‘Folktales’ Review: Adulthood Is Almost Here — but First, Dogsledding

Consider the world made up of two kinds of people: those who see Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s delightful and emotive “Folktales” and think, “Yes, I too would like to spend a year at a Norwegian folk high school,” and those who can’t fathom spending 10 months near the Arctic Circle learning how to hunt, knit, hike, camp, dogsled, and so very much more. However, everyone is vulnerable to being swept up by this dreamy, sensitive story of the plucky teens who do just that.

When kids arrive at Pasvik Folk High School, they are warned this isn’t like any other gap year; this experience intends to build teenagers into nothing less than a “new version of self.” Ewing and Grady give us just enough backstory on folk high schools — around since the 19th century, initially offered to rural kids looking for further education — to allow us to appreciate their power and place in Norwegian society. Mostly, they seem to work.

Ewing and Grady track a trio of students over a year at Pasvik, all of who arrive in “Finnmark, the northernmost and most exciting county of Norway … almost right on the border to Russia” (an incredible description of the area, care of Pasvik’s own website) with different worries and goals.

When we meet Hege, 19 and struggling with the death of her father, she is in the midst of a traditional Norwegian teenagehood that includes clubbing with her pals and arguing with Mom about how many mascaras she should bring. (Nine, her mom advises, is too many.) In Hege’s mind, growing up is nothing less than “chaos.” Inspired by a distant memory of her father expounding on the joys of dogsledding, she’s hoping Pasvik can help her break free of those worries.

At Pasvik we meet two of Hege’s classmates: Bjørn Tore (19, from Norway, finds it hard to make and keep friends) and Romain (18, from The Netherlands, lacks confidence). At first blush, the students of Pasvik (hell, even the teachers and administrators) all look fresh, healthy, vital, and ready to take on the world. But, as Ewing and Grady reveal in “Folktales,” everyone has a lot of growing to do.

Growth is the watchword as the filmmakers also weave in stories (well, folktales) from Norwegian traditions concerned with the Norns, a trio of Norse deities believed to be responsible for the shaping of human destiny and tasked with caring for Yggdrasill, the tree at the center of everything. Ewing and Grady give this myth life by taking us to a strong and sturdy tree in the middle of the forest, wrapped with red strings, the kind that both bind and harm. It’s a powerful symbol of destiny and, yes, growth.

Visual interest is inherent to “Folktales” thanks to Lars Erlend Tubaas Øymo’s crisp and immersive cinematography; it’s impressive whether he’s taking us through a forest via drone or guiding us along a sled trail through a dog’s own line of sight. T. Griffin’s thrumming, pulsating original score brings a grandiose sense to even mundane chores (and especially truly grandiose segments, like a big dogsledding trip in the film‘s final act).

And those dogs! Much of the kids’ time is spent maintaining the school’s dogyard and learning to mush the ragtag group of pups who call Pasvik their home. Every dog is a little different — some are more nervous than others, a few are quite loving, all are energetic — which is, we’re told, meant to reflect the students at Pasvik. Different dogs for different kids.

That Hege, Bjørn Tore, and Romain will learn some big life lessons from Pasvik in general and those pups in particular is expected, but it’s not a given. Instead, we are treated to all the joys and pains of 10 transformative months, with Ewing and Grady taking us inside an experience that’s both specific and oddly universal. Not everything turns out the way we expect, not every story has a tidy ending, but no one ever said becoming a new self was easy or expected. Folk high school? It helps. And, yes, I’d still like to go.

Grade: B+

“Folktales” premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. It is currently seeking U.S. distribution.

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