Thu 03.06
16:30 - 17:20
Vega 3
Fri 04.06
16:30 - 17:20
Vega 1
Fri 04.06
18:00 - 18:50
Vika 4
Sat 05.06
15:15 - 16:45
Vika 2
Sat 05.06
17:00 - 17:50
Vega 3
Sun 06.06
14:00 - 14:50
Vega 1
Sun 06.06
18:30 - 19:20
Vika 2

The eternal question of what art really is, comes to the surface in this enjoyable documentary about the meeting between the art collective FFB and the people of the small village of Kvam in Gudbrandsdalen, Norway. In its heyday, the village's meeting place, the pub Sinclair, was a regular pit stop for travelers along the main road between the south and north of Norway, and the chipboard factory Forestia Kvam was the village’s cornerstone company. Now the highway has been rerouted past Kvam, the factory has been closed down and the population is rapidly declining. Then, the village's leading men and women decide that a rather experimental work of art will bring newfound positivity to Kvam.

The meeting between Kvam's average Joe and the artwork is both fun and thought-provoking. The villagers do not want an incomprehensible piece of art put to display in Kvam, and dismiss it before it is even finished. Director Merethe Offerdal Tveit portrays the journey from total skepticism to acceptance of the art piece in an impressive way, interspersed with a solid dose of warmhearted humor. Through enjoyable debates at the town hall, small talk at the pub and a meeting with the artists, we witness how even the most negative villager agrees that the work of art should be completed.


Jon Sæter

Digital screenings

The film Villagers and Vagabonds will be screened in cinemas during the festival, and will only be digitally available for rent on Oslo Pix' screening platform for 48 hours, on Monday June 7 and Tuesday June 8.

Director

Merethe Offerdal Tveit (b. 1985) is a Norwegian documentarist and art filmmaker from Rosendal in Vestland county. She studied directing at Nordland Art and Film School and OsloMet. She lives in her home village and has with several short films shown her big heart for rural Norway. Villagers and Vagabonds is her first feature film, and was awarded Best Documentary at Bergen International Film Festival in 2020.


This film is part of

Pix on Art Cinema Screenings

Original title Odelsgut og fantefølge

Country Norway

Year 2020

Director Merethe Offerdal Tveit

Screenplay Merethe Offerdal Tveit

Cinematography Lars Erlend Tubaas Øymo

Producer Kristine Ann Skaret

Production Company Stray Dog Productions

Runtime 50m

Language Norwegian

Subtitles English

Genre Documentary

Age limit A

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