Folktales

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Folktales

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1h 46m

Documentary

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34 Reviews

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In Oscar®-nominated filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady's life-affirming documentary, teenagers converge at a traditional folk high school in Arctic Norway where they must rely on only themselves, one another, and a loyal pack of sled dogs as they all grow in unexpected directions. In Norse mythology, the three "Norns" are powerful deities who weave the threads of fate and shape humans' futures. Today, Pasvik Folk High School in northern Norway aims to produce a similar life-changing effect on its students. FOLKTALES tells the timely and heartwarming story of teenagers who choose to spend an unconventional "gap year" learning to dog sled and survive the Arctic wilderness, in hopes of finding connection and meaning in the modern world. Guided by patient teachers and a yard full of heroic Alaskan huskies, they discover their own potential and develop deep relationships with the land, animals and humans around them. Through intimate verité storytelling and exhilarating cinematography, Ewing and Grady examine humans on the cusp of adulthood, finding themselves at the edge of the world.

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Ty Burr

Washington Post

The great satisfaction of this documentary is seeing the troubled children of the early scenes emerge with a maturity and equanimity that comes from pushing oneself past the furthest you thought you could go.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 1, 2025

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Randy Myers

San Jose Mercury News

Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s engaging documentary isn’t adventurous by any stretch and does exactly what you would expect of it by tagging along with Hege, Romain and Bjørn... And that’s not a bad thing.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 1, 2025

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Kimberley Jones

Austin Chronicle

Landscape, ancient and punishing; this rarefied air, 200 miles above the Arctic Circle; these young people, on the precipice of adulthood, learning the value of self-reliance and kindness – it all begs for the kind of soulful treatment Folktales delivers.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 31, 2025

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Christopher Llewellyn Reed

Hammer to Nail

By the end, through formative adventures and breathtaking imagery (including overhead drone shots and evocative close-ups of canine eyes), we reach a satisfying cinematic destination.

Aug 1, 2025

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Sarah Vincent

Sarah G Vincent Views

There are a plethora of montages involving the expansive wilderness that is untouched compared to their earlier lives. It is an argument for seeing it on the big screen so you can focus on the majesty in an appropriate form without any distractions.

Aug 1, 2025

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Al Alexander

Movies Thru the Spectrum

You’re drawn to the canines, and their soulful eyes more than the trials and tribulations of the troubled teens. And it’s because of that failure to connect that ultimately renders “Folktales” less human and more of a dog.

Rated: C+

Jul 31, 2025

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Stephen C

Real footage in 1 hour and 46 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In Norwegian and American English audio versions with American English subtitles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $6,700.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/01/25

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Heidi Ewing

Director

Rachel Grady

Director

Maiken Baird

Executive Producer

Michael Bloom

Executive Producer

Christine Connor

Executive Producer

Ian Darling

Executive Producer

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Sweetheart Deal

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TRAILER

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A New Kind of Wilderness

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A New Kind of Wilderness

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I Know Catherine, the Log Lady

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I Know Catherine, the Log Lady

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Paint Me a Road Out of Here

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Folktales: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

In Oscar®-nominated filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady's life-affirming documentary, teenagers converge at a traditional folk high school in Arctic Norway where they must rely on only themselves, one another, and a loyal pack of sled dogs as they all grow in unexpected directions. In Norse mythology, the three "Norns" are powerful deities who weave the threads of fate and shape humans' futures. Today, Pasvik Folk High School in northern Norway aims to produce a similar life-changing effect on its students. FOLKTALES tells the timely and heartwarming story of teenagers who choose to spend an unconventional "gap year" learning to dog sled and survive the Arctic wilderness, in hopes of finding connection and meaning in the modern world. Guided by patient teachers and a yard full of heroic Alaskan huskies, they discover their own potential and develop deep relationships with the land, animals and humans around them. Through intimate verité storytelling and exhilarating cinematography, Ewing and Grady examine humans on the cusp of adulthood, finding themselves at the edge of the world.

Director: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady
Producer: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures
Production Co: Magnolia Pictures, Topic Studios, Fifth Season, Loki Films
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: Norwegian
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 25, 2025, Limited
Box Office (Gross USA): $6.7K
Runtime: 1h 46m