Documentaries tend to fall into one of two categories – historic horrors or contemporary truths. There isn’t too much space for the quieter stories of life. After all, these aren’t headline-grabbing or clickbait material. But that’s exactly the type of documentary that Silje Evensmo Jacobsen has chosen to create with A New Kind of Wilderness.
The documentary opens with a voiceover from Maria, who shares family photos and home videos of her life in rural Norway. She has a daughter, Ronja, from a previous relationship and three kids – Freja, Falk and Ulv – with her husband Nik. They live a quiet, “off-grid” life, reliant on their land for food and family time. The children are all homeschooled and have never watched television. It’s a life full of birdsong and sunrise making its way through the trees. But this gentleness and strong familial bond are shattered by Maria’s death from cancer. And it’s here that the documentary picks up.
Maria’s voice can still be heard where old photos or videos are brought on screen, but Silje Evensmo Jacobsen leaves us in the hands of Nik, as he attempts to raise his family. He’s grappling with guilt from all angles – they’re about to lose their farmland due to a lack of income; Ronja has gone back to live with her father; he’s having to put the kids in mainstream schooling as he now has to go out to work; he longs to go home to England to feel the comfort of his own family. And, of course, on top of it all, he’s mourning the loss of his free-spirited wife, who would know just what to do in each of these situations.
The documentary flits between Freja, Falk and Ulv as they adjust to a new home and new form of education and Ronja as she ponders her own future. With the three youngest children, you get a sense that their lifestyle has bestowed them with rich imaginations and a love of creative play. There’s dirt under their fingernails; their hair is uncut and unbrushed; their clothes are practical and traditional. Can you think of another ten year old who would be happy with a hand-carved wooden spoon for their birthday? They speak English with gently plummy accents, which is somewhat hilariously at odds with their earthy, outdoorsy lifestyle.
Ronja’s loss is keenly felt – she even shaves her head to mimic her mother’s hair loss in her last months. She feels something of a disconnect with her younger siblings, having moved back in with her father, and is able to express this eloquently and articulately both on camera and through letter writing.
But perhaps what is most interesting about A New Kind of Wilderness is the way the family adapt to their new life. Much to Nik’s surprise, the three younger children really enjoy mainstream school and want to spend more time there – away from the family. Freja is given an iPad and her younger siblings swarm round her, immediately glued to the bright screen. Nik’s face is a picture of dismay, exhaustion and guilt. His attempts to get the family to consider a move to England are met with a gentle no from his children. He will continue to video call his dad in order to keep them happy.
And, of course, the nature that is all around the family is incredibly striking. It’s difficult to watch a bull be shot and skinned for dinner but even the children seem content in the understanding that they only kill what they need and that one bull will last for many a dinner time. Nik and the children can name a number of trees, plants and insects in a way that almost feels eccentric. It’s refreshing to see a family so happy off grid, so enthralled with their surroundings, so aware of the impact their lives have on the environment.
And it’s perhaps this awareness that aids the three younger children, in particular, with their grief. We see the family through all four seasons and the cyclical nature of life is underlined through this. Their sense of connection to this cycle allows them to grieve their mother whilst acknowledging that her spirit lives on in the air and earth around them. It’s a comforting thought.
A New Kind of Wilderness is a quietly compelling documentary about a family coming to terms with loss – not just of their matriarch but of their preferred way of life. Silje Evensmo Jacobsen allows us to grow and learn with them, as this next page within their family photo album begins to take shape.
A New Kind of Wilderness is in UK cinemas from May 16.
Written by: Mary Munoz, Content Creator at Nordic Watchlist