Fedrelandet / Songs of Earth

Director Margreth Olin uses her camera to follow her 84-year-old father on his forays into the majestic valley amidst the Norwegian mountains, where she was often underway with him as a child. For generations, the family has lived in this impressive place between rocks, plants, water, and ice. In the face of such mighty nature, a person comes across as tiny. The father tells of devastating landslides that wiped out entire families, points out a tree that his great-grandfather planted that now towers high above the valley, and ponders existential questions about life and the answers he has found here. Olin's mother also has her say; the two talk about their love, about dying, and return again and again to their relationship with nature. Breathtaking drone shots and detailed close-ups of this magical location draw the audience into the world of the protagonist, who, even after the passage of time, cannot get his fill of his surroundings. A film made for the big screen.