08/05/2012 - The Norwegian Film Institute shells out €1.6 million to support 14 new productions, including two transmedia projects

Japanese-born Maiko Nishino (photo), a prima ballerina in the Norwegian National Ballet; the Norwegian “painter of light”, 19th century artist Lars Hertervig; Norwegian singer-songwriter Kari Bremnes; and US soft-core porn king Joe Sarno, aka the Ingmar Bergman of 42nd Street – they will all populate new Norwegian documentaries that the Norwegian Film Institute is supporting with €1.6 million.

Maiko’s Dance, following the dancer’s life over several years, will be directed by Åse Svenholm Drivenes and produced by Anita Rehoff Larsen and Tone Grøttjord for Sant & Usant. It will also depict the meeting points and contrasts in Japanese and European cultures.

Produced by Jo Torgersen and Eldar Nakken for Mediacircus TV, Karl John Paulsen’s Lars Hjertevig portrays the painter (1830-1902) who while being young and promising was isolated from local and European art circles, yet became one of Norway’s top artists.

My Heart, directed by Lars Andreas Hellebust and produced by Fredrik Støbakk for Storm Films, tells the story of Bremnes, a former journalist who 20 years ago had an experience that made her dedicate herself to music full time.

Wictor Ericsson’s The Sarnos is about the soft-core porn director Sarno, a frequent holiday guest in Sweden, who wants to make a final erotic film. The project is a Swedish-Norwegian co-production, instigated by Sweden’s Anagram.

The 14 supported documentaries also includes No Word for Worry, about the 2,000-3,000 Austronesian Moken ‘sea gypsies’ living on the coasts of Thailand and Burma. Directed by Runar Jarle Wiik and produced by Mette Cheng Munthe-Kaas and Christian Lien Jensen for Ten Thousand Images, it is accompanied by One Tree Can Save a Culture, a website campaign and mobile application.