Norsk filminstitutt

Documentary film Burning Memories
(Brennende minner)


How does war affect children?       

In the autumn of 1944, 75,000 Norwegians became refugees in their own country after the German occupants set fire to their homes. Through meetings between some of these now elderly Norwegians and refugee children from Syria and Sudan, Norwegian history is   linked to the refugee crisis of today. 

This documentary reflects on the impact war has on children and how difficult memories never fade. How will the experiences of today's refugee children affect them in 70 years? And what lessons can we learn from our own history in order to better help those who   are in need today?    

    

Production and distribution

Production Year:
2018
Production country:
Norway
Release date (international):
2018-11-27
Production company:
Ellen Lundby Film & Media AS
Financing company:
Norwegian Film Institute
Nordnorsk Filmsenter AS
The Freedom of Expression Fund
Norsk kulturråd
Sámediggi - Sámi Parliament of Norway
International Sami Film Institute
Associated producer:
Anne Bergseng
Producer:
Ellen-Astri Lundby

Director

  • Ellen-Astri Lundby

    Ellen-Astri Lundby (b. 1959) has worked with film and TV since 1989. She is known for making humorous and crafty short films and documentaries. Her films usually have a light touch, despite often dealing with serious topics such as colonialism and intercultural meetings. 

    For the last decade, Lundby has explored her own family legacy in northern Norway through the acclaimed documentaries Suddenly Sàmi (Min mors hemmelighet, 2009) and Yoik Fever (Joikefeber, 2013). Both films deal with the harsh assimilation of the indigenous Sàmi people in Norway, but also about the positive reclaiming of the culture among new generations. With the feature documentary Burning Memories (Brennende minner, 2018) Lundby ties Norway’s WWII history of the forced evacuation of the entire population of northern Norway to the ongoing refugee crises of the world today. 

    Lundby has also worked as a freelance reporter for newspapers and specialized journals.  

    Ellen-Astri Lundby

Awards

2019:
Minneapolis - St. Paul International Film Festival
Audience Choice Award - Midnight Sun Award for Best Documentary

Festivals

2018:
Arctic Moving Image & Film Festival
2018:
Movies on War
2018:
Northern Character Film & TV Festival
2019:
Human International Documentary Film Festival
2019:
Minneapolis - St. Paul International Film Festival

Crew

Director:
Ellen-Astri Lundby
Screenplay:
Ellen-Astri Lundby
Cinematographer:
Nils Petter Lotherington
Editor:
Erland Edenholm
Composer:
Georg Buljo
Sound Design:
Siri Schippers Skaar
Sigrun Merete Mongstad
VFX supervisor:
Anders Hoft
VFX artist:
Ludvig Friberg
Script:
Ellen-Astri Lundby
Still photographer:
Nils Petter Lotherington
Narrator:
Bjørn Sundquist

Technical information

Format:
DCP 2k
Screen ratio:
1:1,66
Colour:
Colour
Sound format:
Stereo 5.1
Length in min's:
80'
Language:
Norwegian
Sami
Subtitles:
English

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