In this Sundance-selected documentary, Englishman Nik and his Norwegian wife Maria attempt to forge a new life on a farm in her homeland’s lush woodlands. Their goal is to live sustainably, putting as little strain upon the planet as possible. But when the family suffers a tragedy, Nik’s resolve to continue on this singular mission is severely challenged and the ‘normal’ world comes knocking. Can they maintain some version of this idyll or is it a paradise out of reach?
Bearing comparison with the events of Captain Fantastic (2016) but played out with the complexities and inescapable truths of real life, A New Kind of Wilderness is not just a heartbreaking portrait of the endurance of a family, but also a breathtaking trip into the Norwegian wilderness. The kind of unfolding, surprising, intimate and honest documentary portrait that can only emerge over years of hard-won access,
A New Kind of Wilderness is for anyone who wants to (re)discover the power of family and think about different ways of striding this Earth.
