Margreth Olin: Last News

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Margreth Olin’s “Songs of Earth,” Norway’s Oscar entry for the international feature film race, has been bought by Strand Releasing for North American distribution. The documentary feature, which is executive produced by Wim Wenders and Liv Ullman, played at Toronto where it sold to key territories, and had its U.S.

As majestic in appearance as a “National Geographic” special or any episode of “NOVA,” the opening shots of the semi-documentary “Songs of Earth” are quick to immediately showcase beautiful cinematography that’s as much a character as any of the several humans who materialize from time to time, both elements of the film that do their best to drive things forward and attempt to keep the onscreen action from slipping into a black hole of dull.

Lise Pedersen The Copenhagen Intl. Documentary Film Festival, also known as CPH:DOX, has unveiled the full program of its 20th edition, which includes 200 new films, more than half of which are world premieres, sealing CPH:DOX’s reputation as one of the leading events of its kind in Europe. For the first time, all 13 films competing for the top Dox:Award are world premieres. These include “A Storm Foretold,” the long-awaited doc on Donald Trump’s former adviser Roger Stone by Danish political journalist Christopher Guldbrandsen; established filmmaker Margreth Olin’s highly anticipated epic film “Songs of the Earth”; “A Tiger in Paradise,” a surreal journey into Swedish singer José González’ inner world by Ruben Östlund’s regular creative partners Mikel Cee Karlsson and Erik Hemmendorff; and “Total Trust” by Jialing Zhang (“One Child Nation”), described as “the first major film about the Chinese surveillance state (…) – a disturbing tale of technology, (self-) censorship and abuse of power in the 21st century.”

Annika Pham Tel Aviv-based Cinephil, the sales agent for the Oscar nominated “Collective” and “The Act of Killing” among others, has clinched world rights to “Songs of Earth” from seasoned Norwegian helmer and producer Margreth Olin of Speranza Film.The documentary project marks the third collaboration between Cinephil’s managing director Philippa Kowarsky and Olin after the DOC NYC selected “Self Portrait” and “Cathedrals of Culture,” exec produced by Wim Wenders.Olin’s meditative and personal pic “Songs of Earth” will bow April 28 at CPH:FORUM, the online financing and co-production industry showcase, running alongside Denmark’s CPH:DOX Festival (April 21-May 12).