The 2025 documentary Folktales was directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, who are best known for the documentary Jesus Camp, which was nominated for an Oscar. The movie is about three teens in Norway—Hege, Romain and Bjørn Tore—who move to a different kind of high school in the country.
These young students have to deal with both physical and emotional challenges in the Arctic. To grow, stay alive—and find themselves, they rely on each other and their loyal pack of sled dogs.
Now let’s talk about the main attraction: the places where Folktales was filmed.
WHERE WAS FOLKTALES (2025) FILMED?
The documentary film FOLKTALES (2025) was filmed over the course of nine months, from August 2023 to May 2024, in the remote and icy Pasvik Valley of Finnmark, Arctic Norway—primarily at the Pasvik Folk High School, capturing both the rugged wilderness and deeply personal student experiences
PASVIK FOLK HIGH SCHOOL: A SCHOOL IN THE ARCTIC WILDERNESS
Pasvik Folk High School, which teaches Arctic survival skills, bushcraft, and dog sledding, was the main location for filming. In Scandinavia, there are more than 400 folk high schools. The filmmakers chose this one because it has a strong connection to Norse mythology and is in a remote, wild place.
Heidi Ewing noted that after meeting the dog-sledding instructors and witnessing the school’s environment firsthand, she and Rachel Grady felt certain this was the story they had to tell.
UNIQUE FILMING SPOTS IN PASVIK
Several scenes were shot in deep Arctic forest areas, far from any village or road. A tree in the woods that the crew wrapped in red yarn as a nod to Norse mythology was a beautiful sight. This tree later turned into a metaphor that ran through the story of the movie.
The dog yards, where the students got close to their sled dogs, and the remote campsites where they learned how to survive were also popular filming locations. This is where Romain’s sad journey by himself was filmed, with only natural light and headlamps used to keep the mood real.
A beautiful scene was filmed next to a frozen river, where the students cut through thick ice to do a tradition called “winter plunge.” This powerful moment captured the spirit of strength and finding oneself that was at the heart of the documentary’s message.
When Did Filming Take Place For Folktales (2025)?
In August 2023, at the start of the school year—Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady began filming the students. They continued to do so until May 2024, when they graduated from Pasvik Folk High School.
They made 12 separate trips to the remote Arctic location during this time, alternating visits and filming approximately once every four to six weeks . The location was so remote that their entire Norwegian crew had to travel from Oslo, as no one lived in the area full-time..
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