Allocation – Supported Projects
Oscar-shortlisting for “Moulton og meg”
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Støtte til bøker
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Verden i Bergen
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MannIslam på Saga kino
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The Power of the Powerless Today: Anti-totalitarianism After 1989
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I krigen. Et vitnesbyrd fra Syria
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Kommentarjournalistikk i regionale medier
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‘1989’ åpner CPH:DOX
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Lansering av ‘Norges låver’
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I dag, 9. oktober, åpner filmfestivalen Film fra Sør
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Prize for best Norwegian short documentary to 'This is Kabul'
'This is Kabul' won the prize for the best Norwegian short documentary at the Bergen International Film Festival (BIFF) this week. The film was produced by Bakkenivåfilm (Ground Level Film) and directed by Nargis Azaryun, Sadaf Fetrat, Sahar Fetrat, Anders Sømme Hammer and Christoffer Næss. The Fritt Ord Foundation congratulates the winners!
Since 2011, three young women named Sahar, Sadaf and Nargis have filmed their own lives in Kabul. Among other things, the film follows the establishment of the organisation 'Young Women for Change', which works to liberate young Afghani women. The jury's grounds state inter alia that the film "expands our perspective on those who are usually defined as victims, and demonstrates how a documentary film has the power to empower the powerless. The documentation in the film is strong, unique and engaging".
The Fritt Ord Foundation provided NOK 150 000 in support for production of the film in 2013.
Audience Award to Flink Pike (Good Girl) at BIFF 2014
Congratulations to Director Solveig Melkeraaen and 'Good Girl' on winning the Audience Award at the Bergen International Film Festival.
The documentary film 'Good girl' depicts Director Solveig Melkeraaen's experience of severe depression and treatment that included electroshock therapy. Produced by Ingvil Giske of the Media Operators, the film is described as a 'feel good' movie about depression.
The Fritt Ord Foundation provided a total of NOK 500 000 in funding for the development, production and launch of 'Good Girl'.
Sovietistan
This week marks the launch of Erika Fatland's new book "Sovietistan: a Voyage through Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan". The book is a result of five months spent in the region, and it deals with the countries in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. How have the former Soviet republics developed since? What about their future, given their newly-acquired oil and gas resources and with Russia thinking expansively again? Erika Fatland offers gripping human interest stories and historical, political and cultural reflections.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 175 000 in support for the project.
DRONE wins two prizes at BIFF 2014
Congratulations to Director Tonje Hessen Schei, Flimmer Film and the rest of the team behind the documentary film DRONE on winning two prizes at Bergen International Film Festival. The film was named best human rights film on the Checkpoints programme and best Norwegian documentary. DRONE examines the use of modern drones and the human consequences of this type of warfare.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided support for the development, production and feature-length version of DRONE in the amount of NOK 500 000 altogether. In April 2014, the Foundation organised an exclusive preview screening of the film - followed by talks with experts and the main characters from the film, including former drone pilot Brandon Bryant, representing the victims of drones Attorney Mirza Shahzad Akbar, Professor Paul Schulte, Director Tonje Hessen Schei and Journalist Chris Woods.
Support for theatre projects
There are five theatre productions among the nearly 70 projects that were approved for Fritt Ord Foundation funding in September 2014. Buggetekst received NOK 60 000 to help develop the play "Helpers" about Norwegian development co-operation, while Cecilie Lundsholt received NOK 50 000 to develop the stage play "An Industrial Fairytale in Tyssedal". NOK 40 000 was granted to the South Sami Åarjelhsaemien Theatre for the play "Hijven Hov, Ylva!" about government policy regarding predators, and NOK 40 000 to Øyonn's performance of "The Black Book Cleric's catechism". Jon Tombre received NOK 50 000 to stage Arthur Miller's play "The Crucible", a collaboration between Our Theatre in Molde and Fagerlia Upper Secondary School in Ålesund.
A list has now been published of the grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in September 2014. (in Norwegian)
The Gompen Report and other reports on surveillance in Norway 1948-89
The film "The Gompen Report and other reports on surveillance in Norway 1948–89” has now been posted on Vimeo. [link]
"The Gompen Report and other reports on surveillance in Norway 1948–89” is a film from a mock hearing about the surveillance of dissidents during the Cold War. The result is a collage of selected reports and evidence.
Lene Berg has directed the film, and Studio Fjordholm has produced it.
The Fritt Ord Foundation provided NOK 300 000 in support for the film in 2013.
Southbound
The book Southbound by Knut Egil Wang, which has been granted support by the Fritt Ord Foundation, has recently been generating splendid headlines in a number of media: on The New Yorker's photo blog Photo Booth [link], Slate.com's photo blog Behold [link], Feature Shoot [link], American Photo [link] and in the magazine D2. The book explores the concept of "Down South", and consists of pictures from typical charter holiday destinations such as Cypress, the Canary Islands, Spain and Thailand. It has been published by the Swedish publisher Journal.
The Fritt Ord Foundation provided project support of NOK 390 000 in 2007 and book support of NOK 75 000 in 2011.
Knut Egil Wang is one of the project participants the Norwegian Journal of Photography.
The Democracy Festival 2014
Three former prime ministers and six recipients of the Fritt Ord Prize will be on stage at Demokratifestivalen on Eidsvoll, Saturday 13 September.
Per Fugelli, Abid Raja, Anne Sender, Nina Karin Monsen, Anders Sømme Hammer and Bushra Ishaq participate in what might be the most important conversation of this year’s celebration of the Norwegian Constitution’s 200th anniversary. Together will moderator Håvard Kleppa they will discuss the costs associated with freedom of speech.
The programme can be found here. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 50 000 in support of the festival.
Support for documentary films
There were eight documentary films among the projects that were approved for Fritt Ord Foundation funding in August. Among them, Colorbar was granted NOK 150 000 for the production of "The last dose", in which the director Hilde Stålskjær Olsen shadows the former drug-abuser Siri as she makes her way out of drug-assisted rehabilitation. Motlys received NOK 100 000 to work with Paulina Cervenka's documentary film "Wanja" (picture) about a woman suffering from the fatal disease ALS. Further, NOK 200 000 was granted to Fenomen TV film og scene for the production of "The Lady from Os", directed by Pål Winsents - a sequel to the documentary "The Girl from Oz" (2006) about mentally challenged Christina.
A list has now been published of the grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in August 2014.
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Photo exhibition - Pushwagner
Petter Mejlænder's photo exhibition "Pushwagner" will be on display at Gallery Fineart at Tjuvholmen in Oslo from 28 August to 14 September 2014. The photo exhibition is being shown in tandem with Pushwagner's sales exhibition "Movement". The exhibitions will be opened by Mayor Fabian Stang at 6 p.m. on Thursday, 28 August.
In working with the photographs and on Pushwagner's biography, Petter Mejlænder followed the artist's activities closely for seven years. In connection with the exhibition, Mejlænder's photo book about Pushwagner will also be launched. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 50 000 in support for the photo exhibition and NOK 75 000 for the biography (a work in progress).
Book launch: From the Youth
The reportage agency Paragon Features will be launching its book From the Youth at 7 p.m. on Friday, 12 September 2014, at Cappelen Damm Publishing House in Akersgata 47-49, Oslo. The event is part of the Oslo Book Festival. The project was initiated in autumn 2011 in the aftermath of the terrorist massacres that took place in Norway on 22 July 2011; the project is described as a multimedia portrait of a generation of young people. For two years, the young photojournalists Aleksander Andersen, Martin Slottemo Lyngstad and Lars Øverli travelled all over Norway in an ancient camper, documenting Norwegian youth in their natural habitats.
In addition to From the youth now being published in hard copy and as a digital book, in autumn 2014, Paragon Features will host a large-scale travelling exhibition all over the country. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 710 000 in support to the project.
Amanda Prize to Light Fly, Fly High
On 16 August 2014, the Amanda Prize for the best documentary film was awarded to Fri Film for the documentary "Light Fly, Fly High". The film is about the young Indian boxing talent Thulasi and her struggle against discrimination, corruption and sexual oppression. Beathe Hofseth and Susann Østigaard have directed and produced the film. Warm congratulations to Fri Film!
The Fritt Ord Foundation provided NOK 295 000 for the development and production of "Light Fly, Fly High".
Danish distinction to the NJP #1
The first edition of the Norwegian Journal of Photography has received yet another distinction, this time from a Danish jury. Under the title "Best Book Works of 2013", the Danish Book Crafts Association named last year's best books. The winning books are being exhibited at the Royal Library in Copenhagen before being sent on a book tour around Denmark.
NJP #1 earned distinction in the category “periodica”, and the jury writes, among other things: “Using a subtle, modern layout, 10 Norwegian photographers are presented objectively and clearly. Single navy blue dividing sheets mark the introduction and the transition to/between the individual players whose series of photos are vastly different, but are kept in precisely the same tight rein within a set framework.”
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Support for journals
Five journals figure on the list of recipients of the Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in June 2014. The journal Manifest Tidsskrift received support for a series of articles "Piketty to the People", and the philosophical journal Agora for a themed issue on racism. Seismopolite received a grant for its publication about freedom of expression in photography, film, theatre and performance art, while the Association of 2007 for the Promotion of Artistic Reflection and Debate received a grant for next year's issue of the art journal Second-Class Mail. Support was also granted for magazine Fanfare's #4 on the concept of "bullshit".
A list has been published of the minor grants awarded by the Freedom of Expression Foundation in June 2014.
Who is your hero?
The Fritt Ord Foundation Competition for Pupils in Upper Secondary School will continue with a new topic in the upcoming school year: "Freedom of expression's heroes and anti-heroes".
To help the participants get started, we would like a contribution from you. Send in a short film clip in which you answer the question about who is your hero or anti-hero, and state your reason why in one sentence. Send the film to post@fritt-ord.no or as #frittordhelt on Twitter.
Manuscript support for new books
The Fritt Ord Foundation's round of major allocations in June 2014 included grants for 20 Norwegian writers to support the creation of new factual prose. For example, Sidsel Wold received NOK 150 000 for a book project with the working title "How to understand Syria?", while Sølvi Wærhaug received NOK 100 000 for a book on the history of the school of home economics that takes its point of departure in its founder Minna Wetlesen. NOK 150 000 were awarded to Ola Henmo for his documentary book about Karen Friele. Håvard Rem was awarded NOK 125 000 for the book ”Norwegian lyrics”, an historical literary review of Norwegian-language lyrics from 1945 to 2015, and Kjetil Jakobsen was granted NOK 150 000 to work on the second and third volume of the work "The World Citizenry's History of Ideas".
See the entire list of the major grants made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in June 2014.
Contributions to blog projects
The minor grants in May 2014 include two journalistic projects based on blogs as a means of communicating information. Through a blog and a newspaper column in the newspaper Dagsavisen, musician and journalist Aslak Borgersrud will report from the corridors of Stortinget, the Norwegian parliament, under the title "A Lout in Parliament". In their project "The Identity of Ukraine", the young journalists Eskil Wie and Frode Nagel Dahl will communicate news items from Ukraine through blogs, websites, exhibitions and books.
A list of the minor grants awarded in May 2014 has been posted.
Festival support
When processing applications for major grants in April 2014, support was given to seven festivals. The Bollywood Festival Norway 2014 and the project "Nobel-Myanmar Literary Festival: Literature: for Peace" were among the recipients, along with the Non-fiction Festival in Oslo and the Festival University at the Oslo Book Festival. Grants were also awarded to the Oslo International Poetry Festival, the Trondheim Documentary Festival and the Literary Festival Words in the Borderland in Fredrikstad. Most of the festivals are scheduled for autumn 2014.
See the list of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation's in April 2014.
Support for photo projects
There are three photo projects among the Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in March 2014. NOK 30 000 was granted to "You Are Here Now", an exhibition in the UK featuring Eivind Natvig's photographs from all over Norway. Line Ørnes Søndergaard received NOK 30 000 for the project "Rest" - a photographic report on lorry drivers, and Terje Abusdal received NOK 95 000 for his photo project "The Long Islands". Here he depicts life on an island in the Oslo Fjord that fills up every summer with temporary holiday homes consisting of small communities in the form of tent camps, pitched mainly by members of the general public who live on the periphery of their local communities.
See the list of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in March 2014.
Greenland Eyes International Film Festival
A list has now been published of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in March 2014. For example, NOK 75 000 was granted to the Greenland Eyes International Film Festival scheduled to be held in Oslo from 11-18 December 2014. Greenland films from all genres will be screened, accompanied by lectures and debates. Similar festivals will also be held in Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, the Faeroe Islands and Greenland.
See the list of the Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in March 2014.
The House of Cartoonists: ‘Hurray for freedom of expression!’
Among the Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in February 2014, we find allocations for two exhibitions at the House of Cartoonists in Drøbak. Funding of NOK 30 000 was granted for the exhibition "Hurray for freedom of expression!" opened on 5 April 2014 and is being produced in collaboration with Cartoonist Rights Network International. The exhibition takes it point of departure in the Bicentennial of Norway's Constitution, with emphasis on the "freedom of expression statute", section 100, and it will illustrate the development of press freedom for newspaper cartoons in Norway and abroad. The Fritt Ord Foundation also allocated NOK 80 000 to the anniversary project "Fredrik Stabel – 100 years" in connection with the centenary of Stabel's birth. While the commemoration has already begun, the main celebration will be on 7 June 2014, with the opening of the centenary exhibition followed by a celebration and seminar in Stabel's spirit.
See the list of Fritt Ord's minor grants in February 2014.
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Two Raging Grannies: Blått Lerret (Blue Screen) and preview screenings
Director and producer Håvard Bustnes of Faction Film introduced his new documentary 'Two Raging Grannies' at the Blått Lerret on Wednesday, 12 March. 'Two Raging Grannies' is described as a funny, thought-provoking documentary film about the two American great-grandmothers, Shirley (91) and Hinda (84), and their attempts to understand complex interrelationships in the global economy. To preview the film, click here, or visit the film's Facebook page
Shirley will be coming to Norway, and will join Bustnes on a tour with the Coastal Express, arranging preview screenings along the west coast of Norway. In addition, a number of a preview screenings with accompanying debates will be arranged all over the country in collaboration with the Green Party (Norway), The Future in Our Hands, Cultura Bank and the Joy of Life for the Elderly Foundation.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided a total of NOK 300 000 in support for the production and launch of the film.
Support for the launch of new documentary films
The Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in February include support for three documentary films being launched in spring 2014. The company f(x) film and Director Fridtjof Kjæreng received NOK 100 000 to launch "Beauty and the priest" about abortion opponent Børre Knudsen. The film had previously received NOK 500 000 in production support from the Fritt Ord Foundation. Faction Film, represented by Director and Producer Håvard Bustnes, received NOK 100 000 for the launch of "Rebellious great-grandmothers", which had previously been granted NOK 200 000 for production. NOK 100 000 were allocated for a full-length version of the documentary "Drone" by Flimmer Film and Director Tonje Hessen Schei. The Fritt Ord Foundation granted NOK 400 000 for the development and production of "Drone" in 2011-2012. Click on the links to read more about the films and to see the trailers.
A list has now been published of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in February 2014 (in Norwegian).
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Anne-Stine Johnsbråten's ‘Women in Japan’ to Pecha Kucha
Photographer Anne-Stine Johnsbråten will be presenting her documentary photo project 'Women in Japan' at Pecha Kucha Night at 7.30 p.m. at DogA, Hausmanns gate 16, Oslo, on Thursday, 13 February 2014. Pecha Kucha Night is a multi-media event where players in the fields of architecture, design, film, art and music meet and informally show their work through a series of brief presentations. See the full programme for the evening.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 100 000 to Johnsbråten's work with 'Women in Japan'. This will be the first time the pictures are being shown in public.
80th anniversary of the Student Union in Bergen
Congratulations to the Student Union in Bergen on its 80th anniversary in 2014! See the programme for this spring's anniversary season on the Student Union's website. The Student Union characterises itself as western Norway's largest politically independent forum for social and cultural debates. The series of meetings this spring will kick off with the event 'The greediest generation' in Grieg Hall at 7 p.m. on Thursday, 24 January. Sigbjørn Johnsen and Torbjørn Røe Isaksen will meet in that venue to discuss whether the welfare state will survive. The meeting is open to everyone.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has contributed to the Student Union's debate programme for several years.
‘Good girl’ to Blått Lerret
The documentary film ‘Good Girl' depicts Director Solveig Melkeraaen's experience of severe depression and treatment that included electroshock therapy. Produced by Ingvil Giske at Medieperatørene, the documentary is described as a 'feel good' film about depression. 'Good Girl' is featured on the programme for Blått Lerret (Blue Screen) at the Park Theatre, Olaf Ryes Plass, Oslo, at 7.30 p.m. on Wednesday, 22 January. This monthly event is organised under the auspices of the Norwegian Film Institute. It is open to the public as well as to the film industry.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided a total of NOK 500 000 in funding for the development, production and launch of 'Good Girl'.
Go down in history in a new 'Eidsvold 1814!'
Many people are familiar with Oscar Arnold Wergeland's painting "Eidsvold 1814", which hangs in the halls of the Norwegian Parliament. In the art project entitled "A National Portrait", Trond Hugo Haugen tries to re-create this image through a new photograph. Haugen is seeking 112 children, teens, adults and seniors to represent society as we know it today, and to take part in the art project. The deadline for applications is Monday, 20 January, and the photographs will be taken on 2 February 2014. Read more and submit an application on the project's website.
"A National Portrait" is being produced by KORO/URO in collaboration with Akershus County Art Centre. It is a part of the Constitution Exhibition "1814 Revisited - The Past is Still Present", featured on the Constitutional Centennial Celebration's official programme. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 100 000 in funding for "A National Portrait", in addition to contributing to the main exhibition at Akershus County Art Centre.
Oscar nomination for The Act of Killing
The Fritt Ord Foundation congratulates Stavanger-based Piraya Film with an Oscar nomination for the film 'The Act of Killing' in the class Documentary Feature. The film was directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, produced by Danish Signe Byrge Sørensen and co-produced by Torstein Grude of Piraya Film. Piraya's Grude and Bjarte Mørner Tveit are also among the film's executive producers. The distinctive, critically-acclaimed film is about the mass murder of Communists and suspected Communists in Indonesia in the 1960s. See the list of all nominations here.
In October 2013, the Fritt Ord Foundation organised a preview screening of the film in Norway, at which the "director's cut" was shown with Director Oppenheimer in attendance. 'The Act of Killing' was the recipient of NOK 200 000 in production funding from the Fritt Ord Foundation.
Gathering at Holmsbu for NJP photographers
The photographers featured in the second edition of the Norwegian Journal of Photography (NJP) gathered on the weekend of 9 to 12 January to edit their projects, discuss their progress and draw inspiration from Norwegian and international guests. The group session was attended by Myles Little, associate photo editor for Time Magazine in the US and Josh Lustig of Panos Pictures in the UK. Kari Hesthamar of the Radio Documentary unit at the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation kicked off the workshop. Read more about the gathering and the different photo projects on NJP's website.
The NJP photographers will now continue to work on their projects until the next session. After the summer, their works will be edited, then the process of compiling the NJP book will commence.
Book launch: I'd rather have my life
The book I'd rather have my life. A documentary on veterans-of-war in Norway by photographer Håvard Bjelland and author Bjørn Asle Nord will be launched at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, 14 January 2014 at Uranienborgveien 2, Oslo. The book has been published by Skald Publishing House. Major General Robert Mood will be giving an introduction, followed by a presentation of the project by Bjelland and Nord. The event is free of charge, but please register with .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) as there is limited space available. Read more on the event's Facebook page..
The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 200 000 in support for the book, divided among the author, the photographer and the publisher.
Support for article projects
There were four article-writing projects among the more than 80 minor allocations made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in December 2013. Frida Skatvik received travel support for an article in Le Monde Diplomatique about democracy building in Libya after Gaddafi, and Marte Finess Tretvoll was awarded support for her work on two articles describing research on the literature about the massacre that took place in Norway on 22 July 2011. In addition, Ekaterina Sharova received research funding for an analysis of contemporary Russian art in the magazine Billedkunst (Pictorial Art), while the football journal Josimar was granted travel support for a report on the background for the awarding of the 2022 world football (soccer) championships to Qatar.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in December 2013.
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Swedish prize to the Norwegian Journal of Photography
Norwegian Journal of Photography was awarded the "Visual Prize" at the 2013 2013 Swedish Publishing Awards. The jury's grounds state that the book was awarded the prize for "photos that depict stories of exciting and important human destinies and locations, taken over a long period of time, demonstrating commitment and presence, and providing documentation of our times". The book contains 10 independent photo-essays by Helge Skodvin, Andrea Gjestvang, Karin Beate Nøsterud, Ingvild Vaale Arnesen, Ellen Lande Gossner, Marie Sjøvold, Monica Larsen, Linda Bournane Engelberth, Eivind H. Natvig and Oddleiv Apneseth.
The Swedish photo publisher Journal published the book on commission from the Norwegian Journal of Photography.
DokFoto 2014
Newsha Tavakolian (b. 1981 in Tehran, Iran) is among the photographers who will be attending the DokFoto photo festival at the House of Literature in Oslo from 23 to 25 January 2014. Tavakolian's portfolio includes, among other works, the photo series "Iran", "Look", "Listen", "Mother of Martyrs", "The Day I Became a Woman" and "Haji, Trip of a Lifetime". She was recently commissioned by the Qatar Foundation to travel the world over to take pictures for a book about education that is scheduled for publication in March 2014. Read more about other photographers who will be participating in this year's festival at Foto.no.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 150 000 in support for the Dokfoto 2014 project.
Support for new non-fiction literature
The Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in December include manuscript development support for about 20 non-fiction prose and debate books. One of the recipients was Henrik Thune, who received funding for his work with "Instant Democracy – a book project about how the digital news revolution is taking power over democracy, making politics short-sighted and narcissistic, and threatening the future". Lars Akerhaug received manuscript support for the book "The Terrorist – A Story of Miscalculated Assimilation" and Mohammad Mahdi Izadi got a grant for a book on key events in the relationship between Norway and Iran from 1979 to 2005. Tove Bjørgaas received support for writing "Children - no problem? The time crunch and ambitions in Norway, the USA and the EU".
A list has now been published of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in December 2013.
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Støtte til festivaler og seminarer
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Banned Expression: Support Free speech in Tibet
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IDFA's Audience Award to 'The Twin Sisters'
On Friday, 29 November 2013, the Norwegian documentary film 'The Twin Sisters' won the Audience Award at the International Documentary Film Festival (IDFA) in Amsterdam. Congratulations to the winners! IDFA is the world's largest documentary film festival, and this is the first time a Norwegian film has won the prestigious 'Audience Award', bestowed by the audience. 'The Twin Sisters' was directed by Mona Friis Bertheussen (photo) and produced by Moment Film of Oslo. The film tells the story of the identical Chinese twins Alexandra and Mia (10), who were adopted to separate corners of the world - Norway and the USA - when they were about a year old.
The Fritt Ord Foundation, Oslo, provided NOK 200 000 in support for production of "Twin Sisters" in 2012.
Support for new documentary films
Among the Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in October 2013, there are no fewer than 16 documentary films. For example, the company as videomaker was granted NOK 300 000 for the production of the documentary film "The Candidate", directed by Gry Winther. The film follows Fawzia Koofi (photo) in her struggle to become Afghanistan's next president. Fenomen tv film & scene received NOK 150 000 for Pål Winsent's documentary "Sick dark" on the disease ME, and Substans Film received NOK 200 000 for the co-production of Danish Anders Østergaard's film "1989" about the power play between the world's most powerful heads of state and government in the late 1980s. NOK 200 000 was also granted to Fenris Film for director Aslaug Holm's documentary "Class Distinction" about ethnic dividing lines and assimilation in the Oslo school system today.
A list has been published of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in October 2013. (in Norwegian)
A Blind Eye – an exhibition on climate and vulnerability
On Thursday, 17 October, Rune Eraker's one-man show A Blind Eye opened at the Oslo Rådhusgalleri (Oslo City Hall Gallery). The photo exhibition focuses on climate and vulnerability, and consists of 75 large-scale analogue photographs. The photos were taken in 15 countries that are highly vulnerable to climatic change - often the poorest countries in the world. The exhibition will be open at Oslo Rådhusgalleri until 23 November 2013, then move on to the City Museum in Bergen (15 May - 15 October 2014) and to the Tromsø Art Association (November -December 2014).
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 200 000 in support for the project.
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Journalists on demanding assignments
How can journalists prepare themselves for the powerful impressions they are left with by covering other people's suffering? What can editorial boards do to prevent demanding assignments from provoking stress reactions and burn-out? What can journalism programmes do to prepare students for stories that can leave indelible marks on their souls?
The book Demanding assignments. How to cope with stress by Trond Idås will be launched with a panel discussion at the Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences at 3 p.m. on Monday, 7 October. The Fritt Ord Foundation provided support for manuscript development.
Programme.
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Deeyah's film on honour killing won an Emmy last night
Our warmest congratulations to Deeyah on winning an Emmy Award for the best international current affairs film! She received the prize for "Banaz: A Love Story", about the brutal honour killing of the young British woman Banaz Mahmod in London in 2006. This is truly a big day for Norwegian documentary film. The Fritt Ord Foundation provided a total of NOK 300 000 in support for the development and production of "Banaz: A Love Story".
The Fritt Ord Foundation has also provided support for two documentary films with which Deeyah is currently involved as director and producer: this past February, we allocated NOK 300 000 for a documentary about Sheema Kermani, and in August this year, NOK 260 000 for the documentary film "Radicals".
Read "We came to celebrate the nomination. Then I won the most highly respected prize" (in Norwegian).
Grants for journalism
When applications for minor grants were dealt with in September, support was allocated to several projects in the field of journalism. For example, Journalist Bjørgulv Bjåen and Photojournalist Erlend Berge who work in the newspaper Vårt Land received a total of NOK 40 000 in travel grants for the project "Alaska - where everyone gets an oil cheque". The newspaper Klassekampen received NOK 100 000 for the first semester of the Klassekampen Academy, for the purpose of recruiting and developing "aspiring young journalists" from unconventional backgrounds. NOK 80 000 was allocated to the University of Nordland County for a research project on commentary and opinion journalism inthe regional press.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in September 2013. (in Norwegian)
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20th Anniversary of the Oslo Accord
The 20th anniversary of the signing of the Oslo Accord will be commemorated by two events at the House of Literature in Oslo on 13 September 2013. From 10 a.m.-12.30 p.m., the Norwegian Association of NGOs for Palestine, the Palestine Committee, the Institute of Applied Social Science (FAFO) and others will be organising an open seminar entitled "The Oslo Accord - 20 years after - the peace that failed" with Anis F. Kassim, Hilde Henriksen Waage and Sahar Francis. From 1.30 p.m.-9.30 p.m., Le Monde Diplomatique will be organising the conference "The Oslo Conference - The Road Ahead for Palestine and Israel". Participants will include Salam Fayyad, Terje Rød-Larsen, Jan Egeland, Mustafa Barghouti, Torgeir Larsen and Shir Hever. See the conference’s Facebook pagefor the programme, information and registration.
The events have received support from the Fritt Ord Foundation.
Homo Religiosus
The Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in August 2013 include a contribution of NOK 400 000 for the exhibition "Homo Religiosus" at the Perspective Museum in Tromsø. The project is based on a huge volume of documentary material from religious communities. The goal of the exhibition is to discover new knowledge about today's religious pluralism in the north, contributing to a more balanced image of religiousness in general and in northern Norway in particular. Researchers and artists alike will be represented in the exhibition, which is scheduled to open on UN Day next year (24 October 2014).
A list has now been published of the grants awarded by the Freedom of Expression Foundation in August 2013.
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Manta
This week the House of Dance in Oslo is staging the performance "Manta" by and with the French-Tunisian dancer and choreographer Héla Fattoumi. Fattoumi wore a niqab as an adult, liberated woman, and the performance mirrors her experience of what this did to her emotionally and physically. "Manta" will be performed on Saturday 31 August and Sunday 1 September, at 7 p.m. The House of Dance will also organise four events in connection with "Manta". At 1 p.m. on 30 August, there will be a Dialogue Café with dance researcher Cecilia Olsson, and at 5 p.m. on 31 August, there will be a Tea House in collaboration with KULT, featuring participants Gisken Armand, Marjan Vahdat and Erik Hillestad. Following the Saturday performance, at 8.15 p.m., a Postscript will be held with Héla Fattoumi and Cecilia Olsson. At 5 p.m. on 1 September, a Dilemma will be organised on the topic "Body Politics", featuring guests Shabana Rehman, Iram Haq, Héla Fattoumi, and others.
"Manta" is the House of Dance's commemoration of the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage in Norway. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 30 000 in support for the performance and the debate programme.
Last Call – at the eleventh hour
This evening, at 7 p.m. on 26 August 2013, marks the Norwegian premier of the documentary film "Last Call – at the eleventh hour" at the Park Theatre in Oslo. The documentary has been directed by Italian Enrico Cerasuolo, with Skofteland Film as co-producer. The film is described as "a climate documentary on our global crisis", and takes its point of departure in the controversial book The Limits to Growth (1972) by the Norwegian environmentalist Jørgen Randers and three of his scientist colleagues at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Randers will be attending the screening. Free admission. Read more on the Skofteland Film website.
The film will also be aired on the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation at 10.20 p.m. on 27 August. Both the production of "Last Call – at the eleventh hour" and the event on 26 August are being supported by the Fritt Ord Foundation.
Emmy nomination for Deeyah's film “Banaz: A Love Story”
Deeyah's documentary about honour killing in, "Banaz: A Love Story" ("Banaz: An Honour Killing"), has been nominated for an Emmy for best film in the category Current Affairs.
In January 2013, the Fritt Ord Foundation organised the first screening of the film in Norway with subsequent talks. Both the film itself and recordings of the talks in the Fritt Ord Foundation's premises are available on YouTube. This year, the Fritt Ord Foundation has allocated NOK 300 000 to the development and production of "Banaz: A Love Story".
The Fritt Ord Foundation's support for projects related to 22 July 2011
In August 2011, the Fritt Ord Foundation earmarked up to MNOK 15 for projects using different media formats to contribute knowledge and to a broader debate about the terrorist attacks that took place in Norway on 22 July 2011 – including their background and their human and societal consequences. The Foundation has devoted extra attention to all applications related to this topic, focussing especially on initiatives taken by young people.
As of 1 August 2013, 60 grants have been awarded for projects related to 22 July 2011, totalling roughly MNOK 8.9. The grants have been announced on an ongoing basis along with the ordinary grants in every round of applications. The largest sub-group is books, with 31 grants. For example, Aage Storm Borchgrevink was granted support for script work on A Norwegian tragedy. Anders Behring Breivik and the Roads to Utøya Island and Erika Fatland for the book The Year with No Summer. Both a working grant and printing support were allocated for Andrea Gjestvang's photo book A day in history. Among the grants to film projects, we find a contribution to Karianne Moe's documentary film "To the Young People", produced by Sant & Usant (True & False).
Click here to view the overall list of projects related to 22 July, sorted by genre (in Norwegian)..
Søknadsfrist fredag 2. august
Fritt Ord har søknadsfrist fredag 2. august, med utløp ved midnatt.
De tekniske problemene etter lynnedslag og strømbrudd hos vår leverandør er nå løst.
Many came here in boats
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 90 000 for the theatre project "Many came here in boats" being made by the company REBEKKA/HUY (Rebekka Nystabakk and Huy Le Vo). The production focuses on Vietnam, with emphasis on the war, boat refugees and the largest wave of refugees to Norway. What does it mean to blend as successfully into a society as it is often said that the Vietnamese refugees have managed to do? "Many came here in boats" is a co-production with the Black Box Theatre, where the play will be performed in spring 2014.
A list has been published of the minor grants awarded by the Freedom of Expression Foundation in June 2013.
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Support for the Art of Drawing
The Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in May 2012 included four projects related to the art of drawing. The House of Cartoonists in Drøbak has been granted support for the exhibition "100 Years of Russian Political Cartoons", featuring the Russian artist Michail Zlatkovsky. Morten Harper received funding for "The journey out of the frames", a series of articles in Le Monde diplomatique about the journey of comic strips through the cultural classes, in connection with which Harper will interview six of the world's most prominent cartoonists. Lars Fiske was granted support to work on a graphic novel about the Fiske automobile factory, while Line Halsnes got a grant to illustrate the graphic novel "Hand to hand combat" about females in the Norwegian Armed Forces, featuring drawings by Halsnes and text by Axel Hellstenius. The book is based on the young people's novel "Twat quota" by Hellstenius and Morten Skårdal.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in May 2013.
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The development and production of documentary films
The Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in June 2013 include funding for the development and production of nine documentary films. For example, development support has been awarded to India Film's project with the working title "Munch in hell", an international documentary that will examine Edvard Munch and his position in Norway. Further, development support has been granted to Bonanza Post Production for a documentary film about school drop-outs and to Gammaglimt for development of the documentary film "Blackhearts". Funds were also allocated for a documentary film on the New York Review of Books focusing, among other things, on human rights and freedom of expression.
A list has now been published of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in June 2013 (in Norwegian).
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'Ida's Diary' to Good Pitch Europe 2013
The Norwegian documentary film 'Ida's Diary' has been selected for inclusion in the pitch forum Good Pitch Europe 2013 at the Royal Institution of Great Britain in London on 7 June 2013. The pitch forum was initiated by the BRITDOC Foundation in collaboration with the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Programme. 'Ida's Diary' has been directed by August Baugstø Hanssen and produced by Carsten Aanonsen of Indie Film. Presenting the personal story of a young girl who is a self-mutilator, the film is based on recordings from the girl's own video diary.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 250 000 in production support for 'Ida’s Diary'.
Women's suffrage anniversary in Bamble: Marie Høeg
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 100 000 to Bamble Municipality for its celebration of the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage in Norway, which the municipality will celebrate by re-enacting the story of the Langesund woman Marie Høeg (1866–1949). Høeg was a suffragette, organiser, photographer and lesbian, and she played an important part in winning the right for women to vote in Norway. While the municipality will celebrate the anniversary with a number of events throughout 2013, the main emphasis will be on women's suffrage week, beginning on 31 August. The celebrations will include a relaunch of "The Discussion Society" and a photo exhibition at the Wrightegaarden Estate. A preview of the exhibition will be on display in the Bamble City Hall from 11 June.
Gay Kids. Gay People Were Young Once Too
The exhibition "Gay Kids. Kule barn som også finnes" ("Gay Kids. Gay People Were Young Once Too") opens at Maihaugen at 10 a.m. on 31 May 2013. "Gay Kids" is a beautifully illustrated book and an exhibition that sheds light on what it is like to grow up and fall in love with someone of the same sex. The project is a joint venture between Gay and Lesbian Health Norway, the Norwegian Literary Festival and Maihaugen. Olemic Thommessen, the Conservative Party's spokesperson on family policy, will open the exhibition, followed by presentations by Stig-Werner Moe and Bera U. Moseng from Gay and Lesbian Health Norway.
The project has received support from the Fritt Ord Foundation.
Professional network of journalists on hate speech, hate crimes and extremism
The two authors and freelance journalists Øyvind Strømmen and Kjetil Stormark are joining forces to establish a professional network of journalists at the international level who will cover hate speech, hate crimes and extremism. The project, entitled 'Hate Speech International' (HSI), is a two-year feasibility study. The project is being carried out with financial support from the Fritt Ord Foundation and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Read the rest of the press release from Strømmen and Stormark.
Death, shall we dance?
"Why is it that we in today's Norway hide death away so painstakingly, surrounding it with silence and taboos?" This is how the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) introduces the documentary "Death, shall we dance?" about Per Fugelli, who will be awarded the Freedom of Expression Foundation Prize for 2013 on 14 May. In the film, Fugelli reflects brutally and openly on life and death in the light of his own cancer. He wants to "release death from the prison of taboo words". Jæren, Værøy, Røst and Grønland in Oslo provide the background for a poetic, thought-provoking film about leaving life.
Invisible Symposium. A theater of ideas
Philosophers, authors, activists, politicians and artists were all asked the same set of questions with a focus on the current state of democracy. Why is it ailing? What challenges will it face in the years to come? Actors will portray the participating intellectuals in a staged exchange of ideas. PEN American Center, Fritt Ord, Jacobin, and The New School for Social Research invite to the 2013 PEN World Voices Festival’s Invisible Symposium on Saturday, 4 May 2013, 8-10pm, in New York City.
Seminar programme:
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Support for Norwegian factual prose
Among the Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in March 2013, we find 20 allocations for manuscript development and for the publication of new books in the factual prose genre in the broad sense. For example, Gunnar Ringheim has been granted NOK 50 000 to write the book "Abuse in the name of Jesus", while Cornelia Kristiansen has received NOK 75 000 for the interview book "The Class" about experiences from attending a multicultural school on the east side of downtown Oslo. Ingrid Vik has been granted NOK 50 000 for a book project entitled "Among the faithful", in which she investigates Norwegian Christian conservatives' attitudes to value-related questions in respect of family and equal opportunity. NOK 25 000 has been allocated to Trine Krigsvoll Haagensen and Martin Paulsen to translate and publish "A punk prayer for freedom" with lyrics by the Russian art collective Pussy Riot.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in March 2013.
europe@debate: Europe’s lost generation?
The programme FutureLab Europe focuses on young people between the ages of 20 and 30 who want to take part in debates and influence the future of Europe. During the event europe@debate in Brussels from 4 to 6 p.m. on Monday, 22 April, this year's young participants will present a report on how the European countries inside and outside the European Union are dealing with the social and financial crisis. The keynote speaker will be Joaquín Almunia, vice president of the European Commission. There will also be a debate, and interventions by FutureLab participants James Kilcourse of Ireland and Enja Sæthren of Norway. The event will be streamed directly here.
FutureLab Europe is a joint project among 10 European foundations, including the Fritt Ord Foundation.
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Iran symposium in Trondheim
On 20 April 2013, the Department of Art and Media Studies at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and the Kosmorama Film Festival in Trondheim will be hosting a symposium featuring international experts on Iranian film and prominent film-makers, including the director Mohsen Makhmalbaf. The symposium will introduce a Norwegian audience to Iranian film, and discuss the conditions for Iranian film-makers today. The event will be open to the general public, and the venue will be Det norske oljeselskap's premises from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Munkegata 26. Read more here (in Norwegian).
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 125 000 in support for the project.
Burning memories
Tappeluft Pictures has been granted NOK 100 000 to develop the documentary film "Burning memories", directed by Ellen-Astri Lundby. The film takes its point of departure in the memories of those experienced the forced evacuation and burning of Finnmark and North-Troms counties as children during World War II. The story is told through three main witnesses. At the same time as the past rises to the surface, the film will explore the losses of these people 70 years later.
A list has now been published of the major grants awarded in March 2013.
New York Times reports on NJP
The New York Times is presenting a comprehensive report on the Norwegian Journal of Photography and on the photographers' projects on its photoblog entitled Lens Blog under the title "Norway's New Photographic Landscape". Helge Skodvin gives an account of his work documenting the Norwegian landscape and the Volvo 240: "More than any other car, the Volvo 240 has been a symbol of Norwegian and Scandinavian values," he comments to Lens Blog. Visit the website at Lens Blog to read the whole story.
Norwegian Journal of Photography is now being sold at the Tronsmo in Oslo and is available for order on the bookseller's website. The book can also be ordered from Journal Publishing House: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
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Prizes to NJP photographers at the Picture of the Year awards
Several of photographers from the Fritt Ord Foundation's project Norwegian Journal of Photography (NJP) won prizes at the recent Picture of the Year awards organised by the Press Photographers' Club, Norway. In the class ‘Portrait Series’, Andrea Gjestvang took first prize and Ellen Lande Gossner third prize. Eivind H. Natvig won the class ‘Inland Report of the Year’, with Helge Skodvin in second place. Natvig also placed third in the category ‘Nature and the Environment’. In the class ‘Foreign Report of the Year’, Linda Bournane Engelberth took second place. Congratulations to the winners!
The illustrative photo is from Ellen Lande Gossner's photo project "The Deaconesses".
Hate Radio
The International Institute of Political Murder is currently appearing at the Oslo International Theatre Festival and Black Box Theatre with the play "Hate Radio". Terese Bjørneboe writes in the daily newspaper Aftenposten: "It is not only a documentary performance about the genocide in Rwanda, but also a reconstruction of the broadcasts of a radio station that played a decisive role. RTLM served as a propaganda centre, while the journalists and disc jockeys were Hipsters who played Nirvana. Hate Radio is about how the meanings of words change. It makes a deep, disquieting impression because the DJs use a globalised language that reduces the distance to the events."
The performance will be played on 20, 21 and 22 March. The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted Black Box Theatre NOK 150 000 for the guest performance.
Philosophy Day 2013
Philosophy Day for Upper Secondary Schools will be held at Uranienborgveien 2 in Oslo on Wednesday, 20 March 2013. This year's topic is "I. You. We? What is real? How do we know? How to live?" In addition to group discussions, the programme features lectures by Thor Steinar Grødal, Monica Roland, Anders Strand and Bjørn Ramberg. The event is fully subscribed.
The organiser is the Upper Secondary School Philosophy Association; Fritt Ord Foundation has provided a grant of NOK 50 000 for Philosophy Day.
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2012 Picture of the Year Award to Andrea Gjestvang
The Fritt Ord Foundation congratulates Photographer Andrea Gjestvang on the 2012 Picture of the Year Award. The prize was bestowed at a ceremony under the auspices of the Press Photographers' Club, Norway, on 15 March 2013. The winning photo is a portrait of Ylva Schwenke, one of the survivors of the terrorist massacre on Utøya Island in the summer of 2011. The picture is part of the book "One Day in History" (Pax Publishing House, 2012), in which Gjestvang portrays 43 Utøya Island survivors from all over Norway.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 210 000 in support for the book project.
Steffen Kverneland's Munch biography
No Comprendo Press has been granted NOK 60 000 for the publication of Steffen Kverneland's "Munch", a biography in comic strip form. This depiction takes its point of departure in quotations from Edvard Munch's own writings, along with contemporary descriptions of his life and career. The book also serves as a group portrait of a community of artists known as the Scandinavian 'Bohème' around the turn of the 20th century, when modernism was taking shape as an art form. The biography is based on Kverneland's chapters on Munch in the series "Kanon".
International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX)
Based in Toronto, Canada, the global network IFEX consists of more than 80 organisations that work to promote freedom of expression. The network draws attention to abuses of freedom of expression committed against journalists, activists, artists and researchers. The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted CAD 80 000 in support for IFEX' activities in 2013.
On IFEX’ website, you can read about and subscribe to daily and weekly news bulletins about freedom of expression the world over.
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Before the snow falls
At 8.15 p.m. on Friday, 15 February, Hisham Zaman's debut film "Before the snow falls" will premiere at the Klingenberg Cinema in Oslo. The director will introduce the film before the screening. See the trailer and order tickets. Paradox has produced the film, and the Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 150 000 in support.
A 16-year-old boy is wrapped in plastic and submerged in the tank of a lorry filled with crude oil. This is how the film "Before the snow falls" starts. It is an unconventional road movie about family, love, dignity and honour. When Siyar's sister flees from her own wedding, he is put in charge of finding her and restoring the family's reputation. The search for his sister turns out to be a dangerous journey from east to west.
Mary Ellen Mark to visit Dokfoto 2013
Dokfoto 2013 will be arranged at the House of Literature in Oslo from 22 to 24 February. American photographer Mary Ellen Mark is famous for her works in the interface between photojournalism and portrait photography. Paal Audestad, Helge Skodvin and Andrea Gjestvang will be participating from Norway. Other photographers who will be showing their projects are Sebastían Liste, Sanna Sjöswärd, Katharina Hesse, Mimi Chakarova and Tomas van Houtryve. Read more at fotografi.no (in Norwegian).
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 150 000 in support for the project.
New documentary films
The Fritt Ord Foundation's allocations of major grants in February 2013 included funding for the production of seven documentary films. The company Aldeles received for support for "The Journalist and the Soldier" from Burma, and Bakkenivåfilm for "Someone must take the lead" from Afghanistan. Integral Film was granted funding for "ManIslam - Taming of the Goliath", the last part of Nefise Özkal Lorentzen's trilogy on Islam. Deeyah received support for a documentary about the Pakistani dancer, actor and feminist Sheema Kermani, while Fet Film was awarded a grant for "Birth of Hope" from Kenya. Sanden Media received a grant for "Desert Stench" about life on the garbage dumps in Brooklyn in the 1920s-30s, and the company friogfrank (fancy-free) was granted funding for a film on Stig Sæterbakken's work with the novel Sauermugg.
The list of the major grants made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in February 2013 has now been published.
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TPB AFK: The Pirate Bay Away From Keyboard
Simon Klose's documentary film 'TPB AFK: The Pirate Bay Away From Keyboard' will have its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival on 8 February 2013. The film will kick off the documentary segment entitled Panorama Dokumente. In the documentary, we follow the three founders of the Swedish torrent-sharing website The Pirate Bay, i.e. Peter Sunde, Fredrik Neij and Gottfried Svartholm. See the trailer. The entire film will be shown here.
The film has been produced by Sweden's Nonami Film, with Anagram (S), Final Cut for Real (DK) and Norwegian Piraya Film as co-producers. The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 150 000 in support to Norwegian co-producer Piraya Film.
When the Boys Return
The documentary film 'When the Boys Return' will premier in Norway at Ringen Cinema at 4 p.m. on 9 February 2013, during the Human Rights Human Wrongs Film Festival. Tone Andersen has directed the film, which was produced by Sant & Usant ('True & False'). Following the film screening, there will be talks featuring the director and Nora Ingdal from Save the Children. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided a total of NOK 225 000 in support for the development and production of the film. See the trailer and the website for the film.
After months and years as political prisoners, teenagers Mohammed Jamil, Hamze and Mahran returned home to the West Bank. Once the celebration of their homecoming was over, they once again found themselves surrounded by soldiers, military raids and weekly demonstrations. They also faced challenges in dealing with their own families, as well as with friends and the school.
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Norwegian Online Encyclopaedia
The Fritt Ord Foundation and the savings bank foundation Sparebankstiftelsen DnB NOR acquired the rights to Store norske leksikon (Norway's largest encyclopaedia) in 2010. Some two years later, the old print-format leviathan has been transformed into a modern online encyclopaedia with 2 million visitors a month. In 2012, the encyclopaedia was augmented by new, updated articles comparable to 60 non-fiction books. Read, for example, Francis Sejersted's recently written article on 1814 – the Birth of Norway's Independence (in Norwegian).
Read more about the Norwegian Online Encyclopaedia.
Local newspapers in in Vesterålen
Magnum photographer Jonas Bendiksen explores a local Norwegian community. While working as a photographer for a number of local newspapers in Vesterålen, Bendiksen’s routine assignments for the newspapers gave him a unique opportunity to observe everything that took place in this small island community off the coast of northern Norway. The Fritt Ord Foundation granted NOK 100 000 in support for this photo project in 2012. See Bendiksen's blog or read more about the project and see photos in the magazine Wired.
Edvard Munch and Lene Berg to the Venice Biennale
The exhibition "Beware of the Holy Whore: Edvard Munch and the Dilemma of Emancipation" will be the official Norwegian contribution to the 55th International Art Exhibition La Biennale di Venezia in 2013. It includes a series of rarely exhibited works by Edvard Munch and a new film by the artist Lene Berg. Based on the concept of emancipation, the project will explore the relationship between art, its social context, and gender roles in flux in Munch's day and today. The exhibition will be shown from 31 May to 22 September 2013, and is being curated by the Office for Contemporary Art (OCA) and Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa.
The Fritt Ord Foundation allocated NOK 300 000 for the exhibition in December 2012.
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Library projects
The Fritt Ord Foundation's minor allocations in December 2012 included three projects related to Norway's libraries. The Buskerud County Library received NOK 50 000 for the conference "Young 3.0", intended to disseminate knowledge about young people's culture and the use of digital media. The Grünerløkka Branch of the Deichmann Library received NOK 50 000 for the digitisation of Scandinavian journals and publications printed by small-scale publishers in conjunction with the "Public Library Project". The Department of Archivistics, Library and Information Sciences, Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, received NOK 10 000 for Kari Skjønsberg Days 2013, a conference about girls and power, based on literature for children and young people.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in December 2012.
New non-fiction Norwegian literature
The Fritt Ord Foundation's major allocations in December included grants for 18 writers to work on new non-fiction and debate books. For example, Magnus Marsdal received funding for a coffee table book entitled "Freedom in red, white and blue", in which he will explore the relationship between freedom and community by comparing life in the welfare state Norway with the average citizen's experience in the USA. Håkon Harket received a grant to work on "The Clause", a broad-based presentation of the history of the Jewish clause, while Cornelius Jakhelln received a grant for a monograph on musical extremism, with special emphasis on the genres black metal, industrial and neo-folk.
The list of the Fritt Ord Foundation’s major grants in December 2012 has now been published.
China at Home
The Fritt Ord Foundation supported the organisation Human Rights in China by providing a grant of USD 50 000 in 2012, not least for the development of the China Rights Forum online. The latest edition of the journal – China at Home – devotes attention to the growth of activism in China.
Photographer Eivind H. Natvig's project to be shown in Bangladesh
Eivind H. Natvig's photo project "You Are Here Now" is scheduled to be shown at the Chobi Mela – International Festival of Photography in Bangladesh from 25 January to 7 February 2013. Natvig is a participant in the Fritt Ord Foundation's programme Norwegian Journal of Photography, and the Fritt Ord Foundation supported the project "You Are Here Now" with a grant of NOK 100 000 in 2009.
Read more on Natvig's own website.
"The classics of Norwegian journalism" on NRK P2 radio
Two of the speakers from the Fritt Ord Foundation's series "The classics of Norwegian journalism", Aina Nøding and Mona Ringvej from the University of Oslo, will be featured on the programme Echo on NRK P2 on Friday, 11 January, at 10.30 a.m. Nøding and Ringvej will talk about Claus Fasting (1746–1791), Bernt Børretzen (1762–1817) and Birgithe Kühle (1762–1832), who will also be the focus of the opening event for "The classics of Norwegian journalism" on 15 January.
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Atopia and the journal Objektiv
Among the Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in November, we find several contributions to projects involving photography and video art. The journal Objektiv (Objective), which focuses on camera-based contemporary art, was granted NOK 75 000 for its operations in 2013. The Atopia Foundation received a total of NOK 150 000 for its exhibition projects. Funding was provided, among other things, for the second phase of a research and exhibition project that examines the historical development of Norwegian film and video art. This phase will showcase the 1990s.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in November 2012.
Science Library nominated for "Library of the Year"
The Norwegian Library Association has shortlisted the new Science Library at the Blindern campus as one of the three nominees for the distinction "Library of the Year". The nomination reports, among other things, that the building has been converted from old-fashioned reading rooms and study facilities to a state-of-the-art learning centre. Read the entire article on the Bibliotekforum's website (in Norwegian).
In 2010, the Fritt Ord Foundation allocated MNOK 4 for the renovation and establishment of the Science Library in the Vilhelm Bjerknes Building. In recent years, grants have also been given to support the series entitled "Science Debate" at the library.
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Love and War - an exhibition at the Oslo Museum on Norwegian girls who consorted with the Germans during WWII
Oslo Museum received a grant of NOK 200 000 from the Fritt Ord Foundation for the exhibition "Love and War" about Norwegian girls who consorted with the Germans during the German Occupation of Norway during WWII. The exhibition will open at the Oslo Museum on 8 May 2013 in connection with the commemoration of the anniversary of women's suffrage in Norway. The aim of the project is to draw attention to other perspectives on Norwegian war history, and to encourage critical reflection regarding ethical social issues and how history is recorded. The exhibition is geared to schools in particular.
The list of the major grants made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in October 2012 has now been published.
Terra not so firma
Christiania Film's documentary on the Terra case, 'Terra not so firma’ ('Tidenes investering'), will be broadcast on TV2 Wednesday, 17 October 2012, at 10:40 p.m. The financial crisis that hit Wall Street in 2008 had a direct impact on eight Norwegian municipalities, causing them to suffer huge losses. Based on three municipalities in Nordland County, the film takes an in-depth look at the outcome of the worst investment ever. The film was directed by Oddvar Einarson.
The Freedom of Expression Foundation Oslo provided NOK 250 000 in support for production of the film in 2008.
Photo project on the Roma on exhibit in New York
Linda Bournane Engelberth's photo project on "The Lives and Traditions of the Roma" will be shown at the New York Photo Awards Exhibition at the PowerHouse Arena during the DUMBO Arts Festival in Brooklyn. The exhibition is being shown from 28 September to 10 October 2012.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 100 000 in support for the project. Engelberth is one of the 10 photographers included in the Norwegian Journal of Photography (NJP).
The Lives of Women in Iran
On behalf of the organisers, Sindre Bangstad has been granted NOK 32 000 by the Fritt Ord Foundation for the event "The Lives of Women in Iran. Justice and Injustice" to be held at the House of Literature in Oslo at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, 26 September. Iranian-US professor of Anthropology Arzoo Osanloo does research on women's rights in a country that has had an Islamic system of government since 1979. The event will feature her in dialogue with Sindre Bangstad and Sevda Clark from the University of Oslo on the position of women in Iran.
See the list of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in September 2012.
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A Balloon for Allah: International prizes and festivals
Nefise Özkal Lorentzen's documentary film "A Balloon for Allah" about women and Islam has been selected to be screened at 31 different film festivals. The film has won five prizes, most recently the Best Documentary Award and the Jury Award at the International Film Festival for Peace, Inspiration and Equality in Jakarta, Indonesia. The Fritt Ord Foundation provided NOK 300 000 in support for the film.
This is the second film in Özkal Lorentzen's trilogy on Islam. The first was “Gender Me” in 2008, which dealt with homosexuality. Özkal Lorentzen is currently working on a third film, this time about masculinity in Islam.
Overview of prizes and festivals:
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Bivrfrost – the bridge to the world of the gods
The Frikar Dance Company has been granted NOK 150 000 for the dance performance "Bivrfrost". Employing a fairy-tale format, Frikar asks whether calling culture 'Norwegian' must necessarily exclude others. These days, the right-wing extremist Sweden Democrats use folk dancing to promote the party, and the abuse of the Norwegian folk dancing tradition by the Nazis during World War II remains unknown. In "Bivrfrost", the young folk dancers on stage meet Nazi folk dancers from the propaganda films made by the NS, and the Arab "invasion" of Norway today meets the Christian invasion of 1000 years ago. Young people from Thailand, Pakistan, Uganda, Valdres and Hallingdal use their own languages and identities to challenge their own self-experienced xenophobia in an encounter with a poetic manuscript.
The list of the major grants made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in August 2012 has now been published.
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Oscar-shortlisting for “Moulton og meg”
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Støtte til bøker
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Verden i Bergen
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MannIslam på Saga kino
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The Power of the Powerless Today: Anti-totalitarianism After 1989
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I krigen. Et vitnesbyrd fra Syria
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Kommentarjournalistikk i regionale medier
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‘1989’ åpner CPH:DOX
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Lansering av ‘Norges låver’
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I dag, 9. oktober, åpner filmfestivalen Film fra Sør
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Prize for best Norwegian short documentary to 'This is Kabul'
'This is Kabul' won the prize for the best Norwegian short documentary at the Bergen International Film Festival (BIFF) this week. The film was produced by Bakkenivåfilm (Ground Level Film) and directed by Nargis Azaryun, Sadaf Fetrat, Sahar Fetrat, Anders Sømme Hammer and Christoffer Næss. The Fritt Ord Foundation congratulates the winners!
Since 2011, three young women named Sahar, Sadaf and Nargis have filmed their own lives in Kabul. Among other things, the film follows the establishment of the organisation 'Young Women for Change', which works to liberate young Afghani women. The jury's grounds state inter alia that the film "expands our perspective on those who are usually defined as victims, and demonstrates how a documentary film has the power to empower the powerless. The documentation in the film is strong, unique and engaging".
The Fritt Ord Foundation provided NOK 150 000 in support for production of the film in 2013.
Audience Award to Flink Pike (Good Girl) at BIFF 2014
Congratulations to Director Solveig Melkeraaen and 'Good Girl' on winning the Audience Award at the Bergen International Film Festival.
The documentary film 'Good girl' depicts Director Solveig Melkeraaen's experience of severe depression and treatment that included electroshock therapy. Produced by Ingvil Giske of the Media Operators, the film is described as a 'feel good' movie about depression.
The Fritt Ord Foundation provided a total of NOK 500 000 in funding for the development, production and launch of 'Good Girl'.
Sovietistan
This week marks the launch of Erika Fatland's new book "Sovietistan: a Voyage through Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan". The book is a result of five months spent in the region, and it deals with the countries in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. How have the former Soviet republics developed since? What about their future, given their newly-acquired oil and gas resources and with Russia thinking expansively again? Erika Fatland offers gripping human interest stories and historical, political and cultural reflections.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 175 000 in support for the project.
DRONE wins two prizes at BIFF 2014
Congratulations to Director Tonje Hessen Schei, Flimmer Film and the rest of the team behind the documentary film DRONE on winning two prizes at Bergen International Film Festival. The film was named best human rights film on the Checkpoints programme and best Norwegian documentary. DRONE examines the use of modern drones and the human consequences of this type of warfare.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided support for the development, production and feature-length version of DRONE in the amount of NOK 500 000 altogether. In April 2014, the Foundation organised an exclusive preview screening of the film - followed by talks with experts and the main characters from the film, including former drone pilot Brandon Bryant, representing the victims of drones Attorney Mirza Shahzad Akbar, Professor Paul Schulte, Director Tonje Hessen Schei and Journalist Chris Woods.
Support for theatre projects
There are five theatre productions among the nearly 70 projects that were approved for Fritt Ord Foundation funding in September 2014. Buggetekst received NOK 60 000 to help develop the play "Helpers" about Norwegian development co-operation, while Cecilie Lundsholt received NOK 50 000 to develop the stage play "An Industrial Fairytale in Tyssedal". NOK 40 000 was granted to the South Sami Åarjelhsaemien Theatre for the play "Hijven Hov, Ylva!" about government policy regarding predators, and NOK 40 000 to Øyonn's performance of "The Black Book Cleric's catechism". Jon Tombre received NOK 50 000 to stage Arthur Miller's play "The Crucible", a collaboration between Our Theatre in Molde and Fagerlia Upper Secondary School in Ålesund.
A list has now been published of the grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in September 2014. (in Norwegian)
The Gompen Report and other reports on surveillance in Norway 1948-89
The film "The Gompen Report and other reports on surveillance in Norway 1948–89” has now been posted on Vimeo. [link]
"The Gompen Report and other reports on surveillance in Norway 1948–89” is a film from a mock hearing about the surveillance of dissidents during the Cold War. The result is a collage of selected reports and evidence.
Lene Berg has directed the film, and Studio Fjordholm has produced it.
The Fritt Ord Foundation provided NOK 300 000 in support for the film in 2013.
Southbound
The book Southbound by Knut Egil Wang, which has been granted support by the Fritt Ord Foundation, has recently been generating splendid headlines in a number of media: on The New Yorker's photo blog Photo Booth [link], Slate.com's photo blog Behold [link], Feature Shoot [link], American Photo [link] and in the magazine D2. The book explores the concept of "Down South", and consists of pictures from typical charter holiday destinations such as Cypress, the Canary Islands, Spain and Thailand. It has been published by the Swedish publisher Journal.
The Fritt Ord Foundation provided project support of NOK 390 000 in 2007 and book support of NOK 75 000 in 2011.
Knut Egil Wang is one of the project participants the Norwegian Journal of Photography.
The Democracy Festival 2014
Three former prime ministers and six recipients of the Fritt Ord Prize will be on stage at Demokratifestivalen on Eidsvoll, Saturday 13 September.
Per Fugelli, Abid Raja, Anne Sender, Nina Karin Monsen, Anders Sømme Hammer and Bushra Ishaq participate in what might be the most important conversation of this year’s celebration of the Norwegian Constitution’s 200th anniversary. Together will moderator Håvard Kleppa they will discuss the costs associated with freedom of speech.
The programme can be found here. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 50 000 in support of the festival.
Support for documentary films
There were eight documentary films among the projects that were approved for Fritt Ord Foundation funding in August. Among them, Colorbar was granted NOK 150 000 for the production of "The last dose", in which the director Hilde Stålskjær Olsen shadows the former drug-abuser Siri as she makes her way out of drug-assisted rehabilitation. Motlys received NOK 100 000 to work with Paulina Cervenka's documentary film "Wanja" (picture) about a woman suffering from the fatal disease ALS. Further, NOK 200 000 was granted to Fenomen TV film og scene for the production of "The Lady from Os", directed by Pål Winsents - a sequel to the documentary "The Girl from Oz" (2006) about mentally challenged Christina.
A list has now been published of the grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in August 2014.
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Photo exhibition - Pushwagner
Petter Mejlænder's photo exhibition "Pushwagner" will be on display at Gallery Fineart at Tjuvholmen in Oslo from 28 August to 14 September 2014. The photo exhibition is being shown in tandem with Pushwagner's sales exhibition "Movement". The exhibitions will be opened by Mayor Fabian Stang at 6 p.m. on Thursday, 28 August.
In working with the photographs and on Pushwagner's biography, Petter Mejlænder followed the artist's activities closely for seven years. In connection with the exhibition, Mejlænder's photo book about Pushwagner will also be launched. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 50 000 in support for the photo exhibition and NOK 75 000 for the biography (a work in progress).
Book launch: From the Youth
The reportage agency Paragon Features will be launching its book From the Youth at 7 p.m. on Friday, 12 September 2014, at Cappelen Damm Publishing House in Akersgata 47-49, Oslo. The event is part of the Oslo Book Festival. The project was initiated in autumn 2011 in the aftermath of the terrorist massacres that took place in Norway on 22 July 2011; the project is described as a multimedia portrait of a generation of young people. For two years, the young photojournalists Aleksander Andersen, Martin Slottemo Lyngstad and Lars Øverli travelled all over Norway in an ancient camper, documenting Norwegian youth in their natural habitats.
In addition to From the youth now being published in hard copy and as a digital book, in autumn 2014, Paragon Features will host a large-scale travelling exhibition all over the country. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 710 000 in support to the project.
Amanda Prize to Light Fly, Fly High
On 16 August 2014, the Amanda Prize for the best documentary film was awarded to Fri Film for the documentary "Light Fly, Fly High". The film is about the young Indian boxing talent Thulasi and her struggle against discrimination, corruption and sexual oppression. Beathe Hofseth and Susann Østigaard have directed and produced the film. Warm congratulations to Fri Film!
The Fritt Ord Foundation provided NOK 295 000 for the development and production of "Light Fly, Fly High".
Danish distinction to the NJP #1
The first edition of the Norwegian Journal of Photography has received yet another distinction, this time from a Danish jury. Under the title "Best Book Works of 2013", the Danish Book Crafts Association named last year's best books. The winning books are being exhibited at the Royal Library in Copenhagen before being sent on a book tour around Denmark.
NJP #1 earned distinction in the category “periodica”, and the jury writes, among other things: “Using a subtle, modern layout, 10 Norwegian photographers are presented objectively and clearly. Single navy blue dividing sheets mark the introduction and the transition to/between the individual players whose series of photos are vastly different, but are kept in precisely the same tight rein within a set framework.”
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Support for journals
Five journals figure on the list of recipients of the Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in June 2014. The journal Manifest Tidsskrift received support for a series of articles "Piketty to the People", and the philosophical journal Agora for a themed issue on racism. Seismopolite received a grant for its publication about freedom of expression in photography, film, theatre and performance art, while the Association of 2007 for the Promotion of Artistic Reflection and Debate received a grant for next year's issue of the art journal Second-Class Mail. Support was also granted for magazine Fanfare's #4 on the concept of "bullshit".
A list has been published of the minor grants awarded by the Freedom of Expression Foundation in June 2014.
Who is your hero?
The Fritt Ord Foundation Competition for Pupils in Upper Secondary School will continue with a new topic in the upcoming school year: "Freedom of expression's heroes and anti-heroes".
To help the participants get started, we would like a contribution from you. Send in a short film clip in which you answer the question about who is your hero or anti-hero, and state your reason why in one sentence. Send the film to post@fritt-ord.no or as #frittordhelt on Twitter.
Manuscript support for new books
The Fritt Ord Foundation's round of major allocations in June 2014 included grants for 20 Norwegian writers to support the creation of new factual prose. For example, Sidsel Wold received NOK 150 000 for a book project with the working title "How to understand Syria?", while Sølvi Wærhaug received NOK 100 000 for a book on the history of the school of home economics that takes its point of departure in its founder Minna Wetlesen. NOK 150 000 were awarded to Ola Henmo for his documentary book about Karen Friele. Håvard Rem was awarded NOK 125 000 for the book ”Norwegian lyrics”, an historical literary review of Norwegian-language lyrics from 1945 to 2015, and Kjetil Jakobsen was granted NOK 150 000 to work on the second and third volume of the work "The World Citizenry's History of Ideas".
See the entire list of the major grants made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in June 2014.
Contributions to blog projects
The minor grants in May 2014 include two journalistic projects based on blogs as a means of communicating information. Through a blog and a newspaper column in the newspaper Dagsavisen, musician and journalist Aslak Borgersrud will report from the corridors of Stortinget, the Norwegian parliament, under the title "A Lout in Parliament". In their project "The Identity of Ukraine", the young journalists Eskil Wie and Frode Nagel Dahl will communicate news items from Ukraine through blogs, websites, exhibitions and books.
A list of the minor grants awarded in May 2014 has been posted.
Festival support
When processing applications for major grants in April 2014, support was given to seven festivals. The Bollywood Festival Norway 2014 and the project "Nobel-Myanmar Literary Festival: Literature: for Peace" were among the recipients, along with the Non-fiction Festival in Oslo and the Festival University at the Oslo Book Festival. Grants were also awarded to the Oslo International Poetry Festival, the Trondheim Documentary Festival and the Literary Festival Words in the Borderland in Fredrikstad. Most of the festivals are scheduled for autumn 2014.
See the list of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation's in April 2014.
Support for photo projects
There are three photo projects among the Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in March 2014. NOK 30 000 was granted to "You Are Here Now", an exhibition in the UK featuring Eivind Natvig's photographs from all over Norway. Line Ørnes Søndergaard received NOK 30 000 for the project "Rest" - a photographic report on lorry drivers, and Terje Abusdal received NOK 95 000 for his photo project "The Long Islands". Here he depicts life on an island in the Oslo Fjord that fills up every summer with temporary holiday homes consisting of small communities in the form of tent camps, pitched mainly by members of the general public who live on the periphery of their local communities.
See the list of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in March 2014.
Greenland Eyes International Film Festival
A list has now been published of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in March 2014. For example, NOK 75 000 was granted to the Greenland Eyes International Film Festival scheduled to be held in Oslo from 11-18 December 2014. Greenland films from all genres will be screened, accompanied by lectures and debates. Similar festivals will also be held in Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, the Faeroe Islands and Greenland.
See the list of the Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in March 2014.
The House of Cartoonists: ‘Hurray for freedom of expression!’
Among the Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in February 2014, we find allocations for two exhibitions at the House of Cartoonists in Drøbak. Funding of NOK 30 000 was granted for the exhibition "Hurray for freedom of expression!" opened on 5 April 2014 and is being produced in collaboration with Cartoonist Rights Network International. The exhibition takes it point of departure in the Bicentennial of Norway's Constitution, with emphasis on the "freedom of expression statute", section 100, and it will illustrate the development of press freedom for newspaper cartoons in Norway and abroad. The Fritt Ord Foundation also allocated NOK 80 000 to the anniversary project "Fredrik Stabel – 100 years" in connection with the centenary of Stabel's birth. While the commemoration has already begun, the main celebration will be on 7 June 2014, with the opening of the centenary exhibition followed by a celebration and seminar in Stabel's spirit.
See the list of Fritt Ord's minor grants in February 2014.
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Two Raging Grannies: Blått Lerret (Blue Screen) and preview screenings
Director and producer Håvard Bustnes of Faction Film introduced his new documentary 'Two Raging Grannies' at the Blått Lerret on Wednesday, 12 March. 'Two Raging Grannies' is described as a funny, thought-provoking documentary film about the two American great-grandmothers, Shirley (91) and Hinda (84), and their attempts to understand complex interrelationships in the global economy. To preview the film, click here, or visit the film's Facebook page
Shirley will be coming to Norway, and will join Bustnes on a tour with the Coastal Express, arranging preview screenings along the west coast of Norway. In addition, a number of a preview screenings with accompanying debates will be arranged all over the country in collaboration with the Green Party (Norway), The Future in Our Hands, Cultura Bank and the Joy of Life for the Elderly Foundation.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided a total of NOK 300 000 in support for the production and launch of the film.
Support for the launch of new documentary films
The Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in February include support for three documentary films being launched in spring 2014. The company f(x) film and Director Fridtjof Kjæreng received NOK 100 000 to launch "Beauty and the priest" about abortion opponent Børre Knudsen. The film had previously received NOK 500 000 in production support from the Fritt Ord Foundation. Faction Film, represented by Director and Producer Håvard Bustnes, received NOK 100 000 for the launch of "Rebellious great-grandmothers", which had previously been granted NOK 200 000 for production. NOK 100 000 were allocated for a full-length version of the documentary "Drone" by Flimmer Film and Director Tonje Hessen Schei. The Fritt Ord Foundation granted NOK 400 000 for the development and production of "Drone" in 2011-2012. Click on the links to read more about the films and to see the trailers.
A list has now been published of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in February 2014 (in Norwegian).
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Anne-Stine Johnsbråten's ‘Women in Japan’ to Pecha Kucha
Photographer Anne-Stine Johnsbråten will be presenting her documentary photo project 'Women in Japan' at Pecha Kucha Night at 7.30 p.m. at DogA, Hausmanns gate 16, Oslo, on Thursday, 13 February 2014. Pecha Kucha Night is a multi-media event where players in the fields of architecture, design, film, art and music meet and informally show their work through a series of brief presentations. See the full programme for the evening.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 100 000 to Johnsbråten's work with 'Women in Japan'. This will be the first time the pictures are being shown in public.
80th anniversary of the Student Union in Bergen
Congratulations to the Student Union in Bergen on its 80th anniversary in 2014! See the programme for this spring's anniversary season on the Student Union's website. The Student Union characterises itself as western Norway's largest politically independent forum for social and cultural debates. The series of meetings this spring will kick off with the event 'The greediest generation' in Grieg Hall at 7 p.m. on Thursday, 24 January. Sigbjørn Johnsen and Torbjørn Røe Isaksen will meet in that venue to discuss whether the welfare state will survive. The meeting is open to everyone.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has contributed to the Student Union's debate programme for several years.
‘Good girl’ to Blått Lerret
The documentary film ‘Good Girl' depicts Director Solveig Melkeraaen's experience of severe depression and treatment that included electroshock therapy. Produced by Ingvil Giske at Medieperatørene, the documentary is described as a 'feel good' film about depression. 'Good Girl' is featured on the programme for Blått Lerret (Blue Screen) at the Park Theatre, Olaf Ryes Plass, Oslo, at 7.30 p.m. on Wednesday, 22 January. This monthly event is organised under the auspices of the Norwegian Film Institute. It is open to the public as well as to the film industry.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided a total of NOK 500 000 in funding for the development, production and launch of 'Good Girl'.
Go down in history in a new 'Eidsvold 1814!'
Many people are familiar with Oscar Arnold Wergeland's painting "Eidsvold 1814", which hangs in the halls of the Norwegian Parliament. In the art project entitled "A National Portrait", Trond Hugo Haugen tries to re-create this image through a new photograph. Haugen is seeking 112 children, teens, adults and seniors to represent society as we know it today, and to take part in the art project. The deadline for applications is Monday, 20 January, and the photographs will be taken on 2 February 2014. Read more and submit an application on the project's website.
"A National Portrait" is being produced by KORO/URO in collaboration with Akershus County Art Centre. It is a part of the Constitution Exhibition "1814 Revisited - The Past is Still Present", featured on the Constitutional Centennial Celebration's official programme. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 100 000 in funding for "A National Portrait", in addition to contributing to the main exhibition at Akershus County Art Centre.
Oscar nomination for The Act of Killing
The Fritt Ord Foundation congratulates Stavanger-based Piraya Film with an Oscar nomination for the film 'The Act of Killing' in the class Documentary Feature. The film was directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, produced by Danish Signe Byrge Sørensen and co-produced by Torstein Grude of Piraya Film. Piraya's Grude and Bjarte Mørner Tveit are also among the film's executive producers. The distinctive, critically-acclaimed film is about the mass murder of Communists and suspected Communists in Indonesia in the 1960s. See the list of all nominations here.
In October 2013, the Fritt Ord Foundation organised a preview screening of the film in Norway, at which the "director's cut" was shown with Director Oppenheimer in attendance. 'The Act of Killing' was the recipient of NOK 200 000 in production funding from the Fritt Ord Foundation.
Gathering at Holmsbu for NJP photographers
The photographers featured in the second edition of the Norwegian Journal of Photography (NJP) gathered on the weekend of 9 to 12 January to edit their projects, discuss their progress and draw inspiration from Norwegian and international guests. The group session was attended by Myles Little, associate photo editor for Time Magazine in the US and Josh Lustig of Panos Pictures in the UK. Kari Hesthamar of the Radio Documentary unit at the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation kicked off the workshop. Read more about the gathering and the different photo projects on NJP's website.
The NJP photographers will now continue to work on their projects until the next session. After the summer, their works will be edited, then the process of compiling the NJP book will commence.
Book launch: I'd rather have my life
The book I'd rather have my life. A documentary on veterans-of-war in Norway by photographer Håvard Bjelland and author Bjørn Asle Nord will be launched at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, 14 January 2014 at Uranienborgveien 2, Oslo. The book has been published by Skald Publishing House. Major General Robert Mood will be giving an introduction, followed by a presentation of the project by Bjelland and Nord. The event is free of charge, but please register with .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) as there is limited space available. Read more on the event's Facebook page..
The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 200 000 in support for the book, divided among the author, the photographer and the publisher.
Support for article projects
There were four article-writing projects among the more than 80 minor allocations made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in December 2013. Frida Skatvik received travel support for an article in Le Monde Diplomatique about democracy building in Libya after Gaddafi, and Marte Finess Tretvoll was awarded support for her work on two articles describing research on the literature about the massacre that took place in Norway on 22 July 2011. In addition, Ekaterina Sharova received research funding for an analysis of contemporary Russian art in the magazine Billedkunst (Pictorial Art), while the football journal Josimar was granted travel support for a report on the background for the awarding of the 2022 world football (soccer) championships to Qatar.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in December 2013.
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Swedish prize to the Norwegian Journal of Photography
Norwegian Journal of Photography was awarded the "Visual Prize" at the 2013 2013 Swedish Publishing Awards. The jury's grounds state that the book was awarded the prize for "photos that depict stories of exciting and important human destinies and locations, taken over a long period of time, demonstrating commitment and presence, and providing documentation of our times". The book contains 10 independent photo-essays by Helge Skodvin, Andrea Gjestvang, Karin Beate Nøsterud, Ingvild Vaale Arnesen, Ellen Lande Gossner, Marie Sjøvold, Monica Larsen, Linda Bournane Engelberth, Eivind H. Natvig and Oddleiv Apneseth.
The Swedish photo publisher Journal published the book on commission from the Norwegian Journal of Photography.
DokFoto 2014
Newsha Tavakolian (b. 1981 in Tehran, Iran) is among the photographers who will be attending the DokFoto photo festival at the House of Literature in Oslo from 23 to 25 January 2014. Tavakolian's portfolio includes, among other works, the photo series "Iran", "Look", "Listen", "Mother of Martyrs", "The Day I Became a Woman" and "Haji, Trip of a Lifetime". She was recently commissioned by the Qatar Foundation to travel the world over to take pictures for a book about education that is scheduled for publication in March 2014. Read more about other photographers who will be participating in this year's festival at Foto.no.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 150 000 in support for the Dokfoto 2014 project.
Support for new non-fiction literature
The Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in December include manuscript development support for about 20 non-fiction prose and debate books. One of the recipients was Henrik Thune, who received funding for his work with "Instant Democracy – a book project about how the digital news revolution is taking power over democracy, making politics short-sighted and narcissistic, and threatening the future". Lars Akerhaug received manuscript support for the book "The Terrorist – A Story of Miscalculated Assimilation" and Mohammad Mahdi Izadi got a grant for a book on key events in the relationship between Norway and Iran from 1979 to 2005. Tove Bjørgaas received support for writing "Children - no problem? The time crunch and ambitions in Norway, the USA and the EU".
A list has now been published of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in December 2013.
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Støtte til festivaler og seminarer
There is currently no English translation available for this entry
Banned Expression: Support Free speech in Tibet
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IDFA's Audience Award to 'The Twin Sisters'
On Friday, 29 November 2013, the Norwegian documentary film 'The Twin Sisters' won the Audience Award at the International Documentary Film Festival (IDFA) in Amsterdam. Congratulations to the winners! IDFA is the world's largest documentary film festival, and this is the first time a Norwegian film has won the prestigious 'Audience Award', bestowed by the audience. 'The Twin Sisters' was directed by Mona Friis Bertheussen (photo) and produced by Moment Film of Oslo. The film tells the story of the identical Chinese twins Alexandra and Mia (10), who were adopted to separate corners of the world - Norway and the USA - when they were about a year old.
The Fritt Ord Foundation, Oslo, provided NOK 200 000 in support for production of "Twin Sisters" in 2012.
Support for new documentary films
Among the Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in October 2013, there are no fewer than 16 documentary films. For example, the company as videomaker was granted NOK 300 000 for the production of the documentary film "The Candidate", directed by Gry Winther. The film follows Fawzia Koofi (photo) in her struggle to become Afghanistan's next president. Fenomen tv film & scene received NOK 150 000 for Pål Winsent's documentary "Sick dark" on the disease ME, and Substans Film received NOK 200 000 for the co-production of Danish Anders Østergaard's film "1989" about the power play between the world's most powerful heads of state and government in the late 1980s. NOK 200 000 was also granted to Fenris Film for director Aslaug Holm's documentary "Class Distinction" about ethnic dividing lines and assimilation in the Oslo school system today.
A list has been published of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in October 2013. (in Norwegian)
A Blind Eye – an exhibition on climate and vulnerability
On Thursday, 17 October, Rune Eraker's one-man show A Blind Eye opened at the Oslo Rådhusgalleri (Oslo City Hall Gallery). The photo exhibition focuses on climate and vulnerability, and consists of 75 large-scale analogue photographs. The photos were taken in 15 countries that are highly vulnerable to climatic change - often the poorest countries in the world. The exhibition will be open at Oslo Rådhusgalleri until 23 November 2013, then move on to the City Museum in Bergen (15 May - 15 October 2014) and to the Tromsø Art Association (November -December 2014).
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 200 000 in support for the project.
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Journalists on demanding assignments
How can journalists prepare themselves for the powerful impressions they are left with by covering other people's suffering? What can editorial boards do to prevent demanding assignments from provoking stress reactions and burn-out? What can journalism programmes do to prepare students for stories that can leave indelible marks on their souls?
The book Demanding assignments. How to cope with stress by Trond Idås will be launched with a panel discussion at the Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences at 3 p.m. on Monday, 7 October. The Fritt Ord Foundation provided support for manuscript development.
Programme.
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Deeyah's film on honour killing won an Emmy last night
Our warmest congratulations to Deeyah on winning an Emmy Award for the best international current affairs film! She received the prize for "Banaz: A Love Story", about the brutal honour killing of the young British woman Banaz Mahmod in London in 2006. This is truly a big day for Norwegian documentary film. The Fritt Ord Foundation provided a total of NOK 300 000 in support for the development and production of "Banaz: A Love Story".
The Fritt Ord Foundation has also provided support for two documentary films with which Deeyah is currently involved as director and producer: this past February, we allocated NOK 300 000 for a documentary about Sheema Kermani, and in August this year, NOK 260 000 for the documentary film "Radicals".
Read "We came to celebrate the nomination. Then I won the most highly respected prize" (in Norwegian).
Grants for journalism
When applications for minor grants were dealt with in September, support was allocated to several projects in the field of journalism. For example, Journalist Bjørgulv Bjåen and Photojournalist Erlend Berge who work in the newspaper Vårt Land received a total of NOK 40 000 in travel grants for the project "Alaska - where everyone gets an oil cheque". The newspaper Klassekampen received NOK 100 000 for the first semester of the Klassekampen Academy, for the purpose of recruiting and developing "aspiring young journalists" from unconventional backgrounds. NOK 80 000 was allocated to the University of Nordland County for a research project on commentary and opinion journalism inthe regional press.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in September 2013. (in Norwegian)
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20th Anniversary of the Oslo Accord
The 20th anniversary of the signing of the Oslo Accord will be commemorated by two events at the House of Literature in Oslo on 13 September 2013. From 10 a.m.-12.30 p.m., the Norwegian Association of NGOs for Palestine, the Palestine Committee, the Institute of Applied Social Science (FAFO) and others will be organising an open seminar entitled "The Oslo Accord - 20 years after - the peace that failed" with Anis F. Kassim, Hilde Henriksen Waage and Sahar Francis. From 1.30 p.m.-9.30 p.m., Le Monde Diplomatique will be organising the conference "The Oslo Conference - The Road Ahead for Palestine and Israel". Participants will include Salam Fayyad, Terje Rød-Larsen, Jan Egeland, Mustafa Barghouti, Torgeir Larsen and Shir Hever. See the conference’s Facebook pagefor the programme, information and registration.
The events have received support from the Fritt Ord Foundation.
Homo Religiosus
The Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in August 2013 include a contribution of NOK 400 000 for the exhibition "Homo Religiosus" at the Perspective Museum in Tromsø. The project is based on a huge volume of documentary material from religious communities. The goal of the exhibition is to discover new knowledge about today's religious pluralism in the north, contributing to a more balanced image of religiousness in general and in northern Norway in particular. Researchers and artists alike will be represented in the exhibition, which is scheduled to open on UN Day next year (24 October 2014).
A list has now been published of the grants awarded by the Freedom of Expression Foundation in August 2013.
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Manta
This week the House of Dance in Oslo is staging the performance "Manta" by and with the French-Tunisian dancer and choreographer Héla Fattoumi. Fattoumi wore a niqab as an adult, liberated woman, and the performance mirrors her experience of what this did to her emotionally and physically. "Manta" will be performed on Saturday 31 August and Sunday 1 September, at 7 p.m. The House of Dance will also organise four events in connection with "Manta". At 1 p.m. on 30 August, there will be a Dialogue Café with dance researcher Cecilia Olsson, and at 5 p.m. on 31 August, there will be a Tea House in collaboration with KULT, featuring participants Gisken Armand, Marjan Vahdat and Erik Hillestad. Following the Saturday performance, at 8.15 p.m., a Postscript will be held with Héla Fattoumi and Cecilia Olsson. At 5 p.m. on 1 September, a Dilemma will be organised on the topic "Body Politics", featuring guests Shabana Rehman, Iram Haq, Héla Fattoumi, and others.
"Manta" is the House of Dance's commemoration of the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage in Norway. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 30 000 in support for the performance and the debate programme.
Last Call – at the eleventh hour
This evening, at 7 p.m. on 26 August 2013, marks the Norwegian premier of the documentary film "Last Call – at the eleventh hour" at the Park Theatre in Oslo. The documentary has been directed by Italian Enrico Cerasuolo, with Skofteland Film as co-producer. The film is described as "a climate documentary on our global crisis", and takes its point of departure in the controversial book The Limits to Growth (1972) by the Norwegian environmentalist Jørgen Randers and three of his scientist colleagues at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Randers will be attending the screening. Free admission. Read more on the Skofteland Film website.
The film will also be aired on the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation at 10.20 p.m. on 27 August. Both the production of "Last Call – at the eleventh hour" and the event on 26 August are being supported by the Fritt Ord Foundation.
Emmy nomination for Deeyah's film “Banaz: A Love Story”
Deeyah's documentary about honour killing in, "Banaz: A Love Story" ("Banaz: An Honour Killing"), has been nominated for an Emmy for best film in the category Current Affairs.
In January 2013, the Fritt Ord Foundation organised the first screening of the film in Norway with subsequent talks. Both the film itself and recordings of the talks in the Fritt Ord Foundation's premises are available on YouTube. This year, the Fritt Ord Foundation has allocated NOK 300 000 to the development and production of "Banaz: A Love Story".
The Fritt Ord Foundation's support for projects related to 22 July 2011
In August 2011, the Fritt Ord Foundation earmarked up to MNOK 15 for projects using different media formats to contribute knowledge and to a broader debate about the terrorist attacks that took place in Norway on 22 July 2011 – including their background and their human and societal consequences. The Foundation has devoted extra attention to all applications related to this topic, focussing especially on initiatives taken by young people.
As of 1 August 2013, 60 grants have been awarded for projects related to 22 July 2011, totalling roughly MNOK 8.9. The grants have been announced on an ongoing basis along with the ordinary grants in every round of applications. The largest sub-group is books, with 31 grants. For example, Aage Storm Borchgrevink was granted support for script work on A Norwegian tragedy. Anders Behring Breivik and the Roads to Utøya Island and Erika Fatland for the book The Year with No Summer. Both a working grant and printing support were allocated for Andrea Gjestvang's photo book A day in history. Among the grants to film projects, we find a contribution to Karianne Moe's documentary film "To the Young People", produced by Sant & Usant (True & False).
Click here to view the overall list of projects related to 22 July, sorted by genre (in Norwegian)..
Søknadsfrist fredag 2. august
Fritt Ord har søknadsfrist fredag 2. august, med utløp ved midnatt.
De tekniske problemene etter lynnedslag og strømbrudd hos vår leverandør er nå løst.
Many came here in boats
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 90 000 for the theatre project "Many came here in boats" being made by the company REBEKKA/HUY (Rebekka Nystabakk and Huy Le Vo). The production focuses on Vietnam, with emphasis on the war, boat refugees and the largest wave of refugees to Norway. What does it mean to blend as successfully into a society as it is often said that the Vietnamese refugees have managed to do? "Many came here in boats" is a co-production with the Black Box Theatre, where the play will be performed in spring 2014.
A list has been published of the minor grants awarded by the Freedom of Expression Foundation in June 2013.
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Support for the Art of Drawing
The Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in May 2012 included four projects related to the art of drawing. The House of Cartoonists in Drøbak has been granted support for the exhibition "100 Years of Russian Political Cartoons", featuring the Russian artist Michail Zlatkovsky. Morten Harper received funding for "The journey out of the frames", a series of articles in Le Monde diplomatique about the journey of comic strips through the cultural classes, in connection with which Harper will interview six of the world's most prominent cartoonists. Lars Fiske was granted support to work on a graphic novel about the Fiske automobile factory, while Line Halsnes got a grant to illustrate the graphic novel "Hand to hand combat" about females in the Norwegian Armed Forces, featuring drawings by Halsnes and text by Axel Hellstenius. The book is based on the young people's novel "Twat quota" by Hellstenius and Morten Skårdal.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in May 2013.
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The development and production of documentary films
The Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in June 2013 include funding for the development and production of nine documentary films. For example, development support has been awarded to India Film's project with the working title "Munch in hell", an international documentary that will examine Edvard Munch and his position in Norway. Further, development support has been granted to Bonanza Post Production for a documentary film about school drop-outs and to Gammaglimt for development of the documentary film "Blackhearts". Funds were also allocated for a documentary film on the New York Review of Books focusing, among other things, on human rights and freedom of expression.
A list has now been published of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in June 2013 (in Norwegian).
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'Ida's Diary' to Good Pitch Europe 2013
The Norwegian documentary film 'Ida's Diary' has been selected for inclusion in the pitch forum Good Pitch Europe 2013 at the Royal Institution of Great Britain in London on 7 June 2013. The pitch forum was initiated by the BRITDOC Foundation in collaboration with the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Programme. 'Ida's Diary' has been directed by August Baugstø Hanssen and produced by Carsten Aanonsen of Indie Film. Presenting the personal story of a young girl who is a self-mutilator, the film is based on recordings from the girl's own video diary.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 250 000 in production support for 'Ida’s Diary'.
Women's suffrage anniversary in Bamble: Marie Høeg
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 100 000 to Bamble Municipality for its celebration of the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage in Norway, which the municipality will celebrate by re-enacting the story of the Langesund woman Marie Høeg (1866–1949). Høeg was a suffragette, organiser, photographer and lesbian, and she played an important part in winning the right for women to vote in Norway. While the municipality will celebrate the anniversary with a number of events throughout 2013, the main emphasis will be on women's suffrage week, beginning on 31 August. The celebrations will include a relaunch of "The Discussion Society" and a photo exhibition at the Wrightegaarden Estate. A preview of the exhibition will be on display in the Bamble City Hall from 11 June.
Gay Kids. Gay People Were Young Once Too
The exhibition "Gay Kids. Kule barn som også finnes" ("Gay Kids. Gay People Were Young Once Too") opens at Maihaugen at 10 a.m. on 31 May 2013. "Gay Kids" is a beautifully illustrated book and an exhibition that sheds light on what it is like to grow up and fall in love with someone of the same sex. The project is a joint venture between Gay and Lesbian Health Norway, the Norwegian Literary Festival and Maihaugen. Olemic Thommessen, the Conservative Party's spokesperson on family policy, will open the exhibition, followed by presentations by Stig-Werner Moe and Bera U. Moseng from Gay and Lesbian Health Norway.
The project has received support from the Fritt Ord Foundation.
Professional network of journalists on hate speech, hate crimes and extremism
The two authors and freelance journalists Øyvind Strømmen and Kjetil Stormark are joining forces to establish a professional network of journalists at the international level who will cover hate speech, hate crimes and extremism. The project, entitled 'Hate Speech International' (HSI), is a two-year feasibility study. The project is being carried out with financial support from the Fritt Ord Foundation and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Read the rest of the press release from Strømmen and Stormark.
Death, shall we dance?
"Why is it that we in today's Norway hide death away so painstakingly, surrounding it with silence and taboos?" This is how the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) introduces the documentary "Death, shall we dance?" about Per Fugelli, who will be awarded the Freedom of Expression Foundation Prize for 2013 on 14 May. In the film, Fugelli reflects brutally and openly on life and death in the light of his own cancer. He wants to "release death from the prison of taboo words". Jæren, Værøy, Røst and Grønland in Oslo provide the background for a poetic, thought-provoking film about leaving life.
Invisible Symposium. A theater of ideas
Philosophers, authors, activists, politicians and artists were all asked the same set of questions with a focus on the current state of democracy. Why is it ailing? What challenges will it face in the years to come? Actors will portray the participating intellectuals in a staged exchange of ideas. PEN American Center, Fritt Ord, Jacobin, and The New School for Social Research invite to the 2013 PEN World Voices Festival’s Invisible Symposium on Saturday, 4 May 2013, 8-10pm, in New York City.
Seminar programme:
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Support for Norwegian factual prose
Among the Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in March 2013, we find 20 allocations for manuscript development and for the publication of new books in the factual prose genre in the broad sense. For example, Gunnar Ringheim has been granted NOK 50 000 to write the book "Abuse in the name of Jesus", while Cornelia Kristiansen has received NOK 75 000 for the interview book "The Class" about experiences from attending a multicultural school on the east side of downtown Oslo. Ingrid Vik has been granted NOK 50 000 for a book project entitled "Among the faithful", in which she investigates Norwegian Christian conservatives' attitudes to value-related questions in respect of family and equal opportunity. NOK 25 000 has been allocated to Trine Krigsvoll Haagensen and Martin Paulsen to translate and publish "A punk prayer for freedom" with lyrics by the Russian art collective Pussy Riot.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in March 2013.
europe@debate: Europe’s lost generation?
The programme FutureLab Europe focuses on young people between the ages of 20 and 30 who want to take part in debates and influence the future of Europe. During the event europe@debate in Brussels from 4 to 6 p.m. on Monday, 22 April, this year's young participants will present a report on how the European countries inside and outside the European Union are dealing with the social and financial crisis. The keynote speaker will be Joaquín Almunia, vice president of the European Commission. There will also be a debate, and interventions by FutureLab participants James Kilcourse of Ireland and Enja Sæthren of Norway. The event will be streamed directly here.
FutureLab Europe is a joint project among 10 European foundations, including the Fritt Ord Foundation.
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Iran symposium in Trondheim
On 20 April 2013, the Department of Art and Media Studies at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and the Kosmorama Film Festival in Trondheim will be hosting a symposium featuring international experts on Iranian film and prominent film-makers, including the director Mohsen Makhmalbaf. The symposium will introduce a Norwegian audience to Iranian film, and discuss the conditions for Iranian film-makers today. The event will be open to the general public, and the venue will be Det norske oljeselskap's premises from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Munkegata 26. Read more here (in Norwegian).
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 125 000 in support for the project.
Burning memories
Tappeluft Pictures has been granted NOK 100 000 to develop the documentary film "Burning memories", directed by Ellen-Astri Lundby. The film takes its point of departure in the memories of those experienced the forced evacuation and burning of Finnmark and North-Troms counties as children during World War II. The story is told through three main witnesses. At the same time as the past rises to the surface, the film will explore the losses of these people 70 years later.
A list has now been published of the major grants awarded in March 2013.
New York Times reports on NJP
The New York Times is presenting a comprehensive report on the Norwegian Journal of Photography and on the photographers' projects on its photoblog entitled Lens Blog under the title "Norway's New Photographic Landscape". Helge Skodvin gives an account of his work documenting the Norwegian landscape and the Volvo 240: "More than any other car, the Volvo 240 has been a symbol of Norwegian and Scandinavian values," he comments to Lens Blog. Visit the website at Lens Blog to read the whole story.
Norwegian Journal of Photography is now being sold at the Tronsmo in Oslo and is available for order on the bookseller's website. The book can also be ordered from Journal Publishing House: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
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Prizes to NJP photographers at the Picture of the Year awards
Several of photographers from the Fritt Ord Foundation's project Norwegian Journal of Photography (NJP) won prizes at the recent Picture of the Year awards organised by the Press Photographers' Club, Norway. In the class ‘Portrait Series’, Andrea Gjestvang took first prize and Ellen Lande Gossner third prize. Eivind H. Natvig won the class ‘Inland Report of the Year’, with Helge Skodvin in second place. Natvig also placed third in the category ‘Nature and the Environment’. In the class ‘Foreign Report of the Year’, Linda Bournane Engelberth took second place. Congratulations to the winners!
The illustrative photo is from Ellen Lande Gossner's photo project "The Deaconesses".
Hate Radio
The International Institute of Political Murder is currently appearing at the Oslo International Theatre Festival and Black Box Theatre with the play "Hate Radio". Terese Bjørneboe writes in the daily newspaper Aftenposten: "It is not only a documentary performance about the genocide in Rwanda, but also a reconstruction of the broadcasts of a radio station that played a decisive role. RTLM served as a propaganda centre, while the journalists and disc jockeys were Hipsters who played Nirvana. Hate Radio is about how the meanings of words change. It makes a deep, disquieting impression because the DJs use a globalised language that reduces the distance to the events."
The performance will be played on 20, 21 and 22 March. The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted Black Box Theatre NOK 150 000 for the guest performance.
Philosophy Day 2013
Philosophy Day for Upper Secondary Schools will be held at Uranienborgveien 2 in Oslo on Wednesday, 20 March 2013. This year's topic is "I. You. We? What is real? How do we know? How to live?" In addition to group discussions, the programme features lectures by Thor Steinar Grødal, Monica Roland, Anders Strand and Bjørn Ramberg. The event is fully subscribed.
The organiser is the Upper Secondary School Philosophy Association; Fritt Ord Foundation has provided a grant of NOK 50 000 for Philosophy Day.
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2012 Picture of the Year Award to Andrea Gjestvang
The Fritt Ord Foundation congratulates Photographer Andrea Gjestvang on the 2012 Picture of the Year Award. The prize was bestowed at a ceremony under the auspices of the Press Photographers' Club, Norway, on 15 March 2013. The winning photo is a portrait of Ylva Schwenke, one of the survivors of the terrorist massacre on Utøya Island in the summer of 2011. The picture is part of the book "One Day in History" (Pax Publishing House, 2012), in which Gjestvang portrays 43 Utøya Island survivors from all over Norway.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 210 000 in support for the book project.
Steffen Kverneland's Munch biography
No Comprendo Press has been granted NOK 60 000 for the publication of Steffen Kverneland's "Munch", a biography in comic strip form. This depiction takes its point of departure in quotations from Edvard Munch's own writings, along with contemporary descriptions of his life and career. The book also serves as a group portrait of a community of artists known as the Scandinavian 'Bohème' around the turn of the 20th century, when modernism was taking shape as an art form. The biography is based on Kverneland's chapters on Munch in the series "Kanon".
International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX)
Based in Toronto, Canada, the global network IFEX consists of more than 80 organisations that work to promote freedom of expression. The network draws attention to abuses of freedom of expression committed against journalists, activists, artists and researchers. The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted CAD 80 000 in support for IFEX' activities in 2013.
On IFEX’ website, you can read about and subscribe to daily and weekly news bulletins about freedom of expression the world over.
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Before the snow falls
At 8.15 p.m. on Friday, 15 February, Hisham Zaman's debut film "Before the snow falls" will premiere at the Klingenberg Cinema in Oslo. The director will introduce the film before the screening. See the trailer and order tickets. Paradox has produced the film, and the Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 150 000 in support.
A 16-year-old boy is wrapped in plastic and submerged in the tank of a lorry filled with crude oil. This is how the film "Before the snow falls" starts. It is an unconventional road movie about family, love, dignity and honour. When Siyar's sister flees from her own wedding, he is put in charge of finding her and restoring the family's reputation. The search for his sister turns out to be a dangerous journey from east to west.
Mary Ellen Mark to visit Dokfoto 2013
Dokfoto 2013 will be arranged at the House of Literature in Oslo from 22 to 24 February. American photographer Mary Ellen Mark is famous for her works in the interface between photojournalism and portrait photography. Paal Audestad, Helge Skodvin and Andrea Gjestvang will be participating from Norway. Other photographers who will be showing their projects are Sebastían Liste, Sanna Sjöswärd, Katharina Hesse, Mimi Chakarova and Tomas van Houtryve. Read more at fotografi.no (in Norwegian).
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 150 000 in support for the project.
New documentary films
The Fritt Ord Foundation's allocations of major grants in February 2013 included funding for the production of seven documentary films. The company Aldeles received for support for "The Journalist and the Soldier" from Burma, and Bakkenivåfilm for "Someone must take the lead" from Afghanistan. Integral Film was granted funding for "ManIslam - Taming of the Goliath", the last part of Nefise Özkal Lorentzen's trilogy on Islam. Deeyah received support for a documentary about the Pakistani dancer, actor and feminist Sheema Kermani, while Fet Film was awarded a grant for "Birth of Hope" from Kenya. Sanden Media received a grant for "Desert Stench" about life on the garbage dumps in Brooklyn in the 1920s-30s, and the company friogfrank (fancy-free) was granted funding for a film on Stig Sæterbakken's work with the novel Sauermugg.
The list of the major grants made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in February 2013 has now been published.
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TPB AFK: The Pirate Bay Away From Keyboard
Simon Klose's documentary film 'TPB AFK: The Pirate Bay Away From Keyboard' will have its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival on 8 February 2013. The film will kick off the documentary segment entitled Panorama Dokumente. In the documentary, we follow the three founders of the Swedish torrent-sharing website The Pirate Bay, i.e. Peter Sunde, Fredrik Neij and Gottfried Svartholm. See the trailer. The entire film will be shown here.
The film has been produced by Sweden's Nonami Film, with Anagram (S), Final Cut for Real (DK) and Norwegian Piraya Film as co-producers. The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 150 000 in support to Norwegian co-producer Piraya Film.
When the Boys Return
The documentary film 'When the Boys Return' will premier in Norway at Ringen Cinema at 4 p.m. on 9 February 2013, during the Human Rights Human Wrongs Film Festival. Tone Andersen has directed the film, which was produced by Sant & Usant ('True & False'). Following the film screening, there will be talks featuring the director and Nora Ingdal from Save the Children. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided a total of NOK 225 000 in support for the development and production of the film. See the trailer and the website for the film.
After months and years as political prisoners, teenagers Mohammed Jamil, Hamze and Mahran returned home to the West Bank. Once the celebration of their homecoming was over, they once again found themselves surrounded by soldiers, military raids and weekly demonstrations. They also faced challenges in dealing with their own families, as well as with friends and the school.
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Norwegian Online Encyclopaedia
The Fritt Ord Foundation and the savings bank foundation Sparebankstiftelsen DnB NOR acquired the rights to Store norske leksikon (Norway's largest encyclopaedia) in 2010. Some two years later, the old print-format leviathan has been transformed into a modern online encyclopaedia with 2 million visitors a month. In 2012, the encyclopaedia was augmented by new, updated articles comparable to 60 non-fiction books. Read, for example, Francis Sejersted's recently written article on 1814 – the Birth of Norway's Independence (in Norwegian).
Read more about the Norwegian Online Encyclopaedia.
Local newspapers in in Vesterålen
Magnum photographer Jonas Bendiksen explores a local Norwegian community. While working as a photographer for a number of local newspapers in Vesterålen, Bendiksen’s routine assignments for the newspapers gave him a unique opportunity to observe everything that took place in this small island community off the coast of northern Norway. The Fritt Ord Foundation granted NOK 100 000 in support for this photo project in 2012. See Bendiksen's blog or read more about the project and see photos in the magazine Wired.
Edvard Munch and Lene Berg to the Venice Biennale
The exhibition "Beware of the Holy Whore: Edvard Munch and the Dilemma of Emancipation" will be the official Norwegian contribution to the 55th International Art Exhibition La Biennale di Venezia in 2013. It includes a series of rarely exhibited works by Edvard Munch and a new film by the artist Lene Berg. Based on the concept of emancipation, the project will explore the relationship between art, its social context, and gender roles in flux in Munch's day and today. The exhibition will be shown from 31 May to 22 September 2013, and is being curated by the Office for Contemporary Art (OCA) and Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa.
The Fritt Ord Foundation allocated NOK 300 000 for the exhibition in December 2012.
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Library projects
The Fritt Ord Foundation's minor allocations in December 2012 included three projects related to Norway's libraries. The Buskerud County Library received NOK 50 000 for the conference "Young 3.0", intended to disseminate knowledge about young people's culture and the use of digital media. The Grünerløkka Branch of the Deichmann Library received NOK 50 000 for the digitisation of Scandinavian journals and publications printed by small-scale publishers in conjunction with the "Public Library Project". The Department of Archivistics, Library and Information Sciences, Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, received NOK 10 000 for Kari Skjønsberg Days 2013, a conference about girls and power, based on literature for children and young people.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in December 2012.
New non-fiction Norwegian literature
The Fritt Ord Foundation's major allocations in December included grants for 18 writers to work on new non-fiction and debate books. For example, Magnus Marsdal received funding for a coffee table book entitled "Freedom in red, white and blue", in which he will explore the relationship between freedom and community by comparing life in the welfare state Norway with the average citizen's experience in the USA. Håkon Harket received a grant to work on "The Clause", a broad-based presentation of the history of the Jewish clause, while Cornelius Jakhelln received a grant for a monograph on musical extremism, with special emphasis on the genres black metal, industrial and neo-folk.
The list of the Fritt Ord Foundation’s major grants in December 2012 has now been published.
China at Home
The Fritt Ord Foundation supported the organisation Human Rights in China by providing a grant of USD 50 000 in 2012, not least for the development of the China Rights Forum online. The latest edition of the journal – China at Home – devotes attention to the growth of activism in China.
Photographer Eivind H. Natvig's project to be shown in Bangladesh
Eivind H. Natvig's photo project "You Are Here Now" is scheduled to be shown at the Chobi Mela – International Festival of Photography in Bangladesh from 25 January to 7 February 2013. Natvig is a participant in the Fritt Ord Foundation's programme Norwegian Journal of Photography, and the Fritt Ord Foundation supported the project "You Are Here Now" with a grant of NOK 100 000 in 2009.
Read more on Natvig's own website.
"The classics of Norwegian journalism" on NRK P2 radio
Two of the speakers from the Fritt Ord Foundation's series "The classics of Norwegian journalism", Aina Nøding and Mona Ringvej from the University of Oslo, will be featured on the programme Echo on NRK P2 on Friday, 11 January, at 10.30 a.m. Nøding and Ringvej will talk about Claus Fasting (1746–1791), Bernt Børretzen (1762–1817) and Birgithe Kühle (1762–1832), who will also be the focus of the opening event for "The classics of Norwegian journalism" on 15 January.
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Atopia and the journal Objektiv
Among the Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in November, we find several contributions to projects involving photography and video art. The journal Objektiv (Objective), which focuses on camera-based contemporary art, was granted NOK 75 000 for its operations in 2013. The Atopia Foundation received a total of NOK 150 000 for its exhibition projects. Funding was provided, among other things, for the second phase of a research and exhibition project that examines the historical development of Norwegian film and video art. This phase will showcase the 1990s.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in November 2012.
Science Library nominated for "Library of the Year"
The Norwegian Library Association has shortlisted the new Science Library at the Blindern campus as one of the three nominees for the distinction "Library of the Year". The nomination reports, among other things, that the building has been converted from old-fashioned reading rooms and study facilities to a state-of-the-art learning centre. Read the entire article on the Bibliotekforum's website (in Norwegian).
In 2010, the Fritt Ord Foundation allocated MNOK 4 for the renovation and establishment of the Science Library in the Vilhelm Bjerknes Building. In recent years, grants have also been given to support the series entitled "Science Debate" at the library.
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Love and War - an exhibition at the Oslo Museum on Norwegian girls who consorted with the Germans during WWII
Oslo Museum received a grant of NOK 200 000 from the Fritt Ord Foundation for the exhibition "Love and War" about Norwegian girls who consorted with the Germans during the German Occupation of Norway during WWII. The exhibition will open at the Oslo Museum on 8 May 2013 in connection with the commemoration of the anniversary of women's suffrage in Norway. The aim of the project is to draw attention to other perspectives on Norwegian war history, and to encourage critical reflection regarding ethical social issues and how history is recorded. The exhibition is geared to schools in particular.
The list of the major grants made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in October 2012 has now been published.
Terra not so firma
Christiania Film's documentary on the Terra case, 'Terra not so firma’ ('Tidenes investering'), will be broadcast on TV2 Wednesday, 17 October 2012, at 10:40 p.m. The financial crisis that hit Wall Street in 2008 had a direct impact on eight Norwegian municipalities, causing them to suffer huge losses. Based on three municipalities in Nordland County, the film takes an in-depth look at the outcome of the worst investment ever. The film was directed by Oddvar Einarson.
The Freedom of Expression Foundation Oslo provided NOK 250 000 in support for production of the film in 2008.
Photo project on the Roma on exhibit in New York
Linda Bournane Engelberth's photo project on "The Lives and Traditions of the Roma" will be shown at the New York Photo Awards Exhibition at the PowerHouse Arena during the DUMBO Arts Festival in Brooklyn. The exhibition is being shown from 28 September to 10 October 2012.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 100 000 in support for the project. Engelberth is one of the 10 photographers included in the Norwegian Journal of Photography (NJP).
The Lives of Women in Iran
On behalf of the organisers, Sindre Bangstad has been granted NOK 32 000 by the Fritt Ord Foundation for the event "The Lives of Women in Iran. Justice and Injustice" to be held at the House of Literature in Oslo at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, 26 September. Iranian-US professor of Anthropology Arzoo Osanloo does research on women's rights in a country that has had an Islamic system of government since 1979. The event will feature her in dialogue with Sindre Bangstad and Sevda Clark from the University of Oslo on the position of women in Iran.
See the list of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in September 2012.
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A Balloon for Allah: International prizes and festivals
Nefise Özkal Lorentzen's documentary film "A Balloon for Allah" about women and Islam has been selected to be screened at 31 different film festivals. The film has won five prizes, most recently the Best Documentary Award and the Jury Award at the International Film Festival for Peace, Inspiration and Equality in Jakarta, Indonesia. The Fritt Ord Foundation provided NOK 300 000 in support for the film.
This is the second film in Özkal Lorentzen's trilogy on Islam. The first was “Gender Me” in 2008, which dealt with homosexuality. Özkal Lorentzen is currently working on a third film, this time about masculinity in Islam.
Overview of prizes and festivals:
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Bivrfrost – the bridge to the world of the gods
The Frikar Dance Company has been granted NOK 150 000 for the dance performance "Bivrfrost". Employing a fairy-tale format, Frikar asks whether calling culture 'Norwegian' must necessarily exclude others. These days, the right-wing extremist Sweden Democrats use folk dancing to promote the party, and the abuse of the Norwegian folk dancing tradition by the Nazis during World War II remains unknown. In "Bivrfrost", the young folk dancers on stage meet Nazi folk dancers from the propaganda films made by the NS, and the Arab "invasion" of Norway today meets the Christian invasion of 1000 years ago. Young people from Thailand, Pakistan, Uganda, Valdres and Hallingdal use their own languages and identities to challenge their own self-experienced xenophobia in an encounter with a poetic manuscript.
The list of the major grants made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in August 2012 has now been published.
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Støtte til bøker
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Verden i Bergen
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MannIslam på Saga kino
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The Power of the Powerless Today: Anti-totalitarianism After 1989
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I krigen. Et vitnesbyrd fra Syria
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Kommentarjournalistikk i regionale medier
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‘1989’ åpner CPH:DOX
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Lansering av ‘Norges låver’
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I dag, 9. oktober, åpner filmfestivalen Film fra Sør
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Prize for best Norwegian short documentary to 'This is Kabul'
'This is Kabul' won the prize for the best Norwegian short documentary at the Bergen International Film Festival (BIFF) this week. The film was produced by Bakkenivåfilm (Ground Level Film) and directed by Nargis Azaryun, Sadaf Fetrat, Sahar Fetrat, Anders Sømme Hammer and Christoffer Næss. The Fritt Ord Foundation congratulates the winners!
Since 2011, three young women named Sahar, Sadaf and Nargis have filmed their own lives in Kabul. Among other things, the film follows the establishment of the organisation 'Young Women for Change', which works to liberate young Afghani women. The jury's grounds state inter alia that the film "expands our perspective on those who are usually defined as victims, and demonstrates how a documentary film has the power to empower the powerless. The documentation in the film is strong, unique and engaging".
The Fritt Ord Foundation provided NOK 150 000 in support for production of the film in 2013.
Audience Award to Flink Pike (Good Girl) at BIFF 2014
Congratulations to Director Solveig Melkeraaen and 'Good Girl' on winning the Audience Award at the Bergen International Film Festival.
The documentary film 'Good girl' depicts Director Solveig Melkeraaen's experience of severe depression and treatment that included electroshock therapy. Produced by Ingvil Giske of the Media Operators, the film is described as a 'feel good' movie about depression.
The Fritt Ord Foundation provided a total of NOK 500 000 in funding for the development, production and launch of 'Good Girl'.
Sovietistan
This week marks the launch of Erika Fatland's new book "Sovietistan: a Voyage through Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan". The book is a result of five months spent in the region, and it deals with the countries in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. How have the former Soviet republics developed since? What about their future, given their newly-acquired oil and gas resources and with Russia thinking expansively again? Erika Fatland offers gripping human interest stories and historical, political and cultural reflections.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 175 000 in support for the project.
DRONE wins two prizes at BIFF 2014
Congratulations to Director Tonje Hessen Schei, Flimmer Film and the rest of the team behind the documentary film DRONE on winning two prizes at Bergen International Film Festival. The film was named best human rights film on the Checkpoints programme and best Norwegian documentary. DRONE examines the use of modern drones and the human consequences of this type of warfare.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided support for the development, production and feature-length version of DRONE in the amount of NOK 500 000 altogether. In April 2014, the Foundation organised an exclusive preview screening of the film - followed by talks with experts and the main characters from the film, including former drone pilot Brandon Bryant, representing the victims of drones Attorney Mirza Shahzad Akbar, Professor Paul Schulte, Director Tonje Hessen Schei and Journalist Chris Woods.
Support for theatre projects
There are five theatre productions among the nearly 70 projects that were approved for Fritt Ord Foundation funding in September 2014. Buggetekst received NOK 60 000 to help develop the play "Helpers" about Norwegian development co-operation, while Cecilie Lundsholt received NOK 50 000 to develop the stage play "An Industrial Fairytale in Tyssedal". NOK 40 000 was granted to the South Sami Åarjelhsaemien Theatre for the play "Hijven Hov, Ylva!" about government policy regarding predators, and NOK 40 000 to Øyonn's performance of "The Black Book Cleric's catechism". Jon Tombre received NOK 50 000 to stage Arthur Miller's play "The Crucible", a collaboration between Our Theatre in Molde and Fagerlia Upper Secondary School in Ålesund.
A list has now been published of the grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in September 2014. (in Norwegian)
The Gompen Report and other reports on surveillance in Norway 1948-89
The film "The Gompen Report and other reports on surveillance in Norway 1948–89” has now been posted on Vimeo. [link]
"The Gompen Report and other reports on surveillance in Norway 1948–89” is a film from a mock hearing about the surveillance of dissidents during the Cold War. The result is a collage of selected reports and evidence.
Lene Berg has directed the film, and Studio Fjordholm has produced it.
The Fritt Ord Foundation provided NOK 300 000 in support for the film in 2013.
Southbound
The book Southbound by Knut Egil Wang, which has been granted support by the Fritt Ord Foundation, has recently been generating splendid headlines in a number of media: on The New Yorker's photo blog Photo Booth [link], Slate.com's photo blog Behold [link], Feature Shoot [link], American Photo [link] and in the magazine D2. The book explores the concept of "Down South", and consists of pictures from typical charter holiday destinations such as Cypress, the Canary Islands, Spain and Thailand. It has been published by the Swedish publisher Journal.
The Fritt Ord Foundation provided project support of NOK 390 000 in 2007 and book support of NOK 75 000 in 2011.
Knut Egil Wang is one of the project participants the Norwegian Journal of Photography.
The Democracy Festival 2014
Three former prime ministers and six recipients of the Fritt Ord Prize will be on stage at Demokratifestivalen on Eidsvoll, Saturday 13 September.
Per Fugelli, Abid Raja, Anne Sender, Nina Karin Monsen, Anders Sømme Hammer and Bushra Ishaq participate in what might be the most important conversation of this year’s celebration of the Norwegian Constitution’s 200th anniversary. Together will moderator Håvard Kleppa they will discuss the costs associated with freedom of speech.
The programme can be found here. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 50 000 in support of the festival.
Support for documentary films
There were eight documentary films among the projects that were approved for Fritt Ord Foundation funding in August. Among them, Colorbar was granted NOK 150 000 for the production of "The last dose", in which the director Hilde Stålskjær Olsen shadows the former drug-abuser Siri as she makes her way out of drug-assisted rehabilitation. Motlys received NOK 100 000 to work with Paulina Cervenka's documentary film "Wanja" (picture) about a woman suffering from the fatal disease ALS. Further, NOK 200 000 was granted to Fenomen TV film og scene for the production of "The Lady from Os", directed by Pål Winsents - a sequel to the documentary "The Girl from Oz" (2006) about mentally challenged Christina.
A list has now been published of the grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in August 2014.
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Photo exhibition - Pushwagner
Petter Mejlænder's photo exhibition "Pushwagner" will be on display at Gallery Fineart at Tjuvholmen in Oslo from 28 August to 14 September 2014. The photo exhibition is being shown in tandem with Pushwagner's sales exhibition "Movement". The exhibitions will be opened by Mayor Fabian Stang at 6 p.m. on Thursday, 28 August.
In working with the photographs and on Pushwagner's biography, Petter Mejlænder followed the artist's activities closely for seven years. In connection with the exhibition, Mejlænder's photo book about Pushwagner will also be launched. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 50 000 in support for the photo exhibition and NOK 75 000 for the biography (a work in progress).
Book launch: From the Youth
The reportage agency Paragon Features will be launching its book From the Youth at 7 p.m. on Friday, 12 September 2014, at Cappelen Damm Publishing House in Akersgata 47-49, Oslo. The event is part of the Oslo Book Festival. The project was initiated in autumn 2011 in the aftermath of the terrorist massacres that took place in Norway on 22 July 2011; the project is described as a multimedia portrait of a generation of young people. For two years, the young photojournalists Aleksander Andersen, Martin Slottemo Lyngstad and Lars Øverli travelled all over Norway in an ancient camper, documenting Norwegian youth in their natural habitats.
In addition to From the youth now being published in hard copy and as a digital book, in autumn 2014, Paragon Features will host a large-scale travelling exhibition all over the country. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 710 000 in support to the project.
Amanda Prize to Light Fly, Fly High
On 16 August 2014, the Amanda Prize for the best documentary film was awarded to Fri Film for the documentary "Light Fly, Fly High". The film is about the young Indian boxing talent Thulasi and her struggle against discrimination, corruption and sexual oppression. Beathe Hofseth and Susann Østigaard have directed and produced the film. Warm congratulations to Fri Film!
The Fritt Ord Foundation provided NOK 295 000 for the development and production of "Light Fly, Fly High".
Danish distinction to the NJP #1
The first edition of the Norwegian Journal of Photography has received yet another distinction, this time from a Danish jury. Under the title "Best Book Works of 2013", the Danish Book Crafts Association named last year's best books. The winning books are being exhibited at the Royal Library in Copenhagen before being sent on a book tour around Denmark.
NJP #1 earned distinction in the category “periodica”, and the jury writes, among other things: “Using a subtle, modern layout, 10 Norwegian photographers are presented objectively and clearly. Single navy blue dividing sheets mark the introduction and the transition to/between the individual players whose series of photos are vastly different, but are kept in precisely the same tight rein within a set framework.”
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Support for journals
Five journals figure on the list of recipients of the Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in June 2014. The journal Manifest Tidsskrift received support for a series of articles "Piketty to the People", and the philosophical journal Agora for a themed issue on racism. Seismopolite received a grant for its publication about freedom of expression in photography, film, theatre and performance art, while the Association of 2007 for the Promotion of Artistic Reflection and Debate received a grant for next year's issue of the art journal Second-Class Mail. Support was also granted for magazine Fanfare's #4 on the concept of "bullshit".
A list has been published of the minor grants awarded by the Freedom of Expression Foundation in June 2014.
Who is your hero?
The Fritt Ord Foundation Competition for Pupils in Upper Secondary School will continue with a new topic in the upcoming school year: "Freedom of expression's heroes and anti-heroes".
To help the participants get started, we would like a contribution from you. Send in a short film clip in which you answer the question about who is your hero or anti-hero, and state your reason why in one sentence. Send the film to post@fritt-ord.no or as #frittordhelt on Twitter.
Manuscript support for new books
The Fritt Ord Foundation's round of major allocations in June 2014 included grants for 20 Norwegian writers to support the creation of new factual prose. For example, Sidsel Wold received NOK 150 000 for a book project with the working title "How to understand Syria?", while Sølvi Wærhaug received NOK 100 000 for a book on the history of the school of home economics that takes its point of departure in its founder Minna Wetlesen. NOK 150 000 were awarded to Ola Henmo for his documentary book about Karen Friele. Håvard Rem was awarded NOK 125 000 for the book ”Norwegian lyrics”, an historical literary review of Norwegian-language lyrics from 1945 to 2015, and Kjetil Jakobsen was granted NOK 150 000 to work on the second and third volume of the work "The World Citizenry's History of Ideas".
See the entire list of the major grants made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in June 2014.
Contributions to blog projects
The minor grants in May 2014 include two journalistic projects based on blogs as a means of communicating information. Through a blog and a newspaper column in the newspaper Dagsavisen, musician and journalist Aslak Borgersrud will report from the corridors of Stortinget, the Norwegian parliament, under the title "A Lout in Parliament". In their project "The Identity of Ukraine", the young journalists Eskil Wie and Frode Nagel Dahl will communicate news items from Ukraine through blogs, websites, exhibitions and books.
A list of the minor grants awarded in May 2014 has been posted.
Festival support
When processing applications for major grants in April 2014, support was given to seven festivals. The Bollywood Festival Norway 2014 and the project "Nobel-Myanmar Literary Festival: Literature: for Peace" were among the recipients, along with the Non-fiction Festival in Oslo and the Festival University at the Oslo Book Festival. Grants were also awarded to the Oslo International Poetry Festival, the Trondheim Documentary Festival and the Literary Festival Words in the Borderland in Fredrikstad. Most of the festivals are scheduled for autumn 2014.
See the list of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation's in April 2014.
Support for photo projects
There are three photo projects among the Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in March 2014. NOK 30 000 was granted to "You Are Here Now", an exhibition in the UK featuring Eivind Natvig's photographs from all over Norway. Line Ørnes Søndergaard received NOK 30 000 for the project "Rest" - a photographic report on lorry drivers, and Terje Abusdal received NOK 95 000 for his photo project "The Long Islands". Here he depicts life on an island in the Oslo Fjord that fills up every summer with temporary holiday homes consisting of small communities in the form of tent camps, pitched mainly by members of the general public who live on the periphery of their local communities.
See the list of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in March 2014.
Greenland Eyes International Film Festival
A list has now been published of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in March 2014. For example, NOK 75 000 was granted to the Greenland Eyes International Film Festival scheduled to be held in Oslo from 11-18 December 2014. Greenland films from all genres will be screened, accompanied by lectures and debates. Similar festivals will also be held in Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, the Faeroe Islands and Greenland.
See the list of the Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in March 2014.
The House of Cartoonists: ‘Hurray for freedom of expression!’
Among the Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in February 2014, we find allocations for two exhibitions at the House of Cartoonists in Drøbak. Funding of NOK 30 000 was granted for the exhibition "Hurray for freedom of expression!" opened on 5 April 2014 and is being produced in collaboration with Cartoonist Rights Network International. The exhibition takes it point of departure in the Bicentennial of Norway's Constitution, with emphasis on the "freedom of expression statute", section 100, and it will illustrate the development of press freedom for newspaper cartoons in Norway and abroad. The Fritt Ord Foundation also allocated NOK 80 000 to the anniversary project "Fredrik Stabel – 100 years" in connection with the centenary of Stabel's birth. While the commemoration has already begun, the main celebration will be on 7 June 2014, with the opening of the centenary exhibition followed by a celebration and seminar in Stabel's spirit.
See the list of Fritt Ord's minor grants in February 2014.
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Two Raging Grannies: Blått Lerret (Blue Screen) and preview screenings
Director and producer Håvard Bustnes of Faction Film introduced his new documentary 'Two Raging Grannies' at the Blått Lerret on Wednesday, 12 March. 'Two Raging Grannies' is described as a funny, thought-provoking documentary film about the two American great-grandmothers, Shirley (91) and Hinda (84), and their attempts to understand complex interrelationships in the global economy. To preview the film, click here, or visit the film's Facebook page
Shirley will be coming to Norway, and will join Bustnes on a tour with the Coastal Express, arranging preview screenings along the west coast of Norway. In addition, a number of a preview screenings with accompanying debates will be arranged all over the country in collaboration with the Green Party (Norway), The Future in Our Hands, Cultura Bank and the Joy of Life for the Elderly Foundation.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided a total of NOK 300 000 in support for the production and launch of the film.
Support for the launch of new documentary films
The Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in February include support for three documentary films being launched in spring 2014. The company f(x) film and Director Fridtjof Kjæreng received NOK 100 000 to launch "Beauty and the priest" about abortion opponent Børre Knudsen. The film had previously received NOK 500 000 in production support from the Fritt Ord Foundation. Faction Film, represented by Director and Producer Håvard Bustnes, received NOK 100 000 for the launch of "Rebellious great-grandmothers", which had previously been granted NOK 200 000 for production. NOK 100 000 were allocated for a full-length version of the documentary "Drone" by Flimmer Film and Director Tonje Hessen Schei. The Fritt Ord Foundation granted NOK 400 000 for the development and production of "Drone" in 2011-2012. Click on the links to read more about the films and to see the trailers.
A list has now been published of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in February 2014 (in Norwegian).
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Anne-Stine Johnsbråten's ‘Women in Japan’ to Pecha Kucha
Photographer Anne-Stine Johnsbråten will be presenting her documentary photo project 'Women in Japan' at Pecha Kucha Night at 7.30 p.m. at DogA, Hausmanns gate 16, Oslo, on Thursday, 13 February 2014. Pecha Kucha Night is a multi-media event where players in the fields of architecture, design, film, art and music meet and informally show their work through a series of brief presentations. See the full programme for the evening.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 100 000 to Johnsbråten's work with 'Women in Japan'. This will be the first time the pictures are being shown in public.
80th anniversary of the Student Union in Bergen
Congratulations to the Student Union in Bergen on its 80th anniversary in 2014! See the programme for this spring's anniversary season on the Student Union's website. The Student Union characterises itself as western Norway's largest politically independent forum for social and cultural debates. The series of meetings this spring will kick off with the event 'The greediest generation' in Grieg Hall at 7 p.m. on Thursday, 24 January. Sigbjørn Johnsen and Torbjørn Røe Isaksen will meet in that venue to discuss whether the welfare state will survive. The meeting is open to everyone.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has contributed to the Student Union's debate programme for several years.
‘Good girl’ to Blått Lerret
The documentary film ‘Good Girl' depicts Director Solveig Melkeraaen's experience of severe depression and treatment that included electroshock therapy. Produced by Ingvil Giske at Medieperatørene, the documentary is described as a 'feel good' film about depression. 'Good Girl' is featured on the programme for Blått Lerret (Blue Screen) at the Park Theatre, Olaf Ryes Plass, Oslo, at 7.30 p.m. on Wednesday, 22 January. This monthly event is organised under the auspices of the Norwegian Film Institute. It is open to the public as well as to the film industry.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided a total of NOK 500 000 in funding for the development, production and launch of 'Good Girl'.
Go down in history in a new 'Eidsvold 1814!'
Many people are familiar with Oscar Arnold Wergeland's painting "Eidsvold 1814", which hangs in the halls of the Norwegian Parliament. In the art project entitled "A National Portrait", Trond Hugo Haugen tries to re-create this image through a new photograph. Haugen is seeking 112 children, teens, adults and seniors to represent society as we know it today, and to take part in the art project. The deadline for applications is Monday, 20 January, and the photographs will be taken on 2 February 2014. Read more and submit an application on the project's website.
"A National Portrait" is being produced by KORO/URO in collaboration with Akershus County Art Centre. It is a part of the Constitution Exhibition "1814 Revisited - The Past is Still Present", featured on the Constitutional Centennial Celebration's official programme. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 100 000 in funding for "A National Portrait", in addition to contributing to the main exhibition at Akershus County Art Centre.
Oscar nomination for The Act of Killing
The Fritt Ord Foundation congratulates Stavanger-based Piraya Film with an Oscar nomination for the film 'The Act of Killing' in the class Documentary Feature. The film was directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, produced by Danish Signe Byrge Sørensen and co-produced by Torstein Grude of Piraya Film. Piraya's Grude and Bjarte Mørner Tveit are also among the film's executive producers. The distinctive, critically-acclaimed film is about the mass murder of Communists and suspected Communists in Indonesia in the 1960s. See the list of all nominations here.
In October 2013, the Fritt Ord Foundation organised a preview screening of the film in Norway, at which the "director's cut" was shown with Director Oppenheimer in attendance. 'The Act of Killing' was the recipient of NOK 200 000 in production funding from the Fritt Ord Foundation.
Gathering at Holmsbu for NJP photographers
The photographers featured in the second edition of the Norwegian Journal of Photography (NJP) gathered on the weekend of 9 to 12 January to edit their projects, discuss their progress and draw inspiration from Norwegian and international guests. The group session was attended by Myles Little, associate photo editor for Time Magazine in the US and Josh Lustig of Panos Pictures in the UK. Kari Hesthamar of the Radio Documentary unit at the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation kicked off the workshop. Read more about the gathering and the different photo projects on NJP's website.
The NJP photographers will now continue to work on their projects until the next session. After the summer, their works will be edited, then the process of compiling the NJP book will commence.
Book launch: I'd rather have my life
The book I'd rather have my life. A documentary on veterans-of-war in Norway by photographer Håvard Bjelland and author Bjørn Asle Nord will be launched at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, 14 January 2014 at Uranienborgveien 2, Oslo. The book has been published by Skald Publishing House. Major General Robert Mood will be giving an introduction, followed by a presentation of the project by Bjelland and Nord. The event is free of charge, but please register with .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) as there is limited space available. Read more on the event's Facebook page..
The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 200 000 in support for the book, divided among the author, the photographer and the publisher.
Support for article projects
There were four article-writing projects among the more than 80 minor allocations made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in December 2013. Frida Skatvik received travel support for an article in Le Monde Diplomatique about democracy building in Libya after Gaddafi, and Marte Finess Tretvoll was awarded support for her work on two articles describing research on the literature about the massacre that took place in Norway on 22 July 2011. In addition, Ekaterina Sharova received research funding for an analysis of contemporary Russian art in the magazine Billedkunst (Pictorial Art), while the football journal Josimar was granted travel support for a report on the background for the awarding of the 2022 world football (soccer) championships to Qatar.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in December 2013.
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Swedish prize to the Norwegian Journal of Photography
Norwegian Journal of Photography was awarded the "Visual Prize" at the 2013 2013 Swedish Publishing Awards. The jury's grounds state that the book was awarded the prize for "photos that depict stories of exciting and important human destinies and locations, taken over a long period of time, demonstrating commitment and presence, and providing documentation of our times". The book contains 10 independent photo-essays by Helge Skodvin, Andrea Gjestvang, Karin Beate Nøsterud, Ingvild Vaale Arnesen, Ellen Lande Gossner, Marie Sjøvold, Monica Larsen, Linda Bournane Engelberth, Eivind H. Natvig and Oddleiv Apneseth.
The Swedish photo publisher Journal published the book on commission from the Norwegian Journal of Photography.
DokFoto 2014
Newsha Tavakolian (b. 1981 in Tehran, Iran) is among the photographers who will be attending the DokFoto photo festival at the House of Literature in Oslo from 23 to 25 January 2014. Tavakolian's portfolio includes, among other works, the photo series "Iran", "Look", "Listen", "Mother of Martyrs", "The Day I Became a Woman" and "Haji, Trip of a Lifetime". She was recently commissioned by the Qatar Foundation to travel the world over to take pictures for a book about education that is scheduled for publication in March 2014. Read more about other photographers who will be participating in this year's festival at Foto.no.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 150 000 in support for the Dokfoto 2014 project.
Support for new non-fiction literature
The Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in December include manuscript development support for about 20 non-fiction prose and debate books. One of the recipients was Henrik Thune, who received funding for his work with "Instant Democracy – a book project about how the digital news revolution is taking power over democracy, making politics short-sighted and narcissistic, and threatening the future". Lars Akerhaug received manuscript support for the book "The Terrorist – A Story of Miscalculated Assimilation" and Mohammad Mahdi Izadi got a grant for a book on key events in the relationship between Norway and Iran from 1979 to 2005. Tove Bjørgaas received support for writing "Children - no problem? The time crunch and ambitions in Norway, the USA and the EU".
A list has now been published of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in December 2013.
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Støtte til festivaler og seminarer
There is currently no English translation available for this entry
Banned Expression: Support Free speech in Tibet
There is currently no English translation available for this entry
IDFA's Audience Award to 'The Twin Sisters'
On Friday, 29 November 2013, the Norwegian documentary film 'The Twin Sisters' won the Audience Award at the International Documentary Film Festival (IDFA) in Amsterdam. Congratulations to the winners! IDFA is the world's largest documentary film festival, and this is the first time a Norwegian film has won the prestigious 'Audience Award', bestowed by the audience. 'The Twin Sisters' was directed by Mona Friis Bertheussen (photo) and produced by Moment Film of Oslo. The film tells the story of the identical Chinese twins Alexandra and Mia (10), who were adopted to separate corners of the world - Norway and the USA - when they were about a year old.
The Fritt Ord Foundation, Oslo, provided NOK 200 000 in support for production of "Twin Sisters" in 2012.
Support for new documentary films
Among the Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in October 2013, there are no fewer than 16 documentary films. For example, the company as videomaker was granted NOK 300 000 for the production of the documentary film "The Candidate", directed by Gry Winther. The film follows Fawzia Koofi (photo) in her struggle to become Afghanistan's next president. Fenomen tv film & scene received NOK 150 000 for Pål Winsent's documentary "Sick dark" on the disease ME, and Substans Film received NOK 200 000 for the co-production of Danish Anders Østergaard's film "1989" about the power play between the world's most powerful heads of state and government in the late 1980s. NOK 200 000 was also granted to Fenris Film for director Aslaug Holm's documentary "Class Distinction" about ethnic dividing lines and assimilation in the Oslo school system today.
A list has been published of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in October 2013. (in Norwegian)
A Blind Eye – an exhibition on climate and vulnerability
On Thursday, 17 October, Rune Eraker's one-man show A Blind Eye opened at the Oslo Rådhusgalleri (Oslo City Hall Gallery). The photo exhibition focuses on climate and vulnerability, and consists of 75 large-scale analogue photographs. The photos were taken in 15 countries that are highly vulnerable to climatic change - often the poorest countries in the world. The exhibition will be open at Oslo Rådhusgalleri until 23 November 2013, then move on to the City Museum in Bergen (15 May - 15 October 2014) and to the Tromsø Art Association (November -December 2014).
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 200 000 in support for the project.
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Journalists on demanding assignments
How can journalists prepare themselves for the powerful impressions they are left with by covering other people's suffering? What can editorial boards do to prevent demanding assignments from provoking stress reactions and burn-out? What can journalism programmes do to prepare students for stories that can leave indelible marks on their souls?
The book Demanding assignments. How to cope with stress by Trond Idås will be launched with a panel discussion at the Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences at 3 p.m. on Monday, 7 October. The Fritt Ord Foundation provided support for manuscript development.
Programme.
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Deeyah's film on honour killing won an Emmy last night
Our warmest congratulations to Deeyah on winning an Emmy Award for the best international current affairs film! She received the prize for "Banaz: A Love Story", about the brutal honour killing of the young British woman Banaz Mahmod in London in 2006. This is truly a big day for Norwegian documentary film. The Fritt Ord Foundation provided a total of NOK 300 000 in support for the development and production of "Banaz: A Love Story".
The Fritt Ord Foundation has also provided support for two documentary films with which Deeyah is currently involved as director and producer: this past February, we allocated NOK 300 000 for a documentary about Sheema Kermani, and in August this year, NOK 260 000 for the documentary film "Radicals".
Read "We came to celebrate the nomination. Then I won the most highly respected prize" (in Norwegian).
Grants for journalism
When applications for minor grants were dealt with in September, support was allocated to several projects in the field of journalism. For example, Journalist Bjørgulv Bjåen and Photojournalist Erlend Berge who work in the newspaper Vårt Land received a total of NOK 40 000 in travel grants for the project "Alaska - where everyone gets an oil cheque". The newspaper Klassekampen received NOK 100 000 for the first semester of the Klassekampen Academy, for the purpose of recruiting and developing "aspiring young journalists" from unconventional backgrounds. NOK 80 000 was allocated to the University of Nordland County for a research project on commentary and opinion journalism inthe regional press.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in September 2013. (in Norwegian)
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20th Anniversary of the Oslo Accord
The 20th anniversary of the signing of the Oslo Accord will be commemorated by two events at the House of Literature in Oslo on 13 September 2013. From 10 a.m.-12.30 p.m., the Norwegian Association of NGOs for Palestine, the Palestine Committee, the Institute of Applied Social Science (FAFO) and others will be organising an open seminar entitled "The Oslo Accord - 20 years after - the peace that failed" with Anis F. Kassim, Hilde Henriksen Waage and Sahar Francis. From 1.30 p.m.-9.30 p.m., Le Monde Diplomatique will be organising the conference "The Oslo Conference - The Road Ahead for Palestine and Israel". Participants will include Salam Fayyad, Terje Rød-Larsen, Jan Egeland, Mustafa Barghouti, Torgeir Larsen and Shir Hever. See the conference’s Facebook pagefor the programme, information and registration.
The events have received support from the Fritt Ord Foundation.
Homo Religiosus
The Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in August 2013 include a contribution of NOK 400 000 for the exhibition "Homo Religiosus" at the Perspective Museum in Tromsø. The project is based on a huge volume of documentary material from religious communities. The goal of the exhibition is to discover new knowledge about today's religious pluralism in the north, contributing to a more balanced image of religiousness in general and in northern Norway in particular. Researchers and artists alike will be represented in the exhibition, which is scheduled to open on UN Day next year (24 October 2014).
A list has now been published of the grants awarded by the Freedom of Expression Foundation in August 2013.
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Manta
This week the House of Dance in Oslo is staging the performance "Manta" by and with the French-Tunisian dancer and choreographer Héla Fattoumi. Fattoumi wore a niqab as an adult, liberated woman, and the performance mirrors her experience of what this did to her emotionally and physically. "Manta" will be performed on Saturday 31 August and Sunday 1 September, at 7 p.m. The House of Dance will also organise four events in connection with "Manta". At 1 p.m. on 30 August, there will be a Dialogue Café with dance researcher Cecilia Olsson, and at 5 p.m. on 31 August, there will be a Tea House in collaboration with KULT, featuring participants Gisken Armand, Marjan Vahdat and Erik Hillestad. Following the Saturday performance, at 8.15 p.m., a Postscript will be held with Héla Fattoumi and Cecilia Olsson. At 5 p.m. on 1 September, a Dilemma will be organised on the topic "Body Politics", featuring guests Shabana Rehman, Iram Haq, Héla Fattoumi, and others.
"Manta" is the House of Dance's commemoration of the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage in Norway. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 30 000 in support for the performance and the debate programme.
Last Call – at the eleventh hour
This evening, at 7 p.m. on 26 August 2013, marks the Norwegian premier of the documentary film "Last Call – at the eleventh hour" at the Park Theatre in Oslo. The documentary has been directed by Italian Enrico Cerasuolo, with Skofteland Film as co-producer. The film is described as "a climate documentary on our global crisis", and takes its point of departure in the controversial book The Limits to Growth (1972) by the Norwegian environmentalist Jørgen Randers and three of his scientist colleagues at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Randers will be attending the screening. Free admission. Read more on the Skofteland Film website.
The film will also be aired on the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation at 10.20 p.m. on 27 August. Both the production of "Last Call – at the eleventh hour" and the event on 26 August are being supported by the Fritt Ord Foundation.
Emmy nomination for Deeyah's film “Banaz: A Love Story”
Deeyah's documentary about honour killing in, "Banaz: A Love Story" ("Banaz: An Honour Killing"), has been nominated for an Emmy for best film in the category Current Affairs.
In January 2013, the Fritt Ord Foundation organised the first screening of the film in Norway with subsequent talks. Both the film itself and recordings of the talks in the Fritt Ord Foundation's premises are available on YouTube. This year, the Fritt Ord Foundation has allocated NOK 300 000 to the development and production of "Banaz: A Love Story".
The Fritt Ord Foundation's support for projects related to 22 July 2011
In August 2011, the Fritt Ord Foundation earmarked up to MNOK 15 for projects using different media formats to contribute knowledge and to a broader debate about the terrorist attacks that took place in Norway on 22 July 2011 – including their background and their human and societal consequences. The Foundation has devoted extra attention to all applications related to this topic, focussing especially on initiatives taken by young people.
As of 1 August 2013, 60 grants have been awarded for projects related to 22 July 2011, totalling roughly MNOK 8.9. The grants have been announced on an ongoing basis along with the ordinary grants in every round of applications. The largest sub-group is books, with 31 grants. For example, Aage Storm Borchgrevink was granted support for script work on A Norwegian tragedy. Anders Behring Breivik and the Roads to Utøya Island and Erika Fatland for the book The Year with No Summer. Both a working grant and printing support were allocated for Andrea Gjestvang's photo book A day in history. Among the grants to film projects, we find a contribution to Karianne Moe's documentary film "To the Young People", produced by Sant & Usant (True & False).
Click here to view the overall list of projects related to 22 July, sorted by genre (in Norwegian)..
Søknadsfrist fredag 2. august
Fritt Ord har søknadsfrist fredag 2. august, med utløp ved midnatt.
De tekniske problemene etter lynnedslag og strømbrudd hos vår leverandør er nå løst.
Many came here in boats
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 90 000 for the theatre project "Many came here in boats" being made by the company REBEKKA/HUY (Rebekka Nystabakk and Huy Le Vo). The production focuses on Vietnam, with emphasis on the war, boat refugees and the largest wave of refugees to Norway. What does it mean to blend as successfully into a society as it is often said that the Vietnamese refugees have managed to do? "Many came here in boats" is a co-production with the Black Box Theatre, where the play will be performed in spring 2014.
A list has been published of the minor grants awarded by the Freedom of Expression Foundation in June 2013.
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Support for the Art of Drawing
The Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in May 2012 included four projects related to the art of drawing. The House of Cartoonists in Drøbak has been granted support for the exhibition "100 Years of Russian Political Cartoons", featuring the Russian artist Michail Zlatkovsky. Morten Harper received funding for "The journey out of the frames", a series of articles in Le Monde diplomatique about the journey of comic strips through the cultural classes, in connection with which Harper will interview six of the world's most prominent cartoonists. Lars Fiske was granted support to work on a graphic novel about the Fiske automobile factory, while Line Halsnes got a grant to illustrate the graphic novel "Hand to hand combat" about females in the Norwegian Armed Forces, featuring drawings by Halsnes and text by Axel Hellstenius. The book is based on the young people's novel "Twat quota" by Hellstenius and Morten Skårdal.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in May 2013.
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The development and production of documentary films
The Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in June 2013 include funding for the development and production of nine documentary films. For example, development support has been awarded to India Film's project with the working title "Munch in hell", an international documentary that will examine Edvard Munch and his position in Norway. Further, development support has been granted to Bonanza Post Production for a documentary film about school drop-outs and to Gammaglimt for development of the documentary film "Blackhearts". Funds were also allocated for a documentary film on the New York Review of Books focusing, among other things, on human rights and freedom of expression.
A list has now been published of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in June 2013 (in Norwegian).
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'Ida's Diary' to Good Pitch Europe 2013
The Norwegian documentary film 'Ida's Diary' has been selected for inclusion in the pitch forum Good Pitch Europe 2013 at the Royal Institution of Great Britain in London on 7 June 2013. The pitch forum was initiated by the BRITDOC Foundation in collaboration with the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Programme. 'Ida's Diary' has been directed by August Baugstø Hanssen and produced by Carsten Aanonsen of Indie Film. Presenting the personal story of a young girl who is a self-mutilator, the film is based on recordings from the girl's own video diary.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 250 000 in production support for 'Ida’s Diary'.
Women's suffrage anniversary in Bamble: Marie Høeg
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 100 000 to Bamble Municipality for its celebration of the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage in Norway, which the municipality will celebrate by re-enacting the story of the Langesund woman Marie Høeg (1866–1949). Høeg was a suffragette, organiser, photographer and lesbian, and she played an important part in winning the right for women to vote in Norway. While the municipality will celebrate the anniversary with a number of events throughout 2013, the main emphasis will be on women's suffrage week, beginning on 31 August. The celebrations will include a relaunch of "The Discussion Society" and a photo exhibition at the Wrightegaarden Estate. A preview of the exhibition will be on display in the Bamble City Hall from 11 June.
Gay Kids. Gay People Were Young Once Too
The exhibition "Gay Kids. Kule barn som også finnes" ("Gay Kids. Gay People Were Young Once Too") opens at Maihaugen at 10 a.m. on 31 May 2013. "Gay Kids" is a beautifully illustrated book and an exhibition that sheds light on what it is like to grow up and fall in love with someone of the same sex. The project is a joint venture between Gay and Lesbian Health Norway, the Norwegian Literary Festival and Maihaugen. Olemic Thommessen, the Conservative Party's spokesperson on family policy, will open the exhibition, followed by presentations by Stig-Werner Moe and Bera U. Moseng from Gay and Lesbian Health Norway.
The project has received support from the Fritt Ord Foundation.
Professional network of journalists on hate speech, hate crimes and extremism
The two authors and freelance journalists Øyvind Strømmen and Kjetil Stormark are joining forces to establish a professional network of journalists at the international level who will cover hate speech, hate crimes and extremism. The project, entitled 'Hate Speech International' (HSI), is a two-year feasibility study. The project is being carried out with financial support from the Fritt Ord Foundation and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Read the rest of the press release from Strømmen and Stormark.
Death, shall we dance?
"Why is it that we in today's Norway hide death away so painstakingly, surrounding it with silence and taboos?" This is how the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) introduces the documentary "Death, shall we dance?" about Per Fugelli, who will be awarded the Freedom of Expression Foundation Prize for 2013 on 14 May. In the film, Fugelli reflects brutally and openly on life and death in the light of his own cancer. He wants to "release death from the prison of taboo words". Jæren, Værøy, Røst and Grønland in Oslo provide the background for a poetic, thought-provoking film about leaving life.
Invisible Symposium. A theater of ideas
Philosophers, authors, activists, politicians and artists were all asked the same set of questions with a focus on the current state of democracy. Why is it ailing? What challenges will it face in the years to come? Actors will portray the participating intellectuals in a staged exchange of ideas. PEN American Center, Fritt Ord, Jacobin, and The New School for Social Research invite to the 2013 PEN World Voices Festival’s Invisible Symposium on Saturday, 4 May 2013, 8-10pm, in New York City.
Seminar programme:
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Support for Norwegian factual prose
Among the Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in March 2013, we find 20 allocations for manuscript development and for the publication of new books in the factual prose genre in the broad sense. For example, Gunnar Ringheim has been granted NOK 50 000 to write the book "Abuse in the name of Jesus", while Cornelia Kristiansen has received NOK 75 000 for the interview book "The Class" about experiences from attending a multicultural school on the east side of downtown Oslo. Ingrid Vik has been granted NOK 50 000 for a book project entitled "Among the faithful", in which she investigates Norwegian Christian conservatives' attitudes to value-related questions in respect of family and equal opportunity. NOK 25 000 has been allocated to Trine Krigsvoll Haagensen and Martin Paulsen to translate and publish "A punk prayer for freedom" with lyrics by the Russian art collective Pussy Riot.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in March 2013.
europe@debate: Europe’s lost generation?
The programme FutureLab Europe focuses on young people between the ages of 20 and 30 who want to take part in debates and influence the future of Europe. During the event europe@debate in Brussels from 4 to 6 p.m. on Monday, 22 April, this year's young participants will present a report on how the European countries inside and outside the European Union are dealing with the social and financial crisis. The keynote speaker will be Joaquín Almunia, vice president of the European Commission. There will also be a debate, and interventions by FutureLab participants James Kilcourse of Ireland and Enja Sæthren of Norway. The event will be streamed directly here.
FutureLab Europe is a joint project among 10 European foundations, including the Fritt Ord Foundation.
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Iran symposium in Trondheim
On 20 April 2013, the Department of Art and Media Studies at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and the Kosmorama Film Festival in Trondheim will be hosting a symposium featuring international experts on Iranian film and prominent film-makers, including the director Mohsen Makhmalbaf. The symposium will introduce a Norwegian audience to Iranian film, and discuss the conditions for Iranian film-makers today. The event will be open to the general public, and the venue will be Det norske oljeselskap's premises from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Munkegata 26. Read more here (in Norwegian).
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 125 000 in support for the project.
Burning memories
Tappeluft Pictures has been granted NOK 100 000 to develop the documentary film "Burning memories", directed by Ellen-Astri Lundby. The film takes its point of departure in the memories of those experienced the forced evacuation and burning of Finnmark and North-Troms counties as children during World War II. The story is told through three main witnesses. At the same time as the past rises to the surface, the film will explore the losses of these people 70 years later.
A list has now been published of the major grants awarded in March 2013.
New York Times reports on NJP
The New York Times is presenting a comprehensive report on the Norwegian Journal of Photography and on the photographers' projects on its photoblog entitled Lens Blog under the title "Norway's New Photographic Landscape". Helge Skodvin gives an account of his work documenting the Norwegian landscape and the Volvo 240: "More than any other car, the Volvo 240 has been a symbol of Norwegian and Scandinavian values," he comments to Lens Blog. Visit the website at Lens Blog to read the whole story.
Norwegian Journal of Photography is now being sold at the Tronsmo in Oslo and is available for order on the bookseller's website. The book can also be ordered from Journal Publishing House: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
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Prizes to NJP photographers at the Picture of the Year awards
Several of photographers from the Fritt Ord Foundation's project Norwegian Journal of Photography (NJP) won prizes at the recent Picture of the Year awards organised by the Press Photographers' Club, Norway. In the class ‘Portrait Series’, Andrea Gjestvang took first prize and Ellen Lande Gossner third prize. Eivind H. Natvig won the class ‘Inland Report of the Year’, with Helge Skodvin in second place. Natvig also placed third in the category ‘Nature and the Environment’. In the class ‘Foreign Report of the Year’, Linda Bournane Engelberth took second place. Congratulations to the winners!
The illustrative photo is from Ellen Lande Gossner's photo project "The Deaconesses".
Hate Radio
The International Institute of Political Murder is currently appearing at the Oslo International Theatre Festival and Black Box Theatre with the play "Hate Radio". Terese Bjørneboe writes in the daily newspaper Aftenposten: "It is not only a documentary performance about the genocide in Rwanda, but also a reconstruction of the broadcasts of a radio station that played a decisive role. RTLM served as a propaganda centre, while the journalists and disc jockeys were Hipsters who played Nirvana. Hate Radio is about how the meanings of words change. It makes a deep, disquieting impression because the DJs use a globalised language that reduces the distance to the events."
The performance will be played on 20, 21 and 22 March. The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted Black Box Theatre NOK 150 000 for the guest performance.
Philosophy Day 2013
Philosophy Day for Upper Secondary Schools will be held at Uranienborgveien 2 in Oslo on Wednesday, 20 March 2013. This year's topic is "I. You. We? What is real? How do we know? How to live?" In addition to group discussions, the programme features lectures by Thor Steinar Grødal, Monica Roland, Anders Strand and Bjørn Ramberg. The event is fully subscribed.
The organiser is the Upper Secondary School Philosophy Association; Fritt Ord Foundation has provided a grant of NOK 50 000 for Philosophy Day.
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2012 Picture of the Year Award to Andrea Gjestvang
The Fritt Ord Foundation congratulates Photographer Andrea Gjestvang on the 2012 Picture of the Year Award. The prize was bestowed at a ceremony under the auspices of the Press Photographers' Club, Norway, on 15 March 2013. The winning photo is a portrait of Ylva Schwenke, one of the survivors of the terrorist massacre on Utøya Island in the summer of 2011. The picture is part of the book "One Day in History" (Pax Publishing House, 2012), in which Gjestvang portrays 43 Utøya Island survivors from all over Norway.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 210 000 in support for the book project.
Steffen Kverneland's Munch biography
No Comprendo Press has been granted NOK 60 000 for the publication of Steffen Kverneland's "Munch", a biography in comic strip form. This depiction takes its point of departure in quotations from Edvard Munch's own writings, along with contemporary descriptions of his life and career. The book also serves as a group portrait of a community of artists known as the Scandinavian 'Bohème' around the turn of the 20th century, when modernism was taking shape as an art form. The biography is based on Kverneland's chapters on Munch in the series "Kanon".
International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX)
Based in Toronto, Canada, the global network IFEX consists of more than 80 organisations that work to promote freedom of expression. The network draws attention to abuses of freedom of expression committed against journalists, activists, artists and researchers. The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted CAD 80 000 in support for IFEX' activities in 2013.
On IFEX’ website, you can read about and subscribe to daily and weekly news bulletins about freedom of expression the world over.
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Before the snow falls
At 8.15 p.m. on Friday, 15 February, Hisham Zaman's debut film "Before the snow falls" will premiere at the Klingenberg Cinema in Oslo. The director will introduce the film before the screening. See the trailer and order tickets. Paradox has produced the film, and the Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 150 000 in support.
A 16-year-old boy is wrapped in plastic and submerged in the tank of a lorry filled with crude oil. This is how the film "Before the snow falls" starts. It is an unconventional road movie about family, love, dignity and honour. When Siyar's sister flees from her own wedding, he is put in charge of finding her and restoring the family's reputation. The search for his sister turns out to be a dangerous journey from east to west.
Mary Ellen Mark to visit Dokfoto 2013
Dokfoto 2013 will be arranged at the House of Literature in Oslo from 22 to 24 February. American photographer Mary Ellen Mark is famous for her works in the interface between photojournalism and portrait photography. Paal Audestad, Helge Skodvin and Andrea Gjestvang will be participating from Norway. Other photographers who will be showing their projects are Sebastían Liste, Sanna Sjöswärd, Katharina Hesse, Mimi Chakarova and Tomas van Houtryve. Read more at fotografi.no (in Norwegian).
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 150 000 in support for the project.
New documentary films
The Fritt Ord Foundation's allocations of major grants in February 2013 included funding for the production of seven documentary films. The company Aldeles received for support for "The Journalist and the Soldier" from Burma, and Bakkenivåfilm for "Someone must take the lead" from Afghanistan. Integral Film was granted funding for "ManIslam - Taming of the Goliath", the last part of Nefise Özkal Lorentzen's trilogy on Islam. Deeyah received support for a documentary about the Pakistani dancer, actor and feminist Sheema Kermani, while Fet Film was awarded a grant for "Birth of Hope" from Kenya. Sanden Media received a grant for "Desert Stench" about life on the garbage dumps in Brooklyn in the 1920s-30s, and the company friogfrank (fancy-free) was granted funding for a film on Stig Sæterbakken's work with the novel Sauermugg.
The list of the major grants made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in February 2013 has now been published.
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TPB AFK: The Pirate Bay Away From Keyboard
Simon Klose's documentary film 'TPB AFK: The Pirate Bay Away From Keyboard' will have its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival on 8 February 2013. The film will kick off the documentary segment entitled Panorama Dokumente. In the documentary, we follow the three founders of the Swedish torrent-sharing website The Pirate Bay, i.e. Peter Sunde, Fredrik Neij and Gottfried Svartholm. See the trailer. The entire film will be shown here.
The film has been produced by Sweden's Nonami Film, with Anagram (S), Final Cut for Real (DK) and Norwegian Piraya Film as co-producers. The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 150 000 in support to Norwegian co-producer Piraya Film.
When the Boys Return
The documentary film 'When the Boys Return' will premier in Norway at Ringen Cinema at 4 p.m. on 9 February 2013, during the Human Rights Human Wrongs Film Festival. Tone Andersen has directed the film, which was produced by Sant & Usant ('True & False'). Following the film screening, there will be talks featuring the director and Nora Ingdal from Save the Children. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided a total of NOK 225 000 in support for the development and production of the film. See the trailer and the website for the film.
After months and years as political prisoners, teenagers Mohammed Jamil, Hamze and Mahran returned home to the West Bank. Once the celebration of their homecoming was over, they once again found themselves surrounded by soldiers, military raids and weekly demonstrations. They also faced challenges in dealing with their own families, as well as with friends and the school.
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Norwegian Online Encyclopaedia
The Fritt Ord Foundation and the savings bank foundation Sparebankstiftelsen DnB NOR acquired the rights to Store norske leksikon (Norway's largest encyclopaedia) in 2010. Some two years later, the old print-format leviathan has been transformed into a modern online encyclopaedia with 2 million visitors a month. In 2012, the encyclopaedia was augmented by new, updated articles comparable to 60 non-fiction books. Read, for example, Francis Sejersted's recently written article on 1814 – the Birth of Norway's Independence (in Norwegian).
Read more about the Norwegian Online Encyclopaedia.
Local newspapers in in Vesterålen
Magnum photographer Jonas Bendiksen explores a local Norwegian community. While working as a photographer for a number of local newspapers in Vesterålen, Bendiksen’s routine assignments for the newspapers gave him a unique opportunity to observe everything that took place in this small island community off the coast of northern Norway. The Fritt Ord Foundation granted NOK 100 000 in support for this photo project in 2012. See Bendiksen's blog or read more about the project and see photos in the magazine Wired.
Edvard Munch and Lene Berg to the Venice Biennale
The exhibition "Beware of the Holy Whore: Edvard Munch and the Dilemma of Emancipation" will be the official Norwegian contribution to the 55th International Art Exhibition La Biennale di Venezia in 2013. It includes a series of rarely exhibited works by Edvard Munch and a new film by the artist Lene Berg. Based on the concept of emancipation, the project will explore the relationship between art, its social context, and gender roles in flux in Munch's day and today. The exhibition will be shown from 31 May to 22 September 2013, and is being curated by the Office for Contemporary Art (OCA) and Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa.
The Fritt Ord Foundation allocated NOK 300 000 for the exhibition in December 2012.
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Library projects
The Fritt Ord Foundation's minor allocations in December 2012 included three projects related to Norway's libraries. The Buskerud County Library received NOK 50 000 for the conference "Young 3.0", intended to disseminate knowledge about young people's culture and the use of digital media. The Grünerløkka Branch of the Deichmann Library received NOK 50 000 for the digitisation of Scandinavian journals and publications printed by small-scale publishers in conjunction with the "Public Library Project". The Department of Archivistics, Library and Information Sciences, Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, received NOK 10 000 for Kari Skjønsberg Days 2013, a conference about girls and power, based on literature for children and young people.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in December 2012.
New non-fiction Norwegian literature
The Fritt Ord Foundation's major allocations in December included grants for 18 writers to work on new non-fiction and debate books. For example, Magnus Marsdal received funding for a coffee table book entitled "Freedom in red, white and blue", in which he will explore the relationship between freedom and community by comparing life in the welfare state Norway with the average citizen's experience in the USA. Håkon Harket received a grant to work on "The Clause", a broad-based presentation of the history of the Jewish clause, while Cornelius Jakhelln received a grant for a monograph on musical extremism, with special emphasis on the genres black metal, industrial and neo-folk.
The list of the Fritt Ord Foundation’s major grants in December 2012 has now been published.
China at Home
The Fritt Ord Foundation supported the organisation Human Rights in China by providing a grant of USD 50 000 in 2012, not least for the development of the China Rights Forum online. The latest edition of the journal – China at Home – devotes attention to the growth of activism in China.
Photographer Eivind H. Natvig's project to be shown in Bangladesh
Eivind H. Natvig's photo project "You Are Here Now" is scheduled to be shown at the Chobi Mela – International Festival of Photography in Bangladesh from 25 January to 7 February 2013. Natvig is a participant in the Fritt Ord Foundation's programme Norwegian Journal of Photography, and the Fritt Ord Foundation supported the project "You Are Here Now" with a grant of NOK 100 000 in 2009.
Read more on Natvig's own website.
"The classics of Norwegian journalism" on NRK P2 radio
Two of the speakers from the Fritt Ord Foundation's series "The classics of Norwegian journalism", Aina Nøding and Mona Ringvej from the University of Oslo, will be featured on the programme Echo on NRK P2 on Friday, 11 January, at 10.30 a.m. Nøding and Ringvej will talk about Claus Fasting (1746–1791), Bernt Børretzen (1762–1817) and Birgithe Kühle (1762–1832), who will also be the focus of the opening event for "The classics of Norwegian journalism" on 15 January.
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Atopia and the journal Objektiv
Among the Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in November, we find several contributions to projects involving photography and video art. The journal Objektiv (Objective), which focuses on camera-based contemporary art, was granted NOK 75 000 for its operations in 2013. The Atopia Foundation received a total of NOK 150 000 for its exhibition projects. Funding was provided, among other things, for the second phase of a research and exhibition project that examines the historical development of Norwegian film and video art. This phase will showcase the 1990s.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in November 2012.
Science Library nominated for "Library of the Year"
The Norwegian Library Association has shortlisted the new Science Library at the Blindern campus as one of the three nominees for the distinction "Library of the Year". The nomination reports, among other things, that the building has been converted from old-fashioned reading rooms and study facilities to a state-of-the-art learning centre. Read the entire article on the Bibliotekforum's website (in Norwegian).
In 2010, the Fritt Ord Foundation allocated MNOK 4 for the renovation and establishment of the Science Library in the Vilhelm Bjerknes Building. In recent years, grants have also been given to support the series entitled "Science Debate" at the library.
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Love and War - an exhibition at the Oslo Museum on Norwegian girls who consorted with the Germans during WWII
Oslo Museum received a grant of NOK 200 000 from the Fritt Ord Foundation for the exhibition "Love and War" about Norwegian girls who consorted with the Germans during the German Occupation of Norway during WWII. The exhibition will open at the Oslo Museum on 8 May 2013 in connection with the commemoration of the anniversary of women's suffrage in Norway. The aim of the project is to draw attention to other perspectives on Norwegian war history, and to encourage critical reflection regarding ethical social issues and how history is recorded. The exhibition is geared to schools in particular.
The list of the major grants made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in October 2012 has now been published.
Terra not so firma
Christiania Film's documentary on the Terra case, 'Terra not so firma’ ('Tidenes investering'), will be broadcast on TV2 Wednesday, 17 October 2012, at 10:40 p.m. The financial crisis that hit Wall Street in 2008 had a direct impact on eight Norwegian municipalities, causing them to suffer huge losses. Based on three municipalities in Nordland County, the film takes an in-depth look at the outcome of the worst investment ever. The film was directed by Oddvar Einarson.
The Freedom of Expression Foundation Oslo provided NOK 250 000 in support for production of the film in 2008.
Photo project on the Roma on exhibit in New York
Linda Bournane Engelberth's photo project on "The Lives and Traditions of the Roma" will be shown at the New York Photo Awards Exhibition at the PowerHouse Arena during the DUMBO Arts Festival in Brooklyn. The exhibition is being shown from 28 September to 10 October 2012.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 100 000 in support for the project. Engelberth is one of the 10 photographers included in the Norwegian Journal of Photography (NJP).
The Lives of Women in Iran
On behalf of the organisers, Sindre Bangstad has been granted NOK 32 000 by the Fritt Ord Foundation for the event "The Lives of Women in Iran. Justice and Injustice" to be held at the House of Literature in Oslo at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, 26 September. Iranian-US professor of Anthropology Arzoo Osanloo does research on women's rights in a country that has had an Islamic system of government since 1979. The event will feature her in dialogue with Sindre Bangstad and Sevda Clark from the University of Oslo on the position of women in Iran.
See the list of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in September 2012.
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A Balloon for Allah: International prizes and festivals
Nefise Özkal Lorentzen's documentary film "A Balloon for Allah" about women and Islam has been selected to be screened at 31 different film festivals. The film has won five prizes, most recently the Best Documentary Award and the Jury Award at the International Film Festival for Peace, Inspiration and Equality in Jakarta, Indonesia. The Fritt Ord Foundation provided NOK 300 000 in support for the film.
This is the second film in Özkal Lorentzen's trilogy on Islam. The first was “Gender Me” in 2008, which dealt with homosexuality. Özkal Lorentzen is currently working on a third film, this time about masculinity in Islam.
Overview of prizes and festivals:
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Bivrfrost – the bridge to the world of the gods
The Frikar Dance Company has been granted NOK 150 000 for the dance performance "Bivrfrost". Employing a fairy-tale format, Frikar asks whether calling culture 'Norwegian' must necessarily exclude others. These days, the right-wing extremist Sweden Democrats use folk dancing to promote the party, and the abuse of the Norwegian folk dancing tradition by the Nazis during World War II remains unknown. In "Bivrfrost", the young folk dancers on stage meet Nazi folk dancers from the propaganda films made by the NS, and the Arab "invasion" of Norway today meets the Christian invasion of 1000 years ago. Young people from Thailand, Pakistan, Uganda, Valdres and Hallingdal use their own languages and identities to challenge their own self-experienced xenophobia in an encounter with a poetic manuscript.
The list of the major grants made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in August 2012 has now been published.
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MannIslam på Saga kino
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The Power of the Powerless Today: Anti-totalitarianism After 1989
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I krigen. Et vitnesbyrd fra Syria
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Kommentarjournalistikk i regionale medier
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‘1989’ åpner CPH:DOX
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Lansering av ‘Norges låver’
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I dag, 9. oktober, åpner filmfestivalen Film fra Sør
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Prize for best Norwegian short documentary to 'This is Kabul'
'This is Kabul' won the prize for the best Norwegian short documentary at the Bergen International Film Festival (BIFF) this week. The film was produced by Bakkenivåfilm (Ground Level Film) and directed by Nargis Azaryun, Sadaf Fetrat, Sahar Fetrat, Anders Sømme Hammer and Christoffer Næss. The Fritt Ord Foundation congratulates the winners!
Since 2011, three young women named Sahar, Sadaf and Nargis have filmed their own lives in Kabul. Among other things, the film follows the establishment of the organisation 'Young Women for Change', which works to liberate young Afghani women. The jury's grounds state inter alia that the film "expands our perspective on those who are usually defined as victims, and demonstrates how a documentary film has the power to empower the powerless. The documentation in the film is strong, unique and engaging".
The Fritt Ord Foundation provided NOK 150 000 in support for production of the film in 2013.
Audience Award to Flink Pike (Good Girl) at BIFF 2014
Congratulations to Director Solveig Melkeraaen and 'Good Girl' on winning the Audience Award at the Bergen International Film Festival.
The documentary film 'Good girl' depicts Director Solveig Melkeraaen's experience of severe depression and treatment that included electroshock therapy. Produced by Ingvil Giske of the Media Operators, the film is described as a 'feel good' movie about depression.
The Fritt Ord Foundation provided a total of NOK 500 000 in funding for the development, production and launch of 'Good Girl'.
Sovietistan
This week marks the launch of Erika Fatland's new book "Sovietistan: a Voyage through Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan". The book is a result of five months spent in the region, and it deals with the countries in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. How have the former Soviet republics developed since? What about their future, given their newly-acquired oil and gas resources and with Russia thinking expansively again? Erika Fatland offers gripping human interest stories and historical, political and cultural reflections.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 175 000 in support for the project.
DRONE wins two prizes at BIFF 2014
Congratulations to Director Tonje Hessen Schei, Flimmer Film and the rest of the team behind the documentary film DRONE on winning two prizes at Bergen International Film Festival. The film was named best human rights film on the Checkpoints programme and best Norwegian documentary. DRONE examines the use of modern drones and the human consequences of this type of warfare.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided support for the development, production and feature-length version of DRONE in the amount of NOK 500 000 altogether. In April 2014, the Foundation organised an exclusive preview screening of the film - followed by talks with experts and the main characters from the film, including former drone pilot Brandon Bryant, representing the victims of drones Attorney Mirza Shahzad Akbar, Professor Paul Schulte, Director Tonje Hessen Schei and Journalist Chris Woods.
Support for theatre projects
There are five theatre productions among the nearly 70 projects that were approved for Fritt Ord Foundation funding in September 2014. Buggetekst received NOK 60 000 to help develop the play "Helpers" about Norwegian development co-operation, while Cecilie Lundsholt received NOK 50 000 to develop the stage play "An Industrial Fairytale in Tyssedal". NOK 40 000 was granted to the South Sami Åarjelhsaemien Theatre for the play "Hijven Hov, Ylva!" about government policy regarding predators, and NOK 40 000 to Øyonn's performance of "The Black Book Cleric's catechism". Jon Tombre received NOK 50 000 to stage Arthur Miller's play "The Crucible", a collaboration between Our Theatre in Molde and Fagerlia Upper Secondary School in Ålesund.
A list has now been published of the grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in September 2014. (in Norwegian)
The Gompen Report and other reports on surveillance in Norway 1948-89
The film "The Gompen Report and other reports on surveillance in Norway 1948–89” has now been posted on Vimeo. [link]
"The Gompen Report and other reports on surveillance in Norway 1948–89” is a film from a mock hearing about the surveillance of dissidents during the Cold War. The result is a collage of selected reports and evidence.
Lene Berg has directed the film, and Studio Fjordholm has produced it.
The Fritt Ord Foundation provided NOK 300 000 in support for the film in 2013.
Southbound
The book Southbound by Knut Egil Wang, which has been granted support by the Fritt Ord Foundation, has recently been generating splendid headlines in a number of media: on The New Yorker's photo blog Photo Booth [link], Slate.com's photo blog Behold [link], Feature Shoot [link], American Photo [link] and in the magazine D2. The book explores the concept of "Down South", and consists of pictures from typical charter holiday destinations such as Cypress, the Canary Islands, Spain and Thailand. It has been published by the Swedish publisher Journal.
The Fritt Ord Foundation provided project support of NOK 390 000 in 2007 and book support of NOK 75 000 in 2011.
Knut Egil Wang is one of the project participants the Norwegian Journal of Photography.
The Democracy Festival 2014
Three former prime ministers and six recipients of the Fritt Ord Prize will be on stage at Demokratifestivalen on Eidsvoll, Saturday 13 September.
Per Fugelli, Abid Raja, Anne Sender, Nina Karin Monsen, Anders Sømme Hammer and Bushra Ishaq participate in what might be the most important conversation of this year’s celebration of the Norwegian Constitution’s 200th anniversary. Together will moderator Håvard Kleppa they will discuss the costs associated with freedom of speech.
The programme can be found here. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 50 000 in support of the festival.
Support for documentary films
There were eight documentary films among the projects that were approved for Fritt Ord Foundation funding in August. Among them, Colorbar was granted NOK 150 000 for the production of "The last dose", in which the director Hilde Stålskjær Olsen shadows the former drug-abuser Siri as she makes her way out of drug-assisted rehabilitation. Motlys received NOK 100 000 to work with Paulina Cervenka's documentary film "Wanja" (picture) about a woman suffering from the fatal disease ALS. Further, NOK 200 000 was granted to Fenomen TV film og scene for the production of "The Lady from Os", directed by Pål Winsents - a sequel to the documentary "The Girl from Oz" (2006) about mentally challenged Christina.
A list has now been published of the grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in August 2014.
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Photo exhibition - Pushwagner
Petter Mejlænder's photo exhibition "Pushwagner" will be on display at Gallery Fineart at Tjuvholmen in Oslo from 28 August to 14 September 2014. The photo exhibition is being shown in tandem with Pushwagner's sales exhibition "Movement". The exhibitions will be opened by Mayor Fabian Stang at 6 p.m. on Thursday, 28 August.
In working with the photographs and on Pushwagner's biography, Petter Mejlænder followed the artist's activities closely for seven years. In connection with the exhibition, Mejlænder's photo book about Pushwagner will also be launched. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 50 000 in support for the photo exhibition and NOK 75 000 for the biography (a work in progress).
Book launch: From the Youth
The reportage agency Paragon Features will be launching its book From the Youth at 7 p.m. on Friday, 12 September 2014, at Cappelen Damm Publishing House in Akersgata 47-49, Oslo. The event is part of the Oslo Book Festival. The project was initiated in autumn 2011 in the aftermath of the terrorist massacres that took place in Norway on 22 July 2011; the project is described as a multimedia portrait of a generation of young people. For two years, the young photojournalists Aleksander Andersen, Martin Slottemo Lyngstad and Lars Øverli travelled all over Norway in an ancient camper, documenting Norwegian youth in their natural habitats.
In addition to From the youth now being published in hard copy and as a digital book, in autumn 2014, Paragon Features will host a large-scale travelling exhibition all over the country. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 710 000 in support to the project.
Amanda Prize to Light Fly, Fly High
On 16 August 2014, the Amanda Prize for the best documentary film was awarded to Fri Film for the documentary "Light Fly, Fly High". The film is about the young Indian boxing talent Thulasi and her struggle against discrimination, corruption and sexual oppression. Beathe Hofseth and Susann Østigaard have directed and produced the film. Warm congratulations to Fri Film!
The Fritt Ord Foundation provided NOK 295 000 for the development and production of "Light Fly, Fly High".
Danish distinction to the NJP #1
The first edition of the Norwegian Journal of Photography has received yet another distinction, this time from a Danish jury. Under the title "Best Book Works of 2013", the Danish Book Crafts Association named last year's best books. The winning books are being exhibited at the Royal Library in Copenhagen before being sent on a book tour around Denmark.
NJP #1 earned distinction in the category “periodica”, and the jury writes, among other things: “Using a subtle, modern layout, 10 Norwegian photographers are presented objectively and clearly. Single navy blue dividing sheets mark the introduction and the transition to/between the individual players whose series of photos are vastly different, but are kept in precisely the same tight rein within a set framework.”
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Support for journals
Five journals figure on the list of recipients of the Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in June 2014. The journal Manifest Tidsskrift received support for a series of articles "Piketty to the People", and the philosophical journal Agora for a themed issue on racism. Seismopolite received a grant for its publication about freedom of expression in photography, film, theatre and performance art, while the Association of 2007 for the Promotion of Artistic Reflection and Debate received a grant for next year's issue of the art journal Second-Class Mail. Support was also granted for magazine Fanfare's #4 on the concept of "bullshit".
A list has been published of the minor grants awarded by the Freedom of Expression Foundation in June 2014.
Who is your hero?
The Fritt Ord Foundation Competition for Pupils in Upper Secondary School will continue with a new topic in the upcoming school year: "Freedom of expression's heroes and anti-heroes".
To help the participants get started, we would like a contribution from you. Send in a short film clip in which you answer the question about who is your hero or anti-hero, and state your reason why in one sentence. Send the film to post@fritt-ord.no or as #frittordhelt on Twitter.
Manuscript support for new books
The Fritt Ord Foundation's round of major allocations in June 2014 included grants for 20 Norwegian writers to support the creation of new factual prose. For example, Sidsel Wold received NOK 150 000 for a book project with the working title "How to understand Syria?", while Sølvi Wærhaug received NOK 100 000 for a book on the history of the school of home economics that takes its point of departure in its founder Minna Wetlesen. NOK 150 000 were awarded to Ola Henmo for his documentary book about Karen Friele. Håvard Rem was awarded NOK 125 000 for the book ”Norwegian lyrics”, an historical literary review of Norwegian-language lyrics from 1945 to 2015, and Kjetil Jakobsen was granted NOK 150 000 to work on the second and third volume of the work "The World Citizenry's History of Ideas".
See the entire list of the major grants made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in June 2014.
Contributions to blog projects
The minor grants in May 2014 include two journalistic projects based on blogs as a means of communicating information. Through a blog and a newspaper column in the newspaper Dagsavisen, musician and journalist Aslak Borgersrud will report from the corridors of Stortinget, the Norwegian parliament, under the title "A Lout in Parliament". In their project "The Identity of Ukraine", the young journalists Eskil Wie and Frode Nagel Dahl will communicate news items from Ukraine through blogs, websites, exhibitions and books.
A list of the minor grants awarded in May 2014 has been posted.
Festival support
When processing applications for major grants in April 2014, support was given to seven festivals. The Bollywood Festival Norway 2014 and the project "Nobel-Myanmar Literary Festival: Literature: for Peace" were among the recipients, along with the Non-fiction Festival in Oslo and the Festival University at the Oslo Book Festival. Grants were also awarded to the Oslo International Poetry Festival, the Trondheim Documentary Festival and the Literary Festival Words in the Borderland in Fredrikstad. Most of the festivals are scheduled for autumn 2014.
See the list of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation's in April 2014.
Support for photo projects
There are three photo projects among the Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in March 2014. NOK 30 000 was granted to "You Are Here Now", an exhibition in the UK featuring Eivind Natvig's photographs from all over Norway. Line Ørnes Søndergaard received NOK 30 000 for the project "Rest" - a photographic report on lorry drivers, and Terje Abusdal received NOK 95 000 for his photo project "The Long Islands". Here he depicts life on an island in the Oslo Fjord that fills up every summer with temporary holiday homes consisting of small communities in the form of tent camps, pitched mainly by members of the general public who live on the periphery of their local communities.
See the list of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in March 2014.
Greenland Eyes International Film Festival
A list has now been published of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in March 2014. For example, NOK 75 000 was granted to the Greenland Eyes International Film Festival scheduled to be held in Oslo from 11-18 December 2014. Greenland films from all genres will be screened, accompanied by lectures and debates. Similar festivals will also be held in Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, the Faeroe Islands and Greenland.
See the list of the Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in March 2014.
The House of Cartoonists: ‘Hurray for freedom of expression!’
Among the Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in February 2014, we find allocations for two exhibitions at the House of Cartoonists in Drøbak. Funding of NOK 30 000 was granted for the exhibition "Hurray for freedom of expression!" opened on 5 April 2014 and is being produced in collaboration with Cartoonist Rights Network International. The exhibition takes it point of departure in the Bicentennial of Norway's Constitution, with emphasis on the "freedom of expression statute", section 100, and it will illustrate the development of press freedom for newspaper cartoons in Norway and abroad. The Fritt Ord Foundation also allocated NOK 80 000 to the anniversary project "Fredrik Stabel – 100 years" in connection with the centenary of Stabel's birth. While the commemoration has already begun, the main celebration will be on 7 June 2014, with the opening of the centenary exhibition followed by a celebration and seminar in Stabel's spirit.
See the list of Fritt Ord's minor grants in February 2014.
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Two Raging Grannies: Blått Lerret (Blue Screen) and preview screenings
Director and producer Håvard Bustnes of Faction Film introduced his new documentary 'Two Raging Grannies' at the Blått Lerret on Wednesday, 12 March. 'Two Raging Grannies' is described as a funny, thought-provoking documentary film about the two American great-grandmothers, Shirley (91) and Hinda (84), and their attempts to understand complex interrelationships in the global economy. To preview the film, click here, or visit the film's Facebook page
Shirley will be coming to Norway, and will join Bustnes on a tour with the Coastal Express, arranging preview screenings along the west coast of Norway. In addition, a number of a preview screenings with accompanying debates will be arranged all over the country in collaboration with the Green Party (Norway), The Future in Our Hands, Cultura Bank and the Joy of Life for the Elderly Foundation.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided a total of NOK 300 000 in support for the production and launch of the film.
Support for the launch of new documentary films
The Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in February include support for three documentary films being launched in spring 2014. The company f(x) film and Director Fridtjof Kjæreng received NOK 100 000 to launch "Beauty and the priest" about abortion opponent Børre Knudsen. The film had previously received NOK 500 000 in production support from the Fritt Ord Foundation. Faction Film, represented by Director and Producer Håvard Bustnes, received NOK 100 000 for the launch of "Rebellious great-grandmothers", which had previously been granted NOK 200 000 for production. NOK 100 000 were allocated for a full-length version of the documentary "Drone" by Flimmer Film and Director Tonje Hessen Schei. The Fritt Ord Foundation granted NOK 400 000 for the development and production of "Drone" in 2011-2012. Click on the links to read more about the films and to see the trailers.
A list has now been published of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in February 2014 (in Norwegian).
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Anne-Stine Johnsbråten's ‘Women in Japan’ to Pecha Kucha
Photographer Anne-Stine Johnsbråten will be presenting her documentary photo project 'Women in Japan' at Pecha Kucha Night at 7.30 p.m. at DogA, Hausmanns gate 16, Oslo, on Thursday, 13 February 2014. Pecha Kucha Night is a multi-media event where players in the fields of architecture, design, film, art and music meet and informally show their work through a series of brief presentations. See the full programme for the evening.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 100 000 to Johnsbråten's work with 'Women in Japan'. This will be the first time the pictures are being shown in public.
80th anniversary of the Student Union in Bergen
Congratulations to the Student Union in Bergen on its 80th anniversary in 2014! See the programme for this spring's anniversary season on the Student Union's website. The Student Union characterises itself as western Norway's largest politically independent forum for social and cultural debates. The series of meetings this spring will kick off with the event 'The greediest generation' in Grieg Hall at 7 p.m. on Thursday, 24 January. Sigbjørn Johnsen and Torbjørn Røe Isaksen will meet in that venue to discuss whether the welfare state will survive. The meeting is open to everyone.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has contributed to the Student Union's debate programme for several years.
‘Good girl’ to Blått Lerret
The documentary film ‘Good Girl' depicts Director Solveig Melkeraaen's experience of severe depression and treatment that included electroshock therapy. Produced by Ingvil Giske at Medieperatørene, the documentary is described as a 'feel good' film about depression. 'Good Girl' is featured on the programme for Blått Lerret (Blue Screen) at the Park Theatre, Olaf Ryes Plass, Oslo, at 7.30 p.m. on Wednesday, 22 January. This monthly event is organised under the auspices of the Norwegian Film Institute. It is open to the public as well as to the film industry.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided a total of NOK 500 000 in funding for the development, production and launch of 'Good Girl'.
Go down in history in a new 'Eidsvold 1814!'
Many people are familiar with Oscar Arnold Wergeland's painting "Eidsvold 1814", which hangs in the halls of the Norwegian Parliament. In the art project entitled "A National Portrait", Trond Hugo Haugen tries to re-create this image through a new photograph. Haugen is seeking 112 children, teens, adults and seniors to represent society as we know it today, and to take part in the art project. The deadline for applications is Monday, 20 January, and the photographs will be taken on 2 February 2014. Read more and submit an application on the project's website.
"A National Portrait" is being produced by KORO/URO in collaboration with Akershus County Art Centre. It is a part of the Constitution Exhibition "1814 Revisited - The Past is Still Present", featured on the Constitutional Centennial Celebration's official programme. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 100 000 in funding for "A National Portrait", in addition to contributing to the main exhibition at Akershus County Art Centre.
Oscar nomination for The Act of Killing
The Fritt Ord Foundation congratulates Stavanger-based Piraya Film with an Oscar nomination for the film 'The Act of Killing' in the class Documentary Feature. The film was directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, produced by Danish Signe Byrge Sørensen and co-produced by Torstein Grude of Piraya Film. Piraya's Grude and Bjarte Mørner Tveit are also among the film's executive producers. The distinctive, critically-acclaimed film is about the mass murder of Communists and suspected Communists in Indonesia in the 1960s. See the list of all nominations here.
In October 2013, the Fritt Ord Foundation organised a preview screening of the film in Norway, at which the "director's cut" was shown with Director Oppenheimer in attendance. 'The Act of Killing' was the recipient of NOK 200 000 in production funding from the Fritt Ord Foundation.
Gathering at Holmsbu for NJP photographers
The photographers featured in the second edition of the Norwegian Journal of Photography (NJP) gathered on the weekend of 9 to 12 January to edit their projects, discuss their progress and draw inspiration from Norwegian and international guests. The group session was attended by Myles Little, associate photo editor for Time Magazine in the US and Josh Lustig of Panos Pictures in the UK. Kari Hesthamar of the Radio Documentary unit at the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation kicked off the workshop. Read more about the gathering and the different photo projects on NJP's website.
The NJP photographers will now continue to work on their projects until the next session. After the summer, their works will be edited, then the process of compiling the NJP book will commence.
Book launch: I'd rather have my life
The book I'd rather have my life. A documentary on veterans-of-war in Norway by photographer Håvard Bjelland and author Bjørn Asle Nord will be launched at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, 14 January 2014 at Uranienborgveien 2, Oslo. The book has been published by Skald Publishing House. Major General Robert Mood will be giving an introduction, followed by a presentation of the project by Bjelland and Nord. The event is free of charge, but please register with .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) as there is limited space available. Read more on the event's Facebook page..
The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 200 000 in support for the book, divided among the author, the photographer and the publisher.
Support for article projects
There were four article-writing projects among the more than 80 minor allocations made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in December 2013. Frida Skatvik received travel support for an article in Le Monde Diplomatique about democracy building in Libya after Gaddafi, and Marte Finess Tretvoll was awarded support for her work on two articles describing research on the literature about the massacre that took place in Norway on 22 July 2011. In addition, Ekaterina Sharova received research funding for an analysis of contemporary Russian art in the magazine Billedkunst (Pictorial Art), while the football journal Josimar was granted travel support for a report on the background for the awarding of the 2022 world football (soccer) championships to Qatar.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in December 2013.
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Swedish prize to the Norwegian Journal of Photography
Norwegian Journal of Photography was awarded the "Visual Prize" at the 2013 2013 Swedish Publishing Awards. The jury's grounds state that the book was awarded the prize for "photos that depict stories of exciting and important human destinies and locations, taken over a long period of time, demonstrating commitment and presence, and providing documentation of our times". The book contains 10 independent photo-essays by Helge Skodvin, Andrea Gjestvang, Karin Beate Nøsterud, Ingvild Vaale Arnesen, Ellen Lande Gossner, Marie Sjøvold, Monica Larsen, Linda Bournane Engelberth, Eivind H. Natvig and Oddleiv Apneseth.
The Swedish photo publisher Journal published the book on commission from the Norwegian Journal of Photography.
DokFoto 2014
Newsha Tavakolian (b. 1981 in Tehran, Iran) is among the photographers who will be attending the DokFoto photo festival at the House of Literature in Oslo from 23 to 25 January 2014. Tavakolian's portfolio includes, among other works, the photo series "Iran", "Look", "Listen", "Mother of Martyrs", "The Day I Became a Woman" and "Haji, Trip of a Lifetime". She was recently commissioned by the Qatar Foundation to travel the world over to take pictures for a book about education that is scheduled for publication in March 2014. Read more about other photographers who will be participating in this year's festival at Foto.no.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 150 000 in support for the Dokfoto 2014 project.
Support for new non-fiction literature
The Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in December include manuscript development support for about 20 non-fiction prose and debate books. One of the recipients was Henrik Thune, who received funding for his work with "Instant Democracy – a book project about how the digital news revolution is taking power over democracy, making politics short-sighted and narcissistic, and threatening the future". Lars Akerhaug received manuscript support for the book "The Terrorist – A Story of Miscalculated Assimilation" and Mohammad Mahdi Izadi got a grant for a book on key events in the relationship between Norway and Iran from 1979 to 2005. Tove Bjørgaas received support for writing "Children - no problem? The time crunch and ambitions in Norway, the USA and the EU".
A list has now been published of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in December 2013.
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Støtte til festivaler og seminarer
There is currently no English translation available for this entry
Banned Expression: Support Free speech in Tibet
There is currently no English translation available for this entry
IDFA's Audience Award to 'The Twin Sisters'
On Friday, 29 November 2013, the Norwegian documentary film 'The Twin Sisters' won the Audience Award at the International Documentary Film Festival (IDFA) in Amsterdam. Congratulations to the winners! IDFA is the world's largest documentary film festival, and this is the first time a Norwegian film has won the prestigious 'Audience Award', bestowed by the audience. 'The Twin Sisters' was directed by Mona Friis Bertheussen (photo) and produced by Moment Film of Oslo. The film tells the story of the identical Chinese twins Alexandra and Mia (10), who were adopted to separate corners of the world - Norway and the USA - when they were about a year old.
The Fritt Ord Foundation, Oslo, provided NOK 200 000 in support for production of "Twin Sisters" in 2012.
Support for new documentary films
Among the Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in October 2013, there are no fewer than 16 documentary films. For example, the company as videomaker was granted NOK 300 000 for the production of the documentary film "The Candidate", directed by Gry Winther. The film follows Fawzia Koofi (photo) in her struggle to become Afghanistan's next president. Fenomen tv film & scene received NOK 150 000 for Pål Winsent's documentary "Sick dark" on the disease ME, and Substans Film received NOK 200 000 for the co-production of Danish Anders Østergaard's film "1989" about the power play between the world's most powerful heads of state and government in the late 1980s. NOK 200 000 was also granted to Fenris Film for director Aslaug Holm's documentary "Class Distinction" about ethnic dividing lines and assimilation in the Oslo school system today.
A list has been published of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in October 2013. (in Norwegian)
A Blind Eye – an exhibition on climate and vulnerability
On Thursday, 17 October, Rune Eraker's one-man show A Blind Eye opened at the Oslo Rådhusgalleri (Oslo City Hall Gallery). The photo exhibition focuses on climate and vulnerability, and consists of 75 large-scale analogue photographs. The photos were taken in 15 countries that are highly vulnerable to climatic change - often the poorest countries in the world. The exhibition will be open at Oslo Rådhusgalleri until 23 November 2013, then move on to the City Museum in Bergen (15 May - 15 October 2014) and to the Tromsø Art Association (November -December 2014).
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 200 000 in support for the project.
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Journalists on demanding assignments
How can journalists prepare themselves for the powerful impressions they are left with by covering other people's suffering? What can editorial boards do to prevent demanding assignments from provoking stress reactions and burn-out? What can journalism programmes do to prepare students for stories that can leave indelible marks on their souls?
The book Demanding assignments. How to cope with stress by Trond Idås will be launched with a panel discussion at the Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences at 3 p.m. on Monday, 7 October. The Fritt Ord Foundation provided support for manuscript development.
Programme.
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Deeyah's film on honour killing won an Emmy last night
Our warmest congratulations to Deeyah on winning an Emmy Award for the best international current affairs film! She received the prize for "Banaz: A Love Story", about the brutal honour killing of the young British woman Banaz Mahmod in London in 2006. This is truly a big day for Norwegian documentary film. The Fritt Ord Foundation provided a total of NOK 300 000 in support for the development and production of "Banaz: A Love Story".
The Fritt Ord Foundation has also provided support for two documentary films with which Deeyah is currently involved as director and producer: this past February, we allocated NOK 300 000 for a documentary about Sheema Kermani, and in August this year, NOK 260 000 for the documentary film "Radicals".
Read "We came to celebrate the nomination. Then I won the most highly respected prize" (in Norwegian).
Grants for journalism
When applications for minor grants were dealt with in September, support was allocated to several projects in the field of journalism. For example, Journalist Bjørgulv Bjåen and Photojournalist Erlend Berge who work in the newspaper Vårt Land received a total of NOK 40 000 in travel grants for the project "Alaska - where everyone gets an oil cheque". The newspaper Klassekampen received NOK 100 000 for the first semester of the Klassekampen Academy, for the purpose of recruiting and developing "aspiring young journalists" from unconventional backgrounds. NOK 80 000 was allocated to the University of Nordland County for a research project on commentary and opinion journalism inthe regional press.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in September 2013. (in Norwegian)
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20th Anniversary of the Oslo Accord
The 20th anniversary of the signing of the Oslo Accord will be commemorated by two events at the House of Literature in Oslo on 13 September 2013. From 10 a.m.-12.30 p.m., the Norwegian Association of NGOs for Palestine, the Palestine Committee, the Institute of Applied Social Science (FAFO) and others will be organising an open seminar entitled "The Oslo Accord - 20 years after - the peace that failed" with Anis F. Kassim, Hilde Henriksen Waage and Sahar Francis. From 1.30 p.m.-9.30 p.m., Le Monde Diplomatique will be organising the conference "The Oslo Conference - The Road Ahead for Palestine and Israel". Participants will include Salam Fayyad, Terje Rød-Larsen, Jan Egeland, Mustafa Barghouti, Torgeir Larsen and Shir Hever. See the conference’s Facebook pagefor the programme, information and registration.
The events have received support from the Fritt Ord Foundation.
Homo Religiosus
The Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in August 2013 include a contribution of NOK 400 000 for the exhibition "Homo Religiosus" at the Perspective Museum in Tromsø. The project is based on a huge volume of documentary material from religious communities. The goal of the exhibition is to discover new knowledge about today's religious pluralism in the north, contributing to a more balanced image of religiousness in general and in northern Norway in particular. Researchers and artists alike will be represented in the exhibition, which is scheduled to open on UN Day next year (24 October 2014).
A list has now been published of the grants awarded by the Freedom of Expression Foundation in August 2013.
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Manta
This week the House of Dance in Oslo is staging the performance "Manta" by and with the French-Tunisian dancer and choreographer Héla Fattoumi. Fattoumi wore a niqab as an adult, liberated woman, and the performance mirrors her experience of what this did to her emotionally and physically. "Manta" will be performed on Saturday 31 August and Sunday 1 September, at 7 p.m. The House of Dance will also organise four events in connection with "Manta". At 1 p.m. on 30 August, there will be a Dialogue Café with dance researcher Cecilia Olsson, and at 5 p.m. on 31 August, there will be a Tea House in collaboration with KULT, featuring participants Gisken Armand, Marjan Vahdat and Erik Hillestad. Following the Saturday performance, at 8.15 p.m., a Postscript will be held with Héla Fattoumi and Cecilia Olsson. At 5 p.m. on 1 September, a Dilemma will be organised on the topic "Body Politics", featuring guests Shabana Rehman, Iram Haq, Héla Fattoumi, and others.
"Manta" is the House of Dance's commemoration of the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage in Norway. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 30 000 in support for the performance and the debate programme.
Last Call – at the eleventh hour
This evening, at 7 p.m. on 26 August 2013, marks the Norwegian premier of the documentary film "Last Call – at the eleventh hour" at the Park Theatre in Oslo. The documentary has been directed by Italian Enrico Cerasuolo, with Skofteland Film as co-producer. The film is described as "a climate documentary on our global crisis", and takes its point of departure in the controversial book The Limits to Growth (1972) by the Norwegian environmentalist Jørgen Randers and three of his scientist colleagues at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Randers will be attending the screening. Free admission. Read more on the Skofteland Film website.
The film will also be aired on the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation at 10.20 p.m. on 27 August. Both the production of "Last Call – at the eleventh hour" and the event on 26 August are being supported by the Fritt Ord Foundation.
Emmy nomination for Deeyah's film “Banaz: A Love Story”
Deeyah's documentary about honour killing in, "Banaz: A Love Story" ("Banaz: An Honour Killing"), has been nominated for an Emmy for best film in the category Current Affairs.
In January 2013, the Fritt Ord Foundation organised the first screening of the film in Norway with subsequent talks. Both the film itself and recordings of the talks in the Fritt Ord Foundation's premises are available on YouTube. This year, the Fritt Ord Foundation has allocated NOK 300 000 to the development and production of "Banaz: A Love Story".
The Fritt Ord Foundation's support for projects related to 22 July 2011
In August 2011, the Fritt Ord Foundation earmarked up to MNOK 15 for projects using different media formats to contribute knowledge and to a broader debate about the terrorist attacks that took place in Norway on 22 July 2011 – including their background and their human and societal consequences. The Foundation has devoted extra attention to all applications related to this topic, focussing especially on initiatives taken by young people.
As of 1 August 2013, 60 grants have been awarded for projects related to 22 July 2011, totalling roughly MNOK 8.9. The grants have been announced on an ongoing basis along with the ordinary grants in every round of applications. The largest sub-group is books, with 31 grants. For example, Aage Storm Borchgrevink was granted support for script work on A Norwegian tragedy. Anders Behring Breivik and the Roads to Utøya Island and Erika Fatland for the book The Year with No Summer. Both a working grant and printing support were allocated for Andrea Gjestvang's photo book A day in history. Among the grants to film projects, we find a contribution to Karianne Moe's documentary film "To the Young People", produced by Sant & Usant (True & False).
Click here to view the overall list of projects related to 22 July, sorted by genre (in Norwegian)..
Søknadsfrist fredag 2. august
Fritt Ord har søknadsfrist fredag 2. august, med utløp ved midnatt.
De tekniske problemene etter lynnedslag og strømbrudd hos vår leverandør er nå løst.
Many came here in boats
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 90 000 for the theatre project "Many came here in boats" being made by the company REBEKKA/HUY (Rebekka Nystabakk and Huy Le Vo). The production focuses on Vietnam, with emphasis on the war, boat refugees and the largest wave of refugees to Norway. What does it mean to blend as successfully into a society as it is often said that the Vietnamese refugees have managed to do? "Many came here in boats" is a co-production with the Black Box Theatre, where the play will be performed in spring 2014.
A list has been published of the minor grants awarded by the Freedom of Expression Foundation in June 2013.
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Support for the Art of Drawing
The Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in May 2012 included four projects related to the art of drawing. The House of Cartoonists in Drøbak has been granted support for the exhibition "100 Years of Russian Political Cartoons", featuring the Russian artist Michail Zlatkovsky. Morten Harper received funding for "The journey out of the frames", a series of articles in Le Monde diplomatique about the journey of comic strips through the cultural classes, in connection with which Harper will interview six of the world's most prominent cartoonists. Lars Fiske was granted support to work on a graphic novel about the Fiske automobile factory, while Line Halsnes got a grant to illustrate the graphic novel "Hand to hand combat" about females in the Norwegian Armed Forces, featuring drawings by Halsnes and text by Axel Hellstenius. The book is based on the young people's novel "Twat quota" by Hellstenius and Morten Skårdal.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in May 2013.
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The development and production of documentary films
The Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in June 2013 include funding for the development and production of nine documentary films. For example, development support has been awarded to India Film's project with the working title "Munch in hell", an international documentary that will examine Edvard Munch and his position in Norway. Further, development support has been granted to Bonanza Post Production for a documentary film about school drop-outs and to Gammaglimt for development of the documentary film "Blackhearts". Funds were also allocated for a documentary film on the New York Review of Books focusing, among other things, on human rights and freedom of expression.
A list has now been published of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in June 2013 (in Norwegian).
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'Ida's Diary' to Good Pitch Europe 2013
The Norwegian documentary film 'Ida's Diary' has been selected for inclusion in the pitch forum Good Pitch Europe 2013 at the Royal Institution of Great Britain in London on 7 June 2013. The pitch forum was initiated by the BRITDOC Foundation in collaboration with the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Programme. 'Ida's Diary' has been directed by August Baugstø Hanssen and produced by Carsten Aanonsen of Indie Film. Presenting the personal story of a young girl who is a self-mutilator, the film is based on recordings from the girl's own video diary.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 250 000 in production support for 'Ida’s Diary'.
Women's suffrage anniversary in Bamble: Marie Høeg
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 100 000 to Bamble Municipality for its celebration of the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage in Norway, which the municipality will celebrate by re-enacting the story of the Langesund woman Marie Høeg (1866–1949). Høeg was a suffragette, organiser, photographer and lesbian, and she played an important part in winning the right for women to vote in Norway. While the municipality will celebrate the anniversary with a number of events throughout 2013, the main emphasis will be on women's suffrage week, beginning on 31 August. The celebrations will include a relaunch of "The Discussion Society" and a photo exhibition at the Wrightegaarden Estate. A preview of the exhibition will be on display in the Bamble City Hall from 11 June.
Gay Kids. Gay People Were Young Once Too
The exhibition "Gay Kids. Kule barn som også finnes" ("Gay Kids. Gay People Were Young Once Too") opens at Maihaugen at 10 a.m. on 31 May 2013. "Gay Kids" is a beautifully illustrated book and an exhibition that sheds light on what it is like to grow up and fall in love with someone of the same sex. The project is a joint venture between Gay and Lesbian Health Norway, the Norwegian Literary Festival and Maihaugen. Olemic Thommessen, the Conservative Party's spokesperson on family policy, will open the exhibition, followed by presentations by Stig-Werner Moe and Bera U. Moseng from Gay and Lesbian Health Norway.
The project has received support from the Fritt Ord Foundation.
Professional network of journalists on hate speech, hate crimes and extremism
The two authors and freelance journalists Øyvind Strømmen and Kjetil Stormark are joining forces to establish a professional network of journalists at the international level who will cover hate speech, hate crimes and extremism. The project, entitled 'Hate Speech International' (HSI), is a two-year feasibility study. The project is being carried out with financial support from the Fritt Ord Foundation and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Read the rest of the press release from Strømmen and Stormark.
Death, shall we dance?
"Why is it that we in today's Norway hide death away so painstakingly, surrounding it with silence and taboos?" This is how the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) introduces the documentary "Death, shall we dance?" about Per Fugelli, who will be awarded the Freedom of Expression Foundation Prize for 2013 on 14 May. In the film, Fugelli reflects brutally and openly on life and death in the light of his own cancer. He wants to "release death from the prison of taboo words". Jæren, Værøy, Røst and Grønland in Oslo provide the background for a poetic, thought-provoking film about leaving life.
Invisible Symposium. A theater of ideas
Philosophers, authors, activists, politicians and artists were all asked the same set of questions with a focus on the current state of democracy. Why is it ailing? What challenges will it face in the years to come? Actors will portray the participating intellectuals in a staged exchange of ideas. PEN American Center, Fritt Ord, Jacobin, and The New School for Social Research invite to the 2013 PEN World Voices Festival’s Invisible Symposium on Saturday, 4 May 2013, 8-10pm, in New York City.
Seminar programme:
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Support for Norwegian factual prose
Among the Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in March 2013, we find 20 allocations for manuscript development and for the publication of new books in the factual prose genre in the broad sense. For example, Gunnar Ringheim has been granted NOK 50 000 to write the book "Abuse in the name of Jesus", while Cornelia Kristiansen has received NOK 75 000 for the interview book "The Class" about experiences from attending a multicultural school on the east side of downtown Oslo. Ingrid Vik has been granted NOK 50 000 for a book project entitled "Among the faithful", in which she investigates Norwegian Christian conservatives' attitudes to value-related questions in respect of family and equal opportunity. NOK 25 000 has been allocated to Trine Krigsvoll Haagensen and Martin Paulsen to translate and publish "A punk prayer for freedom" with lyrics by the Russian art collective Pussy Riot.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in March 2013.
europe@debate: Europe’s lost generation?
The programme FutureLab Europe focuses on young people between the ages of 20 and 30 who want to take part in debates and influence the future of Europe. During the event europe@debate in Brussels from 4 to 6 p.m. on Monday, 22 April, this year's young participants will present a report on how the European countries inside and outside the European Union are dealing with the social and financial crisis. The keynote speaker will be Joaquín Almunia, vice president of the European Commission. There will also be a debate, and interventions by FutureLab participants James Kilcourse of Ireland and Enja Sæthren of Norway. The event will be streamed directly here.
FutureLab Europe is a joint project among 10 European foundations, including the Fritt Ord Foundation.
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Iran symposium in Trondheim
On 20 April 2013, the Department of Art and Media Studies at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and the Kosmorama Film Festival in Trondheim will be hosting a symposium featuring international experts on Iranian film and prominent film-makers, including the director Mohsen Makhmalbaf. The symposium will introduce a Norwegian audience to Iranian film, and discuss the conditions for Iranian film-makers today. The event will be open to the general public, and the venue will be Det norske oljeselskap's premises from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Munkegata 26. Read more here (in Norwegian).
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 125 000 in support for the project.
Burning memories
Tappeluft Pictures has been granted NOK 100 000 to develop the documentary film "Burning memories", directed by Ellen-Astri Lundby. The film takes its point of departure in the memories of those experienced the forced evacuation and burning of Finnmark and North-Troms counties as children during World War II. The story is told through three main witnesses. At the same time as the past rises to the surface, the film will explore the losses of these people 70 years later.
A list has now been published of the major grants awarded in March 2013.
New York Times reports on NJP
The New York Times is presenting a comprehensive report on the Norwegian Journal of Photography and on the photographers' projects on its photoblog entitled Lens Blog under the title "Norway's New Photographic Landscape". Helge Skodvin gives an account of his work documenting the Norwegian landscape and the Volvo 240: "More than any other car, the Volvo 240 has been a symbol of Norwegian and Scandinavian values," he comments to Lens Blog. Visit the website at Lens Blog to read the whole story.
Norwegian Journal of Photography is now being sold at the Tronsmo in Oslo and is available for order on the bookseller's website. The book can also be ordered from Journal Publishing House: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
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Prizes to NJP photographers at the Picture of the Year awards
Several of photographers from the Fritt Ord Foundation's project Norwegian Journal of Photography (NJP) won prizes at the recent Picture of the Year awards organised by the Press Photographers' Club, Norway. In the class ‘Portrait Series’, Andrea Gjestvang took first prize and Ellen Lande Gossner third prize. Eivind H. Natvig won the class ‘Inland Report of the Year’, with Helge Skodvin in second place. Natvig also placed third in the category ‘Nature and the Environment’. In the class ‘Foreign Report of the Year’, Linda Bournane Engelberth took second place. Congratulations to the winners!
The illustrative photo is from Ellen Lande Gossner's photo project "The Deaconesses".
Hate Radio
The International Institute of Political Murder is currently appearing at the Oslo International Theatre Festival and Black Box Theatre with the play "Hate Radio". Terese Bjørneboe writes in the daily newspaper Aftenposten: "It is not only a documentary performance about the genocide in Rwanda, but also a reconstruction of the broadcasts of a radio station that played a decisive role. RTLM served as a propaganda centre, while the journalists and disc jockeys were Hipsters who played Nirvana. Hate Radio is about how the meanings of words change. It makes a deep, disquieting impression because the DJs use a globalised language that reduces the distance to the events."
The performance will be played on 20, 21 and 22 March. The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted Black Box Theatre NOK 150 000 for the guest performance.
Philosophy Day 2013
Philosophy Day for Upper Secondary Schools will be held at Uranienborgveien 2 in Oslo on Wednesday, 20 March 2013. This year's topic is "I. You. We? What is real? How do we know? How to live?" In addition to group discussions, the programme features lectures by Thor Steinar Grødal, Monica Roland, Anders Strand and Bjørn Ramberg. The event is fully subscribed.
The organiser is the Upper Secondary School Philosophy Association; Fritt Ord Foundation has provided a grant of NOK 50 000 for Philosophy Day.
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2012 Picture of the Year Award to Andrea Gjestvang
The Fritt Ord Foundation congratulates Photographer Andrea Gjestvang on the 2012 Picture of the Year Award. The prize was bestowed at a ceremony under the auspices of the Press Photographers' Club, Norway, on 15 March 2013. The winning photo is a portrait of Ylva Schwenke, one of the survivors of the terrorist massacre on Utøya Island in the summer of 2011. The picture is part of the book "One Day in History" (Pax Publishing House, 2012), in which Gjestvang portrays 43 Utøya Island survivors from all over Norway.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 210 000 in support for the book project.
Steffen Kverneland's Munch biography
No Comprendo Press has been granted NOK 60 000 for the publication of Steffen Kverneland's "Munch", a biography in comic strip form. This depiction takes its point of departure in quotations from Edvard Munch's own writings, along with contemporary descriptions of his life and career. The book also serves as a group portrait of a community of artists known as the Scandinavian 'Bohème' around the turn of the 20th century, when modernism was taking shape as an art form. The biography is based on Kverneland's chapters on Munch in the series "Kanon".
International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX)
Based in Toronto, Canada, the global network IFEX consists of more than 80 organisations that work to promote freedom of expression. The network draws attention to abuses of freedom of expression committed against journalists, activists, artists and researchers. The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted CAD 80 000 in support for IFEX' activities in 2013.
On IFEX’ website, you can read about and subscribe to daily and weekly news bulletins about freedom of expression the world over.
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Before the snow falls
At 8.15 p.m. on Friday, 15 February, Hisham Zaman's debut film "Before the snow falls" will premiere at the Klingenberg Cinema in Oslo. The director will introduce the film before the screening. See the trailer and order tickets. Paradox has produced the film, and the Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 150 000 in support.
A 16-year-old boy is wrapped in plastic and submerged in the tank of a lorry filled with crude oil. This is how the film "Before the snow falls" starts. It is an unconventional road movie about family, love, dignity and honour. When Siyar's sister flees from her own wedding, he is put in charge of finding her and restoring the family's reputation. The search for his sister turns out to be a dangerous journey from east to west.
Mary Ellen Mark to visit Dokfoto 2013
Dokfoto 2013 will be arranged at the House of Literature in Oslo from 22 to 24 February. American photographer Mary Ellen Mark is famous for her works in the interface between photojournalism and portrait photography. Paal Audestad, Helge Skodvin and Andrea Gjestvang will be participating from Norway. Other photographers who will be showing their projects are Sebastían Liste, Sanna Sjöswärd, Katharina Hesse, Mimi Chakarova and Tomas van Houtryve. Read more at fotografi.no (in Norwegian).
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 150 000 in support for the project.
New documentary films
The Fritt Ord Foundation's allocations of major grants in February 2013 included funding for the production of seven documentary films. The company Aldeles received for support for "The Journalist and the Soldier" from Burma, and Bakkenivåfilm for "Someone must take the lead" from Afghanistan. Integral Film was granted funding for "ManIslam - Taming of the Goliath", the last part of Nefise Özkal Lorentzen's trilogy on Islam. Deeyah received support for a documentary about the Pakistani dancer, actor and feminist Sheema Kermani, while Fet Film was awarded a grant for "Birth of Hope" from Kenya. Sanden Media received a grant for "Desert Stench" about life on the garbage dumps in Brooklyn in the 1920s-30s, and the company friogfrank (fancy-free) was granted funding for a film on Stig Sæterbakken's work with the novel Sauermugg.
The list of the major grants made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in February 2013 has now been published.
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TPB AFK: The Pirate Bay Away From Keyboard
Simon Klose's documentary film 'TPB AFK: The Pirate Bay Away From Keyboard' will have its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival on 8 February 2013. The film will kick off the documentary segment entitled Panorama Dokumente. In the documentary, we follow the three founders of the Swedish torrent-sharing website The Pirate Bay, i.e. Peter Sunde, Fredrik Neij and Gottfried Svartholm. See the trailer. The entire film will be shown here.
The film has been produced by Sweden's Nonami Film, with Anagram (S), Final Cut for Real (DK) and Norwegian Piraya Film as co-producers. The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 150 000 in support to Norwegian co-producer Piraya Film.
When the Boys Return
The documentary film 'When the Boys Return' will premier in Norway at Ringen Cinema at 4 p.m. on 9 February 2013, during the Human Rights Human Wrongs Film Festival. Tone Andersen has directed the film, which was produced by Sant & Usant ('True & False'). Following the film screening, there will be talks featuring the director and Nora Ingdal from Save the Children. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided a total of NOK 225 000 in support for the development and production of the film. See the trailer and the website for the film.
After months and years as political prisoners, teenagers Mohammed Jamil, Hamze and Mahran returned home to the West Bank. Once the celebration of their homecoming was over, they once again found themselves surrounded by soldiers, military raids and weekly demonstrations. They also faced challenges in dealing with their own families, as well as with friends and the school.
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Norwegian Online Encyclopaedia
The Fritt Ord Foundation and the savings bank foundation Sparebankstiftelsen DnB NOR acquired the rights to Store norske leksikon (Norway's largest encyclopaedia) in 2010. Some two years later, the old print-format leviathan has been transformed into a modern online encyclopaedia with 2 million visitors a month. In 2012, the encyclopaedia was augmented by new, updated articles comparable to 60 non-fiction books. Read, for example, Francis Sejersted's recently written article on 1814 – the Birth of Norway's Independence (in Norwegian).
Read more about the Norwegian Online Encyclopaedia.
Local newspapers in in Vesterålen
Magnum photographer Jonas Bendiksen explores a local Norwegian community. While working as a photographer for a number of local newspapers in Vesterålen, Bendiksen’s routine assignments for the newspapers gave him a unique opportunity to observe everything that took place in this small island community off the coast of northern Norway. The Fritt Ord Foundation granted NOK 100 000 in support for this photo project in 2012. See Bendiksen's blog or read more about the project and see photos in the magazine Wired.
Edvard Munch and Lene Berg to the Venice Biennale
The exhibition "Beware of the Holy Whore: Edvard Munch and the Dilemma of Emancipation" will be the official Norwegian contribution to the 55th International Art Exhibition La Biennale di Venezia in 2013. It includes a series of rarely exhibited works by Edvard Munch and a new film by the artist Lene Berg. Based on the concept of emancipation, the project will explore the relationship between art, its social context, and gender roles in flux in Munch's day and today. The exhibition will be shown from 31 May to 22 September 2013, and is being curated by the Office for Contemporary Art (OCA) and Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa.
The Fritt Ord Foundation allocated NOK 300 000 for the exhibition in December 2012.
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Library projects
The Fritt Ord Foundation's minor allocations in December 2012 included three projects related to Norway's libraries. The Buskerud County Library received NOK 50 000 for the conference "Young 3.0", intended to disseminate knowledge about young people's culture and the use of digital media. The Grünerløkka Branch of the Deichmann Library received NOK 50 000 for the digitisation of Scandinavian journals and publications printed by small-scale publishers in conjunction with the "Public Library Project". The Department of Archivistics, Library and Information Sciences, Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, received NOK 10 000 for Kari Skjønsberg Days 2013, a conference about girls and power, based on literature for children and young people.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in December 2012.
New non-fiction Norwegian literature
The Fritt Ord Foundation's major allocations in December included grants for 18 writers to work on new non-fiction and debate books. For example, Magnus Marsdal received funding for a coffee table book entitled "Freedom in red, white and blue", in which he will explore the relationship between freedom and community by comparing life in the welfare state Norway with the average citizen's experience in the USA. Håkon Harket received a grant to work on "The Clause", a broad-based presentation of the history of the Jewish clause, while Cornelius Jakhelln received a grant for a monograph on musical extremism, with special emphasis on the genres black metal, industrial and neo-folk.
The list of the Fritt Ord Foundation’s major grants in December 2012 has now been published.
China at Home
The Fritt Ord Foundation supported the organisation Human Rights in China by providing a grant of USD 50 000 in 2012, not least for the development of the China Rights Forum online. The latest edition of the journal – China at Home – devotes attention to the growth of activism in China.
Photographer Eivind H. Natvig's project to be shown in Bangladesh
Eivind H. Natvig's photo project "You Are Here Now" is scheduled to be shown at the Chobi Mela – International Festival of Photography in Bangladesh from 25 January to 7 February 2013. Natvig is a participant in the Fritt Ord Foundation's programme Norwegian Journal of Photography, and the Fritt Ord Foundation supported the project "You Are Here Now" with a grant of NOK 100 000 in 2009.
Read more on Natvig's own website.
"The classics of Norwegian journalism" on NRK P2 radio
Two of the speakers from the Fritt Ord Foundation's series "The classics of Norwegian journalism", Aina Nøding and Mona Ringvej from the University of Oslo, will be featured on the programme Echo on NRK P2 on Friday, 11 January, at 10.30 a.m. Nøding and Ringvej will talk about Claus Fasting (1746–1791), Bernt Børretzen (1762–1817) and Birgithe Kühle (1762–1832), who will also be the focus of the opening event for "The classics of Norwegian journalism" on 15 January.
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Atopia and the journal Objektiv
Among the Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in November, we find several contributions to projects involving photography and video art. The journal Objektiv (Objective), which focuses on camera-based contemporary art, was granted NOK 75 000 for its operations in 2013. The Atopia Foundation received a total of NOK 150 000 for its exhibition projects. Funding was provided, among other things, for the second phase of a research and exhibition project that examines the historical development of Norwegian film and video art. This phase will showcase the 1990s.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in November 2012.
Science Library nominated for "Library of the Year"
The Norwegian Library Association has shortlisted the new Science Library at the Blindern campus as one of the three nominees for the distinction "Library of the Year". The nomination reports, among other things, that the building has been converted from old-fashioned reading rooms and study facilities to a state-of-the-art learning centre. Read the entire article on the Bibliotekforum's website (in Norwegian).
In 2010, the Fritt Ord Foundation allocated MNOK 4 for the renovation and establishment of the Science Library in the Vilhelm Bjerknes Building. In recent years, grants have also been given to support the series entitled "Science Debate" at the library.
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Love and War - an exhibition at the Oslo Museum on Norwegian girls who consorted with the Germans during WWII
Oslo Museum received a grant of NOK 200 000 from the Fritt Ord Foundation for the exhibition "Love and War" about Norwegian girls who consorted with the Germans during the German Occupation of Norway during WWII. The exhibition will open at the Oslo Museum on 8 May 2013 in connection with the commemoration of the anniversary of women's suffrage in Norway. The aim of the project is to draw attention to other perspectives on Norwegian war history, and to encourage critical reflection regarding ethical social issues and how history is recorded. The exhibition is geared to schools in particular.
The list of the major grants made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in October 2012 has now been published.
Terra not so firma
Christiania Film's documentary on the Terra case, 'Terra not so firma’ ('Tidenes investering'), will be broadcast on TV2 Wednesday, 17 October 2012, at 10:40 p.m. The financial crisis that hit Wall Street in 2008 had a direct impact on eight Norwegian municipalities, causing them to suffer huge losses. Based on three municipalities in Nordland County, the film takes an in-depth look at the outcome of the worst investment ever. The film was directed by Oddvar Einarson.
The Freedom of Expression Foundation Oslo provided NOK 250 000 in support for production of the film in 2008.
Photo project on the Roma on exhibit in New York
Linda Bournane Engelberth's photo project on "The Lives and Traditions of the Roma" will be shown at the New York Photo Awards Exhibition at the PowerHouse Arena during the DUMBO Arts Festival in Brooklyn. The exhibition is being shown from 28 September to 10 October 2012.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 100 000 in support for the project. Engelberth is one of the 10 photographers included in the Norwegian Journal of Photography (NJP).
The Lives of Women in Iran
On behalf of the organisers, Sindre Bangstad has been granted NOK 32 000 by the Fritt Ord Foundation for the event "The Lives of Women in Iran. Justice and Injustice" to be held at the House of Literature in Oslo at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, 26 September. Iranian-US professor of Anthropology Arzoo Osanloo does research on women's rights in a country that has had an Islamic system of government since 1979. The event will feature her in dialogue with Sindre Bangstad and Sevda Clark from the University of Oslo on the position of women in Iran.
See the list of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in September 2012.
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A Balloon for Allah: International prizes and festivals
Nefise Özkal Lorentzen's documentary film "A Balloon for Allah" about women and Islam has been selected to be screened at 31 different film festivals. The film has won five prizes, most recently the Best Documentary Award and the Jury Award at the International Film Festival for Peace, Inspiration and Equality in Jakarta, Indonesia. The Fritt Ord Foundation provided NOK 300 000 in support for the film.
This is the second film in Özkal Lorentzen's trilogy on Islam. The first was “Gender Me” in 2008, which dealt with homosexuality. Özkal Lorentzen is currently working on a third film, this time about masculinity in Islam.
Overview of prizes and festivals:
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Bivrfrost – the bridge to the world of the gods
The Frikar Dance Company has been granted NOK 150 000 for the dance performance "Bivrfrost". Employing a fairy-tale format, Frikar asks whether calling culture 'Norwegian' must necessarily exclude others. These days, the right-wing extremist Sweden Democrats use folk dancing to promote the party, and the abuse of the Norwegian folk dancing tradition by the Nazis during World War II remains unknown. In "Bivrfrost", the young folk dancers on stage meet Nazi folk dancers from the propaganda films made by the NS, and the Arab "invasion" of Norway today meets the Christian invasion of 1000 years ago. Young people from Thailand, Pakistan, Uganda, Valdres and Hallingdal use their own languages and identities to challenge their own self-experienced xenophobia in an encounter with a poetic manuscript.
The list of the major grants made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in August 2012 has now been published.
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I krigen. Et vitnesbyrd fra Syria
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Kommentarjournalistikk i regionale medier
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‘1989’ åpner CPH:DOX
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Lansering av ‘Norges låver’
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I dag, 9. oktober, åpner filmfestivalen Film fra Sør
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Prize for best Norwegian short documentary to 'This is Kabul'
'This is Kabul' won the prize for the best Norwegian short documentary at the Bergen International Film Festival (BIFF) this week. The film was produced by Bakkenivåfilm (Ground Level Film) and directed by Nargis Azaryun, Sadaf Fetrat, Sahar Fetrat, Anders Sømme Hammer and Christoffer Næss. The Fritt Ord Foundation congratulates the winners!
Since 2011, three young women named Sahar, Sadaf and Nargis have filmed their own lives in Kabul. Among other things, the film follows the establishment of the organisation 'Young Women for Change', which works to liberate young Afghani women. The jury's grounds state inter alia that the film "expands our perspective on those who are usually defined as victims, and demonstrates how a documentary film has the power to empower the powerless. The documentation in the film is strong, unique and engaging".
The Fritt Ord Foundation provided NOK 150 000 in support for production of the film in 2013.
Audience Award to Flink Pike (Good Girl) at BIFF 2014
Congratulations to Director Solveig Melkeraaen and 'Good Girl' on winning the Audience Award at the Bergen International Film Festival.
The documentary film 'Good girl' depicts Director Solveig Melkeraaen's experience of severe depression and treatment that included electroshock therapy. Produced by Ingvil Giske of the Media Operators, the film is described as a 'feel good' movie about depression.
The Fritt Ord Foundation provided a total of NOK 500 000 in funding for the development, production and launch of 'Good Girl'.
Sovietistan
This week marks the launch of Erika Fatland's new book "Sovietistan: a Voyage through Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan". The book is a result of five months spent in the region, and it deals with the countries in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. How have the former Soviet republics developed since? What about their future, given their newly-acquired oil and gas resources and with Russia thinking expansively again? Erika Fatland offers gripping human interest stories and historical, political and cultural reflections.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 175 000 in support for the project.
DRONE wins two prizes at BIFF 2014
Congratulations to Director Tonje Hessen Schei, Flimmer Film and the rest of the team behind the documentary film DRONE on winning two prizes at Bergen International Film Festival. The film was named best human rights film on the Checkpoints programme and best Norwegian documentary. DRONE examines the use of modern drones and the human consequences of this type of warfare.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided support for the development, production and feature-length version of DRONE in the amount of NOK 500 000 altogether. In April 2014, the Foundation organised an exclusive preview screening of the film - followed by talks with experts and the main characters from the film, including former drone pilot Brandon Bryant, representing the victims of drones Attorney Mirza Shahzad Akbar, Professor Paul Schulte, Director Tonje Hessen Schei and Journalist Chris Woods.
Support for theatre projects
There are five theatre productions among the nearly 70 projects that were approved for Fritt Ord Foundation funding in September 2014. Buggetekst received NOK 60 000 to help develop the play "Helpers" about Norwegian development co-operation, while Cecilie Lundsholt received NOK 50 000 to develop the stage play "An Industrial Fairytale in Tyssedal". NOK 40 000 was granted to the South Sami Åarjelhsaemien Theatre for the play "Hijven Hov, Ylva!" about government policy regarding predators, and NOK 40 000 to Øyonn's performance of "The Black Book Cleric's catechism". Jon Tombre received NOK 50 000 to stage Arthur Miller's play "The Crucible", a collaboration between Our Theatre in Molde and Fagerlia Upper Secondary School in Ålesund.
A list has now been published of the grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in September 2014. (in Norwegian)
The Gompen Report and other reports on surveillance in Norway 1948-89
The film "The Gompen Report and other reports on surveillance in Norway 1948–89” has now been posted on Vimeo. [link]
"The Gompen Report and other reports on surveillance in Norway 1948–89” is a film from a mock hearing about the surveillance of dissidents during the Cold War. The result is a collage of selected reports and evidence.
Lene Berg has directed the film, and Studio Fjordholm has produced it.
The Fritt Ord Foundation provided NOK 300 000 in support for the film in 2013.
Southbound
The book Southbound by Knut Egil Wang, which has been granted support by the Fritt Ord Foundation, has recently been generating splendid headlines in a number of media: on The New Yorker's photo blog Photo Booth [link], Slate.com's photo blog Behold [link], Feature Shoot [link], American Photo [link] and in the magazine D2. The book explores the concept of "Down South", and consists of pictures from typical charter holiday destinations such as Cypress, the Canary Islands, Spain and Thailand. It has been published by the Swedish publisher Journal.
The Fritt Ord Foundation provided project support of NOK 390 000 in 2007 and book support of NOK 75 000 in 2011.
Knut Egil Wang is one of the project participants the Norwegian Journal of Photography.
The Democracy Festival 2014
Three former prime ministers and six recipients of the Fritt Ord Prize will be on stage at Demokratifestivalen on Eidsvoll, Saturday 13 September.
Per Fugelli, Abid Raja, Anne Sender, Nina Karin Monsen, Anders Sømme Hammer and Bushra Ishaq participate in what might be the most important conversation of this year’s celebration of the Norwegian Constitution’s 200th anniversary. Together will moderator Håvard Kleppa they will discuss the costs associated with freedom of speech.
The programme can be found here. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 50 000 in support of the festival.
Support for documentary films
There were eight documentary films among the projects that were approved for Fritt Ord Foundation funding in August. Among them, Colorbar was granted NOK 150 000 for the production of "The last dose", in which the director Hilde Stålskjær Olsen shadows the former drug-abuser Siri as she makes her way out of drug-assisted rehabilitation. Motlys received NOK 100 000 to work with Paulina Cervenka's documentary film "Wanja" (picture) about a woman suffering from the fatal disease ALS. Further, NOK 200 000 was granted to Fenomen TV film og scene for the production of "The Lady from Os", directed by Pål Winsents - a sequel to the documentary "The Girl from Oz" (2006) about mentally challenged Christina.
A list has now been published of the grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in August 2014.
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Photo exhibition - Pushwagner
Petter Mejlænder's photo exhibition "Pushwagner" will be on display at Gallery Fineart at Tjuvholmen in Oslo from 28 August to 14 September 2014. The photo exhibition is being shown in tandem with Pushwagner's sales exhibition "Movement". The exhibitions will be opened by Mayor Fabian Stang at 6 p.m. on Thursday, 28 August.
In working with the photographs and on Pushwagner's biography, Petter Mejlænder followed the artist's activities closely for seven years. In connection with the exhibition, Mejlænder's photo book about Pushwagner will also be launched. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 50 000 in support for the photo exhibition and NOK 75 000 for the biography (a work in progress).
Book launch: From the Youth
The reportage agency Paragon Features will be launching its book From the Youth at 7 p.m. on Friday, 12 September 2014, at Cappelen Damm Publishing House in Akersgata 47-49, Oslo. The event is part of the Oslo Book Festival. The project was initiated in autumn 2011 in the aftermath of the terrorist massacres that took place in Norway on 22 July 2011; the project is described as a multimedia portrait of a generation of young people. For two years, the young photojournalists Aleksander Andersen, Martin Slottemo Lyngstad and Lars Øverli travelled all over Norway in an ancient camper, documenting Norwegian youth in their natural habitats.
In addition to From the youth now being published in hard copy and as a digital book, in autumn 2014, Paragon Features will host a large-scale travelling exhibition all over the country. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 710 000 in support to the project.
Amanda Prize to Light Fly, Fly High
On 16 August 2014, the Amanda Prize for the best documentary film was awarded to Fri Film for the documentary "Light Fly, Fly High". The film is about the young Indian boxing talent Thulasi and her struggle against discrimination, corruption and sexual oppression. Beathe Hofseth and Susann Østigaard have directed and produced the film. Warm congratulations to Fri Film!
The Fritt Ord Foundation provided NOK 295 000 for the development and production of "Light Fly, Fly High".
Danish distinction to the NJP #1
The first edition of the Norwegian Journal of Photography has received yet another distinction, this time from a Danish jury. Under the title "Best Book Works of 2013", the Danish Book Crafts Association named last year's best books. The winning books are being exhibited at the Royal Library in Copenhagen before being sent on a book tour around Denmark.
NJP #1 earned distinction in the category “periodica”, and the jury writes, among other things: “Using a subtle, modern layout, 10 Norwegian photographers are presented objectively and clearly. Single navy blue dividing sheets mark the introduction and the transition to/between the individual players whose series of photos are vastly different, but are kept in precisely the same tight rein within a set framework.”
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Support for journals
Five journals figure on the list of recipients of the Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in June 2014. The journal Manifest Tidsskrift received support for a series of articles "Piketty to the People", and the philosophical journal Agora for a themed issue on racism. Seismopolite received a grant for its publication about freedom of expression in photography, film, theatre and performance art, while the Association of 2007 for the Promotion of Artistic Reflection and Debate received a grant for next year's issue of the art journal Second-Class Mail. Support was also granted for magazine Fanfare's #4 on the concept of "bullshit".
A list has been published of the minor grants awarded by the Freedom of Expression Foundation in June 2014.
Who is your hero?
The Fritt Ord Foundation Competition for Pupils in Upper Secondary School will continue with a new topic in the upcoming school year: "Freedom of expression's heroes and anti-heroes".
To help the participants get started, we would like a contribution from you. Send in a short film clip in which you answer the question about who is your hero or anti-hero, and state your reason why in one sentence. Send the film to post@fritt-ord.no or as #frittordhelt on Twitter.
Manuscript support for new books
The Fritt Ord Foundation's round of major allocations in June 2014 included grants for 20 Norwegian writers to support the creation of new factual prose. For example, Sidsel Wold received NOK 150 000 for a book project with the working title "How to understand Syria?", while Sølvi Wærhaug received NOK 100 000 for a book on the history of the school of home economics that takes its point of departure in its founder Minna Wetlesen. NOK 150 000 were awarded to Ola Henmo for his documentary book about Karen Friele. Håvard Rem was awarded NOK 125 000 for the book ”Norwegian lyrics”, an historical literary review of Norwegian-language lyrics from 1945 to 2015, and Kjetil Jakobsen was granted NOK 150 000 to work on the second and third volume of the work "The World Citizenry's History of Ideas".
See the entire list of the major grants made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in June 2014.
Contributions to blog projects
The minor grants in May 2014 include two journalistic projects based on blogs as a means of communicating information. Through a blog and a newspaper column in the newspaper Dagsavisen, musician and journalist Aslak Borgersrud will report from the corridors of Stortinget, the Norwegian parliament, under the title "A Lout in Parliament". In their project "The Identity of Ukraine", the young journalists Eskil Wie and Frode Nagel Dahl will communicate news items from Ukraine through blogs, websites, exhibitions and books.
A list of the minor grants awarded in May 2014 has been posted.
Festival support
When processing applications for major grants in April 2014, support was given to seven festivals. The Bollywood Festival Norway 2014 and the project "Nobel-Myanmar Literary Festival: Literature: for Peace" were among the recipients, along with the Non-fiction Festival in Oslo and the Festival University at the Oslo Book Festival. Grants were also awarded to the Oslo International Poetry Festival, the Trondheim Documentary Festival and the Literary Festival Words in the Borderland in Fredrikstad. Most of the festivals are scheduled for autumn 2014.
See the list of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation's in April 2014.
Support for photo projects
There are three photo projects among the Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in March 2014. NOK 30 000 was granted to "You Are Here Now", an exhibition in the UK featuring Eivind Natvig's photographs from all over Norway. Line Ørnes Søndergaard received NOK 30 000 for the project "Rest" - a photographic report on lorry drivers, and Terje Abusdal received NOK 95 000 for his photo project "The Long Islands". Here he depicts life on an island in the Oslo Fjord that fills up every summer with temporary holiday homes consisting of small communities in the form of tent camps, pitched mainly by members of the general public who live on the periphery of their local communities.
See the list of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in March 2014.
Greenland Eyes International Film Festival
A list has now been published of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in March 2014. For example, NOK 75 000 was granted to the Greenland Eyes International Film Festival scheduled to be held in Oslo from 11-18 December 2014. Greenland films from all genres will be screened, accompanied by lectures and debates. Similar festivals will also be held in Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, the Faeroe Islands and Greenland.
See the list of the Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in March 2014.
The House of Cartoonists: ‘Hurray for freedom of expression!’
Among the Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in February 2014, we find allocations for two exhibitions at the House of Cartoonists in Drøbak. Funding of NOK 30 000 was granted for the exhibition "Hurray for freedom of expression!" opened on 5 April 2014 and is being produced in collaboration with Cartoonist Rights Network International. The exhibition takes it point of departure in the Bicentennial of Norway's Constitution, with emphasis on the "freedom of expression statute", section 100, and it will illustrate the development of press freedom for newspaper cartoons in Norway and abroad. The Fritt Ord Foundation also allocated NOK 80 000 to the anniversary project "Fredrik Stabel – 100 years" in connection with the centenary of Stabel's birth. While the commemoration has already begun, the main celebration will be on 7 June 2014, with the opening of the centenary exhibition followed by a celebration and seminar in Stabel's spirit.
See the list of Fritt Ord's minor grants in February 2014.
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Two Raging Grannies: Blått Lerret (Blue Screen) and preview screenings
Director and producer Håvard Bustnes of Faction Film introduced his new documentary 'Two Raging Grannies' at the Blått Lerret on Wednesday, 12 March. 'Two Raging Grannies' is described as a funny, thought-provoking documentary film about the two American great-grandmothers, Shirley (91) and Hinda (84), and their attempts to understand complex interrelationships in the global economy. To preview the film, click here, or visit the film's Facebook page
Shirley will be coming to Norway, and will join Bustnes on a tour with the Coastal Express, arranging preview screenings along the west coast of Norway. In addition, a number of a preview screenings with accompanying debates will be arranged all over the country in collaboration with the Green Party (Norway), The Future in Our Hands, Cultura Bank and the Joy of Life for the Elderly Foundation.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided a total of NOK 300 000 in support for the production and launch of the film.
Support for the launch of new documentary films
The Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in February include support for three documentary films being launched in spring 2014. The company f(x) film and Director Fridtjof Kjæreng received NOK 100 000 to launch "Beauty and the priest" about abortion opponent Børre Knudsen. The film had previously received NOK 500 000 in production support from the Fritt Ord Foundation. Faction Film, represented by Director and Producer Håvard Bustnes, received NOK 100 000 for the launch of "Rebellious great-grandmothers", which had previously been granted NOK 200 000 for production. NOK 100 000 were allocated for a full-length version of the documentary "Drone" by Flimmer Film and Director Tonje Hessen Schei. The Fritt Ord Foundation granted NOK 400 000 for the development and production of "Drone" in 2011-2012. Click on the links to read more about the films and to see the trailers.
A list has now been published of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in February 2014 (in Norwegian).
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Anne-Stine Johnsbråten's ‘Women in Japan’ to Pecha Kucha
Photographer Anne-Stine Johnsbråten will be presenting her documentary photo project 'Women in Japan' at Pecha Kucha Night at 7.30 p.m. at DogA, Hausmanns gate 16, Oslo, on Thursday, 13 February 2014. Pecha Kucha Night is a multi-media event where players in the fields of architecture, design, film, art and music meet and informally show their work through a series of brief presentations. See the full programme for the evening.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 100 000 to Johnsbråten's work with 'Women in Japan'. This will be the first time the pictures are being shown in public.
80th anniversary of the Student Union in Bergen
Congratulations to the Student Union in Bergen on its 80th anniversary in 2014! See the programme for this spring's anniversary season on the Student Union's website. The Student Union characterises itself as western Norway's largest politically independent forum for social and cultural debates. The series of meetings this spring will kick off with the event 'The greediest generation' in Grieg Hall at 7 p.m. on Thursday, 24 January. Sigbjørn Johnsen and Torbjørn Røe Isaksen will meet in that venue to discuss whether the welfare state will survive. The meeting is open to everyone.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has contributed to the Student Union's debate programme for several years.
‘Good girl’ to Blått Lerret
The documentary film ‘Good Girl' depicts Director Solveig Melkeraaen's experience of severe depression and treatment that included electroshock therapy. Produced by Ingvil Giske at Medieperatørene, the documentary is described as a 'feel good' film about depression. 'Good Girl' is featured on the programme for Blått Lerret (Blue Screen) at the Park Theatre, Olaf Ryes Plass, Oslo, at 7.30 p.m. on Wednesday, 22 January. This monthly event is organised under the auspices of the Norwegian Film Institute. It is open to the public as well as to the film industry.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided a total of NOK 500 000 in funding for the development, production and launch of 'Good Girl'.
Go down in history in a new 'Eidsvold 1814!'
Many people are familiar with Oscar Arnold Wergeland's painting "Eidsvold 1814", which hangs in the halls of the Norwegian Parliament. In the art project entitled "A National Portrait", Trond Hugo Haugen tries to re-create this image through a new photograph. Haugen is seeking 112 children, teens, adults and seniors to represent society as we know it today, and to take part in the art project. The deadline for applications is Monday, 20 January, and the photographs will be taken on 2 February 2014. Read more and submit an application on the project's website.
"A National Portrait" is being produced by KORO/URO in collaboration with Akershus County Art Centre. It is a part of the Constitution Exhibition "1814 Revisited - The Past is Still Present", featured on the Constitutional Centennial Celebration's official programme. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 100 000 in funding for "A National Portrait", in addition to contributing to the main exhibition at Akershus County Art Centre.
Oscar nomination for The Act of Killing
The Fritt Ord Foundation congratulates Stavanger-based Piraya Film with an Oscar nomination for the film 'The Act of Killing' in the class Documentary Feature. The film was directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, produced by Danish Signe Byrge Sørensen and co-produced by Torstein Grude of Piraya Film. Piraya's Grude and Bjarte Mørner Tveit are also among the film's executive producers. The distinctive, critically-acclaimed film is about the mass murder of Communists and suspected Communists in Indonesia in the 1960s. See the list of all nominations here.
In October 2013, the Fritt Ord Foundation organised a preview screening of the film in Norway, at which the "director's cut" was shown with Director Oppenheimer in attendance. 'The Act of Killing' was the recipient of NOK 200 000 in production funding from the Fritt Ord Foundation.
Gathering at Holmsbu for NJP photographers
The photographers featured in the second edition of the Norwegian Journal of Photography (NJP) gathered on the weekend of 9 to 12 January to edit their projects, discuss their progress and draw inspiration from Norwegian and international guests. The group session was attended by Myles Little, associate photo editor for Time Magazine in the US and Josh Lustig of Panos Pictures in the UK. Kari Hesthamar of the Radio Documentary unit at the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation kicked off the workshop. Read more about the gathering and the different photo projects on NJP's website.
The NJP photographers will now continue to work on their projects until the next session. After the summer, their works will be edited, then the process of compiling the NJP book will commence.
Book launch: I'd rather have my life
The book I'd rather have my life. A documentary on veterans-of-war in Norway by photographer Håvard Bjelland and author Bjørn Asle Nord will be launched at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, 14 January 2014 at Uranienborgveien 2, Oslo. The book has been published by Skald Publishing House. Major General Robert Mood will be giving an introduction, followed by a presentation of the project by Bjelland and Nord. The event is free of charge, but please register with .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) as there is limited space available. Read more on the event's Facebook page..
The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 200 000 in support for the book, divided among the author, the photographer and the publisher.
Support for article projects
There were four article-writing projects among the more than 80 minor allocations made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in December 2013. Frida Skatvik received travel support for an article in Le Monde Diplomatique about democracy building in Libya after Gaddafi, and Marte Finess Tretvoll was awarded support for her work on two articles describing research on the literature about the massacre that took place in Norway on 22 July 2011. In addition, Ekaterina Sharova received research funding for an analysis of contemporary Russian art in the magazine Billedkunst (Pictorial Art), while the football journal Josimar was granted travel support for a report on the background for the awarding of the 2022 world football (soccer) championships to Qatar.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in December 2013.
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Swedish prize to the Norwegian Journal of Photography
Norwegian Journal of Photography was awarded the "Visual Prize" at the 2013 2013 Swedish Publishing Awards. The jury's grounds state that the book was awarded the prize for "photos that depict stories of exciting and important human destinies and locations, taken over a long period of time, demonstrating commitment and presence, and providing documentation of our times". The book contains 10 independent photo-essays by Helge Skodvin, Andrea Gjestvang, Karin Beate Nøsterud, Ingvild Vaale Arnesen, Ellen Lande Gossner, Marie Sjøvold, Monica Larsen, Linda Bournane Engelberth, Eivind H. Natvig and Oddleiv Apneseth.
The Swedish photo publisher Journal published the book on commission from the Norwegian Journal of Photography.
DokFoto 2014
Newsha Tavakolian (b. 1981 in Tehran, Iran) is among the photographers who will be attending the DokFoto photo festival at the House of Literature in Oslo from 23 to 25 January 2014. Tavakolian's portfolio includes, among other works, the photo series "Iran", "Look", "Listen", "Mother of Martyrs", "The Day I Became a Woman" and "Haji, Trip of a Lifetime". She was recently commissioned by the Qatar Foundation to travel the world over to take pictures for a book about education that is scheduled for publication in March 2014. Read more about other photographers who will be participating in this year's festival at Foto.no.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 150 000 in support for the Dokfoto 2014 project.
Support for new non-fiction literature
The Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in December include manuscript development support for about 20 non-fiction prose and debate books. One of the recipients was Henrik Thune, who received funding for his work with "Instant Democracy – a book project about how the digital news revolution is taking power over democracy, making politics short-sighted and narcissistic, and threatening the future". Lars Akerhaug received manuscript support for the book "The Terrorist – A Story of Miscalculated Assimilation" and Mohammad Mahdi Izadi got a grant for a book on key events in the relationship between Norway and Iran from 1979 to 2005. Tove Bjørgaas received support for writing "Children - no problem? The time crunch and ambitions in Norway, the USA and the EU".
A list has now been published of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in December 2013.
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Støtte til festivaler og seminarer
There is currently no English translation available for this entry
Banned Expression: Support Free speech in Tibet
There is currently no English translation available for this entry
IDFA's Audience Award to 'The Twin Sisters'
On Friday, 29 November 2013, the Norwegian documentary film 'The Twin Sisters' won the Audience Award at the International Documentary Film Festival (IDFA) in Amsterdam. Congratulations to the winners! IDFA is the world's largest documentary film festival, and this is the first time a Norwegian film has won the prestigious 'Audience Award', bestowed by the audience. 'The Twin Sisters' was directed by Mona Friis Bertheussen (photo) and produced by Moment Film of Oslo. The film tells the story of the identical Chinese twins Alexandra and Mia (10), who were adopted to separate corners of the world - Norway and the USA - when they were about a year old.
The Fritt Ord Foundation, Oslo, provided NOK 200 000 in support for production of "Twin Sisters" in 2012.
Support for new documentary films
Among the Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in October 2013, there are no fewer than 16 documentary films. For example, the company as videomaker was granted NOK 300 000 for the production of the documentary film "The Candidate", directed by Gry Winther. The film follows Fawzia Koofi (photo) in her struggle to become Afghanistan's next president. Fenomen tv film & scene received NOK 150 000 for Pål Winsent's documentary "Sick dark" on the disease ME, and Substans Film received NOK 200 000 for the co-production of Danish Anders Østergaard's film "1989" about the power play between the world's most powerful heads of state and government in the late 1980s. NOK 200 000 was also granted to Fenris Film for director Aslaug Holm's documentary "Class Distinction" about ethnic dividing lines and assimilation in the Oslo school system today.
A list has been published of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in October 2013. (in Norwegian)
A Blind Eye – an exhibition on climate and vulnerability
On Thursday, 17 October, Rune Eraker's one-man show A Blind Eye opened at the Oslo Rådhusgalleri (Oslo City Hall Gallery). The photo exhibition focuses on climate and vulnerability, and consists of 75 large-scale analogue photographs. The photos were taken in 15 countries that are highly vulnerable to climatic change - often the poorest countries in the world. The exhibition will be open at Oslo Rådhusgalleri until 23 November 2013, then move on to the City Museum in Bergen (15 May - 15 October 2014) and to the Tromsø Art Association (November -December 2014).
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 200 000 in support for the project.
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Journalists on demanding assignments
How can journalists prepare themselves for the powerful impressions they are left with by covering other people's suffering? What can editorial boards do to prevent demanding assignments from provoking stress reactions and burn-out? What can journalism programmes do to prepare students for stories that can leave indelible marks on their souls?
The book Demanding assignments. How to cope with stress by Trond Idås will be launched with a panel discussion at the Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences at 3 p.m. on Monday, 7 October. The Fritt Ord Foundation provided support for manuscript development.
Programme.
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Deeyah's film on honour killing won an Emmy last night
Our warmest congratulations to Deeyah on winning an Emmy Award for the best international current affairs film! She received the prize for "Banaz: A Love Story", about the brutal honour killing of the young British woman Banaz Mahmod in London in 2006. This is truly a big day for Norwegian documentary film. The Fritt Ord Foundation provided a total of NOK 300 000 in support for the development and production of "Banaz: A Love Story".
The Fritt Ord Foundation has also provided support for two documentary films with which Deeyah is currently involved as director and producer: this past February, we allocated NOK 300 000 for a documentary about Sheema Kermani, and in August this year, NOK 260 000 for the documentary film "Radicals".
Read "We came to celebrate the nomination. Then I won the most highly respected prize" (in Norwegian).
Grants for journalism
When applications for minor grants were dealt with in September, support was allocated to several projects in the field of journalism. For example, Journalist Bjørgulv Bjåen and Photojournalist Erlend Berge who work in the newspaper Vårt Land received a total of NOK 40 000 in travel grants for the project "Alaska - where everyone gets an oil cheque". The newspaper Klassekampen received NOK 100 000 for the first semester of the Klassekampen Academy, for the purpose of recruiting and developing "aspiring young journalists" from unconventional backgrounds. NOK 80 000 was allocated to the University of Nordland County for a research project on commentary and opinion journalism inthe regional press.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in September 2013. (in Norwegian)
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20th Anniversary of the Oslo Accord
The 20th anniversary of the signing of the Oslo Accord will be commemorated by two events at the House of Literature in Oslo on 13 September 2013. From 10 a.m.-12.30 p.m., the Norwegian Association of NGOs for Palestine, the Palestine Committee, the Institute of Applied Social Science (FAFO) and others will be organising an open seminar entitled "The Oslo Accord - 20 years after - the peace that failed" with Anis F. Kassim, Hilde Henriksen Waage and Sahar Francis. From 1.30 p.m.-9.30 p.m., Le Monde Diplomatique will be organising the conference "The Oslo Conference - The Road Ahead for Palestine and Israel". Participants will include Salam Fayyad, Terje Rød-Larsen, Jan Egeland, Mustafa Barghouti, Torgeir Larsen and Shir Hever. See the conference’s Facebook pagefor the programme, information and registration.
The events have received support from the Fritt Ord Foundation.
Homo Religiosus
The Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in August 2013 include a contribution of NOK 400 000 for the exhibition "Homo Religiosus" at the Perspective Museum in Tromsø. The project is based on a huge volume of documentary material from religious communities. The goal of the exhibition is to discover new knowledge about today's religious pluralism in the north, contributing to a more balanced image of religiousness in general and in northern Norway in particular. Researchers and artists alike will be represented in the exhibition, which is scheduled to open on UN Day next year (24 October 2014).
A list has now been published of the grants awarded by the Freedom of Expression Foundation in August 2013.
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Manta
This week the House of Dance in Oslo is staging the performance "Manta" by and with the French-Tunisian dancer and choreographer Héla Fattoumi. Fattoumi wore a niqab as an adult, liberated woman, and the performance mirrors her experience of what this did to her emotionally and physically. "Manta" will be performed on Saturday 31 August and Sunday 1 September, at 7 p.m. The House of Dance will also organise four events in connection with "Manta". At 1 p.m. on 30 August, there will be a Dialogue Café with dance researcher Cecilia Olsson, and at 5 p.m. on 31 August, there will be a Tea House in collaboration with KULT, featuring participants Gisken Armand, Marjan Vahdat and Erik Hillestad. Following the Saturday performance, at 8.15 p.m., a Postscript will be held with Héla Fattoumi and Cecilia Olsson. At 5 p.m. on 1 September, a Dilemma will be organised on the topic "Body Politics", featuring guests Shabana Rehman, Iram Haq, Héla Fattoumi, and others.
"Manta" is the House of Dance's commemoration of the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage in Norway. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 30 000 in support for the performance and the debate programme.
Last Call – at the eleventh hour
This evening, at 7 p.m. on 26 August 2013, marks the Norwegian premier of the documentary film "Last Call – at the eleventh hour" at the Park Theatre in Oslo. The documentary has been directed by Italian Enrico Cerasuolo, with Skofteland Film as co-producer. The film is described as "a climate documentary on our global crisis", and takes its point of departure in the controversial book The Limits to Growth (1972) by the Norwegian environmentalist Jørgen Randers and three of his scientist colleagues at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Randers will be attending the screening. Free admission. Read more on the Skofteland Film website.
The film will also be aired on the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation at 10.20 p.m. on 27 August. Both the production of "Last Call – at the eleventh hour" and the event on 26 August are being supported by the Fritt Ord Foundation.
Emmy nomination for Deeyah's film “Banaz: A Love Story”
Deeyah's documentary about honour killing in, "Banaz: A Love Story" ("Banaz: An Honour Killing"), has been nominated for an Emmy for best film in the category Current Affairs.
In January 2013, the Fritt Ord Foundation organised the first screening of the film in Norway with subsequent talks. Both the film itself and recordings of the talks in the Fritt Ord Foundation's premises are available on YouTube. This year, the Fritt Ord Foundation has allocated NOK 300 000 to the development and production of "Banaz: A Love Story".
The Fritt Ord Foundation's support for projects related to 22 July 2011
In August 2011, the Fritt Ord Foundation earmarked up to MNOK 15 for projects using different media formats to contribute knowledge and to a broader debate about the terrorist attacks that took place in Norway on 22 July 2011 – including their background and their human and societal consequences. The Foundation has devoted extra attention to all applications related to this topic, focussing especially on initiatives taken by young people.
As of 1 August 2013, 60 grants have been awarded for projects related to 22 July 2011, totalling roughly MNOK 8.9. The grants have been announced on an ongoing basis along with the ordinary grants in every round of applications. The largest sub-group is books, with 31 grants. For example, Aage Storm Borchgrevink was granted support for script work on A Norwegian tragedy. Anders Behring Breivik and the Roads to Utøya Island and Erika Fatland for the book The Year with No Summer. Both a working grant and printing support were allocated for Andrea Gjestvang's photo book A day in history. Among the grants to film projects, we find a contribution to Karianne Moe's documentary film "To the Young People", produced by Sant & Usant (True & False).
Click here to view the overall list of projects related to 22 July, sorted by genre (in Norwegian)..
Søknadsfrist fredag 2. august
Fritt Ord har søknadsfrist fredag 2. august, med utløp ved midnatt.
De tekniske problemene etter lynnedslag og strømbrudd hos vår leverandør er nå løst.
Many came here in boats
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 90 000 for the theatre project "Many came here in boats" being made by the company REBEKKA/HUY (Rebekka Nystabakk and Huy Le Vo). The production focuses on Vietnam, with emphasis on the war, boat refugees and the largest wave of refugees to Norway. What does it mean to blend as successfully into a society as it is often said that the Vietnamese refugees have managed to do? "Many came here in boats" is a co-production with the Black Box Theatre, where the play will be performed in spring 2014.
A list has been published of the minor grants awarded by the Freedom of Expression Foundation in June 2013.
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Support for the Art of Drawing
The Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in May 2012 included four projects related to the art of drawing. The House of Cartoonists in Drøbak has been granted support for the exhibition "100 Years of Russian Political Cartoons", featuring the Russian artist Michail Zlatkovsky. Morten Harper received funding for "The journey out of the frames", a series of articles in Le Monde diplomatique about the journey of comic strips through the cultural classes, in connection with which Harper will interview six of the world's most prominent cartoonists. Lars Fiske was granted support to work on a graphic novel about the Fiske automobile factory, while Line Halsnes got a grant to illustrate the graphic novel "Hand to hand combat" about females in the Norwegian Armed Forces, featuring drawings by Halsnes and text by Axel Hellstenius. The book is based on the young people's novel "Twat quota" by Hellstenius and Morten Skårdal.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in May 2013.
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The development and production of documentary films
The Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in June 2013 include funding for the development and production of nine documentary films. For example, development support has been awarded to India Film's project with the working title "Munch in hell", an international documentary that will examine Edvard Munch and his position in Norway. Further, development support has been granted to Bonanza Post Production for a documentary film about school drop-outs and to Gammaglimt for development of the documentary film "Blackhearts". Funds were also allocated for a documentary film on the New York Review of Books focusing, among other things, on human rights and freedom of expression.
A list has now been published of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in June 2013 (in Norwegian).
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'Ida's Diary' to Good Pitch Europe 2013
The Norwegian documentary film 'Ida's Diary' has been selected for inclusion in the pitch forum Good Pitch Europe 2013 at the Royal Institution of Great Britain in London on 7 June 2013. The pitch forum was initiated by the BRITDOC Foundation in collaboration with the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Programme. 'Ida's Diary' has been directed by August Baugstø Hanssen and produced by Carsten Aanonsen of Indie Film. Presenting the personal story of a young girl who is a self-mutilator, the film is based on recordings from the girl's own video diary.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 250 000 in production support for 'Ida’s Diary'.
Women's suffrage anniversary in Bamble: Marie Høeg
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 100 000 to Bamble Municipality for its celebration of the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage in Norway, which the municipality will celebrate by re-enacting the story of the Langesund woman Marie Høeg (1866–1949). Høeg was a suffragette, organiser, photographer and lesbian, and she played an important part in winning the right for women to vote in Norway. While the municipality will celebrate the anniversary with a number of events throughout 2013, the main emphasis will be on women's suffrage week, beginning on 31 August. The celebrations will include a relaunch of "The Discussion Society" and a photo exhibition at the Wrightegaarden Estate. A preview of the exhibition will be on display in the Bamble City Hall from 11 June.
Gay Kids. Gay People Were Young Once Too
The exhibition "Gay Kids. Kule barn som også finnes" ("Gay Kids. Gay People Were Young Once Too") opens at Maihaugen at 10 a.m. on 31 May 2013. "Gay Kids" is a beautifully illustrated book and an exhibition that sheds light on what it is like to grow up and fall in love with someone of the same sex. The project is a joint venture between Gay and Lesbian Health Norway, the Norwegian Literary Festival and Maihaugen. Olemic Thommessen, the Conservative Party's spokesperson on family policy, will open the exhibition, followed by presentations by Stig-Werner Moe and Bera U. Moseng from Gay and Lesbian Health Norway.
The project has received support from the Fritt Ord Foundation.
Professional network of journalists on hate speech, hate crimes and extremism
The two authors and freelance journalists Øyvind Strømmen and Kjetil Stormark are joining forces to establish a professional network of journalists at the international level who will cover hate speech, hate crimes and extremism. The project, entitled 'Hate Speech International' (HSI), is a two-year feasibility study. The project is being carried out with financial support from the Fritt Ord Foundation and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Read the rest of the press release from Strømmen and Stormark.
Death, shall we dance?
"Why is it that we in today's Norway hide death away so painstakingly, surrounding it with silence and taboos?" This is how the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) introduces the documentary "Death, shall we dance?" about Per Fugelli, who will be awarded the Freedom of Expression Foundation Prize for 2013 on 14 May. In the film, Fugelli reflects brutally and openly on life and death in the light of his own cancer. He wants to "release death from the prison of taboo words". Jæren, Værøy, Røst and Grønland in Oslo provide the background for a poetic, thought-provoking film about leaving life.
Invisible Symposium. A theater of ideas
Philosophers, authors, activists, politicians and artists were all asked the same set of questions with a focus on the current state of democracy. Why is it ailing? What challenges will it face in the years to come? Actors will portray the participating intellectuals in a staged exchange of ideas. PEN American Center, Fritt Ord, Jacobin, and The New School for Social Research invite to the 2013 PEN World Voices Festival’s Invisible Symposium on Saturday, 4 May 2013, 8-10pm, in New York City.
Seminar programme:
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Support for Norwegian factual prose
Among the Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in March 2013, we find 20 allocations for manuscript development and for the publication of new books in the factual prose genre in the broad sense. For example, Gunnar Ringheim has been granted NOK 50 000 to write the book "Abuse in the name of Jesus", while Cornelia Kristiansen has received NOK 75 000 for the interview book "The Class" about experiences from attending a multicultural school on the east side of downtown Oslo. Ingrid Vik has been granted NOK 50 000 for a book project entitled "Among the faithful", in which she investigates Norwegian Christian conservatives' attitudes to value-related questions in respect of family and equal opportunity. NOK 25 000 has been allocated to Trine Krigsvoll Haagensen and Martin Paulsen to translate and publish "A punk prayer for freedom" with lyrics by the Russian art collective Pussy Riot.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in March 2013.
europe@debate: Europe’s lost generation?
The programme FutureLab Europe focuses on young people between the ages of 20 and 30 who want to take part in debates and influence the future of Europe. During the event europe@debate in Brussels from 4 to 6 p.m. on Monday, 22 April, this year's young participants will present a report on how the European countries inside and outside the European Union are dealing with the social and financial crisis. The keynote speaker will be Joaquín Almunia, vice president of the European Commission. There will also be a debate, and interventions by FutureLab participants James Kilcourse of Ireland and Enja Sæthren of Norway. The event will be streamed directly here.
FutureLab Europe is a joint project among 10 European foundations, including the Fritt Ord Foundation.
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Iran symposium in Trondheim
On 20 April 2013, the Department of Art and Media Studies at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and the Kosmorama Film Festival in Trondheim will be hosting a symposium featuring international experts on Iranian film and prominent film-makers, including the director Mohsen Makhmalbaf. The symposium will introduce a Norwegian audience to Iranian film, and discuss the conditions for Iranian film-makers today. The event will be open to the general public, and the venue will be Det norske oljeselskap's premises from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Munkegata 26. Read more here (in Norwegian).
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 125 000 in support for the project.
Burning memories
Tappeluft Pictures has been granted NOK 100 000 to develop the documentary film "Burning memories", directed by Ellen-Astri Lundby. The film takes its point of departure in the memories of those experienced the forced evacuation and burning of Finnmark and North-Troms counties as children during World War II. The story is told through three main witnesses. At the same time as the past rises to the surface, the film will explore the losses of these people 70 years later.
A list has now been published of the major grants awarded in March 2013.
New York Times reports on NJP
The New York Times is presenting a comprehensive report on the Norwegian Journal of Photography and on the photographers' projects on its photoblog entitled Lens Blog under the title "Norway's New Photographic Landscape". Helge Skodvin gives an account of his work documenting the Norwegian landscape and the Volvo 240: "More than any other car, the Volvo 240 has been a symbol of Norwegian and Scandinavian values," he comments to Lens Blog. Visit the website at Lens Blog to read the whole story.
Norwegian Journal of Photography is now being sold at the Tronsmo in Oslo and is available for order on the bookseller's website. The book can also be ordered from Journal Publishing House: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
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Prizes to NJP photographers at the Picture of the Year awards
Several of photographers from the Fritt Ord Foundation's project Norwegian Journal of Photography (NJP) won prizes at the recent Picture of the Year awards organised by the Press Photographers' Club, Norway. In the class ‘Portrait Series’, Andrea Gjestvang took first prize and Ellen Lande Gossner third prize. Eivind H. Natvig won the class ‘Inland Report of the Year’, with Helge Skodvin in second place. Natvig also placed third in the category ‘Nature and the Environment’. In the class ‘Foreign Report of the Year’, Linda Bournane Engelberth took second place. Congratulations to the winners!
The illustrative photo is from Ellen Lande Gossner's photo project "The Deaconesses".
Hate Radio
The International Institute of Political Murder is currently appearing at the Oslo International Theatre Festival and Black Box Theatre with the play "Hate Radio". Terese Bjørneboe writes in the daily newspaper Aftenposten: "It is not only a documentary performance about the genocide in Rwanda, but also a reconstruction of the broadcasts of a radio station that played a decisive role. RTLM served as a propaganda centre, while the journalists and disc jockeys were Hipsters who played Nirvana. Hate Radio is about how the meanings of words change. It makes a deep, disquieting impression because the DJs use a globalised language that reduces the distance to the events."
The performance will be played on 20, 21 and 22 March. The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted Black Box Theatre NOK 150 000 for the guest performance.
Philosophy Day 2013
Philosophy Day for Upper Secondary Schools will be held at Uranienborgveien 2 in Oslo on Wednesday, 20 March 2013. This year's topic is "I. You. We? What is real? How do we know? How to live?" In addition to group discussions, the programme features lectures by Thor Steinar Grødal, Monica Roland, Anders Strand and Bjørn Ramberg. The event is fully subscribed.
The organiser is the Upper Secondary School Philosophy Association; Fritt Ord Foundation has provided a grant of NOK 50 000 for Philosophy Day.
Read more >
2012 Picture of the Year Award to Andrea Gjestvang
The Fritt Ord Foundation congratulates Photographer Andrea Gjestvang on the 2012 Picture of the Year Award. The prize was bestowed at a ceremony under the auspices of the Press Photographers' Club, Norway, on 15 March 2013. The winning photo is a portrait of Ylva Schwenke, one of the survivors of the terrorist massacre on Utøya Island in the summer of 2011. The picture is part of the book "One Day in History" (Pax Publishing House, 2012), in which Gjestvang portrays 43 Utøya Island survivors from all over Norway.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 210 000 in support for the book project.
Steffen Kverneland's Munch biography
No Comprendo Press has been granted NOK 60 000 for the publication of Steffen Kverneland's "Munch", a biography in comic strip form. This depiction takes its point of departure in quotations from Edvard Munch's own writings, along with contemporary descriptions of his life and career. The book also serves as a group portrait of a community of artists known as the Scandinavian 'Bohème' around the turn of the 20th century, when modernism was taking shape as an art form. The biography is based on Kverneland's chapters on Munch in the series "Kanon".
International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX)
Based in Toronto, Canada, the global network IFEX consists of more than 80 organisations that work to promote freedom of expression. The network draws attention to abuses of freedom of expression committed against journalists, activists, artists and researchers. The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted CAD 80 000 in support for IFEX' activities in 2013.
On IFEX’ website, you can read about and subscribe to daily and weekly news bulletins about freedom of expression the world over.
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Before the snow falls
At 8.15 p.m. on Friday, 15 February, Hisham Zaman's debut film "Before the snow falls" will premiere at the Klingenberg Cinema in Oslo. The director will introduce the film before the screening. See the trailer and order tickets. Paradox has produced the film, and the Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 150 000 in support.
A 16-year-old boy is wrapped in plastic and submerged in the tank of a lorry filled with crude oil. This is how the film "Before the snow falls" starts. It is an unconventional road movie about family, love, dignity and honour. When Siyar's sister flees from her own wedding, he is put in charge of finding her and restoring the family's reputation. The search for his sister turns out to be a dangerous journey from east to west.
Mary Ellen Mark to visit Dokfoto 2013
Dokfoto 2013 will be arranged at the House of Literature in Oslo from 22 to 24 February. American photographer Mary Ellen Mark is famous for her works in the interface between photojournalism and portrait photography. Paal Audestad, Helge Skodvin and Andrea Gjestvang will be participating from Norway. Other photographers who will be showing their projects are Sebastían Liste, Sanna Sjöswärd, Katharina Hesse, Mimi Chakarova and Tomas van Houtryve. Read more at fotografi.no (in Norwegian).
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 150 000 in support for the project.
New documentary films
The Fritt Ord Foundation's allocations of major grants in February 2013 included funding for the production of seven documentary films. The company Aldeles received for support for "The Journalist and the Soldier" from Burma, and Bakkenivåfilm for "Someone must take the lead" from Afghanistan. Integral Film was granted funding for "ManIslam - Taming of the Goliath", the last part of Nefise Özkal Lorentzen's trilogy on Islam. Deeyah received support for a documentary about the Pakistani dancer, actor and feminist Sheema Kermani, while Fet Film was awarded a grant for "Birth of Hope" from Kenya. Sanden Media received a grant for "Desert Stench" about life on the garbage dumps in Brooklyn in the 1920s-30s, and the company friogfrank (fancy-free) was granted funding for a film on Stig Sæterbakken's work with the novel Sauermugg.
The list of the major grants made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in February 2013 has now been published.
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TPB AFK: The Pirate Bay Away From Keyboard
Simon Klose's documentary film 'TPB AFK: The Pirate Bay Away From Keyboard' will have its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival on 8 February 2013. The film will kick off the documentary segment entitled Panorama Dokumente. In the documentary, we follow the three founders of the Swedish torrent-sharing website The Pirate Bay, i.e. Peter Sunde, Fredrik Neij and Gottfried Svartholm. See the trailer. The entire film will be shown here.
The film has been produced by Sweden's Nonami Film, with Anagram (S), Final Cut for Real (DK) and Norwegian Piraya Film as co-producers. The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 150 000 in support to Norwegian co-producer Piraya Film.
When the Boys Return
The documentary film 'When the Boys Return' will premier in Norway at Ringen Cinema at 4 p.m. on 9 February 2013, during the Human Rights Human Wrongs Film Festival. Tone Andersen has directed the film, which was produced by Sant & Usant ('True & False'). Following the film screening, there will be talks featuring the director and Nora Ingdal from Save the Children. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided a total of NOK 225 000 in support for the development and production of the film. See the trailer and the website for the film.
After months and years as political prisoners, teenagers Mohammed Jamil, Hamze and Mahran returned home to the West Bank. Once the celebration of their homecoming was over, they once again found themselves surrounded by soldiers, military raids and weekly demonstrations. They also faced challenges in dealing with their own families, as well as with friends and the school.
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Norwegian Online Encyclopaedia
The Fritt Ord Foundation and the savings bank foundation Sparebankstiftelsen DnB NOR acquired the rights to Store norske leksikon (Norway's largest encyclopaedia) in 2010. Some two years later, the old print-format leviathan has been transformed into a modern online encyclopaedia with 2 million visitors a month. In 2012, the encyclopaedia was augmented by new, updated articles comparable to 60 non-fiction books. Read, for example, Francis Sejersted's recently written article on 1814 – the Birth of Norway's Independence (in Norwegian).
Read more about the Norwegian Online Encyclopaedia.
Local newspapers in in Vesterålen
Magnum photographer Jonas Bendiksen explores a local Norwegian community. While working as a photographer for a number of local newspapers in Vesterålen, Bendiksen’s routine assignments for the newspapers gave him a unique opportunity to observe everything that took place in this small island community off the coast of northern Norway. The Fritt Ord Foundation granted NOK 100 000 in support for this photo project in 2012. See Bendiksen's blog or read more about the project and see photos in the magazine Wired.
Edvard Munch and Lene Berg to the Venice Biennale
The exhibition "Beware of the Holy Whore: Edvard Munch and the Dilemma of Emancipation" will be the official Norwegian contribution to the 55th International Art Exhibition La Biennale di Venezia in 2013. It includes a series of rarely exhibited works by Edvard Munch and a new film by the artist Lene Berg. Based on the concept of emancipation, the project will explore the relationship between art, its social context, and gender roles in flux in Munch's day and today. The exhibition will be shown from 31 May to 22 September 2013, and is being curated by the Office for Contemporary Art (OCA) and Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa.
The Fritt Ord Foundation allocated NOK 300 000 for the exhibition in December 2012.
Read more >
Library projects
The Fritt Ord Foundation's minor allocations in December 2012 included three projects related to Norway's libraries. The Buskerud County Library received NOK 50 000 for the conference "Young 3.0", intended to disseminate knowledge about young people's culture and the use of digital media. The Grünerløkka Branch of the Deichmann Library received NOK 50 000 for the digitisation of Scandinavian journals and publications printed by small-scale publishers in conjunction with the "Public Library Project". The Department of Archivistics, Library and Information Sciences, Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, received NOK 10 000 for Kari Skjønsberg Days 2013, a conference about girls and power, based on literature for children and young people.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in December 2012.
New non-fiction Norwegian literature
The Fritt Ord Foundation's major allocations in December included grants for 18 writers to work on new non-fiction and debate books. For example, Magnus Marsdal received funding for a coffee table book entitled "Freedom in red, white and blue", in which he will explore the relationship between freedom and community by comparing life in the welfare state Norway with the average citizen's experience in the USA. Håkon Harket received a grant to work on "The Clause", a broad-based presentation of the history of the Jewish clause, while Cornelius Jakhelln received a grant for a monograph on musical extremism, with special emphasis on the genres black metal, industrial and neo-folk.
The list of the Fritt Ord Foundation’s major grants in December 2012 has now been published.
China at Home
The Fritt Ord Foundation supported the organisation Human Rights in China by providing a grant of USD 50 000 in 2012, not least for the development of the China Rights Forum online. The latest edition of the journal – China at Home – devotes attention to the growth of activism in China.
Photographer Eivind H. Natvig's project to be shown in Bangladesh
Eivind H. Natvig's photo project "You Are Here Now" is scheduled to be shown at the Chobi Mela – International Festival of Photography in Bangladesh from 25 January to 7 February 2013. Natvig is a participant in the Fritt Ord Foundation's programme Norwegian Journal of Photography, and the Fritt Ord Foundation supported the project "You Are Here Now" with a grant of NOK 100 000 in 2009.
Read more on Natvig's own website.
"The classics of Norwegian journalism" on NRK P2 radio
Two of the speakers from the Fritt Ord Foundation's series "The classics of Norwegian journalism", Aina Nøding and Mona Ringvej from the University of Oslo, will be featured on the programme Echo on NRK P2 on Friday, 11 January, at 10.30 a.m. Nøding and Ringvej will talk about Claus Fasting (1746–1791), Bernt Børretzen (1762–1817) and Birgithe Kühle (1762–1832), who will also be the focus of the opening event for "The classics of Norwegian journalism" on 15 January.
Read more >
Atopia and the journal Objektiv
Among the Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in November, we find several contributions to projects involving photography and video art. The journal Objektiv (Objective), which focuses on camera-based contemporary art, was granted NOK 75 000 for its operations in 2013. The Atopia Foundation received a total of NOK 150 000 for its exhibition projects. Funding was provided, among other things, for the second phase of a research and exhibition project that examines the historical development of Norwegian film and video art. This phase will showcase the 1990s.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in November 2012.
Science Library nominated for "Library of the Year"
The Norwegian Library Association has shortlisted the new Science Library at the Blindern campus as one of the three nominees for the distinction "Library of the Year". The nomination reports, among other things, that the building has been converted from old-fashioned reading rooms and study facilities to a state-of-the-art learning centre. Read the entire article on the Bibliotekforum's website (in Norwegian).
In 2010, the Fritt Ord Foundation allocated MNOK 4 for the renovation and establishment of the Science Library in the Vilhelm Bjerknes Building. In recent years, grants have also been given to support the series entitled "Science Debate" at the library.
Read more >
Love and War - an exhibition at the Oslo Museum on Norwegian girls who consorted with the Germans during WWII
Oslo Museum received a grant of NOK 200 000 from the Fritt Ord Foundation for the exhibition "Love and War" about Norwegian girls who consorted with the Germans during the German Occupation of Norway during WWII. The exhibition will open at the Oslo Museum on 8 May 2013 in connection with the commemoration of the anniversary of women's suffrage in Norway. The aim of the project is to draw attention to other perspectives on Norwegian war history, and to encourage critical reflection regarding ethical social issues and how history is recorded. The exhibition is geared to schools in particular.
The list of the major grants made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in October 2012 has now been published.
Terra not so firma
Christiania Film's documentary on the Terra case, 'Terra not so firma’ ('Tidenes investering'), will be broadcast on TV2 Wednesday, 17 October 2012, at 10:40 p.m. The financial crisis that hit Wall Street in 2008 had a direct impact on eight Norwegian municipalities, causing them to suffer huge losses. Based on three municipalities in Nordland County, the film takes an in-depth look at the outcome of the worst investment ever. The film was directed by Oddvar Einarson.
The Freedom of Expression Foundation Oslo provided NOK 250 000 in support for production of the film in 2008.
Photo project on the Roma on exhibit in New York
Linda Bournane Engelberth's photo project on "The Lives and Traditions of the Roma" will be shown at the New York Photo Awards Exhibition at the PowerHouse Arena during the DUMBO Arts Festival in Brooklyn. The exhibition is being shown from 28 September to 10 October 2012.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 100 000 in support for the project. Engelberth is one of the 10 photographers included in the Norwegian Journal of Photography (NJP).
The Lives of Women in Iran
On behalf of the organisers, Sindre Bangstad has been granted NOK 32 000 by the Fritt Ord Foundation for the event "The Lives of Women in Iran. Justice and Injustice" to be held at the House of Literature in Oslo at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, 26 September. Iranian-US professor of Anthropology Arzoo Osanloo does research on women's rights in a country that has had an Islamic system of government since 1979. The event will feature her in dialogue with Sindre Bangstad and Sevda Clark from the University of Oslo on the position of women in Iran.
See the list of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in September 2012.
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A Balloon for Allah: International prizes and festivals
Nefise Özkal Lorentzen's documentary film "A Balloon for Allah" about women and Islam has been selected to be screened at 31 different film festivals. The film has won five prizes, most recently the Best Documentary Award and the Jury Award at the International Film Festival for Peace, Inspiration and Equality in Jakarta, Indonesia. The Fritt Ord Foundation provided NOK 300 000 in support for the film.
This is the second film in Özkal Lorentzen's trilogy on Islam. The first was “Gender Me” in 2008, which dealt with homosexuality. Özkal Lorentzen is currently working on a third film, this time about masculinity in Islam.
Overview of prizes and festivals:
Read more >
Bivrfrost – the bridge to the world of the gods
The Frikar Dance Company has been granted NOK 150 000 for the dance performance "Bivrfrost". Employing a fairy-tale format, Frikar asks whether calling culture 'Norwegian' must necessarily exclude others. These days, the right-wing extremist Sweden Democrats use folk dancing to promote the party, and the abuse of the Norwegian folk dancing tradition by the Nazis during World War II remains unknown. In "Bivrfrost", the young folk dancers on stage meet Nazi folk dancers from the propaganda films made by the NS, and the Arab "invasion" of Norway today meets the Christian invasion of 1000 years ago. Young people from Thailand, Pakistan, Uganda, Valdres and Hallingdal use their own languages and identities to challenge their own self-experienced xenophobia in an encounter with a poetic manuscript.
The list of the major grants made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in August 2012 has now been published.
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‘1989’ åpner CPH:DOX
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Lansering av ‘Norges låver’
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I dag, 9. oktober, åpner filmfestivalen Film fra Sør
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Prize for best Norwegian short documentary to 'This is Kabul'
'This is Kabul' won the prize for the best Norwegian short documentary at the Bergen International Film Festival (BIFF) this week. The film was produced by Bakkenivåfilm (Ground Level Film) and directed by Nargis Azaryun, Sadaf Fetrat, Sahar Fetrat, Anders Sømme Hammer and Christoffer Næss. The Fritt Ord Foundation congratulates the winners!
Since 2011, three young women named Sahar, Sadaf and Nargis have filmed their own lives in Kabul. Among other things, the film follows the establishment of the organisation 'Young Women for Change', which works to liberate young Afghani women. The jury's grounds state inter alia that the film "expands our perspective on those who are usually defined as victims, and demonstrates how a documentary film has the power to empower the powerless. The documentation in the film is strong, unique and engaging".
The Fritt Ord Foundation provided NOK 150 000 in support for production of the film in 2013.
Audience Award to Flink Pike (Good Girl) at BIFF 2014
Congratulations to Director Solveig Melkeraaen and 'Good Girl' on winning the Audience Award at the Bergen International Film Festival.
The documentary film 'Good girl' depicts Director Solveig Melkeraaen's experience of severe depression and treatment that included electroshock therapy. Produced by Ingvil Giske of the Media Operators, the film is described as a 'feel good' movie about depression.
The Fritt Ord Foundation provided a total of NOK 500 000 in funding for the development, production and launch of 'Good Girl'.
Sovietistan
This week marks the launch of Erika Fatland's new book "Sovietistan: a Voyage through Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan". The book is a result of five months spent in the region, and it deals with the countries in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. How have the former Soviet republics developed since? What about their future, given their newly-acquired oil and gas resources and with Russia thinking expansively again? Erika Fatland offers gripping human interest stories and historical, political and cultural reflections.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 175 000 in support for the project.
DRONE wins two prizes at BIFF 2014
Congratulations to Director Tonje Hessen Schei, Flimmer Film and the rest of the team behind the documentary film DRONE on winning two prizes at Bergen International Film Festival. The film was named best human rights film on the Checkpoints programme and best Norwegian documentary. DRONE examines the use of modern drones and the human consequences of this type of warfare.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided support for the development, production and feature-length version of DRONE in the amount of NOK 500 000 altogether. In April 2014, the Foundation organised an exclusive preview screening of the film - followed by talks with experts and the main characters from the film, including former drone pilot Brandon Bryant, representing the victims of drones Attorney Mirza Shahzad Akbar, Professor Paul Schulte, Director Tonje Hessen Schei and Journalist Chris Woods.
Support for theatre projects
There are five theatre productions among the nearly 70 projects that were approved for Fritt Ord Foundation funding in September 2014. Buggetekst received NOK 60 000 to help develop the play "Helpers" about Norwegian development co-operation, while Cecilie Lundsholt received NOK 50 000 to develop the stage play "An Industrial Fairytale in Tyssedal". NOK 40 000 was granted to the South Sami Åarjelhsaemien Theatre for the play "Hijven Hov, Ylva!" about government policy regarding predators, and NOK 40 000 to Øyonn's performance of "The Black Book Cleric's catechism". Jon Tombre received NOK 50 000 to stage Arthur Miller's play "The Crucible", a collaboration between Our Theatre in Molde and Fagerlia Upper Secondary School in Ålesund.
A list has now been published of the grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in September 2014. (in Norwegian)
The Gompen Report and other reports on surveillance in Norway 1948-89
The film "The Gompen Report and other reports on surveillance in Norway 1948–89” has now been posted on Vimeo. [link]
"The Gompen Report and other reports on surveillance in Norway 1948–89” is a film from a mock hearing about the surveillance of dissidents during the Cold War. The result is a collage of selected reports and evidence.
Lene Berg has directed the film, and Studio Fjordholm has produced it.
The Fritt Ord Foundation provided NOK 300 000 in support for the film in 2013.
Southbound
The book Southbound by Knut Egil Wang, which has been granted support by the Fritt Ord Foundation, has recently been generating splendid headlines in a number of media: on The New Yorker's photo blog Photo Booth [link], Slate.com's photo blog Behold [link], Feature Shoot [link], American Photo [link] and in the magazine D2. The book explores the concept of "Down South", and consists of pictures from typical charter holiday destinations such as Cypress, the Canary Islands, Spain and Thailand. It has been published by the Swedish publisher Journal.
The Fritt Ord Foundation provided project support of NOK 390 000 in 2007 and book support of NOK 75 000 in 2011.
Knut Egil Wang is one of the project participants the Norwegian Journal of Photography.
The Democracy Festival 2014
Three former prime ministers and six recipients of the Fritt Ord Prize will be on stage at Demokratifestivalen on Eidsvoll, Saturday 13 September.
Per Fugelli, Abid Raja, Anne Sender, Nina Karin Monsen, Anders Sømme Hammer and Bushra Ishaq participate in what might be the most important conversation of this year’s celebration of the Norwegian Constitution’s 200th anniversary. Together will moderator Håvard Kleppa they will discuss the costs associated with freedom of speech.
The programme can be found here. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 50 000 in support of the festival.
Support for documentary films
There were eight documentary films among the projects that were approved for Fritt Ord Foundation funding in August. Among them, Colorbar was granted NOK 150 000 for the production of "The last dose", in which the director Hilde Stålskjær Olsen shadows the former drug-abuser Siri as she makes her way out of drug-assisted rehabilitation. Motlys received NOK 100 000 to work with Paulina Cervenka's documentary film "Wanja" (picture) about a woman suffering from the fatal disease ALS. Further, NOK 200 000 was granted to Fenomen TV film og scene for the production of "The Lady from Os", directed by Pål Winsents - a sequel to the documentary "The Girl from Oz" (2006) about mentally challenged Christina.
A list has now been published of the grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in August 2014.
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Photo exhibition - Pushwagner
Petter Mejlænder's photo exhibition "Pushwagner" will be on display at Gallery Fineart at Tjuvholmen in Oslo from 28 August to 14 September 2014. The photo exhibition is being shown in tandem with Pushwagner's sales exhibition "Movement". The exhibitions will be opened by Mayor Fabian Stang at 6 p.m. on Thursday, 28 August.
In working with the photographs and on Pushwagner's biography, Petter Mejlænder followed the artist's activities closely for seven years. In connection with the exhibition, Mejlænder's photo book about Pushwagner will also be launched. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 50 000 in support for the photo exhibition and NOK 75 000 for the biography (a work in progress).
Book launch: From the Youth
The reportage agency Paragon Features will be launching its book From the Youth at 7 p.m. on Friday, 12 September 2014, at Cappelen Damm Publishing House in Akersgata 47-49, Oslo. The event is part of the Oslo Book Festival. The project was initiated in autumn 2011 in the aftermath of the terrorist massacres that took place in Norway on 22 July 2011; the project is described as a multimedia portrait of a generation of young people. For two years, the young photojournalists Aleksander Andersen, Martin Slottemo Lyngstad and Lars Øverli travelled all over Norway in an ancient camper, documenting Norwegian youth in their natural habitats.
In addition to From the youth now being published in hard copy and as a digital book, in autumn 2014, Paragon Features will host a large-scale travelling exhibition all over the country. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 710 000 in support to the project.
Amanda Prize to Light Fly, Fly High
On 16 August 2014, the Amanda Prize for the best documentary film was awarded to Fri Film for the documentary "Light Fly, Fly High". The film is about the young Indian boxing talent Thulasi and her struggle against discrimination, corruption and sexual oppression. Beathe Hofseth and Susann Østigaard have directed and produced the film. Warm congratulations to Fri Film!
The Fritt Ord Foundation provided NOK 295 000 for the development and production of "Light Fly, Fly High".
Danish distinction to the NJP #1
The first edition of the Norwegian Journal of Photography has received yet another distinction, this time from a Danish jury. Under the title "Best Book Works of 2013", the Danish Book Crafts Association named last year's best books. The winning books are being exhibited at the Royal Library in Copenhagen before being sent on a book tour around Denmark.
NJP #1 earned distinction in the category “periodica”, and the jury writes, among other things: “Using a subtle, modern layout, 10 Norwegian photographers are presented objectively and clearly. Single navy blue dividing sheets mark the introduction and the transition to/between the individual players whose series of photos are vastly different, but are kept in precisely the same tight rein within a set framework.”
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Support for journals
Five journals figure on the list of recipients of the Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in June 2014. The journal Manifest Tidsskrift received support for a series of articles "Piketty to the People", and the philosophical journal Agora for a themed issue on racism. Seismopolite received a grant for its publication about freedom of expression in photography, film, theatre and performance art, while the Association of 2007 for the Promotion of Artistic Reflection and Debate received a grant for next year's issue of the art journal Second-Class Mail. Support was also granted for magazine Fanfare's #4 on the concept of "bullshit".
A list has been published of the minor grants awarded by the Freedom of Expression Foundation in June 2014.
Who is your hero?
The Fritt Ord Foundation Competition for Pupils in Upper Secondary School will continue with a new topic in the upcoming school year: "Freedom of expression's heroes and anti-heroes".
To help the participants get started, we would like a contribution from you. Send in a short film clip in which you answer the question about who is your hero or anti-hero, and state your reason why in one sentence. Send the film to post@fritt-ord.no or as #frittordhelt on Twitter.
Manuscript support for new books
The Fritt Ord Foundation's round of major allocations in June 2014 included grants for 20 Norwegian writers to support the creation of new factual prose. For example, Sidsel Wold received NOK 150 000 for a book project with the working title "How to understand Syria?", while Sølvi Wærhaug received NOK 100 000 for a book on the history of the school of home economics that takes its point of departure in its founder Minna Wetlesen. NOK 150 000 were awarded to Ola Henmo for his documentary book about Karen Friele. Håvard Rem was awarded NOK 125 000 for the book ”Norwegian lyrics”, an historical literary review of Norwegian-language lyrics from 1945 to 2015, and Kjetil Jakobsen was granted NOK 150 000 to work on the second and third volume of the work "The World Citizenry's History of Ideas".
See the entire list of the major grants made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in June 2014.
Contributions to blog projects
The minor grants in May 2014 include two journalistic projects based on blogs as a means of communicating information. Through a blog and a newspaper column in the newspaper Dagsavisen, musician and journalist Aslak Borgersrud will report from the corridors of Stortinget, the Norwegian parliament, under the title "A Lout in Parliament". In their project "The Identity of Ukraine", the young journalists Eskil Wie and Frode Nagel Dahl will communicate news items from Ukraine through blogs, websites, exhibitions and books.
A list of the minor grants awarded in May 2014 has been posted.
Festival support
When processing applications for major grants in April 2014, support was given to seven festivals. The Bollywood Festival Norway 2014 and the project "Nobel-Myanmar Literary Festival: Literature: for Peace" were among the recipients, along with the Non-fiction Festival in Oslo and the Festival University at the Oslo Book Festival. Grants were also awarded to the Oslo International Poetry Festival, the Trondheim Documentary Festival and the Literary Festival Words in the Borderland in Fredrikstad. Most of the festivals are scheduled for autumn 2014.
See the list of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation's in April 2014.
Support for photo projects
There are three photo projects among the Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in March 2014. NOK 30 000 was granted to "You Are Here Now", an exhibition in the UK featuring Eivind Natvig's photographs from all over Norway. Line Ørnes Søndergaard received NOK 30 000 for the project "Rest" - a photographic report on lorry drivers, and Terje Abusdal received NOK 95 000 for his photo project "The Long Islands". Here he depicts life on an island in the Oslo Fjord that fills up every summer with temporary holiday homes consisting of small communities in the form of tent camps, pitched mainly by members of the general public who live on the periphery of their local communities.
See the list of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in March 2014.
Greenland Eyes International Film Festival
A list has now been published of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in March 2014. For example, NOK 75 000 was granted to the Greenland Eyes International Film Festival scheduled to be held in Oslo from 11-18 December 2014. Greenland films from all genres will be screened, accompanied by lectures and debates. Similar festivals will also be held in Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, the Faeroe Islands and Greenland.
See the list of the Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in March 2014.
The House of Cartoonists: ‘Hurray for freedom of expression!’
Among the Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in February 2014, we find allocations for two exhibitions at the House of Cartoonists in Drøbak. Funding of NOK 30 000 was granted for the exhibition "Hurray for freedom of expression!" opened on 5 April 2014 and is being produced in collaboration with Cartoonist Rights Network International. The exhibition takes it point of departure in the Bicentennial of Norway's Constitution, with emphasis on the "freedom of expression statute", section 100, and it will illustrate the development of press freedom for newspaper cartoons in Norway and abroad. The Fritt Ord Foundation also allocated NOK 80 000 to the anniversary project "Fredrik Stabel – 100 years" in connection with the centenary of Stabel's birth. While the commemoration has already begun, the main celebration will be on 7 June 2014, with the opening of the centenary exhibition followed by a celebration and seminar in Stabel's spirit.
See the list of Fritt Ord's minor grants in February 2014.
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Two Raging Grannies: Blått Lerret (Blue Screen) and preview screenings
Director and producer Håvard Bustnes of Faction Film introduced his new documentary 'Two Raging Grannies' at the Blått Lerret on Wednesday, 12 March. 'Two Raging Grannies' is described as a funny, thought-provoking documentary film about the two American great-grandmothers, Shirley (91) and Hinda (84), and their attempts to understand complex interrelationships in the global economy. To preview the film, click here, or visit the film's Facebook page
Shirley will be coming to Norway, and will join Bustnes on a tour with the Coastal Express, arranging preview screenings along the west coast of Norway. In addition, a number of a preview screenings with accompanying debates will be arranged all over the country in collaboration with the Green Party (Norway), The Future in Our Hands, Cultura Bank and the Joy of Life for the Elderly Foundation.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided a total of NOK 300 000 in support for the production and launch of the film.
Support for the launch of new documentary films
The Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in February include support for three documentary films being launched in spring 2014. The company f(x) film and Director Fridtjof Kjæreng received NOK 100 000 to launch "Beauty and the priest" about abortion opponent Børre Knudsen. The film had previously received NOK 500 000 in production support from the Fritt Ord Foundation. Faction Film, represented by Director and Producer Håvard Bustnes, received NOK 100 000 for the launch of "Rebellious great-grandmothers", which had previously been granted NOK 200 000 for production. NOK 100 000 were allocated for a full-length version of the documentary "Drone" by Flimmer Film and Director Tonje Hessen Schei. The Fritt Ord Foundation granted NOK 400 000 for the development and production of "Drone" in 2011-2012. Click on the links to read more about the films and to see the trailers.
A list has now been published of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in February 2014 (in Norwegian).
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Anne-Stine Johnsbråten's ‘Women in Japan’ to Pecha Kucha
Photographer Anne-Stine Johnsbråten will be presenting her documentary photo project 'Women in Japan' at Pecha Kucha Night at 7.30 p.m. at DogA, Hausmanns gate 16, Oslo, on Thursday, 13 February 2014. Pecha Kucha Night is a multi-media event where players in the fields of architecture, design, film, art and music meet and informally show their work through a series of brief presentations. See the full programme for the evening.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 100 000 to Johnsbråten's work with 'Women in Japan'. This will be the first time the pictures are being shown in public.
80th anniversary of the Student Union in Bergen
Congratulations to the Student Union in Bergen on its 80th anniversary in 2014! See the programme for this spring's anniversary season on the Student Union's website. The Student Union characterises itself as western Norway's largest politically independent forum for social and cultural debates. The series of meetings this spring will kick off with the event 'The greediest generation' in Grieg Hall at 7 p.m. on Thursday, 24 January. Sigbjørn Johnsen and Torbjørn Røe Isaksen will meet in that venue to discuss whether the welfare state will survive. The meeting is open to everyone.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has contributed to the Student Union's debate programme for several years.
‘Good girl’ to Blått Lerret
The documentary film ‘Good Girl' depicts Director Solveig Melkeraaen's experience of severe depression and treatment that included electroshock therapy. Produced by Ingvil Giske at Medieperatørene, the documentary is described as a 'feel good' film about depression. 'Good Girl' is featured on the programme for Blått Lerret (Blue Screen) at the Park Theatre, Olaf Ryes Plass, Oslo, at 7.30 p.m. on Wednesday, 22 January. This monthly event is organised under the auspices of the Norwegian Film Institute. It is open to the public as well as to the film industry.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided a total of NOK 500 000 in funding for the development, production and launch of 'Good Girl'.
Go down in history in a new 'Eidsvold 1814!'
Many people are familiar with Oscar Arnold Wergeland's painting "Eidsvold 1814", which hangs in the halls of the Norwegian Parliament. In the art project entitled "A National Portrait", Trond Hugo Haugen tries to re-create this image through a new photograph. Haugen is seeking 112 children, teens, adults and seniors to represent society as we know it today, and to take part in the art project. The deadline for applications is Monday, 20 January, and the photographs will be taken on 2 February 2014. Read more and submit an application on the project's website.
"A National Portrait" is being produced by KORO/URO in collaboration with Akershus County Art Centre. It is a part of the Constitution Exhibition "1814 Revisited - The Past is Still Present", featured on the Constitutional Centennial Celebration's official programme. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 100 000 in funding for "A National Portrait", in addition to contributing to the main exhibition at Akershus County Art Centre.
Oscar nomination for The Act of Killing
The Fritt Ord Foundation congratulates Stavanger-based Piraya Film with an Oscar nomination for the film 'The Act of Killing' in the class Documentary Feature. The film was directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, produced by Danish Signe Byrge Sørensen and co-produced by Torstein Grude of Piraya Film. Piraya's Grude and Bjarte Mørner Tveit are also among the film's executive producers. The distinctive, critically-acclaimed film is about the mass murder of Communists and suspected Communists in Indonesia in the 1960s. See the list of all nominations here.
In October 2013, the Fritt Ord Foundation organised a preview screening of the film in Norway, at which the "director's cut" was shown with Director Oppenheimer in attendance. 'The Act of Killing' was the recipient of NOK 200 000 in production funding from the Fritt Ord Foundation.
Gathering at Holmsbu for NJP photographers
The photographers featured in the second edition of the Norwegian Journal of Photography (NJP) gathered on the weekend of 9 to 12 January to edit their projects, discuss their progress and draw inspiration from Norwegian and international guests. The group session was attended by Myles Little, associate photo editor for Time Magazine in the US and Josh Lustig of Panos Pictures in the UK. Kari Hesthamar of the Radio Documentary unit at the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation kicked off the workshop. Read more about the gathering and the different photo projects on NJP's website.
The NJP photographers will now continue to work on their projects until the next session. After the summer, their works will be edited, then the process of compiling the NJP book will commence.
Book launch: I'd rather have my life
The book I'd rather have my life. A documentary on veterans-of-war in Norway by photographer Håvard Bjelland and author Bjørn Asle Nord will be launched at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, 14 January 2014 at Uranienborgveien 2, Oslo. The book has been published by Skald Publishing House. Major General Robert Mood will be giving an introduction, followed by a presentation of the project by Bjelland and Nord. The event is free of charge, but please register with .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) as there is limited space available. Read more on the event's Facebook page..
The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 200 000 in support for the book, divided among the author, the photographer and the publisher.
Support for article projects
There were four article-writing projects among the more than 80 minor allocations made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in December 2013. Frida Skatvik received travel support for an article in Le Monde Diplomatique about democracy building in Libya after Gaddafi, and Marte Finess Tretvoll was awarded support for her work on two articles describing research on the literature about the massacre that took place in Norway on 22 July 2011. In addition, Ekaterina Sharova received research funding for an analysis of contemporary Russian art in the magazine Billedkunst (Pictorial Art), while the football journal Josimar was granted travel support for a report on the background for the awarding of the 2022 world football (soccer) championships to Qatar.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in December 2013.
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Swedish prize to the Norwegian Journal of Photography
Norwegian Journal of Photography was awarded the "Visual Prize" at the 2013 2013 Swedish Publishing Awards. The jury's grounds state that the book was awarded the prize for "photos that depict stories of exciting and important human destinies and locations, taken over a long period of time, demonstrating commitment and presence, and providing documentation of our times". The book contains 10 independent photo-essays by Helge Skodvin, Andrea Gjestvang, Karin Beate Nøsterud, Ingvild Vaale Arnesen, Ellen Lande Gossner, Marie Sjøvold, Monica Larsen, Linda Bournane Engelberth, Eivind H. Natvig and Oddleiv Apneseth.
The Swedish photo publisher Journal published the book on commission from the Norwegian Journal of Photography.
DokFoto 2014
Newsha Tavakolian (b. 1981 in Tehran, Iran) is among the photographers who will be attending the DokFoto photo festival at the House of Literature in Oslo from 23 to 25 January 2014. Tavakolian's portfolio includes, among other works, the photo series "Iran", "Look", "Listen", "Mother of Martyrs", "The Day I Became a Woman" and "Haji, Trip of a Lifetime". She was recently commissioned by the Qatar Foundation to travel the world over to take pictures for a book about education that is scheduled for publication in March 2014. Read more about other photographers who will be participating in this year's festival at Foto.no.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 150 000 in support for the Dokfoto 2014 project.
Support for new non-fiction literature
The Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in December include manuscript development support for about 20 non-fiction prose and debate books. One of the recipients was Henrik Thune, who received funding for his work with "Instant Democracy – a book project about how the digital news revolution is taking power over democracy, making politics short-sighted and narcissistic, and threatening the future". Lars Akerhaug received manuscript support for the book "The Terrorist – A Story of Miscalculated Assimilation" and Mohammad Mahdi Izadi got a grant for a book on key events in the relationship between Norway and Iran from 1979 to 2005. Tove Bjørgaas received support for writing "Children - no problem? The time crunch and ambitions in Norway, the USA and the EU".
A list has now been published of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in December 2013.
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Støtte til festivaler og seminarer
There is currently no English translation available for this entry
Banned Expression: Support Free speech in Tibet
There is currently no English translation available for this entry
IDFA's Audience Award to 'The Twin Sisters'
On Friday, 29 November 2013, the Norwegian documentary film 'The Twin Sisters' won the Audience Award at the International Documentary Film Festival (IDFA) in Amsterdam. Congratulations to the winners! IDFA is the world's largest documentary film festival, and this is the first time a Norwegian film has won the prestigious 'Audience Award', bestowed by the audience. 'The Twin Sisters' was directed by Mona Friis Bertheussen (photo) and produced by Moment Film of Oslo. The film tells the story of the identical Chinese twins Alexandra and Mia (10), who were adopted to separate corners of the world - Norway and the USA - when they were about a year old.
The Fritt Ord Foundation, Oslo, provided NOK 200 000 in support for production of "Twin Sisters" in 2012.
Support for new documentary films
Among the Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in October 2013, there are no fewer than 16 documentary films. For example, the company as videomaker was granted NOK 300 000 for the production of the documentary film "The Candidate", directed by Gry Winther. The film follows Fawzia Koofi (photo) in her struggle to become Afghanistan's next president. Fenomen tv film & scene received NOK 150 000 for Pål Winsent's documentary "Sick dark" on the disease ME, and Substans Film received NOK 200 000 for the co-production of Danish Anders Østergaard's film "1989" about the power play between the world's most powerful heads of state and government in the late 1980s. NOK 200 000 was also granted to Fenris Film for director Aslaug Holm's documentary "Class Distinction" about ethnic dividing lines and assimilation in the Oslo school system today.
A list has been published of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in October 2013. (in Norwegian)
A Blind Eye – an exhibition on climate and vulnerability
On Thursday, 17 October, Rune Eraker's one-man show A Blind Eye opened at the Oslo Rådhusgalleri (Oslo City Hall Gallery). The photo exhibition focuses on climate and vulnerability, and consists of 75 large-scale analogue photographs. The photos were taken in 15 countries that are highly vulnerable to climatic change - often the poorest countries in the world. The exhibition will be open at Oslo Rådhusgalleri until 23 November 2013, then move on to the City Museum in Bergen (15 May - 15 October 2014) and to the Tromsø Art Association (November -December 2014).
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 200 000 in support for the project.
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Journalists on demanding assignments
How can journalists prepare themselves for the powerful impressions they are left with by covering other people's suffering? What can editorial boards do to prevent demanding assignments from provoking stress reactions and burn-out? What can journalism programmes do to prepare students for stories that can leave indelible marks on their souls?
The book Demanding assignments. How to cope with stress by Trond Idås will be launched with a panel discussion at the Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences at 3 p.m. on Monday, 7 October. The Fritt Ord Foundation provided support for manuscript development.
Programme.
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Deeyah's film on honour killing won an Emmy last night
Our warmest congratulations to Deeyah on winning an Emmy Award for the best international current affairs film! She received the prize for "Banaz: A Love Story", about the brutal honour killing of the young British woman Banaz Mahmod in London in 2006. This is truly a big day for Norwegian documentary film. The Fritt Ord Foundation provided a total of NOK 300 000 in support for the development and production of "Banaz: A Love Story".
The Fritt Ord Foundation has also provided support for two documentary films with which Deeyah is currently involved as director and producer: this past February, we allocated NOK 300 000 for a documentary about Sheema Kermani, and in August this year, NOK 260 000 for the documentary film "Radicals".
Read "We came to celebrate the nomination. Then I won the most highly respected prize" (in Norwegian).
Grants for journalism
When applications for minor grants were dealt with in September, support was allocated to several projects in the field of journalism. For example, Journalist Bjørgulv Bjåen and Photojournalist Erlend Berge who work in the newspaper Vårt Land received a total of NOK 40 000 in travel grants for the project "Alaska - where everyone gets an oil cheque". The newspaper Klassekampen received NOK 100 000 for the first semester of the Klassekampen Academy, for the purpose of recruiting and developing "aspiring young journalists" from unconventional backgrounds. NOK 80 000 was allocated to the University of Nordland County for a research project on commentary and opinion journalism inthe regional press.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in September 2013. (in Norwegian)
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20th Anniversary of the Oslo Accord
The 20th anniversary of the signing of the Oslo Accord will be commemorated by two events at the House of Literature in Oslo on 13 September 2013. From 10 a.m.-12.30 p.m., the Norwegian Association of NGOs for Palestine, the Palestine Committee, the Institute of Applied Social Science (FAFO) and others will be organising an open seminar entitled "The Oslo Accord - 20 years after - the peace that failed" with Anis F. Kassim, Hilde Henriksen Waage and Sahar Francis. From 1.30 p.m.-9.30 p.m., Le Monde Diplomatique will be organising the conference "The Oslo Conference - The Road Ahead for Palestine and Israel". Participants will include Salam Fayyad, Terje Rød-Larsen, Jan Egeland, Mustafa Barghouti, Torgeir Larsen and Shir Hever. See the conference’s Facebook pagefor the programme, information and registration.
The events have received support from the Fritt Ord Foundation.
Homo Religiosus
The Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in August 2013 include a contribution of NOK 400 000 for the exhibition "Homo Religiosus" at the Perspective Museum in Tromsø. The project is based on a huge volume of documentary material from religious communities. The goal of the exhibition is to discover new knowledge about today's religious pluralism in the north, contributing to a more balanced image of religiousness in general and in northern Norway in particular. Researchers and artists alike will be represented in the exhibition, which is scheduled to open on UN Day next year (24 October 2014).
A list has now been published of the grants awarded by the Freedom of Expression Foundation in August 2013.
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Manta
This week the House of Dance in Oslo is staging the performance "Manta" by and with the French-Tunisian dancer and choreographer Héla Fattoumi. Fattoumi wore a niqab as an adult, liberated woman, and the performance mirrors her experience of what this did to her emotionally and physically. "Manta" will be performed on Saturday 31 August and Sunday 1 September, at 7 p.m. The House of Dance will also organise four events in connection with "Manta". At 1 p.m. on 30 August, there will be a Dialogue Café with dance researcher Cecilia Olsson, and at 5 p.m. on 31 August, there will be a Tea House in collaboration with KULT, featuring participants Gisken Armand, Marjan Vahdat and Erik Hillestad. Following the Saturday performance, at 8.15 p.m., a Postscript will be held with Héla Fattoumi and Cecilia Olsson. At 5 p.m. on 1 September, a Dilemma will be organised on the topic "Body Politics", featuring guests Shabana Rehman, Iram Haq, Héla Fattoumi, and others.
"Manta" is the House of Dance's commemoration of the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage in Norway. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 30 000 in support for the performance and the debate programme.
Last Call – at the eleventh hour
This evening, at 7 p.m. on 26 August 2013, marks the Norwegian premier of the documentary film "Last Call – at the eleventh hour" at the Park Theatre in Oslo. The documentary has been directed by Italian Enrico Cerasuolo, with Skofteland Film as co-producer. The film is described as "a climate documentary on our global crisis", and takes its point of departure in the controversial book The Limits to Growth (1972) by the Norwegian environmentalist Jørgen Randers and three of his scientist colleagues at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Randers will be attending the screening. Free admission. Read more on the Skofteland Film website.
The film will also be aired on the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation at 10.20 p.m. on 27 August. Both the production of "Last Call – at the eleventh hour" and the event on 26 August are being supported by the Fritt Ord Foundation.
Emmy nomination for Deeyah's film “Banaz: A Love Story”
Deeyah's documentary about honour killing in, "Banaz: A Love Story" ("Banaz: An Honour Killing"), has been nominated for an Emmy for best film in the category Current Affairs.
In January 2013, the Fritt Ord Foundation organised the first screening of the film in Norway with subsequent talks. Both the film itself and recordings of the talks in the Fritt Ord Foundation's premises are available on YouTube. This year, the Fritt Ord Foundation has allocated NOK 300 000 to the development and production of "Banaz: A Love Story".
The Fritt Ord Foundation's support for projects related to 22 July 2011
In August 2011, the Fritt Ord Foundation earmarked up to MNOK 15 for projects using different media formats to contribute knowledge and to a broader debate about the terrorist attacks that took place in Norway on 22 July 2011 – including their background and their human and societal consequences. The Foundation has devoted extra attention to all applications related to this topic, focussing especially on initiatives taken by young people.
As of 1 August 2013, 60 grants have been awarded for projects related to 22 July 2011, totalling roughly MNOK 8.9. The grants have been announced on an ongoing basis along with the ordinary grants in every round of applications. The largest sub-group is books, with 31 grants. For example, Aage Storm Borchgrevink was granted support for script work on A Norwegian tragedy. Anders Behring Breivik and the Roads to Utøya Island and Erika Fatland for the book The Year with No Summer. Both a working grant and printing support were allocated for Andrea Gjestvang's photo book A day in history. Among the grants to film projects, we find a contribution to Karianne Moe's documentary film "To the Young People", produced by Sant & Usant (True & False).
Click here to view the overall list of projects related to 22 July, sorted by genre (in Norwegian)..
Søknadsfrist fredag 2. august
Fritt Ord har søknadsfrist fredag 2. august, med utløp ved midnatt.
De tekniske problemene etter lynnedslag og strømbrudd hos vår leverandør er nå løst.
Many came here in boats
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 90 000 for the theatre project "Many came here in boats" being made by the company REBEKKA/HUY (Rebekka Nystabakk and Huy Le Vo). The production focuses on Vietnam, with emphasis on the war, boat refugees and the largest wave of refugees to Norway. What does it mean to blend as successfully into a society as it is often said that the Vietnamese refugees have managed to do? "Many came here in boats" is a co-production with the Black Box Theatre, where the play will be performed in spring 2014.
A list has been published of the minor grants awarded by the Freedom of Expression Foundation in June 2013.
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Support for the Art of Drawing
The Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in May 2012 included four projects related to the art of drawing. The House of Cartoonists in Drøbak has been granted support for the exhibition "100 Years of Russian Political Cartoons", featuring the Russian artist Michail Zlatkovsky. Morten Harper received funding for "The journey out of the frames", a series of articles in Le Monde diplomatique about the journey of comic strips through the cultural classes, in connection with which Harper will interview six of the world's most prominent cartoonists. Lars Fiske was granted support to work on a graphic novel about the Fiske automobile factory, while Line Halsnes got a grant to illustrate the graphic novel "Hand to hand combat" about females in the Norwegian Armed Forces, featuring drawings by Halsnes and text by Axel Hellstenius. The book is based on the young people's novel "Twat quota" by Hellstenius and Morten Skårdal.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in May 2013.
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The development and production of documentary films
The Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in June 2013 include funding for the development and production of nine documentary films. For example, development support has been awarded to India Film's project with the working title "Munch in hell", an international documentary that will examine Edvard Munch and his position in Norway. Further, development support has been granted to Bonanza Post Production for a documentary film about school drop-outs and to Gammaglimt for development of the documentary film "Blackhearts". Funds were also allocated for a documentary film on the New York Review of Books focusing, among other things, on human rights and freedom of expression.
A list has now been published of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in June 2013 (in Norwegian).
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'Ida's Diary' to Good Pitch Europe 2013
The Norwegian documentary film 'Ida's Diary' has been selected for inclusion in the pitch forum Good Pitch Europe 2013 at the Royal Institution of Great Britain in London on 7 June 2013. The pitch forum was initiated by the BRITDOC Foundation in collaboration with the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Programme. 'Ida's Diary' has been directed by August Baugstø Hanssen and produced by Carsten Aanonsen of Indie Film. Presenting the personal story of a young girl who is a self-mutilator, the film is based on recordings from the girl's own video diary.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 250 000 in production support for 'Ida’s Diary'.
Women's suffrage anniversary in Bamble: Marie Høeg
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 100 000 to Bamble Municipality for its celebration of the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage in Norway, which the municipality will celebrate by re-enacting the story of the Langesund woman Marie Høeg (1866–1949). Høeg was a suffragette, organiser, photographer and lesbian, and she played an important part in winning the right for women to vote in Norway. While the municipality will celebrate the anniversary with a number of events throughout 2013, the main emphasis will be on women's suffrage week, beginning on 31 August. The celebrations will include a relaunch of "The Discussion Society" and a photo exhibition at the Wrightegaarden Estate. A preview of the exhibition will be on display in the Bamble City Hall from 11 June.
Gay Kids. Gay People Were Young Once Too
The exhibition "Gay Kids. Kule barn som også finnes" ("Gay Kids. Gay People Were Young Once Too") opens at Maihaugen at 10 a.m. on 31 May 2013. "Gay Kids" is a beautifully illustrated book and an exhibition that sheds light on what it is like to grow up and fall in love with someone of the same sex. The project is a joint venture between Gay and Lesbian Health Norway, the Norwegian Literary Festival and Maihaugen. Olemic Thommessen, the Conservative Party's spokesperson on family policy, will open the exhibition, followed by presentations by Stig-Werner Moe and Bera U. Moseng from Gay and Lesbian Health Norway.
The project has received support from the Fritt Ord Foundation.
Professional network of journalists on hate speech, hate crimes and extremism
The two authors and freelance journalists Øyvind Strømmen and Kjetil Stormark are joining forces to establish a professional network of journalists at the international level who will cover hate speech, hate crimes and extremism. The project, entitled 'Hate Speech International' (HSI), is a two-year feasibility study. The project is being carried out with financial support from the Fritt Ord Foundation and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Read the rest of the press release from Strømmen and Stormark.
Death, shall we dance?
"Why is it that we in today's Norway hide death away so painstakingly, surrounding it with silence and taboos?" This is how the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) introduces the documentary "Death, shall we dance?" about Per Fugelli, who will be awarded the Freedom of Expression Foundation Prize for 2013 on 14 May. In the film, Fugelli reflects brutally and openly on life and death in the light of his own cancer. He wants to "release death from the prison of taboo words". Jæren, Værøy, Røst and Grønland in Oslo provide the background for a poetic, thought-provoking film about leaving life.
Invisible Symposium. A theater of ideas
Philosophers, authors, activists, politicians and artists were all asked the same set of questions with a focus on the current state of democracy. Why is it ailing? What challenges will it face in the years to come? Actors will portray the participating intellectuals in a staged exchange of ideas. PEN American Center, Fritt Ord, Jacobin, and The New School for Social Research invite to the 2013 PEN World Voices Festival’s Invisible Symposium on Saturday, 4 May 2013, 8-10pm, in New York City.
Seminar programme:
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Support for Norwegian factual prose
Among the Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in March 2013, we find 20 allocations for manuscript development and for the publication of new books in the factual prose genre in the broad sense. For example, Gunnar Ringheim has been granted NOK 50 000 to write the book "Abuse in the name of Jesus", while Cornelia Kristiansen has received NOK 75 000 for the interview book "The Class" about experiences from attending a multicultural school on the east side of downtown Oslo. Ingrid Vik has been granted NOK 50 000 for a book project entitled "Among the faithful", in which she investigates Norwegian Christian conservatives' attitudes to value-related questions in respect of family and equal opportunity. NOK 25 000 has been allocated to Trine Krigsvoll Haagensen and Martin Paulsen to translate and publish "A punk prayer for freedom" with lyrics by the Russian art collective Pussy Riot.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in March 2013.
europe@debate: Europe’s lost generation?
The programme FutureLab Europe focuses on young people between the ages of 20 and 30 who want to take part in debates and influence the future of Europe. During the event europe@debate in Brussels from 4 to 6 p.m. on Monday, 22 April, this year's young participants will present a report on how the European countries inside and outside the European Union are dealing with the social and financial crisis. The keynote speaker will be Joaquín Almunia, vice president of the European Commission. There will also be a debate, and interventions by FutureLab participants James Kilcourse of Ireland and Enja Sæthren of Norway. The event will be streamed directly here.
FutureLab Europe is a joint project among 10 European foundations, including the Fritt Ord Foundation.
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Iran symposium in Trondheim
On 20 April 2013, the Department of Art and Media Studies at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and the Kosmorama Film Festival in Trondheim will be hosting a symposium featuring international experts on Iranian film and prominent film-makers, including the director Mohsen Makhmalbaf. The symposium will introduce a Norwegian audience to Iranian film, and discuss the conditions for Iranian film-makers today. The event will be open to the general public, and the venue will be Det norske oljeselskap's premises from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Munkegata 26. Read more here (in Norwegian).
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 125 000 in support for the project.
Burning memories
Tappeluft Pictures has been granted NOK 100 000 to develop the documentary film "Burning memories", directed by Ellen-Astri Lundby. The film takes its point of departure in the memories of those experienced the forced evacuation and burning of Finnmark and North-Troms counties as children during World War II. The story is told through three main witnesses. At the same time as the past rises to the surface, the film will explore the losses of these people 70 years later.
A list has now been published of the major grants awarded in March 2013.
New York Times reports on NJP
The New York Times is presenting a comprehensive report on the Norwegian Journal of Photography and on the photographers' projects on its photoblog entitled Lens Blog under the title "Norway's New Photographic Landscape". Helge Skodvin gives an account of his work documenting the Norwegian landscape and the Volvo 240: "More than any other car, the Volvo 240 has been a symbol of Norwegian and Scandinavian values," he comments to Lens Blog. Visit the website at Lens Blog to read the whole story.
Norwegian Journal of Photography is now being sold at the Tronsmo in Oslo and is available for order on the bookseller's website. The book can also be ordered from Journal Publishing House: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
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Prizes to NJP photographers at the Picture of the Year awards
Several of photographers from the Fritt Ord Foundation's project Norwegian Journal of Photography (NJP) won prizes at the recent Picture of the Year awards organised by the Press Photographers' Club, Norway. In the class ‘Portrait Series’, Andrea Gjestvang took first prize and Ellen Lande Gossner third prize. Eivind H. Natvig won the class ‘Inland Report of the Year’, with Helge Skodvin in second place. Natvig also placed third in the category ‘Nature and the Environment’. In the class ‘Foreign Report of the Year’, Linda Bournane Engelberth took second place. Congratulations to the winners!
The illustrative photo is from Ellen Lande Gossner's photo project "The Deaconesses".
Hate Radio
The International Institute of Political Murder is currently appearing at the Oslo International Theatre Festival and Black Box Theatre with the play "Hate Radio". Terese Bjørneboe writes in the daily newspaper Aftenposten: "It is not only a documentary performance about the genocide in Rwanda, but also a reconstruction of the broadcasts of a radio station that played a decisive role. RTLM served as a propaganda centre, while the journalists and disc jockeys were Hipsters who played Nirvana. Hate Radio is about how the meanings of words change. It makes a deep, disquieting impression because the DJs use a globalised language that reduces the distance to the events."
The performance will be played on 20, 21 and 22 March. The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted Black Box Theatre NOK 150 000 for the guest performance.
Philosophy Day 2013
Philosophy Day for Upper Secondary Schools will be held at Uranienborgveien 2 in Oslo on Wednesday, 20 March 2013. This year's topic is "I. You. We? What is real? How do we know? How to live?" In addition to group discussions, the programme features lectures by Thor Steinar Grødal, Monica Roland, Anders Strand and Bjørn Ramberg. The event is fully subscribed.
The organiser is the Upper Secondary School Philosophy Association; Fritt Ord Foundation has provided a grant of NOK 50 000 for Philosophy Day.
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2012 Picture of the Year Award to Andrea Gjestvang
The Fritt Ord Foundation congratulates Photographer Andrea Gjestvang on the 2012 Picture of the Year Award. The prize was bestowed at a ceremony under the auspices of the Press Photographers' Club, Norway, on 15 March 2013. The winning photo is a portrait of Ylva Schwenke, one of the survivors of the terrorist massacre on Utøya Island in the summer of 2011. The picture is part of the book "One Day in History" (Pax Publishing House, 2012), in which Gjestvang portrays 43 Utøya Island survivors from all over Norway.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 210 000 in support for the book project.
Steffen Kverneland's Munch biography
No Comprendo Press has been granted NOK 60 000 for the publication of Steffen Kverneland's "Munch", a biography in comic strip form. This depiction takes its point of departure in quotations from Edvard Munch's own writings, along with contemporary descriptions of his life and career. The book also serves as a group portrait of a community of artists known as the Scandinavian 'Bohème' around the turn of the 20th century, when modernism was taking shape as an art form. The biography is based on Kverneland's chapters on Munch in the series "Kanon".
International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX)
Based in Toronto, Canada, the global network IFEX consists of more than 80 organisations that work to promote freedom of expression. The network draws attention to abuses of freedom of expression committed against journalists, activists, artists and researchers. The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted CAD 80 000 in support for IFEX' activities in 2013.
On IFEX’ website, you can read about and subscribe to daily and weekly news bulletins about freedom of expression the world over.
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Before the snow falls
At 8.15 p.m. on Friday, 15 February, Hisham Zaman's debut film "Before the snow falls" will premiere at the Klingenberg Cinema in Oslo. The director will introduce the film before the screening. See the trailer and order tickets. Paradox has produced the film, and the Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 150 000 in support.
A 16-year-old boy is wrapped in plastic and submerged in the tank of a lorry filled with crude oil. This is how the film "Before the snow falls" starts. It is an unconventional road movie about family, love, dignity and honour. When Siyar's sister flees from her own wedding, he is put in charge of finding her and restoring the family's reputation. The search for his sister turns out to be a dangerous journey from east to west.
Mary Ellen Mark to visit Dokfoto 2013
Dokfoto 2013 will be arranged at the House of Literature in Oslo from 22 to 24 February. American photographer Mary Ellen Mark is famous for her works in the interface between photojournalism and portrait photography. Paal Audestad, Helge Skodvin and Andrea Gjestvang will be participating from Norway. Other photographers who will be showing their projects are Sebastían Liste, Sanna Sjöswärd, Katharina Hesse, Mimi Chakarova and Tomas van Houtryve. Read more at fotografi.no (in Norwegian).
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 150 000 in support for the project.
New documentary films
The Fritt Ord Foundation's allocations of major grants in February 2013 included funding for the production of seven documentary films. The company Aldeles received for support for "The Journalist and the Soldier" from Burma, and Bakkenivåfilm for "Someone must take the lead" from Afghanistan. Integral Film was granted funding for "ManIslam - Taming of the Goliath", the last part of Nefise Özkal Lorentzen's trilogy on Islam. Deeyah received support for a documentary about the Pakistani dancer, actor and feminist Sheema Kermani, while Fet Film was awarded a grant for "Birth of Hope" from Kenya. Sanden Media received a grant for "Desert Stench" about life on the garbage dumps in Brooklyn in the 1920s-30s, and the company friogfrank (fancy-free) was granted funding for a film on Stig Sæterbakken's work with the novel Sauermugg.
The list of the major grants made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in February 2013 has now been published.
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TPB AFK: The Pirate Bay Away From Keyboard
Simon Klose's documentary film 'TPB AFK: The Pirate Bay Away From Keyboard' will have its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival on 8 February 2013. The film will kick off the documentary segment entitled Panorama Dokumente. In the documentary, we follow the three founders of the Swedish torrent-sharing website The Pirate Bay, i.e. Peter Sunde, Fredrik Neij and Gottfried Svartholm. See the trailer. The entire film will be shown here.
The film has been produced by Sweden's Nonami Film, with Anagram (S), Final Cut for Real (DK) and Norwegian Piraya Film as co-producers. The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 150 000 in support to Norwegian co-producer Piraya Film.
When the Boys Return
The documentary film 'When the Boys Return' will premier in Norway at Ringen Cinema at 4 p.m. on 9 February 2013, during the Human Rights Human Wrongs Film Festival. Tone Andersen has directed the film, which was produced by Sant & Usant ('True & False'). Following the film screening, there will be talks featuring the director and Nora Ingdal from Save the Children. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided a total of NOK 225 000 in support for the development and production of the film. See the trailer and the website for the film.
After months and years as political prisoners, teenagers Mohammed Jamil, Hamze and Mahran returned home to the West Bank. Once the celebration of their homecoming was over, they once again found themselves surrounded by soldiers, military raids and weekly demonstrations. They also faced challenges in dealing with their own families, as well as with friends and the school.
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Norwegian Online Encyclopaedia
The Fritt Ord Foundation and the savings bank foundation Sparebankstiftelsen DnB NOR acquired the rights to Store norske leksikon (Norway's largest encyclopaedia) in 2010. Some two years later, the old print-format leviathan has been transformed into a modern online encyclopaedia with 2 million visitors a month. In 2012, the encyclopaedia was augmented by new, updated articles comparable to 60 non-fiction books. Read, for example, Francis Sejersted's recently written article on 1814 – the Birth of Norway's Independence (in Norwegian).
Read more about the Norwegian Online Encyclopaedia.
Local newspapers in in Vesterålen
Magnum photographer Jonas Bendiksen explores a local Norwegian community. While working as a photographer for a number of local newspapers in Vesterålen, Bendiksen’s routine assignments for the newspapers gave him a unique opportunity to observe everything that took place in this small island community off the coast of northern Norway. The Fritt Ord Foundation granted NOK 100 000 in support for this photo project in 2012. See Bendiksen's blog or read more about the project and see photos in the magazine Wired.
Edvard Munch and Lene Berg to the Venice Biennale
The exhibition "Beware of the Holy Whore: Edvard Munch and the Dilemma of Emancipation" will be the official Norwegian contribution to the 55th International Art Exhibition La Biennale di Venezia in 2013. It includes a series of rarely exhibited works by Edvard Munch and a new film by the artist Lene Berg. Based on the concept of emancipation, the project will explore the relationship between art, its social context, and gender roles in flux in Munch's day and today. The exhibition will be shown from 31 May to 22 September 2013, and is being curated by the Office for Contemporary Art (OCA) and Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa.
The Fritt Ord Foundation allocated NOK 300 000 for the exhibition in December 2012.
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Library projects
The Fritt Ord Foundation's minor allocations in December 2012 included three projects related to Norway's libraries. The Buskerud County Library received NOK 50 000 for the conference "Young 3.0", intended to disseminate knowledge about young people's culture and the use of digital media. The Grünerløkka Branch of the Deichmann Library received NOK 50 000 for the digitisation of Scandinavian journals and publications printed by small-scale publishers in conjunction with the "Public Library Project". The Department of Archivistics, Library and Information Sciences, Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, received NOK 10 000 for Kari Skjønsberg Days 2013, a conference about girls and power, based on literature for children and young people.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in December 2012.
New non-fiction Norwegian literature
The Fritt Ord Foundation's major allocations in December included grants for 18 writers to work on new non-fiction and debate books. For example, Magnus Marsdal received funding for a coffee table book entitled "Freedom in red, white and blue", in which he will explore the relationship between freedom and community by comparing life in the welfare state Norway with the average citizen's experience in the USA. Håkon Harket received a grant to work on "The Clause", a broad-based presentation of the history of the Jewish clause, while Cornelius Jakhelln received a grant for a monograph on musical extremism, with special emphasis on the genres black metal, industrial and neo-folk.
The list of the Fritt Ord Foundation’s major grants in December 2012 has now been published.
China at Home
The Fritt Ord Foundation supported the organisation Human Rights in China by providing a grant of USD 50 000 in 2012, not least for the development of the China Rights Forum online. The latest edition of the journal – China at Home – devotes attention to the growth of activism in China.
Photographer Eivind H. Natvig's project to be shown in Bangladesh
Eivind H. Natvig's photo project "You Are Here Now" is scheduled to be shown at the Chobi Mela – International Festival of Photography in Bangladesh from 25 January to 7 February 2013. Natvig is a participant in the Fritt Ord Foundation's programme Norwegian Journal of Photography, and the Fritt Ord Foundation supported the project "You Are Here Now" with a grant of NOK 100 000 in 2009.
Read more on Natvig's own website.
"The classics of Norwegian journalism" on NRK P2 radio
Two of the speakers from the Fritt Ord Foundation's series "The classics of Norwegian journalism", Aina Nøding and Mona Ringvej from the University of Oslo, will be featured on the programme Echo on NRK P2 on Friday, 11 January, at 10.30 a.m. Nøding and Ringvej will talk about Claus Fasting (1746–1791), Bernt Børretzen (1762–1817) and Birgithe Kühle (1762–1832), who will also be the focus of the opening event for "The classics of Norwegian journalism" on 15 January.
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Atopia and the journal Objektiv
Among the Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in November, we find several contributions to projects involving photography and video art. The journal Objektiv (Objective), which focuses on camera-based contemporary art, was granted NOK 75 000 for its operations in 2013. The Atopia Foundation received a total of NOK 150 000 for its exhibition projects. Funding was provided, among other things, for the second phase of a research and exhibition project that examines the historical development of Norwegian film and video art. This phase will showcase the 1990s.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in November 2012.
Science Library nominated for "Library of the Year"
The Norwegian Library Association has shortlisted the new Science Library at the Blindern campus as one of the three nominees for the distinction "Library of the Year". The nomination reports, among other things, that the building has been converted from old-fashioned reading rooms and study facilities to a state-of-the-art learning centre. Read the entire article on the Bibliotekforum's website (in Norwegian).
In 2010, the Fritt Ord Foundation allocated MNOK 4 for the renovation and establishment of the Science Library in the Vilhelm Bjerknes Building. In recent years, grants have also been given to support the series entitled "Science Debate" at the library.
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Love and War - an exhibition at the Oslo Museum on Norwegian girls who consorted with the Germans during WWII
Oslo Museum received a grant of NOK 200 000 from the Fritt Ord Foundation for the exhibition "Love and War" about Norwegian girls who consorted with the Germans during the German Occupation of Norway during WWII. The exhibition will open at the Oslo Museum on 8 May 2013 in connection with the commemoration of the anniversary of women's suffrage in Norway. The aim of the project is to draw attention to other perspectives on Norwegian war history, and to encourage critical reflection regarding ethical social issues and how history is recorded. The exhibition is geared to schools in particular.
The list of the major grants made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in October 2012 has now been published.
Terra not so firma
Christiania Film's documentary on the Terra case, 'Terra not so firma’ ('Tidenes investering'), will be broadcast on TV2 Wednesday, 17 October 2012, at 10:40 p.m. The financial crisis that hit Wall Street in 2008 had a direct impact on eight Norwegian municipalities, causing them to suffer huge losses. Based on three municipalities in Nordland County, the film takes an in-depth look at the outcome of the worst investment ever. The film was directed by Oddvar Einarson.
The Freedom of Expression Foundation Oslo provided NOK 250 000 in support for production of the film in 2008.
Photo project on the Roma on exhibit in New York
Linda Bournane Engelberth's photo project on "The Lives and Traditions of the Roma" will be shown at the New York Photo Awards Exhibition at the PowerHouse Arena during the DUMBO Arts Festival in Brooklyn. The exhibition is being shown from 28 September to 10 October 2012.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 100 000 in support for the project. Engelberth is one of the 10 photographers included in the Norwegian Journal of Photography (NJP).
The Lives of Women in Iran
On behalf of the organisers, Sindre Bangstad has been granted NOK 32 000 by the Fritt Ord Foundation for the event "The Lives of Women in Iran. Justice and Injustice" to be held at the House of Literature in Oslo at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, 26 September. Iranian-US professor of Anthropology Arzoo Osanloo does research on women's rights in a country that has had an Islamic system of government since 1979. The event will feature her in dialogue with Sindre Bangstad and Sevda Clark from the University of Oslo on the position of women in Iran.
See the list of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in September 2012.
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A Balloon for Allah: International prizes and festivals
Nefise Özkal Lorentzen's documentary film "A Balloon for Allah" about women and Islam has been selected to be screened at 31 different film festivals. The film has won five prizes, most recently the Best Documentary Award and the Jury Award at the International Film Festival for Peace, Inspiration and Equality in Jakarta, Indonesia. The Fritt Ord Foundation provided NOK 300 000 in support for the film.
This is the second film in Özkal Lorentzen's trilogy on Islam. The first was “Gender Me” in 2008, which dealt with homosexuality. Özkal Lorentzen is currently working on a third film, this time about masculinity in Islam.
Overview of prizes and festivals:
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Bivrfrost – the bridge to the world of the gods
The Frikar Dance Company has been granted NOK 150 000 for the dance performance "Bivrfrost". Employing a fairy-tale format, Frikar asks whether calling culture 'Norwegian' must necessarily exclude others. These days, the right-wing extremist Sweden Democrats use folk dancing to promote the party, and the abuse of the Norwegian folk dancing tradition by the Nazis during World War II remains unknown. In "Bivrfrost", the young folk dancers on stage meet Nazi folk dancers from the propaganda films made by the NS, and the Arab "invasion" of Norway today meets the Christian invasion of 1000 years ago. Young people from Thailand, Pakistan, Uganda, Valdres and Hallingdal use their own languages and identities to challenge their own self-experienced xenophobia in an encounter with a poetic manuscript.
The list of the major grants made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in August 2012 has now been published.
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I dag, 9. oktober, åpner filmfestivalen Film fra Sør
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Prize for best Norwegian short documentary to 'This is Kabul'
'This is Kabul' won the prize for the best Norwegian short documentary at the Bergen International Film Festival (BIFF) this week. The film was produced by Bakkenivåfilm (Ground Level Film) and directed by Nargis Azaryun, Sadaf Fetrat, Sahar Fetrat, Anders Sømme Hammer and Christoffer Næss. The Fritt Ord Foundation congratulates the winners!
Since 2011, three young women named Sahar, Sadaf and Nargis have filmed their own lives in Kabul. Among other things, the film follows the establishment of the organisation 'Young Women for Change', which works to liberate young Afghani women. The jury's grounds state inter alia that the film "expands our perspective on those who are usually defined as victims, and demonstrates how a documentary film has the power to empower the powerless. The documentation in the film is strong, unique and engaging".
The Fritt Ord Foundation provided NOK 150 000 in support for production of the film in 2013.
Audience Award to Flink Pike (Good Girl) at BIFF 2014
Congratulations to Director Solveig Melkeraaen and 'Good Girl' on winning the Audience Award at the Bergen International Film Festival.
The documentary film 'Good girl' depicts Director Solveig Melkeraaen's experience of severe depression and treatment that included electroshock therapy. Produced by Ingvil Giske of the Media Operators, the film is described as a 'feel good' movie about depression.
The Fritt Ord Foundation provided a total of NOK 500 000 in funding for the development, production and launch of 'Good Girl'.
Sovietistan
This week marks the launch of Erika Fatland's new book "Sovietistan: a Voyage through Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan". The book is a result of five months spent in the region, and it deals with the countries in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. How have the former Soviet republics developed since? What about their future, given their newly-acquired oil and gas resources and with Russia thinking expansively again? Erika Fatland offers gripping human interest stories and historical, political and cultural reflections.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 175 000 in support for the project.
DRONE wins two prizes at BIFF 2014
Congratulations to Director Tonje Hessen Schei, Flimmer Film and the rest of the team behind the documentary film DRONE on winning two prizes at Bergen International Film Festival. The film was named best human rights film on the Checkpoints programme and best Norwegian documentary. DRONE examines the use of modern drones and the human consequences of this type of warfare.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided support for the development, production and feature-length version of DRONE in the amount of NOK 500 000 altogether. In April 2014, the Foundation organised an exclusive preview screening of the film - followed by talks with experts and the main characters from the film, including former drone pilot Brandon Bryant, representing the victims of drones Attorney Mirza Shahzad Akbar, Professor Paul Schulte, Director Tonje Hessen Schei and Journalist Chris Woods.
Support for theatre projects
There are five theatre productions among the nearly 70 projects that were approved for Fritt Ord Foundation funding in September 2014. Buggetekst received NOK 60 000 to help develop the play "Helpers" about Norwegian development co-operation, while Cecilie Lundsholt received NOK 50 000 to develop the stage play "An Industrial Fairytale in Tyssedal". NOK 40 000 was granted to the South Sami Åarjelhsaemien Theatre for the play "Hijven Hov, Ylva!" about government policy regarding predators, and NOK 40 000 to Øyonn's performance of "The Black Book Cleric's catechism". Jon Tombre received NOK 50 000 to stage Arthur Miller's play "The Crucible", a collaboration between Our Theatre in Molde and Fagerlia Upper Secondary School in Ålesund.
A list has now been published of the grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in September 2014. (in Norwegian)
The Gompen Report and other reports on surveillance in Norway 1948-89
The film "The Gompen Report and other reports on surveillance in Norway 1948–89” has now been posted on Vimeo. [link]
"The Gompen Report and other reports on surveillance in Norway 1948–89” is a film from a mock hearing about the surveillance of dissidents during the Cold War. The result is a collage of selected reports and evidence.
Lene Berg has directed the film, and Studio Fjordholm has produced it.
The Fritt Ord Foundation provided NOK 300 000 in support for the film in 2013.
Southbound
The book Southbound by Knut Egil Wang, which has been granted support by the Fritt Ord Foundation, has recently been generating splendid headlines in a number of media: on The New Yorker's photo blog Photo Booth [link], Slate.com's photo blog Behold [link], Feature Shoot [link], American Photo [link] and in the magazine D2. The book explores the concept of "Down South", and consists of pictures from typical charter holiday destinations such as Cypress, the Canary Islands, Spain and Thailand. It has been published by the Swedish publisher Journal.
The Fritt Ord Foundation provided project support of NOK 390 000 in 2007 and book support of NOK 75 000 in 2011.
Knut Egil Wang is one of the project participants the Norwegian Journal of Photography.
The Democracy Festival 2014
Three former prime ministers and six recipients of the Fritt Ord Prize will be on stage at Demokratifestivalen on Eidsvoll, Saturday 13 September.
Per Fugelli, Abid Raja, Anne Sender, Nina Karin Monsen, Anders Sømme Hammer and Bushra Ishaq participate in what might be the most important conversation of this year’s celebration of the Norwegian Constitution’s 200th anniversary. Together will moderator Håvard Kleppa they will discuss the costs associated with freedom of speech.
The programme can be found here. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 50 000 in support of the festival.
Support for documentary films
There were eight documentary films among the projects that were approved for Fritt Ord Foundation funding in August. Among them, Colorbar was granted NOK 150 000 for the production of "The last dose", in which the director Hilde Stålskjær Olsen shadows the former drug-abuser Siri as she makes her way out of drug-assisted rehabilitation. Motlys received NOK 100 000 to work with Paulina Cervenka's documentary film "Wanja" (picture) about a woman suffering from the fatal disease ALS. Further, NOK 200 000 was granted to Fenomen TV film og scene for the production of "The Lady from Os", directed by Pål Winsents - a sequel to the documentary "The Girl from Oz" (2006) about mentally challenged Christina.
A list has now been published of the grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in August 2014.
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Photo exhibition - Pushwagner
Petter Mejlænder's photo exhibition "Pushwagner" will be on display at Gallery Fineart at Tjuvholmen in Oslo from 28 August to 14 September 2014. The photo exhibition is being shown in tandem with Pushwagner's sales exhibition "Movement". The exhibitions will be opened by Mayor Fabian Stang at 6 p.m. on Thursday, 28 August.
In working with the photographs and on Pushwagner's biography, Petter Mejlænder followed the artist's activities closely for seven years. In connection with the exhibition, Mejlænder's photo book about Pushwagner will also be launched. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 50 000 in support for the photo exhibition and NOK 75 000 for the biography (a work in progress).
Book launch: From the Youth
The reportage agency Paragon Features will be launching its book From the Youth at 7 p.m. on Friday, 12 September 2014, at Cappelen Damm Publishing House in Akersgata 47-49, Oslo. The event is part of the Oslo Book Festival. The project was initiated in autumn 2011 in the aftermath of the terrorist massacres that took place in Norway on 22 July 2011; the project is described as a multimedia portrait of a generation of young people. For two years, the young photojournalists Aleksander Andersen, Martin Slottemo Lyngstad and Lars Øverli travelled all over Norway in an ancient camper, documenting Norwegian youth in their natural habitats.
In addition to From the youth now being published in hard copy and as a digital book, in autumn 2014, Paragon Features will host a large-scale travelling exhibition all over the country. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 710 000 in support to the project.
Amanda Prize to Light Fly, Fly High
On 16 August 2014, the Amanda Prize for the best documentary film was awarded to Fri Film for the documentary "Light Fly, Fly High". The film is about the young Indian boxing talent Thulasi and her struggle against discrimination, corruption and sexual oppression. Beathe Hofseth and Susann Østigaard have directed and produced the film. Warm congratulations to Fri Film!
The Fritt Ord Foundation provided NOK 295 000 for the development and production of "Light Fly, Fly High".
Danish distinction to the NJP #1
The first edition of the Norwegian Journal of Photography has received yet another distinction, this time from a Danish jury. Under the title "Best Book Works of 2013", the Danish Book Crafts Association named last year's best books. The winning books are being exhibited at the Royal Library in Copenhagen before being sent on a book tour around Denmark.
NJP #1 earned distinction in the category “periodica”, and the jury writes, among other things: “Using a subtle, modern layout, 10 Norwegian photographers are presented objectively and clearly. Single navy blue dividing sheets mark the introduction and the transition to/between the individual players whose series of photos are vastly different, but are kept in precisely the same tight rein within a set framework.”
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Support for journals
Five journals figure on the list of recipients of the Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in June 2014. The journal Manifest Tidsskrift received support for a series of articles "Piketty to the People", and the philosophical journal Agora for a themed issue on racism. Seismopolite received a grant for its publication about freedom of expression in photography, film, theatre and performance art, while the Association of 2007 for the Promotion of Artistic Reflection and Debate received a grant for next year's issue of the art journal Second-Class Mail. Support was also granted for magazine Fanfare's #4 on the concept of "bullshit".
A list has been published of the minor grants awarded by the Freedom of Expression Foundation in June 2014.
Who is your hero?
The Fritt Ord Foundation Competition for Pupils in Upper Secondary School will continue with a new topic in the upcoming school year: "Freedom of expression's heroes and anti-heroes".
To help the participants get started, we would like a contribution from you. Send in a short film clip in which you answer the question about who is your hero or anti-hero, and state your reason why in one sentence. Send the film to post@fritt-ord.no or as #frittordhelt on Twitter.
Manuscript support for new books
The Fritt Ord Foundation's round of major allocations in June 2014 included grants for 20 Norwegian writers to support the creation of new factual prose. For example, Sidsel Wold received NOK 150 000 for a book project with the working title "How to understand Syria?", while Sølvi Wærhaug received NOK 100 000 for a book on the history of the school of home economics that takes its point of departure in its founder Minna Wetlesen. NOK 150 000 were awarded to Ola Henmo for his documentary book about Karen Friele. Håvard Rem was awarded NOK 125 000 for the book ”Norwegian lyrics”, an historical literary review of Norwegian-language lyrics from 1945 to 2015, and Kjetil Jakobsen was granted NOK 150 000 to work on the second and third volume of the work "The World Citizenry's History of Ideas".
See the entire list of the major grants made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in June 2014.
Contributions to blog projects
The minor grants in May 2014 include two journalistic projects based on blogs as a means of communicating information. Through a blog and a newspaper column in the newspaper Dagsavisen, musician and journalist Aslak Borgersrud will report from the corridors of Stortinget, the Norwegian parliament, under the title "A Lout in Parliament". In their project "The Identity of Ukraine", the young journalists Eskil Wie and Frode Nagel Dahl will communicate news items from Ukraine through blogs, websites, exhibitions and books.
A list of the minor grants awarded in May 2014 has been posted.
Festival support
When processing applications for major grants in April 2014, support was given to seven festivals. The Bollywood Festival Norway 2014 and the project "Nobel-Myanmar Literary Festival: Literature: for Peace" were among the recipients, along with the Non-fiction Festival in Oslo and the Festival University at the Oslo Book Festival. Grants were also awarded to the Oslo International Poetry Festival, the Trondheim Documentary Festival and the Literary Festival Words in the Borderland in Fredrikstad. Most of the festivals are scheduled for autumn 2014.
See the list of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation's in April 2014.
Support for photo projects
There are three photo projects among the Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in March 2014. NOK 30 000 was granted to "You Are Here Now", an exhibition in the UK featuring Eivind Natvig's photographs from all over Norway. Line Ørnes Søndergaard received NOK 30 000 for the project "Rest" - a photographic report on lorry drivers, and Terje Abusdal received NOK 95 000 for his photo project "The Long Islands". Here he depicts life on an island in the Oslo Fjord that fills up every summer with temporary holiday homes consisting of small communities in the form of tent camps, pitched mainly by members of the general public who live on the periphery of their local communities.
See the list of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in March 2014.
Greenland Eyes International Film Festival
A list has now been published of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in March 2014. For example, NOK 75 000 was granted to the Greenland Eyes International Film Festival scheduled to be held in Oslo from 11-18 December 2014. Greenland films from all genres will be screened, accompanied by lectures and debates. Similar festivals will also be held in Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, the Faeroe Islands and Greenland.
See the list of the Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in March 2014.
The House of Cartoonists: ‘Hurray for freedom of expression!’
Among the Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in February 2014, we find allocations for two exhibitions at the House of Cartoonists in Drøbak. Funding of NOK 30 000 was granted for the exhibition "Hurray for freedom of expression!" opened on 5 April 2014 and is being produced in collaboration with Cartoonist Rights Network International. The exhibition takes it point of departure in the Bicentennial of Norway's Constitution, with emphasis on the "freedom of expression statute", section 100, and it will illustrate the development of press freedom for newspaper cartoons in Norway and abroad. The Fritt Ord Foundation also allocated NOK 80 000 to the anniversary project "Fredrik Stabel – 100 years" in connection with the centenary of Stabel's birth. While the commemoration has already begun, the main celebration will be on 7 June 2014, with the opening of the centenary exhibition followed by a celebration and seminar in Stabel's spirit.
See the list of Fritt Ord's minor grants in February 2014.
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Two Raging Grannies: Blått Lerret (Blue Screen) and preview screenings
Director and producer Håvard Bustnes of Faction Film introduced his new documentary 'Two Raging Grannies' at the Blått Lerret on Wednesday, 12 March. 'Two Raging Grannies' is described as a funny, thought-provoking documentary film about the two American great-grandmothers, Shirley (91) and Hinda (84), and their attempts to understand complex interrelationships in the global economy. To preview the film, click here, or visit the film's Facebook page
Shirley will be coming to Norway, and will join Bustnes on a tour with the Coastal Express, arranging preview screenings along the west coast of Norway. In addition, a number of a preview screenings with accompanying debates will be arranged all over the country in collaboration with the Green Party (Norway), The Future in Our Hands, Cultura Bank and the Joy of Life for the Elderly Foundation.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided a total of NOK 300 000 in support for the production and launch of the film.
Support for the launch of new documentary films
The Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in February include support for three documentary films being launched in spring 2014. The company f(x) film and Director Fridtjof Kjæreng received NOK 100 000 to launch "Beauty and the priest" about abortion opponent Børre Knudsen. The film had previously received NOK 500 000 in production support from the Fritt Ord Foundation. Faction Film, represented by Director and Producer Håvard Bustnes, received NOK 100 000 for the launch of "Rebellious great-grandmothers", which had previously been granted NOK 200 000 for production. NOK 100 000 were allocated for a full-length version of the documentary "Drone" by Flimmer Film and Director Tonje Hessen Schei. The Fritt Ord Foundation granted NOK 400 000 for the development and production of "Drone" in 2011-2012. Click on the links to read more about the films and to see the trailers.
A list has now been published of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in February 2014 (in Norwegian).
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Anne-Stine Johnsbråten's ‘Women in Japan’ to Pecha Kucha
Photographer Anne-Stine Johnsbråten will be presenting her documentary photo project 'Women in Japan' at Pecha Kucha Night at 7.30 p.m. at DogA, Hausmanns gate 16, Oslo, on Thursday, 13 February 2014. Pecha Kucha Night is a multi-media event where players in the fields of architecture, design, film, art and music meet and informally show their work through a series of brief presentations. See the full programme for the evening.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 100 000 to Johnsbråten's work with 'Women in Japan'. This will be the first time the pictures are being shown in public.
80th anniversary of the Student Union in Bergen
Congratulations to the Student Union in Bergen on its 80th anniversary in 2014! See the programme for this spring's anniversary season on the Student Union's website. The Student Union characterises itself as western Norway's largest politically independent forum for social and cultural debates. The series of meetings this spring will kick off with the event 'The greediest generation' in Grieg Hall at 7 p.m. on Thursday, 24 January. Sigbjørn Johnsen and Torbjørn Røe Isaksen will meet in that venue to discuss whether the welfare state will survive. The meeting is open to everyone.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has contributed to the Student Union's debate programme for several years.
‘Good girl’ to Blått Lerret
The documentary film ‘Good Girl' depicts Director Solveig Melkeraaen's experience of severe depression and treatment that included electroshock therapy. Produced by Ingvil Giske at Medieperatørene, the documentary is described as a 'feel good' film about depression. 'Good Girl' is featured on the programme for Blått Lerret (Blue Screen) at the Park Theatre, Olaf Ryes Plass, Oslo, at 7.30 p.m. on Wednesday, 22 January. This monthly event is organised under the auspices of the Norwegian Film Institute. It is open to the public as well as to the film industry.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided a total of NOK 500 000 in funding for the development, production and launch of 'Good Girl'.
Go down in history in a new 'Eidsvold 1814!'
Many people are familiar with Oscar Arnold Wergeland's painting "Eidsvold 1814", which hangs in the halls of the Norwegian Parliament. In the art project entitled "A National Portrait", Trond Hugo Haugen tries to re-create this image through a new photograph. Haugen is seeking 112 children, teens, adults and seniors to represent society as we know it today, and to take part in the art project. The deadline for applications is Monday, 20 January, and the photographs will be taken on 2 February 2014. Read more and submit an application on the project's website.
"A National Portrait" is being produced by KORO/URO in collaboration with Akershus County Art Centre. It is a part of the Constitution Exhibition "1814 Revisited - The Past is Still Present", featured on the Constitutional Centennial Celebration's official programme. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 100 000 in funding for "A National Portrait", in addition to contributing to the main exhibition at Akershus County Art Centre.
Oscar nomination for The Act of Killing
The Fritt Ord Foundation congratulates Stavanger-based Piraya Film with an Oscar nomination for the film 'The Act of Killing' in the class Documentary Feature. The film was directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, produced by Danish Signe Byrge Sørensen and co-produced by Torstein Grude of Piraya Film. Piraya's Grude and Bjarte Mørner Tveit are also among the film's executive producers. The distinctive, critically-acclaimed film is about the mass murder of Communists and suspected Communists in Indonesia in the 1960s. See the list of all nominations here.
In October 2013, the Fritt Ord Foundation organised a preview screening of the film in Norway, at which the "director's cut" was shown with Director Oppenheimer in attendance. 'The Act of Killing' was the recipient of NOK 200 000 in production funding from the Fritt Ord Foundation.
Gathering at Holmsbu for NJP photographers
The photographers featured in the second edition of the Norwegian Journal of Photography (NJP) gathered on the weekend of 9 to 12 January to edit their projects, discuss their progress and draw inspiration from Norwegian and international guests. The group session was attended by Myles Little, associate photo editor for Time Magazine in the US and Josh Lustig of Panos Pictures in the UK. Kari Hesthamar of the Radio Documentary unit at the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation kicked off the workshop. Read more about the gathering and the different photo projects on NJP's website.
The NJP photographers will now continue to work on their projects until the next session. After the summer, their works will be edited, then the process of compiling the NJP book will commence.
Book launch: I'd rather have my life
The book I'd rather have my life. A documentary on veterans-of-war in Norway by photographer Håvard Bjelland and author Bjørn Asle Nord will be launched at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, 14 January 2014 at Uranienborgveien 2, Oslo. The book has been published by Skald Publishing House. Major General Robert Mood will be giving an introduction, followed by a presentation of the project by Bjelland and Nord. The event is free of charge, but please register with .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) as there is limited space available. Read more on the event's Facebook page..
The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 200 000 in support for the book, divided among the author, the photographer and the publisher.
Support for article projects
There were four article-writing projects among the more than 80 minor allocations made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in December 2013. Frida Skatvik received travel support for an article in Le Monde Diplomatique about democracy building in Libya after Gaddafi, and Marte Finess Tretvoll was awarded support for her work on two articles describing research on the literature about the massacre that took place in Norway on 22 July 2011. In addition, Ekaterina Sharova received research funding for an analysis of contemporary Russian art in the magazine Billedkunst (Pictorial Art), while the football journal Josimar was granted travel support for a report on the background for the awarding of the 2022 world football (soccer) championships to Qatar.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in December 2013.
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Swedish prize to the Norwegian Journal of Photography
Norwegian Journal of Photography was awarded the "Visual Prize" at the 2013 2013 Swedish Publishing Awards. The jury's grounds state that the book was awarded the prize for "photos that depict stories of exciting and important human destinies and locations, taken over a long period of time, demonstrating commitment and presence, and providing documentation of our times". The book contains 10 independent photo-essays by Helge Skodvin, Andrea Gjestvang, Karin Beate Nøsterud, Ingvild Vaale Arnesen, Ellen Lande Gossner, Marie Sjøvold, Monica Larsen, Linda Bournane Engelberth, Eivind H. Natvig and Oddleiv Apneseth.
The Swedish photo publisher Journal published the book on commission from the Norwegian Journal of Photography.
DokFoto 2014
Newsha Tavakolian (b. 1981 in Tehran, Iran) is among the photographers who will be attending the DokFoto photo festival at the House of Literature in Oslo from 23 to 25 January 2014. Tavakolian's portfolio includes, among other works, the photo series "Iran", "Look", "Listen", "Mother of Martyrs", "The Day I Became a Woman" and "Haji, Trip of a Lifetime". She was recently commissioned by the Qatar Foundation to travel the world over to take pictures for a book about education that is scheduled for publication in March 2014. Read more about other photographers who will be participating in this year's festival at Foto.no.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 150 000 in support for the Dokfoto 2014 project.
Support for new non-fiction literature
The Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in December include manuscript development support for about 20 non-fiction prose and debate books. One of the recipients was Henrik Thune, who received funding for his work with "Instant Democracy – a book project about how the digital news revolution is taking power over democracy, making politics short-sighted and narcissistic, and threatening the future". Lars Akerhaug received manuscript support for the book "The Terrorist – A Story of Miscalculated Assimilation" and Mohammad Mahdi Izadi got a grant for a book on key events in the relationship between Norway and Iran from 1979 to 2005. Tove Bjørgaas received support for writing "Children - no problem? The time crunch and ambitions in Norway, the USA and the EU".
A list has now been published of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in December 2013.
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Støtte til festivaler og seminarer
There is currently no English translation available for this entry
Banned Expression: Support Free speech in Tibet
There is currently no English translation available for this entry
IDFA's Audience Award to 'The Twin Sisters'
On Friday, 29 November 2013, the Norwegian documentary film 'The Twin Sisters' won the Audience Award at the International Documentary Film Festival (IDFA) in Amsterdam. Congratulations to the winners! IDFA is the world's largest documentary film festival, and this is the first time a Norwegian film has won the prestigious 'Audience Award', bestowed by the audience. 'The Twin Sisters' was directed by Mona Friis Bertheussen (photo) and produced by Moment Film of Oslo. The film tells the story of the identical Chinese twins Alexandra and Mia (10), who were adopted to separate corners of the world - Norway and the USA - when they were about a year old.
The Fritt Ord Foundation, Oslo, provided NOK 200 000 in support for production of "Twin Sisters" in 2012.
Support for new documentary films
Among the Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in October 2013, there are no fewer than 16 documentary films. For example, the company as videomaker was granted NOK 300 000 for the production of the documentary film "The Candidate", directed by Gry Winther. The film follows Fawzia Koofi (photo) in her struggle to become Afghanistan's next president. Fenomen tv film & scene received NOK 150 000 for Pål Winsent's documentary "Sick dark" on the disease ME, and Substans Film received NOK 200 000 for the co-production of Danish Anders Østergaard's film "1989" about the power play between the world's most powerful heads of state and government in the late 1980s. NOK 200 000 was also granted to Fenris Film for director Aslaug Holm's documentary "Class Distinction" about ethnic dividing lines and assimilation in the Oslo school system today.
A list has been published of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in October 2013. (in Norwegian)
A Blind Eye – an exhibition on climate and vulnerability
On Thursday, 17 October, Rune Eraker's one-man show A Blind Eye opened at the Oslo Rådhusgalleri (Oslo City Hall Gallery). The photo exhibition focuses on climate and vulnerability, and consists of 75 large-scale analogue photographs. The photos were taken in 15 countries that are highly vulnerable to climatic change - often the poorest countries in the world. The exhibition will be open at Oslo Rådhusgalleri until 23 November 2013, then move on to the City Museum in Bergen (15 May - 15 October 2014) and to the Tromsø Art Association (November -December 2014).
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 200 000 in support for the project.
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Journalists on demanding assignments
How can journalists prepare themselves for the powerful impressions they are left with by covering other people's suffering? What can editorial boards do to prevent demanding assignments from provoking stress reactions and burn-out? What can journalism programmes do to prepare students for stories that can leave indelible marks on their souls?
The book Demanding assignments. How to cope with stress by Trond Idås will be launched with a panel discussion at the Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences at 3 p.m. on Monday, 7 October. The Fritt Ord Foundation provided support for manuscript development.
Programme.
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Deeyah's film on honour killing won an Emmy last night
Our warmest congratulations to Deeyah on winning an Emmy Award for the best international current affairs film! She received the prize for "Banaz: A Love Story", about the brutal honour killing of the young British woman Banaz Mahmod in London in 2006. This is truly a big day for Norwegian documentary film. The Fritt Ord Foundation provided a total of NOK 300 000 in support for the development and production of "Banaz: A Love Story".
The Fritt Ord Foundation has also provided support for two documentary films with which Deeyah is currently involved as director and producer: this past February, we allocated NOK 300 000 for a documentary about Sheema Kermani, and in August this year, NOK 260 000 for the documentary film "Radicals".
Read "We came to celebrate the nomination. Then I won the most highly respected prize" (in Norwegian).
Grants for journalism
When applications for minor grants were dealt with in September, support was allocated to several projects in the field of journalism. For example, Journalist Bjørgulv Bjåen and Photojournalist Erlend Berge who work in the newspaper Vårt Land received a total of NOK 40 000 in travel grants for the project "Alaska - where everyone gets an oil cheque". The newspaper Klassekampen received NOK 100 000 for the first semester of the Klassekampen Academy, for the purpose of recruiting and developing "aspiring young journalists" from unconventional backgrounds. NOK 80 000 was allocated to the University of Nordland County for a research project on commentary and opinion journalism inthe regional press.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in September 2013. (in Norwegian)
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20th Anniversary of the Oslo Accord
The 20th anniversary of the signing of the Oslo Accord will be commemorated by two events at the House of Literature in Oslo on 13 September 2013. From 10 a.m.-12.30 p.m., the Norwegian Association of NGOs for Palestine, the Palestine Committee, the Institute of Applied Social Science (FAFO) and others will be organising an open seminar entitled "The Oslo Accord - 20 years after - the peace that failed" with Anis F. Kassim, Hilde Henriksen Waage and Sahar Francis. From 1.30 p.m.-9.30 p.m., Le Monde Diplomatique will be organising the conference "The Oslo Conference - The Road Ahead for Palestine and Israel". Participants will include Salam Fayyad, Terje Rød-Larsen, Jan Egeland, Mustafa Barghouti, Torgeir Larsen and Shir Hever. See the conference’s Facebook pagefor the programme, information and registration.
The events have received support from the Fritt Ord Foundation.
Homo Religiosus
The Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in August 2013 include a contribution of NOK 400 000 for the exhibition "Homo Religiosus" at the Perspective Museum in Tromsø. The project is based on a huge volume of documentary material from religious communities. The goal of the exhibition is to discover new knowledge about today's religious pluralism in the north, contributing to a more balanced image of religiousness in general and in northern Norway in particular. Researchers and artists alike will be represented in the exhibition, which is scheduled to open on UN Day next year (24 October 2014).
A list has now been published of the grants awarded by the Freedom of Expression Foundation in August 2013.
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Manta
This week the House of Dance in Oslo is staging the performance "Manta" by and with the French-Tunisian dancer and choreographer Héla Fattoumi. Fattoumi wore a niqab as an adult, liberated woman, and the performance mirrors her experience of what this did to her emotionally and physically. "Manta" will be performed on Saturday 31 August and Sunday 1 September, at 7 p.m. The House of Dance will also organise four events in connection with "Manta". At 1 p.m. on 30 August, there will be a Dialogue Café with dance researcher Cecilia Olsson, and at 5 p.m. on 31 August, there will be a Tea House in collaboration with KULT, featuring participants Gisken Armand, Marjan Vahdat and Erik Hillestad. Following the Saturday performance, at 8.15 p.m., a Postscript will be held with Héla Fattoumi and Cecilia Olsson. At 5 p.m. on 1 September, a Dilemma will be organised on the topic "Body Politics", featuring guests Shabana Rehman, Iram Haq, Héla Fattoumi, and others.
"Manta" is the House of Dance's commemoration of the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage in Norway. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 30 000 in support for the performance and the debate programme.
Last Call – at the eleventh hour
This evening, at 7 p.m. on 26 August 2013, marks the Norwegian premier of the documentary film "Last Call – at the eleventh hour" at the Park Theatre in Oslo. The documentary has been directed by Italian Enrico Cerasuolo, with Skofteland Film as co-producer. The film is described as "a climate documentary on our global crisis", and takes its point of departure in the controversial book The Limits to Growth (1972) by the Norwegian environmentalist Jørgen Randers and three of his scientist colleagues at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Randers will be attending the screening. Free admission. Read more on the Skofteland Film website.
The film will also be aired on the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation at 10.20 p.m. on 27 August. Both the production of "Last Call – at the eleventh hour" and the event on 26 August are being supported by the Fritt Ord Foundation.
Emmy nomination for Deeyah's film “Banaz: A Love Story”
Deeyah's documentary about honour killing in, "Banaz: A Love Story" ("Banaz: An Honour Killing"), has been nominated for an Emmy for best film in the category Current Affairs.
In January 2013, the Fritt Ord Foundation organised the first screening of the film in Norway with subsequent talks. Both the film itself and recordings of the talks in the Fritt Ord Foundation's premises are available on YouTube. This year, the Fritt Ord Foundation has allocated NOK 300 000 to the development and production of "Banaz: A Love Story".
The Fritt Ord Foundation's support for projects related to 22 July 2011
In August 2011, the Fritt Ord Foundation earmarked up to MNOK 15 for projects using different media formats to contribute knowledge and to a broader debate about the terrorist attacks that took place in Norway on 22 July 2011 – including their background and their human and societal consequences. The Foundation has devoted extra attention to all applications related to this topic, focussing especially on initiatives taken by young people.
As of 1 August 2013, 60 grants have been awarded for projects related to 22 July 2011, totalling roughly MNOK 8.9. The grants have been announced on an ongoing basis along with the ordinary grants in every round of applications. The largest sub-group is books, with 31 grants. For example, Aage Storm Borchgrevink was granted support for script work on A Norwegian tragedy. Anders Behring Breivik and the Roads to Utøya Island and Erika Fatland for the book The Year with No Summer. Both a working grant and printing support were allocated for Andrea Gjestvang's photo book A day in history. Among the grants to film projects, we find a contribution to Karianne Moe's documentary film "To the Young People", produced by Sant & Usant (True & False).
Click here to view the overall list of projects related to 22 July, sorted by genre (in Norwegian)..
Søknadsfrist fredag 2. august
Fritt Ord har søknadsfrist fredag 2. august, med utløp ved midnatt.
De tekniske problemene etter lynnedslag og strømbrudd hos vår leverandør er nå løst.
Many came here in boats
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 90 000 for the theatre project "Many came here in boats" being made by the company REBEKKA/HUY (Rebekka Nystabakk and Huy Le Vo). The production focuses on Vietnam, with emphasis on the war, boat refugees and the largest wave of refugees to Norway. What does it mean to blend as successfully into a society as it is often said that the Vietnamese refugees have managed to do? "Many came here in boats" is a co-production with the Black Box Theatre, where the play will be performed in spring 2014.
A list has been published of the minor grants awarded by the Freedom of Expression Foundation in June 2013.
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Support for the Art of Drawing
The Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in May 2012 included four projects related to the art of drawing. The House of Cartoonists in Drøbak has been granted support for the exhibition "100 Years of Russian Political Cartoons", featuring the Russian artist Michail Zlatkovsky. Morten Harper received funding for "The journey out of the frames", a series of articles in Le Monde diplomatique about the journey of comic strips through the cultural classes, in connection with which Harper will interview six of the world's most prominent cartoonists. Lars Fiske was granted support to work on a graphic novel about the Fiske automobile factory, while Line Halsnes got a grant to illustrate the graphic novel "Hand to hand combat" about females in the Norwegian Armed Forces, featuring drawings by Halsnes and text by Axel Hellstenius. The book is based on the young people's novel "Twat quota" by Hellstenius and Morten Skårdal.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in May 2013.
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The development and production of documentary films
The Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in June 2013 include funding for the development and production of nine documentary films. For example, development support has been awarded to India Film's project with the working title "Munch in hell", an international documentary that will examine Edvard Munch and his position in Norway. Further, development support has been granted to Bonanza Post Production for a documentary film about school drop-outs and to Gammaglimt for development of the documentary film "Blackhearts". Funds were also allocated for a documentary film on the New York Review of Books focusing, among other things, on human rights and freedom of expression.
A list has now been published of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in June 2013 (in Norwegian).
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'Ida's Diary' to Good Pitch Europe 2013
The Norwegian documentary film 'Ida's Diary' has been selected for inclusion in the pitch forum Good Pitch Europe 2013 at the Royal Institution of Great Britain in London on 7 June 2013. The pitch forum was initiated by the BRITDOC Foundation in collaboration with the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Programme. 'Ida's Diary' has been directed by August Baugstø Hanssen and produced by Carsten Aanonsen of Indie Film. Presenting the personal story of a young girl who is a self-mutilator, the film is based on recordings from the girl's own video diary.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 250 000 in production support for 'Ida’s Diary'.
Women's suffrage anniversary in Bamble: Marie Høeg
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 100 000 to Bamble Municipality for its celebration of the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage in Norway, which the municipality will celebrate by re-enacting the story of the Langesund woman Marie Høeg (1866–1949). Høeg was a suffragette, organiser, photographer and lesbian, and she played an important part in winning the right for women to vote in Norway. While the municipality will celebrate the anniversary with a number of events throughout 2013, the main emphasis will be on women's suffrage week, beginning on 31 August. The celebrations will include a relaunch of "The Discussion Society" and a photo exhibition at the Wrightegaarden Estate. A preview of the exhibition will be on display in the Bamble City Hall from 11 June.
Gay Kids. Gay People Were Young Once Too
The exhibition "Gay Kids. Kule barn som også finnes" ("Gay Kids. Gay People Were Young Once Too") opens at Maihaugen at 10 a.m. on 31 May 2013. "Gay Kids" is a beautifully illustrated book and an exhibition that sheds light on what it is like to grow up and fall in love with someone of the same sex. The project is a joint venture between Gay and Lesbian Health Norway, the Norwegian Literary Festival and Maihaugen. Olemic Thommessen, the Conservative Party's spokesperson on family policy, will open the exhibition, followed by presentations by Stig-Werner Moe and Bera U. Moseng from Gay and Lesbian Health Norway.
The project has received support from the Fritt Ord Foundation.
Professional network of journalists on hate speech, hate crimes and extremism
The two authors and freelance journalists Øyvind Strømmen and Kjetil Stormark are joining forces to establish a professional network of journalists at the international level who will cover hate speech, hate crimes and extremism. The project, entitled 'Hate Speech International' (HSI), is a two-year feasibility study. The project is being carried out with financial support from the Fritt Ord Foundation and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Read the rest of the press release from Strømmen and Stormark.
Death, shall we dance?
"Why is it that we in today's Norway hide death away so painstakingly, surrounding it with silence and taboos?" This is how the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) introduces the documentary "Death, shall we dance?" about Per Fugelli, who will be awarded the Freedom of Expression Foundation Prize for 2013 on 14 May. In the film, Fugelli reflects brutally and openly on life and death in the light of his own cancer. He wants to "release death from the prison of taboo words". Jæren, Værøy, Røst and Grønland in Oslo provide the background for a poetic, thought-provoking film about leaving life.
Invisible Symposium. A theater of ideas
Philosophers, authors, activists, politicians and artists were all asked the same set of questions with a focus on the current state of democracy. Why is it ailing? What challenges will it face in the years to come? Actors will portray the participating intellectuals in a staged exchange of ideas. PEN American Center, Fritt Ord, Jacobin, and The New School for Social Research invite to the 2013 PEN World Voices Festival’s Invisible Symposium on Saturday, 4 May 2013, 8-10pm, in New York City.
Seminar programme:
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Support for Norwegian factual prose
Among the Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in March 2013, we find 20 allocations for manuscript development and for the publication of new books in the factual prose genre in the broad sense. For example, Gunnar Ringheim has been granted NOK 50 000 to write the book "Abuse in the name of Jesus", while Cornelia Kristiansen has received NOK 75 000 for the interview book "The Class" about experiences from attending a multicultural school on the east side of downtown Oslo. Ingrid Vik has been granted NOK 50 000 for a book project entitled "Among the faithful", in which she investigates Norwegian Christian conservatives' attitudes to value-related questions in respect of family and equal opportunity. NOK 25 000 has been allocated to Trine Krigsvoll Haagensen and Martin Paulsen to translate and publish "A punk prayer for freedom" with lyrics by the Russian art collective Pussy Riot.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in March 2013.
europe@debate: Europe’s lost generation?
The programme FutureLab Europe focuses on young people between the ages of 20 and 30 who want to take part in debates and influence the future of Europe. During the event europe@debate in Brussels from 4 to 6 p.m. on Monday, 22 April, this year's young participants will present a report on how the European countries inside and outside the European Union are dealing with the social and financial crisis. The keynote speaker will be Joaquín Almunia, vice president of the European Commission. There will also be a debate, and interventions by FutureLab participants James Kilcourse of Ireland and Enja Sæthren of Norway. The event will be streamed directly here.
FutureLab Europe is a joint project among 10 European foundations, including the Fritt Ord Foundation.
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Iran symposium in Trondheim
On 20 April 2013, the Department of Art and Media Studies at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and the Kosmorama Film Festival in Trondheim will be hosting a symposium featuring international experts on Iranian film and prominent film-makers, including the director Mohsen Makhmalbaf. The symposium will introduce a Norwegian audience to Iranian film, and discuss the conditions for Iranian film-makers today. The event will be open to the general public, and the venue will be Det norske oljeselskap's premises from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Munkegata 26. Read more here (in Norwegian).
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 125 000 in support for the project.
Burning memories
Tappeluft Pictures has been granted NOK 100 000 to develop the documentary film "Burning memories", directed by Ellen-Astri Lundby. The film takes its point of departure in the memories of those experienced the forced evacuation and burning of Finnmark and North-Troms counties as children during World War II. The story is told through three main witnesses. At the same time as the past rises to the surface, the film will explore the losses of these people 70 years later.
A list has now been published of the major grants awarded in March 2013.
New York Times reports on NJP
The New York Times is presenting a comprehensive report on the Norwegian Journal of Photography and on the photographers' projects on its photoblog entitled Lens Blog under the title "Norway's New Photographic Landscape". Helge Skodvin gives an account of his work documenting the Norwegian landscape and the Volvo 240: "More than any other car, the Volvo 240 has been a symbol of Norwegian and Scandinavian values," he comments to Lens Blog. Visit the website at Lens Blog to read the whole story.
Norwegian Journal of Photography is now being sold at the Tronsmo in Oslo and is available for order on the bookseller's website. The book can also be ordered from Journal Publishing House: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
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Prizes to NJP photographers at the Picture of the Year awards
Several of photographers from the Fritt Ord Foundation's project Norwegian Journal of Photography (NJP) won prizes at the recent Picture of the Year awards organised by the Press Photographers' Club, Norway. In the class ‘Portrait Series’, Andrea Gjestvang took first prize and Ellen Lande Gossner third prize. Eivind H. Natvig won the class ‘Inland Report of the Year’, with Helge Skodvin in second place. Natvig also placed third in the category ‘Nature and the Environment’. In the class ‘Foreign Report of the Year’, Linda Bournane Engelberth took second place. Congratulations to the winners!
The illustrative photo is from Ellen Lande Gossner's photo project "The Deaconesses".
Hate Radio
The International Institute of Political Murder is currently appearing at the Oslo International Theatre Festival and Black Box Theatre with the play "Hate Radio". Terese Bjørneboe writes in the daily newspaper Aftenposten: "It is not only a documentary performance about the genocide in Rwanda, but also a reconstruction of the broadcasts of a radio station that played a decisive role. RTLM served as a propaganda centre, while the journalists and disc jockeys were Hipsters who played Nirvana. Hate Radio is about how the meanings of words change. It makes a deep, disquieting impression because the DJs use a globalised language that reduces the distance to the events."
The performance will be played on 20, 21 and 22 March. The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted Black Box Theatre NOK 150 000 for the guest performance.
Philosophy Day 2013
Philosophy Day for Upper Secondary Schools will be held at Uranienborgveien 2 in Oslo on Wednesday, 20 March 2013. This year's topic is "I. You. We? What is real? How do we know? How to live?" In addition to group discussions, the programme features lectures by Thor Steinar Grødal, Monica Roland, Anders Strand and Bjørn Ramberg. The event is fully subscribed.
The organiser is the Upper Secondary School Philosophy Association; Fritt Ord Foundation has provided a grant of NOK 50 000 for Philosophy Day.
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2012 Picture of the Year Award to Andrea Gjestvang
The Fritt Ord Foundation congratulates Photographer Andrea Gjestvang on the 2012 Picture of the Year Award. The prize was bestowed at a ceremony under the auspices of the Press Photographers' Club, Norway, on 15 March 2013. The winning photo is a portrait of Ylva Schwenke, one of the survivors of the terrorist massacre on Utøya Island in the summer of 2011. The picture is part of the book "One Day in History" (Pax Publishing House, 2012), in which Gjestvang portrays 43 Utøya Island survivors from all over Norway.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 210 000 in support for the book project.
Steffen Kverneland's Munch biography
No Comprendo Press has been granted NOK 60 000 for the publication of Steffen Kverneland's "Munch", a biography in comic strip form. This depiction takes its point of departure in quotations from Edvard Munch's own writings, along with contemporary descriptions of his life and career. The book also serves as a group portrait of a community of artists known as the Scandinavian 'Bohème' around the turn of the 20th century, when modernism was taking shape as an art form. The biography is based on Kverneland's chapters on Munch in the series "Kanon".
International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX)
Based in Toronto, Canada, the global network IFEX consists of more than 80 organisations that work to promote freedom of expression. The network draws attention to abuses of freedom of expression committed against journalists, activists, artists and researchers. The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted CAD 80 000 in support for IFEX' activities in 2013.
On IFEX’ website, you can read about and subscribe to daily and weekly news bulletins about freedom of expression the world over.
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Before the snow falls
At 8.15 p.m. on Friday, 15 February, Hisham Zaman's debut film "Before the snow falls" will premiere at the Klingenberg Cinema in Oslo. The director will introduce the film before the screening. See the trailer and order tickets. Paradox has produced the film, and the Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 150 000 in support.
A 16-year-old boy is wrapped in plastic and submerged in the tank of a lorry filled with crude oil. This is how the film "Before the snow falls" starts. It is an unconventional road movie about family, love, dignity and honour. When Siyar's sister flees from her own wedding, he is put in charge of finding her and restoring the family's reputation. The search for his sister turns out to be a dangerous journey from east to west.
Mary Ellen Mark to visit Dokfoto 2013
Dokfoto 2013 will be arranged at the House of Literature in Oslo from 22 to 24 February. American photographer Mary Ellen Mark is famous for her works in the interface between photojournalism and portrait photography. Paal Audestad, Helge Skodvin and Andrea Gjestvang will be participating from Norway. Other photographers who will be showing their projects are Sebastían Liste, Sanna Sjöswärd, Katharina Hesse, Mimi Chakarova and Tomas van Houtryve. Read more at fotografi.no (in Norwegian).
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 150 000 in support for the project.
New documentary films
The Fritt Ord Foundation's allocations of major grants in February 2013 included funding for the production of seven documentary films. The company Aldeles received for support for "The Journalist and the Soldier" from Burma, and Bakkenivåfilm for "Someone must take the lead" from Afghanistan. Integral Film was granted funding for "ManIslam - Taming of the Goliath", the last part of Nefise Özkal Lorentzen's trilogy on Islam. Deeyah received support for a documentary about the Pakistani dancer, actor and feminist Sheema Kermani, while Fet Film was awarded a grant for "Birth of Hope" from Kenya. Sanden Media received a grant for "Desert Stench" about life on the garbage dumps in Brooklyn in the 1920s-30s, and the company friogfrank (fancy-free) was granted funding for a film on Stig Sæterbakken's work with the novel Sauermugg.
The list of the major grants made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in February 2013 has now been published.
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TPB AFK: The Pirate Bay Away From Keyboard
Simon Klose's documentary film 'TPB AFK: The Pirate Bay Away From Keyboard' will have its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival on 8 February 2013. The film will kick off the documentary segment entitled Panorama Dokumente. In the documentary, we follow the three founders of the Swedish torrent-sharing website The Pirate Bay, i.e. Peter Sunde, Fredrik Neij and Gottfried Svartholm. See the trailer. The entire film will be shown here.
The film has been produced by Sweden's Nonami Film, with Anagram (S), Final Cut for Real (DK) and Norwegian Piraya Film as co-producers. The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 150 000 in support to Norwegian co-producer Piraya Film.
When the Boys Return
The documentary film 'When the Boys Return' will premier in Norway at Ringen Cinema at 4 p.m. on 9 February 2013, during the Human Rights Human Wrongs Film Festival. Tone Andersen has directed the film, which was produced by Sant & Usant ('True & False'). Following the film screening, there will be talks featuring the director and Nora Ingdal from Save the Children. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided a total of NOK 225 000 in support for the development and production of the film. See the trailer and the website for the film.
After months and years as political prisoners, teenagers Mohammed Jamil, Hamze and Mahran returned home to the West Bank. Once the celebration of their homecoming was over, they once again found themselves surrounded by soldiers, military raids and weekly demonstrations. They also faced challenges in dealing with their own families, as well as with friends and the school.
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Norwegian Online Encyclopaedia
The Fritt Ord Foundation and the savings bank foundation Sparebankstiftelsen DnB NOR acquired the rights to Store norske leksikon (Norway's largest encyclopaedia) in 2010. Some two years later, the old print-format leviathan has been transformed into a modern online encyclopaedia with 2 million visitors a month. In 2012, the encyclopaedia was augmented by new, updated articles comparable to 60 non-fiction books. Read, for example, Francis Sejersted's recently written article on 1814 – the Birth of Norway's Independence (in Norwegian).
Read more about the Norwegian Online Encyclopaedia.
Local newspapers in in Vesterålen
Magnum photographer Jonas Bendiksen explores a local Norwegian community. While working as a photographer for a number of local newspapers in Vesterålen, Bendiksen’s routine assignments for the newspapers gave him a unique opportunity to observe everything that took place in this small island community off the coast of northern Norway. The Fritt Ord Foundation granted NOK 100 000 in support for this photo project in 2012. See Bendiksen's blog or read more about the project and see photos in the magazine Wired.
Edvard Munch and Lene Berg to the Venice Biennale
The exhibition "Beware of the Holy Whore: Edvard Munch and the Dilemma of Emancipation" will be the official Norwegian contribution to the 55th International Art Exhibition La Biennale di Venezia in 2013. It includes a series of rarely exhibited works by Edvard Munch and a new film by the artist Lene Berg. Based on the concept of emancipation, the project will explore the relationship between art, its social context, and gender roles in flux in Munch's day and today. The exhibition will be shown from 31 May to 22 September 2013, and is being curated by the Office for Contemporary Art (OCA) and Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa.
The Fritt Ord Foundation allocated NOK 300 000 for the exhibition in December 2012.
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Library projects
The Fritt Ord Foundation's minor allocations in December 2012 included three projects related to Norway's libraries. The Buskerud County Library received NOK 50 000 for the conference "Young 3.0", intended to disseminate knowledge about young people's culture and the use of digital media. The Grünerløkka Branch of the Deichmann Library received NOK 50 000 for the digitisation of Scandinavian journals and publications printed by small-scale publishers in conjunction with the "Public Library Project". The Department of Archivistics, Library and Information Sciences, Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, received NOK 10 000 for Kari Skjønsberg Days 2013, a conference about girls and power, based on literature for children and young people.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in December 2012.
New non-fiction Norwegian literature
The Fritt Ord Foundation's major allocations in December included grants for 18 writers to work on new non-fiction and debate books. For example, Magnus Marsdal received funding for a coffee table book entitled "Freedom in red, white and blue", in which he will explore the relationship between freedom and community by comparing life in the welfare state Norway with the average citizen's experience in the USA. Håkon Harket received a grant to work on "The Clause", a broad-based presentation of the history of the Jewish clause, while Cornelius Jakhelln received a grant for a monograph on musical extremism, with special emphasis on the genres black metal, industrial and neo-folk.
The list of the Fritt Ord Foundation’s major grants in December 2012 has now been published.
China at Home
The Fritt Ord Foundation supported the organisation Human Rights in China by providing a grant of USD 50 000 in 2012, not least for the development of the China Rights Forum online. The latest edition of the journal – China at Home – devotes attention to the growth of activism in China.
Photographer Eivind H. Natvig's project to be shown in Bangladesh
Eivind H. Natvig's photo project "You Are Here Now" is scheduled to be shown at the Chobi Mela – International Festival of Photography in Bangladesh from 25 January to 7 February 2013. Natvig is a participant in the Fritt Ord Foundation's programme Norwegian Journal of Photography, and the Fritt Ord Foundation supported the project "You Are Here Now" with a grant of NOK 100 000 in 2009.
Read more on Natvig's own website.
"The classics of Norwegian journalism" on NRK P2 radio
Two of the speakers from the Fritt Ord Foundation's series "The classics of Norwegian journalism", Aina Nøding and Mona Ringvej from the University of Oslo, will be featured on the programme Echo on NRK P2 on Friday, 11 January, at 10.30 a.m. Nøding and Ringvej will talk about Claus Fasting (1746–1791), Bernt Børretzen (1762–1817) and Birgithe Kühle (1762–1832), who will also be the focus of the opening event for "The classics of Norwegian journalism" on 15 January.
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Atopia and the journal Objektiv
Among the Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in November, we find several contributions to projects involving photography and video art. The journal Objektiv (Objective), which focuses on camera-based contemporary art, was granted NOK 75 000 for its operations in 2013. The Atopia Foundation received a total of NOK 150 000 for its exhibition projects. Funding was provided, among other things, for the second phase of a research and exhibition project that examines the historical development of Norwegian film and video art. This phase will showcase the 1990s.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in November 2012.
Science Library nominated for "Library of the Year"
The Norwegian Library Association has shortlisted the new Science Library at the Blindern campus as one of the three nominees for the distinction "Library of the Year". The nomination reports, among other things, that the building has been converted from old-fashioned reading rooms and study facilities to a state-of-the-art learning centre. Read the entire article on the Bibliotekforum's website (in Norwegian).
In 2010, the Fritt Ord Foundation allocated MNOK 4 for the renovation and establishment of the Science Library in the Vilhelm Bjerknes Building. In recent years, grants have also been given to support the series entitled "Science Debate" at the library.
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Love and War - an exhibition at the Oslo Museum on Norwegian girls who consorted with the Germans during WWII
Oslo Museum received a grant of NOK 200 000 from the Fritt Ord Foundation for the exhibition "Love and War" about Norwegian girls who consorted with the Germans during the German Occupation of Norway during WWII. The exhibition will open at the Oslo Museum on 8 May 2013 in connection with the commemoration of the anniversary of women's suffrage in Norway. The aim of the project is to draw attention to other perspectives on Norwegian war history, and to encourage critical reflection regarding ethical social issues and how history is recorded. The exhibition is geared to schools in particular.
The list of the major grants made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in October 2012 has now been published.
Terra not so firma
Christiania Film's documentary on the Terra case, 'Terra not so firma’ ('Tidenes investering'), will be broadcast on TV2 Wednesday, 17 October 2012, at 10:40 p.m. The financial crisis that hit Wall Street in 2008 had a direct impact on eight Norwegian municipalities, causing them to suffer huge losses. Based on three municipalities in Nordland County, the film takes an in-depth look at the outcome of the worst investment ever. The film was directed by Oddvar Einarson.
The Freedom of Expression Foundation Oslo provided NOK 250 000 in support for production of the film in 2008.
Photo project on the Roma on exhibit in New York
Linda Bournane Engelberth's photo project on "The Lives and Traditions of the Roma" will be shown at the New York Photo Awards Exhibition at the PowerHouse Arena during the DUMBO Arts Festival in Brooklyn. The exhibition is being shown from 28 September to 10 October 2012.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 100 000 in support for the project. Engelberth is one of the 10 photographers included in the Norwegian Journal of Photography (NJP).
The Lives of Women in Iran
On behalf of the organisers, Sindre Bangstad has been granted NOK 32 000 by the Fritt Ord Foundation for the event "The Lives of Women in Iran. Justice and Injustice" to be held at the House of Literature in Oslo at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, 26 September. Iranian-US professor of Anthropology Arzoo Osanloo does research on women's rights in a country that has had an Islamic system of government since 1979. The event will feature her in dialogue with Sindre Bangstad and Sevda Clark from the University of Oslo on the position of women in Iran.
See the list of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in September 2012.
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A Balloon for Allah: International prizes and festivals
Nefise Özkal Lorentzen's documentary film "A Balloon for Allah" about women and Islam has been selected to be screened at 31 different film festivals. The film has won five prizes, most recently the Best Documentary Award and the Jury Award at the International Film Festival for Peace, Inspiration and Equality in Jakarta, Indonesia. The Fritt Ord Foundation provided NOK 300 000 in support for the film.
This is the second film in Özkal Lorentzen's trilogy on Islam. The first was “Gender Me” in 2008, which dealt with homosexuality. Özkal Lorentzen is currently working on a third film, this time about masculinity in Islam.
Overview of prizes and festivals:
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Bivrfrost – the bridge to the world of the gods
The Frikar Dance Company has been granted NOK 150 000 for the dance performance "Bivrfrost". Employing a fairy-tale format, Frikar asks whether calling culture 'Norwegian' must necessarily exclude others. These days, the right-wing extremist Sweden Democrats use folk dancing to promote the party, and the abuse of the Norwegian folk dancing tradition by the Nazis during World War II remains unknown. In "Bivrfrost", the young folk dancers on stage meet Nazi folk dancers from the propaganda films made by the NS, and the Arab "invasion" of Norway today meets the Christian invasion of 1000 years ago. Young people from Thailand, Pakistan, Uganda, Valdres and Hallingdal use their own languages and identities to challenge their own self-experienced xenophobia in an encounter with a poetic manuscript.
The list of the major grants made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in August 2012 has now been published.
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There is currently no English translation available for this entry
Banned Expression: Support Free speech in Tibet
There is currently no English translation available for this entry
IDFA's Audience Award to 'The Twin Sisters'
On Friday, 29 November 2013, the Norwegian documentary film 'The Twin Sisters' won the Audience Award at the International Documentary Film Festival (IDFA) in Amsterdam. Congratulations to the winners! IDFA is the world's largest documentary film festival, and this is the first time a Norwegian film has won the prestigious 'Audience Award', bestowed by the audience. 'The Twin Sisters' was directed by Mona Friis Bertheussen (photo) and produced by Moment Film of Oslo. The film tells the story of the identical Chinese twins Alexandra and Mia (10), who were adopted to separate corners of the world - Norway and the USA - when they were about a year old.
The Fritt Ord Foundation, Oslo, provided NOK 200 000 in support for production of "Twin Sisters" in 2012.
Support for new documentary films
Among the Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in October 2013, there are no fewer than 16 documentary films. For example, the company as videomaker was granted NOK 300 000 for the production of the documentary film "The Candidate", directed by Gry Winther. The film follows Fawzia Koofi (photo) in her struggle to become Afghanistan's next president. Fenomen tv film & scene received NOK 150 000 for Pål Winsent's documentary "Sick dark" on the disease ME, and Substans Film received NOK 200 000 for the co-production of Danish Anders Østergaard's film "1989" about the power play between the world's most powerful heads of state and government in the late 1980s. NOK 200 000 was also granted to Fenris Film for director Aslaug Holm's documentary "Class Distinction" about ethnic dividing lines and assimilation in the Oslo school system today.
A list has been published of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in October 2013. (in Norwegian)
A Blind Eye – an exhibition on climate and vulnerability
On Thursday, 17 October, Rune Eraker's one-man show A Blind Eye opened at the Oslo Rådhusgalleri (Oslo City Hall Gallery). The photo exhibition focuses on climate and vulnerability, and consists of 75 large-scale analogue photographs. The photos were taken in 15 countries that are highly vulnerable to climatic change - often the poorest countries in the world. The exhibition will be open at Oslo Rådhusgalleri until 23 November 2013, then move on to the City Museum in Bergen (15 May - 15 October 2014) and to the Tromsø Art Association (November -December 2014).
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 200 000 in support for the project.
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Journalists on demanding assignments
How can journalists prepare themselves for the powerful impressions they are left with by covering other people's suffering? What can editorial boards do to prevent demanding assignments from provoking stress reactions and burn-out? What can journalism programmes do to prepare students for stories that can leave indelible marks on their souls?
The book Demanding assignments. How to cope with stress by Trond Idås will be launched with a panel discussion at the Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences at 3 p.m. on Monday, 7 October. The Fritt Ord Foundation provided support for manuscript development.
Programme.
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Deeyah's film on honour killing won an Emmy last night
Our warmest congratulations to Deeyah on winning an Emmy Award for the best international current affairs film! She received the prize for "Banaz: A Love Story", about the brutal honour killing of the young British woman Banaz Mahmod in London in 2006. This is truly a big day for Norwegian documentary film. The Fritt Ord Foundation provided a total of NOK 300 000 in support for the development and production of "Banaz: A Love Story".
The Fritt Ord Foundation has also provided support for two documentary films with which Deeyah is currently involved as director and producer: this past February, we allocated NOK 300 000 for a documentary about Sheema Kermani, and in August this year, NOK 260 000 for the documentary film "Radicals".
Read "We came to celebrate the nomination. Then I won the most highly respected prize" (in Norwegian).
Grants for journalism
When applications for minor grants were dealt with in September, support was allocated to several projects in the field of journalism. For example, Journalist Bjørgulv Bjåen and Photojournalist Erlend Berge who work in the newspaper Vårt Land received a total of NOK 40 000 in travel grants for the project "Alaska - where everyone gets an oil cheque". The newspaper Klassekampen received NOK 100 000 for the first semester of the Klassekampen Academy, for the purpose of recruiting and developing "aspiring young journalists" from unconventional backgrounds. NOK 80 000 was allocated to the University of Nordland County for a research project on commentary and opinion journalism inthe regional press.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in September 2013. (in Norwegian)
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20th Anniversary of the Oslo Accord
The 20th anniversary of the signing of the Oslo Accord will be commemorated by two events at the House of Literature in Oslo on 13 September 2013. From 10 a.m.-12.30 p.m., the Norwegian Association of NGOs for Palestine, the Palestine Committee, the Institute of Applied Social Science (FAFO) and others will be organising an open seminar entitled "The Oslo Accord - 20 years after - the peace that failed" with Anis F. Kassim, Hilde Henriksen Waage and Sahar Francis. From 1.30 p.m.-9.30 p.m., Le Monde Diplomatique will be organising the conference "The Oslo Conference - The Road Ahead for Palestine and Israel". Participants will include Salam Fayyad, Terje Rød-Larsen, Jan Egeland, Mustafa Barghouti, Torgeir Larsen and Shir Hever. See the conference’s Facebook pagefor the programme, information and registration.
The events have received support from the Fritt Ord Foundation.
Homo Religiosus
The Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in August 2013 include a contribution of NOK 400 000 for the exhibition "Homo Religiosus" at the Perspective Museum in Tromsø. The project is based on a huge volume of documentary material from religious communities. The goal of the exhibition is to discover new knowledge about today's religious pluralism in the north, contributing to a more balanced image of religiousness in general and in northern Norway in particular. Researchers and artists alike will be represented in the exhibition, which is scheduled to open on UN Day next year (24 October 2014).
A list has now been published of the grants awarded by the Freedom of Expression Foundation in August 2013.
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Manta
This week the House of Dance in Oslo is staging the performance "Manta" by and with the French-Tunisian dancer and choreographer Héla Fattoumi. Fattoumi wore a niqab as an adult, liberated woman, and the performance mirrors her experience of what this did to her emotionally and physically. "Manta" will be performed on Saturday 31 August and Sunday 1 September, at 7 p.m. The House of Dance will also organise four events in connection with "Manta". At 1 p.m. on 30 August, there will be a Dialogue Café with dance researcher Cecilia Olsson, and at 5 p.m. on 31 August, there will be a Tea House in collaboration with KULT, featuring participants Gisken Armand, Marjan Vahdat and Erik Hillestad. Following the Saturday performance, at 8.15 p.m., a Postscript will be held with Héla Fattoumi and Cecilia Olsson. At 5 p.m. on 1 September, a Dilemma will be organised on the topic "Body Politics", featuring guests Shabana Rehman, Iram Haq, Héla Fattoumi, and others.
"Manta" is the House of Dance's commemoration of the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage in Norway. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 30 000 in support for the performance and the debate programme.
Last Call – at the eleventh hour
This evening, at 7 p.m. on 26 August 2013, marks the Norwegian premier of the documentary film "Last Call – at the eleventh hour" at the Park Theatre in Oslo. The documentary has been directed by Italian Enrico Cerasuolo, with Skofteland Film as co-producer. The film is described as "a climate documentary on our global crisis", and takes its point of departure in the controversial book The Limits to Growth (1972) by the Norwegian environmentalist Jørgen Randers and three of his scientist colleagues at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Randers will be attending the screening. Free admission. Read more on the Skofteland Film website.
The film will also be aired on the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation at 10.20 p.m. on 27 August. Both the production of "Last Call – at the eleventh hour" and the event on 26 August are being supported by the Fritt Ord Foundation.
Emmy nomination for Deeyah's film “Banaz: A Love Story”
Deeyah's documentary about honour killing in, "Banaz: A Love Story" ("Banaz: An Honour Killing"), has been nominated for an Emmy for best film in the category Current Affairs.
In January 2013, the Fritt Ord Foundation organised the first screening of the film in Norway with subsequent talks. Both the film itself and recordings of the talks in the Fritt Ord Foundation's premises are available on YouTube. This year, the Fritt Ord Foundation has allocated NOK 300 000 to the development and production of "Banaz: A Love Story".
The Fritt Ord Foundation's support for projects related to 22 July 2011
In August 2011, the Fritt Ord Foundation earmarked up to MNOK 15 for projects using different media formats to contribute knowledge and to a broader debate about the terrorist attacks that took place in Norway on 22 July 2011 – including their background and their human and societal consequences. The Foundation has devoted extra attention to all applications related to this topic, focussing especially on initiatives taken by young people.
As of 1 August 2013, 60 grants have been awarded for projects related to 22 July 2011, totalling roughly MNOK 8.9. The grants have been announced on an ongoing basis along with the ordinary grants in every round of applications. The largest sub-group is books, with 31 grants. For example, Aage Storm Borchgrevink was granted support for script work on A Norwegian tragedy. Anders Behring Breivik and the Roads to Utøya Island and Erika Fatland for the book The Year with No Summer. Both a working grant and printing support were allocated for Andrea Gjestvang's photo book A day in history. Among the grants to film projects, we find a contribution to Karianne Moe's documentary film "To the Young People", produced by Sant & Usant (True & False).
Click here to view the overall list of projects related to 22 July, sorted by genre (in Norwegian)..
Søknadsfrist fredag 2. august
Fritt Ord har søknadsfrist fredag 2. august, med utløp ved midnatt.
De tekniske problemene etter lynnedslag og strømbrudd hos vår leverandør er nå løst.
Many came here in boats
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 90 000 for the theatre project "Many came here in boats" being made by the company REBEKKA/HUY (Rebekka Nystabakk and Huy Le Vo). The production focuses on Vietnam, with emphasis on the war, boat refugees and the largest wave of refugees to Norway. What does it mean to blend as successfully into a society as it is often said that the Vietnamese refugees have managed to do? "Many came here in boats" is a co-production with the Black Box Theatre, where the play will be performed in spring 2014.
A list has been published of the minor grants awarded by the Freedom of Expression Foundation in June 2013.
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Support for the Art of Drawing
The Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in May 2012 included four projects related to the art of drawing. The House of Cartoonists in Drøbak has been granted support for the exhibition "100 Years of Russian Political Cartoons", featuring the Russian artist Michail Zlatkovsky. Morten Harper received funding for "The journey out of the frames", a series of articles in Le Monde diplomatique about the journey of comic strips through the cultural classes, in connection with which Harper will interview six of the world's most prominent cartoonists. Lars Fiske was granted support to work on a graphic novel about the Fiske automobile factory, while Line Halsnes got a grant to illustrate the graphic novel "Hand to hand combat" about females in the Norwegian Armed Forces, featuring drawings by Halsnes and text by Axel Hellstenius. The book is based on the young people's novel "Twat quota" by Hellstenius and Morten Skårdal.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in May 2013.
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The development and production of documentary films
The Fritt Ord Foundation's major grants in June 2013 include funding for the development and production of nine documentary films. For example, development support has been awarded to India Film's project with the working title "Munch in hell", an international documentary that will examine Edvard Munch and his position in Norway. Further, development support has been granted to Bonanza Post Production for a documentary film about school drop-outs and to Gammaglimt for development of the documentary film "Blackhearts". Funds were also allocated for a documentary film on the New York Review of Books focusing, among other things, on human rights and freedom of expression.
A list has now been published of the major grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in June 2013 (in Norwegian).
'Ida's Diary' to Good Pitch Europe 2013
The Norwegian documentary film 'Ida's Diary' has been selected for inclusion in the pitch forum Good Pitch Europe 2013 at the Royal Institution of Great Britain in London on 7 June 2013. The pitch forum was initiated by the BRITDOC Foundation in collaboration with the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Programme. 'Ida's Diary' has been directed by August Baugstø Hanssen and produced by Carsten Aanonsen of Indie Film. Presenting the personal story of a young girl who is a self-mutilator, the film is based on recordings from the girl's own video diary.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 250 000 in production support for 'Ida’s Diary'.
Women's suffrage anniversary in Bamble: Marie Høeg
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 100 000 to Bamble Municipality for its celebration of the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage in Norway, which the municipality will celebrate by re-enacting the story of the Langesund woman Marie Høeg (1866–1949). Høeg was a suffragette, organiser, photographer and lesbian, and she played an important part in winning the right for women to vote in Norway. While the municipality will celebrate the anniversary with a number of events throughout 2013, the main emphasis will be on women's suffrage week, beginning on 31 August. The celebrations will include a relaunch of "The Discussion Society" and a photo exhibition at the Wrightegaarden Estate. A preview of the exhibition will be on display in the Bamble City Hall from 11 June.
Gay Kids. Gay People Were Young Once Too
The exhibition "Gay Kids. Kule barn som også finnes" ("Gay Kids. Gay People Were Young Once Too") opens at Maihaugen at 10 a.m. on 31 May 2013. "Gay Kids" is a beautifully illustrated book and an exhibition that sheds light on what it is like to grow up and fall in love with someone of the same sex. The project is a joint venture between Gay and Lesbian Health Norway, the Norwegian Literary Festival and Maihaugen. Olemic Thommessen, the Conservative Party's spokesperson on family policy, will open the exhibition, followed by presentations by Stig-Werner Moe and Bera U. Moseng from Gay and Lesbian Health Norway.
The project has received support from the Fritt Ord Foundation.
Professional network of journalists on hate speech, hate crimes and extremism
The two authors and freelance journalists Øyvind Strømmen and Kjetil Stormark are joining forces to establish a professional network of journalists at the international level who will cover hate speech, hate crimes and extremism. The project, entitled 'Hate Speech International' (HSI), is a two-year feasibility study. The project is being carried out with financial support from the Fritt Ord Foundation and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Read the rest of the press release from Strømmen and Stormark.
Death, shall we dance?
"Why is it that we in today's Norway hide death away so painstakingly, surrounding it with silence and taboos?" This is how the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) introduces the documentary "Death, shall we dance?" about Per Fugelli, who will be awarded the Freedom of Expression Foundation Prize for 2013 on 14 May. In the film, Fugelli reflects brutally and openly on life and death in the light of his own cancer. He wants to "release death from the prison of taboo words". Jæren, Værøy, Røst and Grønland in Oslo provide the background for a poetic, thought-provoking film about leaving life.
Invisible Symposium. A theater of ideas
Philosophers, authors, activists, politicians and artists were all asked the same set of questions with a focus on the current state of democracy. Why is it ailing? What challenges will it face in the years to come? Actors will portray the participating intellectuals in a staged exchange of ideas. PEN American Center, Fritt Ord, Jacobin, and The New School for Social Research invite to the 2013 PEN World Voices Festival’s Invisible Symposium on Saturday, 4 May 2013, 8-10pm, in New York City.
Seminar programme:
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Support for Norwegian factual prose
Among the Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in March 2013, we find 20 allocations for manuscript development and for the publication of new books in the factual prose genre in the broad sense. For example, Gunnar Ringheim has been granted NOK 50 000 to write the book "Abuse in the name of Jesus", while Cornelia Kristiansen has received NOK 75 000 for the interview book "The Class" about experiences from attending a multicultural school on the east side of downtown Oslo. Ingrid Vik has been granted NOK 50 000 for a book project entitled "Among the faithful", in which she investigates Norwegian Christian conservatives' attitudes to value-related questions in respect of family and equal opportunity. NOK 25 000 has been allocated to Trine Krigsvoll Haagensen and Martin Paulsen to translate and publish "A punk prayer for freedom" with lyrics by the Russian art collective Pussy Riot.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in March 2013.
europe@debate: Europe’s lost generation?
The programme FutureLab Europe focuses on young people between the ages of 20 and 30 who want to take part in debates and influence the future of Europe. During the event europe@debate in Brussels from 4 to 6 p.m. on Monday, 22 April, this year's young participants will present a report on how the European countries inside and outside the European Union are dealing with the social and financial crisis. The keynote speaker will be Joaquín Almunia, vice president of the European Commission. There will also be a debate, and interventions by FutureLab participants James Kilcourse of Ireland and Enja Sæthren of Norway. The event will be streamed directly here.
FutureLab Europe is a joint project among 10 European foundations, including the Fritt Ord Foundation.
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Iran symposium in Trondheim
On 20 April 2013, the Department of Art and Media Studies at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and the Kosmorama Film Festival in Trondheim will be hosting a symposium featuring international experts on Iranian film and prominent film-makers, including the director Mohsen Makhmalbaf. The symposium will introduce a Norwegian audience to Iranian film, and discuss the conditions for Iranian film-makers today. The event will be open to the general public, and the venue will be Det norske oljeselskap's premises from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Munkegata 26. Read more here (in Norwegian).
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 125 000 in support for the project.
Burning memories
Tappeluft Pictures has been granted NOK 100 000 to develop the documentary film "Burning memories", directed by Ellen-Astri Lundby. The film takes its point of departure in the memories of those experienced the forced evacuation and burning of Finnmark and North-Troms counties as children during World War II. The story is told through three main witnesses. At the same time as the past rises to the surface, the film will explore the losses of these people 70 years later.
A list has now been published of the major grants awarded in March 2013.
New York Times reports on NJP
The New York Times is presenting a comprehensive report on the Norwegian Journal of Photography and on the photographers' projects on its photoblog entitled Lens Blog under the title "Norway's New Photographic Landscape". Helge Skodvin gives an account of his work documenting the Norwegian landscape and the Volvo 240: "More than any other car, the Volvo 240 has been a symbol of Norwegian and Scandinavian values," he comments to Lens Blog. Visit the website at Lens Blog to read the whole story.
Norwegian Journal of Photography is now being sold at the Tronsmo in Oslo and is available for order on the bookseller's website. The book can also be ordered from Journal Publishing House: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
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Prizes to NJP photographers at the Picture of the Year awards
Several of photographers from the Fritt Ord Foundation's project Norwegian Journal of Photography (NJP) won prizes at the recent Picture of the Year awards organised by the Press Photographers' Club, Norway. In the class ‘Portrait Series’, Andrea Gjestvang took first prize and Ellen Lande Gossner third prize. Eivind H. Natvig won the class ‘Inland Report of the Year’, with Helge Skodvin in second place. Natvig also placed third in the category ‘Nature and the Environment’. In the class ‘Foreign Report of the Year’, Linda Bournane Engelberth took second place. Congratulations to the winners!
The illustrative photo is from Ellen Lande Gossner's photo project "The Deaconesses".
Hate Radio
The International Institute of Political Murder is currently appearing at the Oslo International Theatre Festival and Black Box Theatre with the play "Hate Radio". Terese Bjørneboe writes in the daily newspaper Aftenposten: "It is not only a documentary performance about the genocide in Rwanda, but also a reconstruction of the broadcasts of a radio station that played a decisive role. RTLM served as a propaganda centre, while the journalists and disc jockeys were Hipsters who played Nirvana. Hate Radio is about how the meanings of words change. It makes a deep, disquieting impression because the DJs use a globalised language that reduces the distance to the events."
The performance will be played on 20, 21 and 22 March. The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted Black Box Theatre NOK 150 000 for the guest performance.
Philosophy Day 2013
Philosophy Day for Upper Secondary Schools will be held at Uranienborgveien 2 in Oslo on Wednesday, 20 March 2013. This year's topic is "I. You. We? What is real? How do we know? How to live?" In addition to group discussions, the programme features lectures by Thor Steinar Grødal, Monica Roland, Anders Strand and Bjørn Ramberg. The event is fully subscribed.
The organiser is the Upper Secondary School Philosophy Association; Fritt Ord Foundation has provided a grant of NOK 50 000 for Philosophy Day.
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2012 Picture of the Year Award to Andrea Gjestvang
The Fritt Ord Foundation congratulates Photographer Andrea Gjestvang on the 2012 Picture of the Year Award. The prize was bestowed at a ceremony under the auspices of the Press Photographers' Club, Norway, on 15 March 2013. The winning photo is a portrait of Ylva Schwenke, one of the survivors of the terrorist massacre on Utøya Island in the summer of 2011. The picture is part of the book "One Day in History" (Pax Publishing House, 2012), in which Gjestvang portrays 43 Utøya Island survivors from all over Norway.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 210 000 in support for the book project.
Steffen Kverneland's Munch biography
No Comprendo Press has been granted NOK 60 000 for the publication of Steffen Kverneland's "Munch", a biography in comic strip form. This depiction takes its point of departure in quotations from Edvard Munch's own writings, along with contemporary descriptions of his life and career. The book also serves as a group portrait of a community of artists known as the Scandinavian 'Bohème' around the turn of the 20th century, when modernism was taking shape as an art form. The biography is based on Kverneland's chapters on Munch in the series "Kanon".
International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX)
Based in Toronto, Canada, the global network IFEX consists of more than 80 organisations that work to promote freedom of expression. The network draws attention to abuses of freedom of expression committed against journalists, activists, artists and researchers. The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted CAD 80 000 in support for IFEX' activities in 2013.
On IFEX’ website, you can read about and subscribe to daily and weekly news bulletins about freedom of expression the world over.
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Before the snow falls
At 8.15 p.m. on Friday, 15 February, Hisham Zaman's debut film "Before the snow falls" will premiere at the Klingenberg Cinema in Oslo. The director will introduce the film before the screening. See the trailer and order tickets. Paradox has produced the film, and the Fritt Ord Foundation has provided NOK 150 000 in support.
A 16-year-old boy is wrapped in plastic and submerged in the tank of a lorry filled with crude oil. This is how the film "Before the snow falls" starts. It is an unconventional road movie about family, love, dignity and honour. When Siyar's sister flees from her own wedding, he is put in charge of finding her and restoring the family's reputation. The search for his sister turns out to be a dangerous journey from east to west.
Mary Ellen Mark to visit Dokfoto 2013
Dokfoto 2013 will be arranged at the House of Literature in Oslo from 22 to 24 February. American photographer Mary Ellen Mark is famous for her works in the interface between photojournalism and portrait photography. Paal Audestad, Helge Skodvin and Andrea Gjestvang will be participating from Norway. Other photographers who will be showing their projects are Sebastían Liste, Sanna Sjöswärd, Katharina Hesse, Mimi Chakarova and Tomas van Houtryve. Read more at fotografi.no (in Norwegian).
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 150 000 in support for the project.
New documentary films
The Fritt Ord Foundation's allocations of major grants in February 2013 included funding for the production of seven documentary films. The company Aldeles received for support for "The Journalist and the Soldier" from Burma, and Bakkenivåfilm for "Someone must take the lead" from Afghanistan. Integral Film was granted funding for "ManIslam - Taming of the Goliath", the last part of Nefise Özkal Lorentzen's trilogy on Islam. Deeyah received support for a documentary about the Pakistani dancer, actor and feminist Sheema Kermani, while Fet Film was awarded a grant for "Birth of Hope" from Kenya. Sanden Media received a grant for "Desert Stench" about life on the garbage dumps in Brooklyn in the 1920s-30s, and the company friogfrank (fancy-free) was granted funding for a film on Stig Sæterbakken's work with the novel Sauermugg.
The list of the major grants made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in February 2013 has now been published.
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TPB AFK: The Pirate Bay Away From Keyboard
Simon Klose's documentary film 'TPB AFK: The Pirate Bay Away From Keyboard' will have its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival on 8 February 2013. The film will kick off the documentary segment entitled Panorama Dokumente. In the documentary, we follow the three founders of the Swedish torrent-sharing website The Pirate Bay, i.e. Peter Sunde, Fredrik Neij and Gottfried Svartholm. See the trailer. The entire film will be shown here.
The film has been produced by Sweden's Nonami Film, with Anagram (S), Final Cut for Real (DK) and Norwegian Piraya Film as co-producers. The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 150 000 in support to Norwegian co-producer Piraya Film.
When the Boys Return
The documentary film 'When the Boys Return' will premier in Norway at Ringen Cinema at 4 p.m. on 9 February 2013, during the Human Rights Human Wrongs Film Festival. Tone Andersen has directed the film, which was produced by Sant & Usant ('True & False'). Following the film screening, there will be talks featuring the director and Nora Ingdal from Save the Children. The Fritt Ord Foundation has provided a total of NOK 225 000 in support for the development and production of the film. See the trailer and the website for the film.
After months and years as political prisoners, teenagers Mohammed Jamil, Hamze and Mahran returned home to the West Bank. Once the celebration of their homecoming was over, they once again found themselves surrounded by soldiers, military raids and weekly demonstrations. They also faced challenges in dealing with their own families, as well as with friends and the school.
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Norwegian Online Encyclopaedia
The Fritt Ord Foundation and the savings bank foundation Sparebankstiftelsen DnB NOR acquired the rights to Store norske leksikon (Norway's largest encyclopaedia) in 2010. Some two years later, the old print-format leviathan has been transformed into a modern online encyclopaedia with 2 million visitors a month. In 2012, the encyclopaedia was augmented by new, updated articles comparable to 60 non-fiction books. Read, for example, Francis Sejersted's recently written article on 1814 – the Birth of Norway's Independence (in Norwegian).
Read more about the Norwegian Online Encyclopaedia.
Local newspapers in in Vesterålen
Magnum photographer Jonas Bendiksen explores a local Norwegian community. While working as a photographer for a number of local newspapers in Vesterålen, Bendiksen’s routine assignments for the newspapers gave him a unique opportunity to observe everything that took place in this small island community off the coast of northern Norway. The Fritt Ord Foundation granted NOK 100 000 in support for this photo project in 2012. See Bendiksen's blog or read more about the project and see photos in the magazine Wired.
Edvard Munch and Lene Berg to the Venice Biennale
The exhibition "Beware of the Holy Whore: Edvard Munch and the Dilemma of Emancipation" will be the official Norwegian contribution to the 55th International Art Exhibition La Biennale di Venezia in 2013. It includes a series of rarely exhibited works by Edvard Munch and a new film by the artist Lene Berg. Based on the concept of emancipation, the project will explore the relationship between art, its social context, and gender roles in flux in Munch's day and today. The exhibition will be shown from 31 May to 22 September 2013, and is being curated by the Office for Contemporary Art (OCA) and Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa.
The Fritt Ord Foundation allocated NOK 300 000 for the exhibition in December 2012.
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Library projects
The Fritt Ord Foundation's minor allocations in December 2012 included three projects related to Norway's libraries. The Buskerud County Library received NOK 50 000 for the conference "Young 3.0", intended to disseminate knowledge about young people's culture and the use of digital media. The Grünerløkka Branch of the Deichmann Library received NOK 50 000 for the digitisation of Scandinavian journals and publications printed by small-scale publishers in conjunction with the "Public Library Project". The Department of Archivistics, Library and Information Sciences, Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, received NOK 10 000 for Kari Skjønsberg Days 2013, a conference about girls and power, based on literature for children and young people.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in December 2012.
New non-fiction Norwegian literature
The Fritt Ord Foundation's major allocations in December included grants for 18 writers to work on new non-fiction and debate books. For example, Magnus Marsdal received funding for a coffee table book entitled "Freedom in red, white and blue", in which he will explore the relationship between freedom and community by comparing life in the welfare state Norway with the average citizen's experience in the USA. Håkon Harket received a grant to work on "The Clause", a broad-based presentation of the history of the Jewish clause, while Cornelius Jakhelln received a grant for a monograph on musical extremism, with special emphasis on the genres black metal, industrial and neo-folk.
The list of the Fritt Ord Foundation’s major grants in December 2012 has now been published.
China at Home
The Fritt Ord Foundation supported the organisation Human Rights in China by providing a grant of USD 50 000 in 2012, not least for the development of the China Rights Forum online. The latest edition of the journal – China at Home – devotes attention to the growth of activism in China.
Photographer Eivind H. Natvig's project to be shown in Bangladesh
Eivind H. Natvig's photo project "You Are Here Now" is scheduled to be shown at the Chobi Mela – International Festival of Photography in Bangladesh from 25 January to 7 February 2013. Natvig is a participant in the Fritt Ord Foundation's programme Norwegian Journal of Photography, and the Fritt Ord Foundation supported the project "You Are Here Now" with a grant of NOK 100 000 in 2009.
Read more on Natvig's own website.
"The classics of Norwegian journalism" on NRK P2 radio
Two of the speakers from the Fritt Ord Foundation's series "The classics of Norwegian journalism", Aina Nøding and Mona Ringvej from the University of Oslo, will be featured on the programme Echo on NRK P2 on Friday, 11 January, at 10.30 a.m. Nøding and Ringvej will talk about Claus Fasting (1746–1791), Bernt Børretzen (1762–1817) and Birgithe Kühle (1762–1832), who will also be the focus of the opening event for "The classics of Norwegian journalism" on 15 January.
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Atopia and the journal Objektiv
Among the Fritt Ord Foundation's minor grants in November, we find several contributions to projects involving photography and video art. The journal Objektiv (Objective), which focuses on camera-based contemporary art, was granted NOK 75 000 for its operations in 2013. The Atopia Foundation received a total of NOK 150 000 for its exhibition projects. Funding was provided, among other things, for the second phase of a research and exhibition project that examines the historical development of Norwegian film and video art. This phase will showcase the 1990s.
A list has now been published of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in November 2012.
Science Library nominated for "Library of the Year"
The Norwegian Library Association has shortlisted the new Science Library at the Blindern campus as one of the three nominees for the distinction "Library of the Year". The nomination reports, among other things, that the building has been converted from old-fashioned reading rooms and study facilities to a state-of-the-art learning centre. Read the entire article on the Bibliotekforum's website (in Norwegian).
In 2010, the Fritt Ord Foundation allocated MNOK 4 for the renovation and establishment of the Science Library in the Vilhelm Bjerknes Building. In recent years, grants have also been given to support the series entitled "Science Debate" at the library.
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Love and War - an exhibition at the Oslo Museum on Norwegian girls who consorted with the Germans during WWII
Oslo Museum received a grant of NOK 200 000 from the Fritt Ord Foundation for the exhibition "Love and War" about Norwegian girls who consorted with the Germans during the German Occupation of Norway during WWII. The exhibition will open at the Oslo Museum on 8 May 2013 in connection with the commemoration of the anniversary of women's suffrage in Norway. The aim of the project is to draw attention to other perspectives on Norwegian war history, and to encourage critical reflection regarding ethical social issues and how history is recorded. The exhibition is geared to schools in particular.
The list of the major grants made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in October 2012 has now been published.
Terra not so firma
Christiania Film's documentary on the Terra case, 'Terra not so firma’ ('Tidenes investering'), will be broadcast on TV2 Wednesday, 17 October 2012, at 10:40 p.m. The financial crisis that hit Wall Street in 2008 had a direct impact on eight Norwegian municipalities, causing them to suffer huge losses. Based on three municipalities in Nordland County, the film takes an in-depth look at the outcome of the worst investment ever. The film was directed by Oddvar Einarson.
The Freedom of Expression Foundation Oslo provided NOK 250 000 in support for production of the film in 2008.
Photo project on the Roma on exhibit in New York
Linda Bournane Engelberth's photo project on "The Lives and Traditions of the Roma" will be shown at the New York Photo Awards Exhibition at the PowerHouse Arena during the DUMBO Arts Festival in Brooklyn. The exhibition is being shown from 28 September to 10 October 2012.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has granted NOK 100 000 in support for the project. Engelberth is one of the 10 photographers included in the Norwegian Journal of Photography (NJP).
The Lives of Women in Iran
On behalf of the organisers, Sindre Bangstad has been granted NOK 32 000 by the Fritt Ord Foundation for the event "The Lives of Women in Iran. Justice and Injustice" to be held at the House of Literature in Oslo at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, 26 September. Iranian-US professor of Anthropology Arzoo Osanloo does research on women's rights in a country that has had an Islamic system of government since 1979. The event will feature her in dialogue with Sindre Bangstad and Sevda Clark from the University of Oslo on the position of women in Iran.
See the list of the minor grants awarded by the Fritt Ord Foundation in September 2012.
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A Balloon for Allah: International prizes and festivals
Nefise Özkal Lorentzen's documentary film "A Balloon for Allah" about women and Islam has been selected to be screened at 31 different film festivals. The film has won five prizes, most recently the Best Documentary Award and the Jury Award at the International Film Festival for Peace, Inspiration and Equality in Jakarta, Indonesia. The Fritt Ord Foundation provided NOK 300 000 in support for the film.
This is the second film in Özkal Lorentzen's trilogy on Islam. The first was “Gender Me” in 2008, which dealt with homosexuality. Özkal Lorentzen is currently working on a third film, this time about masculinity in Islam.
Overview of prizes and festivals:
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Bivrfrost – the bridge to the world of the gods
The Frikar Dance Company has been granted NOK 150 000 for the dance performance "Bivrfrost". Employing a fairy-tale format, Frikar asks whether calling culture 'Norwegian' must necessarily exclude others. These days, the right-wing extremist Sweden Democrats use folk dancing to promote the party, and the abuse of the Norwegian folk dancing tradition by the Nazis during World War II remains unknown. In "Bivrfrost", the young folk dancers on stage meet Nazi folk dancers from the propaganda films made by the NS, and the Arab "invasion" of Norway today meets the Christian invasion of 1000 years ago. Young people from Thailand, Pakistan, Uganda, Valdres and Hallingdal use their own languages and identities to challenge their own self-experienced xenophobia in an encounter with a poetic manuscript.
The list of the major grants made by the Fritt Ord Foundation in August 2012 has now been published.
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Allocation