The Block

For several years, the 30 residents of an apartment complex in Sagene have been battling the real estate empire of Ivar Tollefsen. THE BLOCK follows the residents as they tenaciously fight the company that is trying to push them out of their homes.

Documentary filmmaker Aslaug Holm has followed the residents of Maridalsveien 128 over an extended period, documenting their battle with a real estate giant that purchased their apartment complex with plans for renovation. The consequences of this renovation include increased rental costs, potentially pricing several residents out of their homes. The film raises a central question: What will happen to our city when ordinary people are pushed out of their homes, and only the rich can afford to live in Oslo's central neighborhoods?

Pix Politics: The Shattered Housing Dream

THE BLOCK is part of the section Pix Politics.

We are daily fed the idea that we should own our own homes. It's synonymous with being successful, but the dream of owning a home is becoming increasingly distant for many, no matter how much equity they manage to scrape together.

After the film screening on 31.08, we will discuss what will happen to our city when regular people are pushed out of their homes, and only the wealthy can afford to live in Oslo's city center.

The event will be in Norwegian.

Read more about the event here.

Director

Aslaug Holm (b. 1965) is a Norwegian documentary filmmaker with her education from Høgskulen i Volda and the University of Trondheim. In 1992, she founded the production company Fenris Film and made her debut film, Men i himmelen får jeg vinger, in 1994. Since then, she has directed several documentaries, including Oljeberget (2006), Brothers (2015), Generation Utøya (2021), and as co-director of a-ha: The Movie (2021).

This film is part of