Just days after its limited theatrical release on July 25, 2025, Oscar®-nominated filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s documentary Folktales is already generating buzz for its heartwarming portrayal of teenage resilience amid the stark beauty of Arctic Norway. Critics are praising the film for its magical and emotional depth, with a Tomatometer score of 78% on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metascore of 73 on Metacritic, highlighting its potential as an “instant classic” that inspires hope and connection in a disconnected world.
Synopsis: Weaving Threads of Fate in the Frozen North
In Oscar®-nominated filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s life-affirming documentary, teenagers converge at a traditional folk high school in Arctic Norway where they must rely on only themselves, one another, and a loyal pack of sled dogs as they all grow in unexpected directions.
In Norse mythology, the three “Norns” are powerful deities who weave the threads of fate and shape humans’ futures. Today, Pasvik Folk High School in northern Norway aims to produce a similar life-changing effect on its students. Folktales tells the timely and heartwarming story of teenagers who choose to spend an unconventional “gap year” learning to dog sled and survive the Arctic wilderness, in hopes of finding connection and meaning in the modern world. Guided by patient teachers and a yard full of heroic Alaskan huskies, they discover their own potential and develop deep relationships with the land, animals and humans around them. Through intimate verité storytelling and exhilarating cinematography, Ewing and Grady examine humans on the cusp of adulthood, finding themselves at the edge of the world.
Distributed by Magnolia Pictures, the 106-minute film premiered at Sundance in January 2025 and is now playing in select theaters, offering audiences a visually stunning escape into nature’s transformative power.
AMFM Magazine recently spoke with Ewing and Grady about the origins of this captivating project, the challenges of filming in extreme conditions, and the profound lessons they hope to impart. Their insights reveal a film born from curiosity and crafted with devotion, resonating deeply in our tech-saturated era.
Discovering the Story: From Podcast to Polar Adventure
The path to Folktales started with a simple spark of intrigue. Ewing shares how a podcast mention led her down a rabbit hole: “Films come from all kinds of places… In this case, it was a podcast that led me to read a book… she mentions that she went to a folk high school when she was 17. What’s that? And then you go down the rabbit hole and you realize that it’s a tradition in Scandinavia. It’s a gap year… to learn to be a better person and to build character.”
This discovery brought them to Pasvik Folk High School, where dog sledding becomes a metaphor for personal growth. “A dog yard full of huskies that’ll help a human being become a better human—like, who doesn’t want to look more into that?” Ewing enthuses. Grady adds that the film’s appeal lies in its “universal themes wrapped in a very unusual Arctic… package that’s also hyper cinematic.”
Conquering the Cold: Challenges Behind the Camera
Shooting in the Arctic demanded grit. Grady admits initial fears: “I was terrified of being cold and not being able to do my job… But you figure out the right way to do it, and then it’s not so scary.” The duo endured 17 trips over a year, battling -30°F temperatures, equipment failures, and language barriers in an observational style.
“It was trial and failure… photographing dog sledding and -30 about everything breaking,” Grady recalls. Yet, they prioritized emotional connections: “What an audience really cares about is do they connect… with the people you’re telling the story about?” Ewing notes the process felt “advanced,” drawing on their decades of experience to surrender and adapt.
Advice for Aspiring Filmmakers: Trust Your Gut and Embrace Obsession
With credits including Jesus Camp and One of Us, Ewing and Grady offer timeless guidance. “Be very, very curious… Don’t fake it. Don’t do it because it’s trending,” Ewing advises. “Trust your gut.” Grady emphasizes obsession: “You should be somewhat obsessed with the topic… and be interested in many things about it.” Both stress that genuine fascination sustains the long haul of filmmaking.
Themes and Takeaways: Nature, Belonging, and Human Bonds
Folktales counters modern alienation with nature’s healing force. Ewing hopes viewers grasp “the power of nature to calm your mind and to realize how small you are, but not insignificant you are.” She contrasts it with AI anxieties: “It’s about the elemental nature of… dogs and humans… significant bonds… that an AI or a robot is not going to achieve.”
Grady echoes a teacher’s wisdom: “Not everyone fits in, but everyone is needed.” This sentiment underscores the film’s message of purpose and belonging, leaving audiences with a sense of renewal.
Enter the Wild: Win a Private Wolf Walk with Wolf Connection
To celebrate the release of @FolktalesFilm, we’re offering you the chance to step into the wild.
We’ve teamed up with @WolfConnection – a sanctuary for wolves in the stunning Angeles National Forest – for an extraordinary prize: a private 2.5-hour visit for you and your pack (ages 7+) to walk with wolves, hear their stories, and reconnect with nature in the most profound way.
This is more than a tour, it’s an invitation to slow down, listen, and let the wolves guide you—through quiet forests and deeper truths.
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