interaction between four fishermen, a rorbu (fisherman’s cabin), and an international film team.
When the film team entered the scene, the rorbu had stood untouched since 1963. The owner had left the building with dry goods still in the kitchen cupboard, remnants of bread dough in the bowl and reading glasses still on the floor. The straw mattress in the upper bunk below the roof showed how little time has passed since the standards of living in Norway were very different. The rorbu’s exterior and interior, as well as the rich artefacts within, serve as witnesses about lives lived in and around the building. The traces of the four fishermen infuse the film with life.
The film received first place for best directing at the Moscow International Festival of Visual Anthropology in 2012, has been shown at a series of film festivals. It can be ordered from the Norwegian Film Institute.
2010 [34 min]
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Festivals:
Russian Anthropological Film Festival, 2013, first prize for best directing
Short Film Festival in Grimstad, 2011, honorable mention
Lago Film Fest 2011, International Documentary Mention
Arktisen Upeeta, Jyväskylä, 2011
Ethnocineca, Wien, 2012
Moscow International Festival of Visual Anthropology, Moscow, 2012
Khanty-Mansiysk, as a part of Ugra Bienalle, 2012
Northern Character Film- & TV Festival, Murmansk, 2013
Screenings:
Museum Nord, ongoing
Norwegian Technical Museum, Oslo, 2010
Summary Seminar for Den verdifulle kystkulturen, Svolvær, 2010
Filmens Hus, Oslo, 2011
Tromsø Museum, Tromsø, 2012
Lofoten BygdeFilmFest, 2012
Fishery History Conference, University of Tromsø, 2012
Den kulturelle skolesekken, Nordland, spring 2013
Den kulturelle skolesekken, Troms and Finnmark, spring 2014 in cooperation with Midt-Troms Museum
Children’s Museum at Finnsnes and a series of summer events directed by Midt-Troms Museum, 2014-16
Lux Aeterna
The point of departure for this work is a utopian dream about power and a wish to change the world. As the hero of the film undertakes a journey inside himself, we follow his inner dialog. The monologue consists of quotes from romantic poetry, combined with snippets from texts by tyrants and the mentally disturbed. The monologue is tied together through a visual journey through the northern landscape.
2011 [29 min]
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Director: Hubert Czerepok
DOP: Robert Mleczko
Editing: Robert Mleczko and Hubert Czerepok
Audio: Rilk Mob
Norwegian Co-Producer: Villa Lofoten
