The best Norwegian Directors
A humble attempt of ranking the best Norwegian film directors, based upon how much I enjoyed their films, in terms of an average rating. Only directors which have had a film I scoret no less than a 6.
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- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Bent Hamer was born on December 18, 1956 in Sandefjord, Norway. He is a well-regarded film auteur, director, producer, and writer, known for Eggs (1995), Kitchen Stories (2003), O' Horten (2007) and Factotum (2005).
Hamer studied film theory and literature at the University of Stockholm and the Stockholm Film School. In addition to his later feature films, he has written and directed a number of short films and documentaries. His first film, Eggs, premiered at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival where it was shown in the Directors' Fortnight section and was rewarded best newcomer. That same year, it was shown in competition at the 19th Moscow International Film Festival where it won the award for Best First Film; it also received the FIPRESCI Prize at the 1995 Toronto International Film Festival. Eggs are about a father and son suffering from autism living in a remote place, where the son is more than usually concerned about the shape of eggs. Eggs was shot by his friend Erim Poppe, which quite soon later also became a front figure in the New Norwegian Wave, which can be seen as quality reality-based movies with underplayed quirky humor based on good scripts and reasonable budgets, focusing on the good story well acted out.
Hamer followed up with another strong film in Water Easy Reach (1998) about a young sailor stranded at a remote island, trying to fix his beloved golden watch, which saw Hamer really to be a leader of this New Norwegian Wave of quality films, starting the best period in Norwegian films ever. the film was awarded best screenplay amongst four nominations at the Amanda Awards at The Norwegian Film Festival in Haugesund. it was also nominated for the Crystal Star in Brussels, and Francisco Rabel won best main actor a Fotogramas de Plata.
His third film, the 2003 film Kitchen Stories (Salmer fra kjøkkenet) screened at many international festivals and was the Norwegian submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. It received much praise and recognition, and went on to get worldwide distribution, and awarded Best film at Amanda Awards. It also won main prizes in Copenhagen, Lübeck, Sao Paulo, Tromsø and Valladolid as well as in Ghent. The film is based on a true story about a scientific approach to make better kitchens by observing how a kitchen is used. We meet an observer as he agrees to follow an old bachelor's kitchen use.
In April 2004, Bent Hamer started shooting Factotum based on the novel of the same name by US poet and writer Charles Bukowski. The screenplay was written by Hamer and Jim Stark (Mystery Train, Cold Fever), who produced the film together with Christine Walker (American Splendor). The film premiered at the Kosmorama Film Festival in Trondheim, Norway, on April 12th 2005. It also received much praise, being nominated to C.I.C.A.E. in Cannes, winning the Golden swan in Copenhagen IFF, as well as winning prizes in San Diego and at Kosmorama in Trondheim.
In December 2007 Hamer returned back to comedy with O'Horten which premiered to great reviews, and the film about a train engineer being pensioned off his life work went on to be the most acclaimed of Hamers career yet, being nominated for seven Amandas, winning two, and winning four out of 10 nominations of the Kanon price in Trondheim IFF. It also won one of two nominations in Cannes, and won Hamer best director in Ghent IFF.
In 2010 Hamer directed a new drama-comedy, a Christmas movie, Home for Christmas. The film looks at those who are desperately trying to connect or reconnect with their families, friends, or anyone who will listen, based upon several shorts written by Levi Henriksen, from his "Bare mjuke pakker under treet". The film won three Amanda nominations and two Kanon nominations, and won the audience award at RiverRun IFF, though being felt like a minor step back in his film making.
The 2014-film 1001 Grams about a Norwegian scientist Marie attending a seminar in Paris on the actual weight of a kilo, only to find it is her own measurement of disappointment, grief and, not least, love, that ends up on the scale. Again Hamer won best screenplay at the Amandas and five more nominations. Here his steady companion photographer John Christian Rosenlund also won best cinematography at Chicago IFF.
September 2020 sees premiere of The Middle Man, based upon acclaimed writer Erlend Loe's second part of novel "Sluk" where Frank Farrelli takes on the job as a middle man in the God-forsaken town of Karmack, USA, a community in a depression so deep that they need a middle man to professionally communicate more of the bad news.
Hamer is the owner and founder of the BulBul Film Association, established in Oslo in 1994, and ha been called the Norwegian film auteur. due to his film language and how he tells his stories. Film historian Peter Cowie has compared Hamers characters with Jacques Tati. there's no doubt Hamer will be standing as one of the most important Filmmakers and a leader of the New Norwegian Wave occurring in the mid-nineties.- Director
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Hans Petter Moland was born on 17 October 1955 in Oslo, Norway. He is a director and writer, known for In Order of Disappearance (2014), Aberdeen (2000) and Out Stealing Horses (2019). He is married to Maria Sødahl. They have three children. He was previously married to Elizabeth Pacini.- Director
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- Cinematographer
Ivo Caprino was born on 17 February 1920 in Oslo, Norway. He was a director and writer, known for Owls in the Marsh (1959), The Pinchcliffe Grand Prix (1975) and The Ashlad and the Hungry Troll (1967). He was married to Liv Bredal. He died on 8 February 2001 in Snarøya, Oslo, Norway.- Director
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- Cinematographer
Erik Poppe (born 24 June 1960) is a Norwegian film director, screenwriter and former cinematographer.
Poppe is regarded as one of Europe's most experienced and compelling directors recognized for his work with actors and impeccably well crafted multi-pronged narratives. His movies are often built around strong ensemble casts, sharp writing, impressive camera work and an uncanny knack for rhythm and music in the editing. During the last decade Poppe has become one of the most frequently awarded film directors from Scandinavia.
Erik Poppe grew up in Portugal and Norway. He started his career as a photographer for the newspaper Verdens Gang and Reuters, covering domestic news as well as international conflicts. He was awarded by the Norwegian press association and World Press Photo during 1980's. Being hospitalized after an assignment in Colombia he decided to prepare leaving journalism and study filmmaking.
He graduated as a cinematographer at DI - University College of Film, Radio, Television and Theatre in Stockholm, Sweden in 1991. He have conducted several artistic and directorial research programs between 2001 and 2010. In 2015 Poppe concluded a PhD as a research fellow at the Norwegian Artistic Research Programme and as an Associated Professor at HIL, Lillehammer University College/The Norwegian Film School. "The Subjective Objective" is an exploration on how to achieve increased emotionally outcome by the use of a highly personalized and strictly subjectively point of view in conscious narrative film. Is it possible to achieve a stronger identification, empathy and a greater involvement for the spectator by applying a strict enforcement of the subjective point of view? -A point of view who never allows the filmmaker to show for the spectator more than the film's protagonist are seeing or experiencing at any time. The project developed various measures for an increased empathy with the narrative's protagonist and discuss further elements to be considered for a stronger subjectivity. The key artistic work made as part of the research was the feature movie A Thousand Times Good Night, a dramatization of his experiences as a conflict photographer in DRC Congo and Afghanistan.
Erik Poppe worked as Director of Photography on several features, as well as EGGS (1995) by Bent Hamer. He was awarded with the Kodak Award at the Moscow International Film Festival and won the Cinematographer of the year award in Norway. At the same time he announced his end of work as Director of Photography.
TROUBLED WATER (2008, aka: deUSYNLIGE) is the third part of his multi-awarded Oslo Trilogy, after his directorial debut with SCHPAAA (1998, aka Bunch Of Five) and HAWAII-OSLO (2004). Working on the research for Schpaaa; a terrifying look at multi-racial youth gangs in Norway and shot in the style of a documentary, he discovered realities he wanted to adapt into two more movies. Hawaii-Oslo tells a story about a number of people whose fates intertwine, sometimes by accident, during the hottest day of the year in downtown Oslo. Troubled Water is a story about a young man released from prison after serving a sentence for an alleged murder of a child. All of the movies are shoot in the area of Groenland and Grunerloekka in downtown Oslo. "The place where we live so close to each other, and know so little about each other."
1000 TIMES GOOD NIGHT (2013, aka: A Thousand Times Good Night, Tusen Ganger God Natt) was Poppe's first English-language movie. The film is partly an autobiographical story based on Poppe experiences as a conflict photographer. Poppe switched the lead roles around making the french actress Juliette Binoche as his his proxy, and King of Throne's Nikolaj Coster-Waldau playing the character based on Poppe's wife. A standing ovation greeted Montreal's world premiere of the film, which went on to earn the jury's Special Grand Prix.
THE KING'S CHOICE (2016) is based on the true the story about the three dramatic days in April of 1940, when the King of Norway is presented with the monstrous ultimatum from the Germans: surrender or die. With German Air Force and soldiers hunting them down, the royal family is forced to flee from the capital. After three days of desperately trying to evade the Germans, King Haakon makes his final decision, one that may cost him, his family and many Norwegians their lives. The film made records when it opened in Norway by late September 2016 and became the #1 box office hit of the year. The film was Norway's official entry in the best foreign language film category for the 2017 Oscars and received being short listed.
Per Fugelli (1943-2017) was a Norwegian doctor, a professor of social medicine and a forceful voice in the public sphere. Fugelli spent his life addressing questions of freedom and respect, campaigning for rights of the less fortunate.
Fugelli was diagnosed with cancer in 2009. In 2015 he said no to further treatment and allowed his close friend, director Erik Poppe to follow him as far as possible on this journey. The result is I DIE (Siste resept) a film about life and how to live it to the very end.
In June 2017 it was announced that Erik Poppe had worked for a year on developing a feature film about the 2011 terrorist attack on Utøya outside Oslo, Norway. The film, entitled U, begins 12 minutes before the first shot on Utøya as we meet Kaja (18), her little sister, and their friends at summer camp. When the shooting begins panic spreads, and over the next 72 minutes we follow Kaja in her escape - minute by minute. She becomes separated from her little sister, and in the search for her she finds other youngsters with different strategies for survival. Some make it, others do not. U July 22 (Utøya 22.juli) is a fictional account of events which will tell the story from the young people's perspective, based on a series of in-depth interviews conducted with survivors from Utøya. Some of them was on set behind the camera while filming took place in September 2017 to help give the narrative credibility. The film was Berlin's most confrontational and controversial offering during the International Film Festival in Berlin. Filmed in a single continuous take, the narrative is filtered through the real-time experience of one young woman, played vividly by newcomer Andrea Berntzen. It follows her over two hours, as she tries to survive amid the chaos and terror. The film was a runner up for the Golden Bear in the categories for best film, best female actress and best direction.
Poppe is probably the only director in Norway who have showed the ability to hit both the critics as well as the audience, taking high admissions in domestic release. His Oslo Trilogy as well as A Thousand Times Good Night and The Kings Choice has been sold to territories worldwide.
Erik Poppe was also the key director for "Brigaden" (The Brigade) in 2002. A 26 episodes TV-drama for NRK (The Norwegian Broadcating Corp.). Brigaden received the Norwegian "Amanda" Price for the Best TV-drama in 2003.
Erik Poppe is the only director to have received the Norwegian National Film Critics' Award three times. Hawaii, Oslo in 2005, Troubled Water in 2009 and for A Thousand Times Good Nigh in 2014 - all movies were also voted as last year's Best Feature. When he received the price for best film in 2014 at The Amanda, he became historical by being the only director to have been nominated for all his movies (five movies) in the categories best film or/ and best director at the Norwegian national award The Amanda (the Norwegian Oscar).
Poppe has participated in key festivals, and received prizes such as the Berlinale -Panorama (Schpaaa), The Vesuvio Prize at Napoli International Film Festival, Norwegian entries for best foreign language movie at Oscars, Festroia in Portugal for Best Directing, Silver Dolphin in Festroia, Nordic Ministerie Councils Award for The Best Nordic Feature, ecumenical awards and several other prizes. Troubled Water made history at the Hamptons International Film Festival in 2008 by being the first feature ever to win both the festival's Golden Starfish for Best Narrative Feature and the Audience Award. In October 2016 Poppe received the Special Golden Angel, a life time achievement award for his work as Outstanding European Film Artist at the international Film Festival TOFIFEST in Poland.
Erik Poppe is co-owner of Paradox Film and the Paradox Group. A series of companies producing features.
On his career as a photojournalist: "All the actions I undertook back then were driven by the urge to draw attention to the horrors of war. I wanted for my pictures to grab you by the throat, when eating breakfast on a Saturday morning."
On working with feature movies: "You need to be honest, because this way your audience will be able to identify with the topic and the hero. My role, as an artist, is to prepare a text with open questions and hide the fact that I have an answer key. Questions will provoke audience to discuss the film and seek new perspectives. The film is supposed to make a difference, and maybe offer a therapeutic effect."- Writer
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- Producer
Erik Skjoldbjærg was born on 14 December 1964 in Tromsø, Norway. He is a writer and director, known for Okkupert (2015), Insomnia (1997) and Nokas (2010).- Director
- Producer
- Executive
Espen Sandberg was born on 17 June 1971 in Sandefjord, Norway. He is a director and producer, known for Kon-Tiki (2012), Max Manus: Man of War (2008) and Troll (2022).- Director
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Joachim Rønning is a film director and writer from Sandefjord, Norway - a small coastal town south of Oslo. He spent his teenage years making short films and shooting commercials for local businesses. In 1995 Rønning began directing professionally with his childhood friend, Espen Sandberg. Working under the name of Roenberg, their extensive and award-winning commercial work in Scandinavia led to major international commissions.
Roenberg established themselves in the American commercial film market with spots for Capital One, Labatt's and especially with the USA Today Superbowl 2001 Viewer's Poll-winning spot "Rex" for Budweiser.
In 2006, Rønning and Sandberg directed their feature film debut, BANDIDAS, starring Penélope Cruz and Salma Hayek, and written and produced by legendary French filmmaker Luc Besson. When asked how it was to be debuting with such big stars and budget, Rønning explained: "It was my first movie and I remember feeling so lucky to be working with these amazing actors. Looking back now I realize I had no clue what I was doing. It was truly the best film school I could ever dream of. Probably the most expensive too."
In December 2008, Rønning's second feature, MAX MANUS, premiered. The critically acclaimed WWII drama tells the true story of infamous Norwegian saboteur and war hero; Max Manus, and his battle to overcome his inner demons. MAX MANUS soared to become the highest grossing Norwegian movie of all time.
KON-TIKI became the director's next epos. The true story about legendary explorer Thor Heyerdahl and his epic crossing of the Pacific on a balsa wood raft, KON-TIKI became historical when it in 2013, as the first Norwegian film ever, was nominated for both a Golden Globe and an Academy Award in the best foreign language category.
The success of KON-TIKI led to Rønning directing the latest installment in the PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN franchise starring Johnny Depp. Filmed on location in Australia, POTC: Dead Men Tell No Tales went on to earn 800 million dollars at the box office - making it one of the top 10 grossing movies of 2017.
Rønning's next movie MALEFICENT: Mistress of Evil starring Angelina Jolie and Michelle Pfeiffer for Disney, premiered in the fall of 2019 to become the third highest October release of all time, and eventually grossing half a billion dollars worldwide.
In 2022, Rønning began filming YOUNG WOMAN AND THE SEA, starring Daisy Ridley. The film tells the true story about New York native, Trudy Ederle, who in 1926 became the first woman to swim the English Channel - changing the world of women's sports forever.
Rønning is currently in pre-production on TRON: ARES for Disney starring Jared Leto, planning a fall 2023 start date.
Joachim Rønning lives in Los Angeles and London with his wife, Amanda Hearst. He has three children.- Director
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- Writer
Nils Gaup was born on 12 April 1955 in Kautokeino, Norway. He is a director and actor, known for Pathfinder (1987), Head Above Water (1993) and Pathfinder (2007).- Director
- Producer
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Margreth Olin was born on 16 April 1970 in Stranda, Sunnmøre, Norway. She is a director and producer, known for The Angel (2009), The Self Portrait (2020) and Nowhere Home (2012).- Director
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His father ran a successful brewing company. After school, Heyerdahl began studying zoology at the University of Oslo in 1933. At the end of 1936 he married Liv Coucheron Torp, with whom he lived temporarily on the Marquesa Islands in Polynesia. In the spring of 1938 the couple returned to Norway, where their son Thor was born in September. The second son Björn followed later. Heyerdahl next turned to studying the Bella Coola Indians in British Columbia, Canada. During the Second World War, the family initially stayed in Canada, then Heyerdahl worked as a lieutenant in the Norwegian resistance against the German occupation.
Heyerdahl's anthropological research related to the possibilities of migration and cultural exchange between early human populations, which he sought to investigate and prove through elaborate expeditions in replica historical ships. The anthropologist became world famous for his breathtaking three-month crossing from Peru to Eastern Polynesia, which he documented in the 1948 book "Kon-Tiki ekspedisjonen", which quickly received numerous translations. Heyerdahl then sailed from the Moroccan west coast to the West Indies. From Iraq he sailed through the Persian Gulf to Asia and back to Africa, proving that the ancient Sumerians could have had contact with other early cultures in this way.
In the summer of 1949, after separating from his first wife, Heyerdahl married Yvonne Dedekam-Simonsen, with whom he had three daughters. In 1952, Heyerdahl published the book "American Indians in the Pacific: The Theory Behind the Kon-Tiki Expedition," in which he documented ancient migration movements between the American mainland and Polynesia. The researcher discovered similar migration movements between the South American Andes and Easter Island in the second half of the 1950s. Heyerdahl attracted worldwide attention with the two expeditions he carried out in 1969 and 1970 on the contemporary-style ships "Ra" and "Ra II" to cross the Atlantic from Egypt and Morocco, respectively.
A third larger expedition took Heyerdahl in 1977 from Iraq over the Tigris through the Persian Gulf to Oman and Pakistan and then across the Indian Ocean to Djibouti. In 1982/83, Heyerdahl led two expeditions to the Maldives to research the trade movements of prehistoric populations there. Heyerdahl made further expeditions to Easter Island in 1986, 1987 and 1988. He led an archaeological project in Tucúme/Peru from 1988 to 1993. Most recently, from 1990 to 2002, he was committed to researching and preserving the pyramids of Güimar/Tenerife.
Thor Heyerdahl died on April 18, 2002 of a brain tumor in Colla Micheri, northern Italy.- Director
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Gunnar Vikene directed his first feature film, FALLING SKY (HIMMELFALL) in 2002 which received both critical acclaim and was a box-office success. In 2005 he directed all episodes of the TV-series «RAN» - (Gullruten - «Best TV-drama 2005») His following feature films - TRIGGER(2007), VEGAS (2009), and HERE IS HAROLD (2014) - has all received both critical acclaim and a number of international prizes, screening at festivals such as Berlin IFF, Karlovy Vary IFF, Rome IFF, Montreal IFF, Sarajevo Film Festival, Tallinn Black Night Film Festival a.o. He directed 12 episodes of the award winning TV-series «The third eye»(2013-2015), and has directed the first three episodes of «Borderline" Gunnar lives in Bergen, on the west coast of Norway.- Director
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Petter Næss was born in Oslo, Norway, in 1960. Originally he worked as a writer, director and actor for the theatre, staging close to 30 productions. In 1997 he was appointed director of Oslo Nye Teater (Oslo New Theatre) and he quickly made a mark for himself promoting contemporary Norwegian plays and focusing on works for young audiences. At the theatre he realized the first staging of "Elling", based upon Ingvar Ambjørnsen's popular book "Brødre i blodet" (Brothers in Blood). The show was a huge success and gained rave reviews from critics and audiences alike.
In 1999 Næss made his debut as a film director, with his dark comedy "Absolutt Blåmandag" (Absolute Hangover). Both leads of the movie ended up winning the Amanda Award (at the International Norwegian Film Festival) for best actor and actress in 1999. After the huge success of "Elling" it was just a question of time before it was turned into a feature film, and when "Elling" the movie saw the light of day in 2001 the result was the one of the biggest blockbusters in Norwegian cinema history (roughly 800,000 Norwegians saw the movie - for comparison: there are only 4,2 million people in Norway). "Elling" became an instant favorite and somewhat a modern classic with Norwegian movie-goers and it became the fourth Norwegian film in history to be nominated for the best foreign film Oscar (Academy Award).
Academy Award-winning actor Kevin Spacey soon after bought the rights to re-make "Elling" for American theatres, and the Norwegian original became somewhat a cult hit with audiences around the globe. With "Elling" the "feel-good film" had finally come to Norway, and it struck a nerve with international audiences as well.
In 2003 the success of "Elling" led to Næss signing a deal with 20th Century Fox to direct 3 movies for the traditional production company. Before he began production on the first of these ("Mozart & the Whale" with Josh Hartnett) he proved he also had a rare talent for youth-films, with his Norwegian youth-drama "Bare Bea" (opening in January of 2004). Again the critics were impressed, and with three critical and commercial successes in a row, Petter Næss proved without a shadow of a doubt he was one of the greatest Norwegian filmmakers of his generation.- Writer
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Pål Sletaune was born on 4 March 1960 in Norway. He is a writer and director, known for Junk Mail (1997), The Monitor (2011) and Next Door (2005).- Writer
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Arne Skouen was born on 18 October 1913 in Oslo, Norway. He was a writer and director, known for Nine Lives (1957), Fire in the Night (1955) and Cirkus Fandango (1954). He died on 24 May 2003 in Oslo, Norway.- Director
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Arild Andresen is known for The Orheim Company (2012), The Liverpool Goalie (2010) and Handle with Care (2017).- Director
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Hisham Zaman was born in 1975 in Kurdistan, Iraq. He is a director and producer, known for Letter to the King (2014), Before Snowfall (2013) and Bawke (2005).- Director
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- Editor
Morten Tyldum was born on 19 May 1967 in Bergen, Norway. He is a director and producer, known for Headhunters (2011), The Imitation Game (2014) and Passengers (2016).- Director
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- Actor
Pål Jackman was born on 20 September 1967 in Haugesund, Norway. He is a director and writer, known for State of Happiness (2018), The Storm in My Heart (2009) and Detektor (2000).- Director
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- Editorial Department
Son of famous Norwegian writer Knut Faldbakken. He grew up on Ridabu, some kilometers away from Hamar. He's currently working in MotionBlur, an advertising agency started by director Harald Zwart, where he's making commercials.- Director
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Pål Bang-Hansen was born in Oslo, the capital of Norway. The son of author Odd Bang-Hansen (who also worked as a film critic in the 1950s) he would from childhood be as much a part of the Norwegian film industry, as the industry would be a part of him. At the age of 12 he played the scene-stealing role of 'Sofus' in "Gategutter", directed by Arne Skouen. A slice-of-life story about a group of boys in the working-class section of Oslo, it went on to become one of the greatest Norwegian movie classics. Notably it was also the first film by Skouen who went on to become the greatest Norwegian filmmaker of his generation, even earning an Academy Award nomination for 1957's "Ni liv". By this time young Bang-Hansen was himself bitten by the movie-bug and got himself into the Centro Sperimentale Film School in Rome, Italy (as a result of this he is today fluent in Italian).
From 1961 to 1967 Bang-Hansen worked as a film critic for the Oslo news-paper Arbeiderbladet (the same paper as his father). At the same time he worked as an assistant director on several Arne Skouen-productions. Bang Hansen's feature film directorial debut came in 1966 with "Skrift i sne". He went on to direct some of the best Norwegian movies until his last film in 1979; the thriller "Douglas" (1970), the comedy "Norske byggeklosser" (1971) which today is regarded as one of the most popular Norwegian comedies ever made, the drama "Kanarifuglen" (co-starring international star Julie Ege), the thriller "Bortreist på ubestemt tid" and "Kronprinsen", a political drama that would earn actor Bjørn Sundquist the Norwegian Critics Award in his first feature film. Sundquist went on to become the most prolific actor in Norwegian film.
Despite his work as a director, Bang-Hansen is best known for his career as a film-critic and -reporter. Especially since 1967, when he was employed by the Norwegian National Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) and introduced the public to something new: "Filmmagasinet", the first Norwegian TV-show dedicated to the movies. Working in NRK into the next century he was also recognized for his reports from the Cannes Film Festival which he has visited annually since the early 1960s. Meeting and interviewing legends such as 'Alfred Hitchcock', 'Anthony Mann', Henry Fonda, Akira Kurosawa, Charles Chaplin and many more, Bang-Hansen has become a well-known face to many industry people at the French film festival. So famous is his role on TV to generations of Norwegians that many of them aren't even aware of his past as a director and screenwriter.
His career as a film-maker however, deserves mentioning as he delivered a quality that was very rare to Norwegian cinema in the 1970s: he made movies for the public. Norwegian cinema in the 1970s and 80s is often looked upon as an era filled with boring, artistic dramas lacking in both plot and credible acting, loathed by both the public and the critics. At this time Bang-Hansen would deliver the opposite; exciting thrillers, credible dramas and even a crazy comedy that would become a smash-hit at the box-office. A feat for which to this day he has sadly achieved very little recognition. Thanks to his long-running "Filmmagasinet" on TV, he is, however, today regarded by every Norwegian as its nation's one and only "Mr Film".- Director
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- Camera and Electrical Department
Line Halvorsen is known for Et steinkast unna (2003), USA vs Al-Arian (2007) and Living Without Money (2010).- Director
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- Production Manager
Tancred Ibsen was born on 11 July 1893 in Gausdal, Norway. He was a director and writer, known for Venner (1960), Valfångare (1939) and Gjest Baardsen (1939). He was married to Lillebil Ibsen. He died on 4 December 1978 in Oslo, Norway.- Producer
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- Camera and Electrical Department
Sigve Endresen was born in 1953. He is a producer and director, known for Thelma (2017), Oslo, August 31st (2011) and Generation Utoya (2021).- Writer
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- Additional Crew
Sara Johnsen was born on 4 March 1970 in Nes, Akershus, Norway. She is a writer and director, known for Vinterkyss (2005), Upperdog (2009) and Houdinis hund (2003).- Director
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Norwegian director Jens Lien was educated at the London International Film School. In his early career he made documentaries, commercials and short films, including Døren som ikke smakk (2000) and Naturlige briller (2001) which were both nominated for the prestigious Palme d'Or in Cannes. Lien's stylish and edgy short films have won numerous awards all over the world.
In 2003, Lien's first feature film Jonny Vang (2003) had its premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival. His acclaimed second feature The Bothersome Man (2006) premiered in 2006 to fantastic reviews, was selected for the Toronto International Film Festival and won both the ACID Award at the Cannes Film Festival and the Hampton Golden Starfish. Since its release it has further gone on to win more than 30 international awards.
The successful and award-winning feature Sons of Norway (2011) saw its world premiere at Toronto International Film Festival 2011 and was the opening film for The Norwegian Film Festival the same year. Lien is also director of the TV series Viva Hate (2014) for SVT which won Prix Europa for Best European TV Series in 2015. His latest project, the sci-fi satire Beforeigners (2019), was HBO Nordic's first Norwegian original. Beforeigners (2019) was an immediate hit and was met with rave reviews both in Scandinavia and internationally.
Furthermore, Lien is a distinguished director of commercials for TV and cinema, for which he has received international awards including the Cannes Lion and the Gullfisken Award (Best Commercial of the Year) twice - in 2014 for the SAS commercial Daddy's Girl and in 2020 for The Boy With the Lunchbox. The latter instantly went viral and has been streamed more than 700 million times.