
Folktales
This uplifting documentary is in English and Norwegian with English subtitles, recommended for age 12+.
Discovery Young Programmers present Folktales, a heartwarming documentary about our need for connection and meaning in the modern world. Through intimate storytelling and exhilarating cinematography, Oscar-nominated filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady examine humans on the cusp of adulthood, finding themselves at the edge of the world.
Exhausted by loneliness, social anxiety, and all the crushing barrage of pressures felt by their generation, three teenagers leave the comforts of home to enrol in a traditional 'folk high school' in the wilds of northernmost Norway. Dropped in the arctic wilderness for one year, Hege, Romain, and Bjørn Tore must rely only on themselves and a pack of loyal sled dogs as they take the daunting step from childhood to adulthood. Freed from technology, social media, and the noise of modern life, this brave trio learns to face themselves for the first time and experience an unexpected transformation.

Discovery Young Programmers 2025
Discovery Young Programmers are a group of 15- to 18-year-olds who are passionate about film. They attended a two-week summer programme to learn about film programming through a series of sessions and workshops with DCA staff and visiting guest experts, as well as attending film screenings in our cinema.
They are Luke B., Alyssa C., Katie F., Katie M., and Joshua M, and they selected this film to share with our festival audiences. We hope you enjoy it!
Supported by Film Hub Scotland, part of the BFI’s Film Audience Network, awarding funding on behalf of Screen Scotland and the BFI National Lottery.