The virtual reality project Finding Frida has been selected for the Immersive Competition at the Venice International Film Festival. This marks the first time a Norwegian virtual reality- project has been chosen for the festival’s official competition programme for immersive works—artistic experiences that surround and engage the audience. The festival’s immersive programme is regarded as one of the world’s leading platforms for artistic VR and XR experiences.
Finding Frida, directed by Hilde K. Kjøs, is a documentary virtual reality (VR) experience inspired by the life and work of textile artist Frida Hansen. Through a dreamlike landscape, audiences are invited into a universe inspired by Hansen’s tapestries and artworks. Here, worlds shaped by her groundbreaking textile art unfold, where past and present intertwine in a story of art, family, role models, and the creative power that lies within us all.
Finding Frida is directed by Hilde K. Kjøs. The screenplay is written by Cecilie Levy, Frida Hansen’s great-great-granddaughter, who also had the original idea. The project is produced by Bjørn-Morten Nerland for RippleX Studios. The 41 minute long VR-film Finding Frida has received NOK 3,15 mil in development and production support from the Norwegian Film Institute.
"Film is constantly evolving, and immersive storytelling opens up new ways for audiences to experience stories, art and culture. With Finding Frida, many people will encounter Frida Hansen’s remarkable art and life in an entirely new way", says Kjersti Mo, CEO of the Norwegian Film Institute.
"Being selected for the Immersive Competition in Venice is a major recognition of the project’s artistic quality. Venice is the world’s leading international showcase for immersive storytelling, and gives Finding Frida a unique opportunity to meet audiences, industry and curators from around the world. It is an important milestone for the project and demonstrates the strong position Norwegian creators are establishing in new audiovisual formats,” says Kjersti Mo.
“I’m incredibly happy and relieved. Making it to Venice has been a dream throughout this entire journey, and something we hardly dared to hope for. I share this joy with the team, who have poured their hearts and an enormous amount of work into the project. We’re now very much looking forward to travelling to Venice,” says director Hilde K. Kjøs.
“It is a great honor to have our world premiere in the competition program at Venice Immersive. For several years, we have worked purposefully to build a unique expertise in immersive storytelling, which makes this selection especially meaningful. At the same time, it is incredibly rewarding that such an intimate and deeply human story about a Norwegian textile artist can resonate at one of the world’s leading platforms for immersive experiences. I hope this can help raise the international profile of both Norwegian immersive storytelling and the powerful stories we have to tell”, says producer Bjørn-Morten Nerland.
Frida Hansen (1855–1931) was a pioneer of Norwegian textile art and a leading figure in the international Art Nouveau movement. She advanced the art of tapestry weaving through innovative techniques, creating monumental works inspired by nature, symbolism, and Nordic mythology. Despite achieving significant international acclaim during her lifetime, she remained undervalued for many years, as textile art was traditionally regarded as a craft rather than a fine art form. Today, she is recognized as one of Norway’s most important artists, and her work occupies a central place in the history of Norwegian art and design.
In a "real unreality" VR space, a miniature Art Nouveau villa appears before expanding to full scale. Past and present weave together as we step into the world of Frida Hansen – once an internationally acclaimed textile artist, now largely forgotten. Guided by her great-great-granddaughter Cecilie, we explore a lush garden where archival photographs, a gramophone and woven artworks become portals into Frida's life. As bankruptcy and profound personal grief descend, the vibrant garden withers into darkness. From this desolation emerge four enigmatic female figures, foreshadowing the work Semper Vadentes and the beginning of Frida’s artistic awakening. Across a century, Frida and Cecilie's lives intertwine. Through art, hardship is transformed into enduring beauty – a testament to how the role models we uncover continue to inspire and shape who we become.
Director Hilde K. Kjøs is an award-winning filmmaker and photographer working across documentary film, photography and virtual reality. Her artistic practice explores place, memory and human presence through an observational, visually driven storytelling style. Her critically acclaimed documentaries Lykkens grøde (Harvesting the Wasteland) and Sju kammers (Solace) have screened internationally and won several awards. Since 2019 she has also explored VR, where Finding Frida is her debut work.
Bjørn-Morten Nerland is a creative XR producer and the founder of RippleX Studios, where he has spent more than 15 years working with interactive productions, immersive media, and digital storytelling. Through RippleX Studios, Nerland has specialized in creating engaging experiences at the intersection of art, culture, and technology, with the ambition of making complex stories accessible through interactive and sensory formats that invite audiences to participate actively.
Venice Immersive is the Venice Film Festival’s international program dedicated to VR and XR experiences. Its prestigious Immersive Competition features up to 30 immersive works making their world or international premiere, complemented by outstanding projects that have already been distributed or exhibited elsewhere during the past year, as well as works developed through Biennale College Cinema – Immersive.
The exhibition takes place on Venice Immersive Island, Lazzaretto Vecchio, as part of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, from 2–12 September.
Manager International Relations, Documentaries
