Consider the world made up of two types of people: those who see Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s delightful and emotional”Folktales” and thinking, “Yes, I would also like to spend a year at a Norwegian folk high school”, and those who cannot fathom spending 10 months near the Arctic Circle learning to hunt, knit, hike, camp, dog sled, and so much more . But all are vulnerable to being swept up in this dreamy, sensitive tale of the brave teenagers who do just that.
When the children arrive at Pasvik folk high schoolthey are warned that this is not like any other gap year; this experience aims to build teenagers into nothing less than a “new version of the self”. Ewing and Grady give us just enough backstory about vernacular schools—circa the 19th century, originally offered to rural children looking for further education—to allow us to appreciate their power and place in Norwegian society. For the most part, they seem to work.
With different concerns and goals.
When we meet Hege, 19 and struggling with her father’s death, she’s in the midst of a traditional Norwegian teenage life that includes clubbing with her friends and arguing with her mother about how many mascaras to bring. (Nine, advises her mother, is too many.) In Hege’s mind, growing up is nothing less than “chaos.” Inspired by a distant memory of her father telling her about the joys of dog sledding, she hopes that Pasvik can help her be free from these worries.
At Pasvik we meet two of Hege’s classmates: Bjørn Tore (19, from Norway, finds it difficult to make and keep friends) and Romain (18, from the Netherlands, lacks self-confidence). At first blush, the students of Pasvik (heck, even teachers and administrators) see everyone fresh, healthy, vital and ready to take on the world. But as Ewing and Grady reveal in “Folktales,” everyone has a lot of growing to do.
Growth is the watchword as the filmmakers also weave in stories (well, folktales) from relevant Norwegian traditions with the Nornsa trio of Norse gods believed to be responsible for shaping human destiny and tasked with caring for Yggdrasill, the tree at the center of it all. Ewing and Grady bring this myth to life by taking us to a strong and steady tree in the middle of the forest, wrapped in red cords, the kind that both bind and hurt. It is a powerful symbol of destiny and, yes, growth.
Visual interest is natural for “Folktales” thanks to Lars Erlend Tubaas Øymo’s sharp and immersive cinematography; it’s impressive whether he’s taking us through a forest via drone or guiding us along a sled trail through a dog’s own line of sight. T. Griffin’s throbbing, pulsing original score lends a grand feel to even mundane pursuits (and especially really grandiose segments, like a big dog sled ride in filmlast act).
And those dogs! Much of the children’s time is spent maintaining the school’s dog yard and learning how to coddle the ragtag group of puppies that call Pasvik home. Every dog is a little different — some are more nervous than others, some are quite affectionate, all are energetic — which, we’re told, is meant to reflect the students at Pasvik. Different dogs for different children.
That Hege, Bjørn Tore and Romain will learn some big life lessons from Pasvik in general and those puppies in particular is expected, but it is not a given. Instead, we’re treated to all the joys and pains of 10 transformative months, with Ewing and Grady taking us into an experience that’s both specific and strangely universal. Not everything turns out the way we expect, not every story has a nice ending, but no one ever said becoming a new you was easy or expected. Folk high school? It helps. And yes, I would still like to go.
Grade: B+
“Folktales” premiered in 2025 Sundance Film festival. It is currently seeking distribution in the United States.
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