TROLSK – a Norwegian word meaning “eerie” or “enchanted by nature.” A slow, atmospheric 16mm film shot in the Arctic Circle. Created in collaboration with Figurteatret i Nordland, a visual theatre based in a small fishing village in the Lofoten Islands, Trolsk drifts between the real and the mythical, following three figures from local folklore – a Draugr, a Huldra, and a mountain troll, who emerge from the landscape as if they had always been there. The film explores in-camera effects, using a matte box, masking, and multiple exposures to create layered compositions directly onto the film stock. Director’s Statement: Trolsk grew out of two months I spent living and working in Stamsund, a small fishing village in the Lofoten Islands with Nordland Visual Theatre. I arrived with a 16mm Bolex, a few rolls of film, and a Zoom recorder, and the idea of making a film inspired by three figures from Norwegian folklore. I didn’t want to force a narrative, I wanted to create something slow and atmospheric, a response to the landscape itself – a feeling of being close to something old, hidden, and slightly enchanted. The theatre hosted me while I built costumes and small set elements in the Theatre’s workshops. I used in-camera techniques like masking, multiple exposures and matte-box effects to capture illusions, straight onto the celluloid film. For the sound, I combined field recordings from the coastline with a violin played inside a huge oil drum, giving everything a resonance that felt rooted in the place and the 16mm film.
Edith Morris is a Welsh artist and experimental filmmaker whose work draws on folklore, oral storytelling traditions and craft-based practices. Working from her studio in Bristol, she creates with ceramic, wood, fabric, metal and 16mm film, developing tactile, process-driven works that merge sculpture and cinema. Her films have screened at a range of venues and festivals, including IFFR, ICA, Rio Cinema, BFI Southbank, Curzon Soho, BFI Future Film Festival, London Short Film Festival, Encounters and Frameline Festival in San Francisco. director / cinematographer / editor: Edith Morris, production support: Figurteatret i Nordland, costume / set design: Edith Morris, sound design: Edith Morris, violin: Nicolaj Frederik Wamberg, main cast: Holly McGowan Hayes, film format: 16mm, location: Lofoten Islands, Norway