Songs of Earth
TIFF poster
Norwegian Fedrelandet
LiterallyFatherland
Directed byMargreth Olin
Written byMargreth Olin
Starring
  • Margreth Olin
  • Jørgen Mykløen
  • Magnhild Mykløen
Cinematography
  • Margreth Olin
  • Lars Erlend
  • Tubaas Øymo
Edited byMichal Leszczylowski
Music byRebekka Karijord
Production
company
Speranza Film
Distributed byNorsk Film distribusjon
Release dates
  • 18 March 2023 (2023-03-18) (CPH:DOX)
  • 1 September 2023 (2023-09-01) (Norway)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryNorway
LanguageNorwegian
Box officeUS$919,774[1]

Songs of Earth (Norwegian: Fedrelandet) is a 2023 Norwegian documentary film written and directed by Margreth Olin. In the film, Olin follows her 85-year-old father through a year in the natural surroundings of Oldedalen in Vestland, where he grew up.[2][3] The film had its world premiere during the documentary film festival CPH:DOX in Denmark on 18 March 2023,[4] and a Norwegian cinema premiere on 1 September of the same year.[5]

The film was selected as the Norwegian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards.[6] On December 7, it appeared in the eligible list for consideration for the 2024 Oscars,[7] but didn't make the shortlist.[8]

Content

The film portrays Olin's existential journey with her own ageing parent in the backdrop of mountainous landscapes of Norway for a year. It is a cinematic work about life, death, nature and about simply being present in the world. Olin's parents’ love and lifelong loyalty bear quiet witness to how surroundings and inner space resonate with each other.

Production

The film production was supported by The Nordisk Film & TV Fond, the Oslo-based agency. It received fund of €59,000 in 2021.[9]

Release

In May 2023, the film competed at the Trento Film Festival and had its Italian premiere in Trento, Italy.[10]

On 20 July 2023, the film was screened at the New Horizons Film Festival in Wrocław, Poland.[11] In August 2023, it was screened at the Norwegian International Film Festival in the 'Human Nature' theme of the main programme,[12] and at the 23rd edition of Dokufest, at Kosovo.[13]

Songs of Earth was screened in TIFF Docs at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival on 14 September 2023.[14][15] It was also screened in the second week of October at the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival[16] and then, at the Hamptons International Film Festival for United States premiere.[17] In the same month, on 19 October 2023, it was screened at the 14th La Roche-sur-Yon International Film Festival in Vendée, France.[18]

The film was selected at the 65th edition of the Lübeck Nordic Film Days, and was screened on 3 November 2023 at Lübeck, Northern Germany.[19] A week later, it was screened at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam on 10 November 2023.[20]

On 20 October, it was reported that Strand Releasing bought the rights of the film for North American distribution.[21]

Reception

On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes website, the film has an approval rating of 100% based on 8 reviews, with an average rating of 6.1/10.[22]

Vladan Petkovic reviewing for Cineuropa highlighted that the film is so well made that "it puts the big-budget nature documentaries to shame with its visuals, music and sound." Concluding Lemercier wrote, "Even if the visuals, sound design and score are more impressive than in any big-budget nature documentary, it is the finely developed personal dimension that brings out the meaning and the message of the film, which is made all the more poignant by the carefully devised tone and balance in the directorial approach.".[23]

Alissa Wilkinson writing in Vox Media gave positive review and wrote, "A remarkable, poetic meditation, Songs of Earth weaves the smallness of human lifespan into the grandness of the earth’s history, and does it all with unspeakable beauty."[24]

Wendy Ide in the review for ScreenDaily gave positive views and opined that Margreth Olin began "this lyrical, strikingly beautiful project, returning to her childhood home in Oldedalen, in Western Norway and accompanying her 84 year-old father" with a first-rate specialist team, of cinematographer, sound recordist and composer Rebekka Karijord; and "the result is an arresting study of this particularly photogenic corner of Norway which repays a big-screen viewing." Ide concluded, "Jorgen’s [Olin's father] whole message is that we should not get so absorbed by concerns about the past – or indeed the future – that we lose our connection to the present."[25]

Accolades

Award Date Category Recipient Result Ref.
Kraków Film Festival 21 June 2023 Samsung Excellence Line award for exceptional image quality Songs of Earth Won [26]
IDA Documentary Awards 12 December 2023 Best Cinematography Lars Erlend, Tubaas Øymo Nominated [27]
Best Original Music Score Rebekka Karijord Nominated
Cinema Eye Honors 12 January 2024 Outstanding Production Margreth Olin Pending [28]
Outstanding Cinematography Lars Erlend, Tubaas Øymo Pending
Outstanding Original Score Rebekka Karijord Pending

Listicle

Publisher Year Listicle Placement Ref.
Variety 2023 Winner's Circle at Doc NYC Included [29]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Songs of Earth". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  2. ↑ Turi Grønbech (1 September 2023). "Hyller foreldrene i ny film – mistet moren rett før premieren" [Tribute to parents in new film - lost her mother just before the premiere]. NRK (in Norwegian). Naver. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  3. ↑ Olin, Margreth (16 March 2023). "Songs of Earth". Cineuropa. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  4. ↑ Economou, Vassilis (28 February 2023). "CPH:DOX celebrates its 20th edition and unveils its full programme". Cineuropa. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  5. ↑ "Songs of Earth (Fedrelandet)". Norwegian Film Institute. 18 March 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  6. ↑ "European titles submitted for the Oscars race". Cineuropa. 17 October 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  7. ↑ Clayton Davis (7 December 2023). "Academy Announces 288 Eligible Titles for Animated, Documentary and International Feature Oscar Races". Variety. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  8. ↑ "96th Oscars Shortlists Announced for 10 Categories". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 21 December 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  9. ↑ Abbatescianni, David (20 September 2021). "The Nordisk Film & TV Fond supports nine new projects". Cineuropa. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  10. ↑ Marino Midena (28 April 2023). "Trento Film Festival: quattro film sulla montagna come mèta per ritrovare se stessi" [Trento Film Festival: four films about the mountains as a destination to rediscover yourself] (in Italian). La Repubblica. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  11. ↑ "Songs of Earth (Fedrelandet)". New Horizons Film Festival. 20 July 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  12. ↑ "Songs of Earth (Fedrelandet)". Norwegian International Film Festival. 19 August 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  13. ↑ "Songs of Earth (Fedrelandet)". International Documentary and Short Film Festival. 2 August 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  14. ↑ Scott Roxborough (26 July 2023). "TIFF 2023 Adds Documentaries by Frederick Wiseman, Errol Morris, Raoul Peck, Roger Ross Williams & More". The Film Stage. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  15. ↑ Lazic, Elena (31 July 2023). "A closer look at the European presence at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival". Cineuropa. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  16. ↑ Carey, Matthew (20 September 2023). "Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival Reveals Lineup For 32nd Edition, Announces Mary Steenburgen As Honorary Chair". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  17. ↑ Brent Lang (14 September 2023). "Hamptons International Film Festival Unveils Full Slate Including Bradley Cooper's 'Maestro' as Closing Night Picture (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  18. ↑ Lemercier, Fabien (16 October 2023). "La Roche-sur-Yon International Film Festival pulls out all the stops". Cineuropa. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  19. ↑ Vena, Teresa (26 October 2023). "Nordic Film Days presents a rich selection of titles for its 65th edition". Cineuropa. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  20. ↑ "Songs of Earth (Fedrelandet)". International Documentary Film Amsterdam. 26 October 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  21. ↑ Elsa Keslassy (20 October 2023). "Norway's Oscar Entry 'Songs of Earth' Finds North American Distribution With Strand Releasing (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  22. ↑ "Song of Earth (2023, Documentary)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  23. ↑ Petkovic, Vladan (20 March 2023). "Review: Songs of Earth". Cineuropa. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  24. ↑ Alissa Wilkinson (25 February 2023). "Songs of Earth". Vox Media. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  25. ↑ Ide, Wendy (20 June 2023). "'Songs Of Earth': CPH:DOX Review". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  26. ↑ "Songs of the Earth - the most beautiful document of the 63rd KFF in cinemas in winter". The Krakow Film Foundation. 21 June 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  27. ↑ Carey, Matthew (21 November 2023). "'Apolonia, Apolonia,' 'The Mother Of All Lies,' 'Milisuthando' Lead Way As IDA Documentary Awards Announces Nominees – Full List". Deadline. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  28. ↑ Carey, Matthew (19 October 2023). "'The 1619 Project,' 'Nothing Lasts Forever' Lead Charge As Cinema Eye Honors Announces First Round Of Documentary Nominations [Full List]". Deadline. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  29. ↑ Davis, Clayton (17 October 2023). "DOC NYC, Key Indicator for Oscars' Documentary Feature Category, Announces Shortlist Including 'American Symphony' and 'Every Body'". Variety. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
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