Film premiere: ‘1989’

November 5 2014

The Fritt Ord Foundation and Substans Film invite the public to the Oslo premiere of the film ‘1989’, from 7.45 – 10.30 p.m. on 5 November, at the Fritt Ord Foundation, Uranienborgveien 2, Oslo.

The event is free of charge, but space is limited. See our Facebookpage for more information.

‘1989’ gives insight into what happened behind the scenes when the Iron Curtain fell 25 years ago. The film is directed by Oscar nominees Anders Østergaard and Erzsebet Racz.

In addition to being this year’s opening film at CPH:DOX, the Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival, the film is being screened in parallel at 59 venues throughout Europe. In Norway, the film is being screened in Kristiansand, Lillehammer and Oslo.

‘1989’ has been produced by Magic Hour Films in cooperation with Substans Film of Norway, among others.

The film has received support from the Norwegian Film Institute, the Fritt Ord Foundation, the Audio and Visual Fund, the Eastern Norwegian Film Centre and the Southern Norwegian Film Centre – in addition to a number of international supporter, including the Danish Film Institute, Eurimage and the Nordic Film and TV Fund.

News

Eirin Larsen and Hadia Tajik join the Fritt Ord Board

August 5 2025

Eirin Larsen (36) and Hadia Tajik (42) bring valuable experience from journalism, technology, politics and jurisprudence to the Fritt Ord Board.

Making the film «Farouk» – on the geologist that secured Norway its oil

July 1 2025

Geologist Farouk Al-Kasim joined the the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate in 1968, shaping Norwegian petroleum resource management for decades afterwards. Now, documentary film director Halkawt Mustafa and producer Janne Hjeltnes are making a film about Al-Kasim’s life and reflections.
“Farouk tells me something in this film that he has not talked about before, because he has always told the version he feels Norway wanted to hear,” recounts Mustafa, who has Iraqi roots himself.

Read the interview with the director and see the list of grants awarded by Fritt Ord in June 2025.

Bård Vegar Solhjell new chair of the Fritt Ord Board

July 1 2025

Bård Vegar Solhjell (53) has taken over as the new chair of the Fritt Ord Foundation Board.

Cultural newspaper TBATBA.no and new journalism grants – June 2025

June 19 2025

– Cultural journalism is under pressure. Part of the problem is media outlets failing to cover culture in formats and ways that appeal to people under 30, says Ida Madsen Hestman, editor, freelance critic, and founder of TBATBA.no. Last year, she started the kind of publication she herself would want to read.

The magazine TBA is among those awarded funding in June 2025. See the full list of grants in Norsk Journalistikk.