Norsk filminstitutt

Can an old man of the Norwegian Woods remind us of what we forgot about ourselves? Jimmy Øvredal lives close to nature, connecting with birds, trees and mythological creatures from the Norwegian folklore. Without moralizing, he’s stating the obvious; how we are removing ourselves from nature, and what’s at stake in doing so.  


Ever since he was a young boy, the farmer, teacher, poet and musician Jimmy Øvredal has lived in between reality and mythology. Jimmy has spent his entire life in the valley Øvredal in Os county in the western part of Norway. It is a beautiful little village, following the valley floor towards Svinningen, the highest mountain in the area. Four farms lie between the majestic mountains that rise towards the heavens on each side. 

In this kingdom he lives close to nature and the creatures of Norwegian folklore – as many Norwegians used to in the olden days. 

Jimmy uses both his physical and spiritual senses and interprets Mother Nature’s signs every day. He gets up in the morning and steps out onto his porch to listen to the birds and the wind - to “read nature” - instead of reading news on Facebook, Twitter and other media. He pets the trees he meets on his path towards his mountain cabin, and he talks to the raven flying over his head and the Nix in the pond. Is Jimmy merely an eccentric, or has he understood something essential about our connection to nature? Could it be that the rest of the world has gone mad, while Jimmy has found the secret to a happy life?  

Production and distribution

Production Year:
2019
Release date (national):
2019-02-01
Production company:
FIM Film AS
Producer:
Elisabeth Kleppe

Director

  • Frode Fimland

    Director and cinematographer Frode Fimland had his directorial debut with the feature documentary Siblings are Forever in 2013. The film, which documents the life of two elderly siblings on a traditional farm on the west coast of Norway, was a huge success in cinemas all over Norway. It is also the most successful documentary of all times on Norwegian TV2. 

    The film received The Feature Award at Big Sky Film Festival in 2015.  The same year he directed the sequel Siblings are Forever – the Great Journey, also an audience winner in Norwegian cinemas.  

    Fimland has previously worked on numerous wildlife and culture productions for the national broadcaster NRK both in Norway and abroad. In 2018 he directed The Wild Man of the North for NRK. Johnny - The Last Cowboy is his fourth feature film.    

    Frode Fimland

Festivals

2019:
Noordelijk Film Festival

Crew

Director:
Frode Fimland

Technical information

Format:
DCP 2k
Colour:
Colour
Length in min's:
69'
Language:
Norwegian
Subtitles:
English

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