A New Kind of Wilderness

NEW DOCS
In rural Norway, a sun-dappled patch of woods encircles a large meadow punctuated only by a charming farm. This seems an idyllic place to raise a young family to accomplished photographer Maria and her hard-working English husband, Nik. There, they set out to live sustainably, prizing family and togetherness, and lovingly raise and homeschool their children, Ronja, Freja, Falk, and little Ulv (Wolfie), which Maria beautifully chronicles with her camera. Yet almost as soon as the film introduces us to her, Maria dies. Quietly cinematic and tenderly captivating, director Silje Evensmo Jacobsen’s film presents a family grieving and in transition. Jacobsen does an incredible job of blending Maria’s voice and photography with her own footage to produce a meditative, disarmingly frank, and visually poetic portrait about the strength of family even under the stress of monumental loss. The vérité style affords a palpable intimacy that quickly invests you in this family as they navigate the new wilderness before them. WFM
Director
Silje Evensmo Jacobsen
Producers
Silje Evensmo Jacobsen, Mari Bakke Riise
Editors
Kristian Tveit NFK, Christoffer Heie NFK
Cinematographers
Silje Evensmo Jacobsen, Karine Fosser, Fred Arne Wergeland, Espen Gjermundrød, Line K Lyngstadaas, Natalja Safronova
Release Year
2024
Festival Year
2024
Country
Norway
Run Time
84 minutes
Subtitled
Yes