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Ingrid Dokka • Norwegian Cinema Institute

Short films are cool!

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- Ingrid Dokka tells us about the new edition of Kult og kort for stort og smått (Short films are cool, for children and adults), a project targeting children from 7 to 11 years old

Ingrid Dokka is in charge of the promotion of short films and documentaries for the Norwegian Cinema Institute. This summer, she is passionate about the new edition of Kult og kort for stort og smått (Short films are cool, for children and adults), a project that only started a year ago but was very successful from the start. It mainly targets children from 7 to 11 years old.

Cineuropa: Why target this age group?
Ingrid Dokka:
Because it is too often neglected. The Institute wanted to promote films that are made for those children. We thus brought together nine short films in a one hour long movie made available for free to Norwegian theatres, in the form of a DCP (Digital Cinema Package), ie. digital operation copies. The operators can freely decide to screen the film in its entirety or choose one or several short films, which they can integrate with other screenings, for as long as they wish. They can screen the film for an unlimited period. Last year, 48 theatres made the experiment and they did not regret it. 

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It’s a very personal formula.
Indeed. It can be modified depending on your wishes thanks to digital flexibility. The Institute handles the distribution this summer and then the Cineclubs of Norway will take over from November 1st.

Did you choose the films?
With the help of a representative from the Cineclubs, who is an expert in terms of youth cinema. A delegate from Film & Kino, an organization that supports us financially, was also part of this small selection comity, in an advisory capacity.

Was it difficult to make up your mind?
It was actually fascinating. We wanted to make the selection as varied as possible. Firstly in terms of duration: the shortest film lasts 1 minute, the longest, 11 minutes. The themes: our selection offers funny stories, but also serious, unexpected, and sometimes controversial topics. The mode of expression: 3 fictions, 4 animated films and two documentaries. And finally, the programme’s composition, so that the tone and atmosphere changes from one film to the next. Most of these films don’t have words. We paid special attention to the sound tracks because we knew that some music or sounds could be overwhelming for young children, so we favoured the artistic and educational aspect.

Can schools benefit from this offer?
Naturally. We even have educational materials for them, such as additional documentation with questions and analyses, which can be used before or after the screening.

Are the authors of these films famous in Norway?
Not at all, with the exception of Bjørn Eidsvåg, a famous Norwegian singer, who became a screenwriter for the occasion, for the animated film Sivert, whose humour is very unusual.

You also direct movies.
Yes, I directed, amongst other films, a documentary dedicated to Olaf Storø, probably the most northern artist in the world since he lives in the Svalbard Archipelago. But for now, what matters is Kult og Kort II.

Do you have a preference for one of these films?
I love them all but I do have a preference for Drømmen om kongeørnen, a documentary that introduces three brothers who are passionate about birds and don’t have phones or video games and live in harmony in a loving and balanced family. Dealing with difficult questions is essential, for sure, but showing positive images to children is just as important. 

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