Sweat, towel snapping and hair spray

February 8 2022

While today’s young people have multiple alternatives for expressing their identities, few of them ever mention carefree relationships between their bodies and school showers. The Fritt Ord-supported documentary film “Stories from the Shower” takes us through an inevitable chapter in the lives of all adolescents – school changing rooms.

As fewer teenagers are showering after gym class, more schools are building individual shower stalls to give them privacy. Pupils find this more comfortable, but is it the right response? What actually goes on in teenagers’ lives and minds? The documentary film “Stories from the Shower” gives us insight into what it is like to be young and vulnerable in front of classmates today. Do you cover up your hairy legs – or do you own them? Is perfume enough to cover up body odour? What additional concerns do you have if you are gay or trans? Young teenagers describe how they tease each other and support each other – and how a look or a remark can make your day or ruin your year. Their stories paint a picture of a complex time in young people’s lives, when a changing room can be an epicentre for joy and shame alike.

Stories from the Shower. Photo: Teresia Fant

“Stories from the Shower” premiered in June 2021. Since then, it has won the Children’s Choice Award at Nordic Panorama in 2021 and Best Nordic Documentary at Minimalen Short Film Festival in 2022. The film was directed by Teresia Fant and produced by Sara Winge-Sørensen at Stray Dogs Production. Fritt Ord has provided NOK 250 000 in support for the development, production and launch of the film.

Watch the film here!

News

Free Media Awards for 2025

September 9 2025

The Fritt Ord Foundation and the ZEIT Stiftung Bucerius hereby announce that the Free Media Awards for 2025 will be presented to media outlets and journalists from Ukraine, Georgia, Hungary, Russia, Belarus and Azerbaijan

Greater diversity among journalists results in greater diversity among sources

September 2 2025

A recently published report reveals biases in who is allowed to participate in the public debate. According to a new report from Retriever commissioned by the Fritt Ord Foundation, men who have Nordic names dominate both as sources and journalists in Norwegian media. Women, younger people and people with foreign names are less likely to be included. This is true both as interviewees and as authors of articles. That being said, greater diversity among journalists results in greater diversity among sources.

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.