The Story Behind 'Folktales' and the Arctic Refuge Where Teens Escape the Anxieties of Modern Life

How the Fates and Frame.io Helped ‘Folktales’ Create a Sense of Magic

Directors Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady tell IndieWire about making their latest documentary feel as momentous and magical as it does to come of age.

The Story Behind 'Folktales' and the Arctic Refuge Where Teens Escape the Anxieties of Modern Life

In Finnmark, Norway, 200 miles above the Arctic Circle, stands Pasvik Folk High School. In Folktales, the latest documentary from filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (Jesus Camp, One of Us), the pair ventured there to document its students, teenagers effectively taking a gap year, hundreds of miles away from the distractions of everyday life. The school focuses entirely on building character over grades and discovering a way of life immersed…

“FOLKTALES” Captures Students Surviving and Thriving in Arctic Norway

(L–R) Heidi Ewing, Iselin Breivold, Hege Birch Wik, Thor-Atle Svortevik, and Rachel Grady attend the 2025 Sundance Film Festival “FOLKTALES” premiere at Library Center Theatre. (Photo by Michael Hurcomb/Shutterstock for Sundance Film Festival) By Jessica HerndonFilmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s history at the Sundance Film Festival runs deep. 2010 marked the first year they premiered a film at the F…