Director Dheeraj Akolkar has previously explored Liv Ullmann's life and works with Ingmar Bergman in the feature documentary Liv and Ingmar (2012).

Today Cannes Film Festival announced its Cannes Classics section, showcasing restored copies of old favourites, as well as tributes to and documentaries about cinema. The latter category includes the Liv Ullmann feature documentary.

– I’m truly honoured and humbled that our film Liv Ullmann – A Road Less Travelled has been selected for the Festival de Cannes 2023, director Dheeraj Akolkar says.

– Making this film about a timeless artist with an astonishing, multi-layered life and tremendous integrity has been a great responsibility, privilege and gift for all of us. A big thank you to everyone involved in making this film possible, especially Viaplay and Teddy TV. And our deepest gratitude to Liv Ullmann herself for her heartfelt, incomparable contribution, says Dheeraj Akolkar.

– Liv Ullmann is one of our greatest and most revered artists, both in Norway and internationally. She has captivated audiences all over the world with her talent and presence on stage, both in front of the camera and behind the camera, as a theatre director and as a screenwriter. We are proud and thrilled that her fascinating life story will now be told in this way, and that the world’s most important film festival has selected the documentary about her life for the Cannes Classics program, says Kjersti Mo, CEO of the Norwegian Film Institute (NFI).  

The filming of the documentary started in 2021. The film also follows Liv Ullmann in Los Angeles where she received an Academy Honorary Award at the 2022 Oscars. The Norwegian Film Institute reception in Los Angeles celebrating Liv Ullmann was filmed by Akolkar and his crew. 

The film is produced by Kaare Hersoug and Hege Christensen for Teddy TV,  and Une Søreide for Viaplay Group.  

– We are very honoured and proud to be selected for the Festival de Cannes, says Hege Christensen at Teddy TV.

– Producing this documentary has been a truly gratifying experience, and we are very excited to be able to convey Liv's extraordinary work and dedication as an artist and humanitarian to an international audience. We would like to thank everyone invested in our documentary for their invaluable contributions, and especially our director Dheeraj Akolkar and Viaplay for entrusting us with this project. Our sincerest gratitude to the inspiring Liv Ullmann for sharing her stories and reflections, says Hege Christensen. 

Norwegian short film in competition

As previously announced, the Norwegian short film Tits by Eivind Landsvik has been invited for the Short Film Competition at the 2023 Cannes Festival, and Landsvik can become the second Norwegian filmmaker ever to win the Short Film Palme d'Or.

Tits is written and directed by Eivind Landsvik. Producers: Lars Ulrik Wold and Mari Jørgensen, executive producers Kristin Emblem and Guri Neby at Einar Film.

The 76. Annual Cannes Film Festival will take place from May 16 to May 27.