Songs of Earth
From executive producers Wim Wenders and Liv Ullman comes this breathtaking and immersive nature documentary, and Norway’s official Oscar® submission, that captures the great wonders of the Oldedelan Valley from the perspective of the filmmaker’s octogenarian father.
The otherworldly echoes of cracking ice on a vast winter lake. The burble of a spring-swollen steam. The poetic lilt of a Norwegian folk song floating across a fjord in summer. All of these notes make up a lush symphony of nature heard in this astonishing documentary by Margreth Olin. More than just a pretty travelogue, Songs of Earth is a personal journey for Olin, who spent a full year during the Covid-19 pandemic with her elderly parents in Norway’s starkly beautiful Oldedalen Valley. Over the course of many contemplative hikes with her 84-year-old father, Jørgen, Olin navigates the near-vertical slopes, serpentine forest trails, and majestic alpine vistas to understand the magic of the Oldedalen across all four seasons. Olin also learns more about Jørgen’s fascinating life as he recounts the joys and sorrows of his youth. Using jaw-dropping aerial drone footage, sweeping panoramas, and intimate closeups, cinematographer Lars Erlend Tubaas Øymo and a team of nature photographers capture the immense scale of Norway’s most glaciated region. A film that simply must be seen on the largest available screen, Songs of Earth is an aural and visual feast that strengthens our connection to the natural world while gently reminding us of its fragility.
—Randy Woods
- Director: Margreth Olin
- Principal Cast: Jørgen Mykløen, Magnhild Mykløen
- Country: Norway
- Year: 2023
- Running Time: 91 min.
- Producer: Margreth Olin, Lena Faye-Lund Sandvik
- Cinematographers: Lars Erlend Tubaas Øymo, Herman Lersveen, Torbjørn Martinsen, Dag Asle Mykløen
- Editors: Michal Leszczylowski
- Music: Rebekka Karijord
- Website: Official Film Website
- Awards: Official Academy Awards® Submission 2024 (International Feature)
- Filmography: The Self Portrait (2020), Doing Good (2016), Nowhere Home (2012), The Angel (2009)
- Language: Norwegian
- Has Subtitles: Yes
- US Distributor: Strand Releasing
- International Sales: Cinephil