Directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, teenagers attend a folk high school in Arctic Norway, relying on themselves, peers, and sled dogs as they navigate the path to adulthood and uncharted personal growth.
Undeniably, if you’re going to shoot a film in Arctic Norway, you’re going to come away with some incredible imagery, and Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady certainly did for Folktales. The landscapes are fantastic and have a great deal to add to the atmosphere. Especially when the subjects are going through a sincerely emotional experience. In those moments, where the direction takes a step back, the film is at its strongest and shows the potential it had for something more impactful. However, the rest of the film takes a more traditionally observational style which feels more suited to a reality television series.
Something that’s then reflected by the way that Folktales moves, it’s a touch scattered and jumping around from person to person, not taking its time to truly get to know them. The emotional depth was primed to be explored but instead it only scratches the surface. The perspective strongly reflects their youth so without an extra hand to guide it to a more complex place, it feels somewhat simple.
Undoubtedly, it’s lovely to see the programme and how it intends to instil self confidence in young people and help them to come out of their shells, or process their emotions. It’s a wonderful idea and clearly effective, but the style and tone of Folktales doesn’t quite capture the resounding quality of that impact.
Folktales chose a wonderful subject to explore, and a terrific landscape to make the most of, but the way that it shoots and cuts together the main content of the documentary falls short. It feels too reminiscent of reality TV, it’s missing patience and depth. There was perhaps one teenager too many, to allow the time to explore their emotions and mental state with enough detail for it to spark a true connection. It’s forever moving onto the next scene, which has a certain coldness to it, when the film was rife with potential for something truly intimate and touching, but doesn’t quite get there.
FilmCarnage.com 