The Rise and Rise of Norwegian Dance Music

Interview with Director Ben Davis and Producer Pete Jenkinson

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

It was made as a response to our relations with Norwegian creatives and also a film was a new experience for myself and Ben in the context of our dance music label Paper Recordings that's been running since 1994.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

You might not know anything about Norwegian electronic music but this is a story about youth, passion and creativity which is mirrored in all artistic endeavor across the world. This film is uplifting and fun plus the landscape and welcoming culture in Scandinavia is as refreshing as it gets.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

As mentioned above there are personal narratives regards creativity and illness, bravery and innocence. Remember that this film charts the development of a cultural movement in isolation starting within the Arctic circle before the internet. That is the most fascinating element for us; this was a time when creativity could develop in a virtually pure state whereas today the creative process is bombarded with external influence from around the world.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

The script or narrative in this case as it was documentary follows a traditional story arc and is carried with two main carried characters Per Martinsen and Bjørn Torske; both of whom starting the story in Tromsø. The film evolved with the discovery and depth of interview and archive materials as the stories demands grew. We ran a successful crowdfunding campaign which acted as a great way to crowd source for supporting film and contributors.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

We have been blown away by the response so far! We've been award Best Music Doc at En Lefko Film Festival in Athens, Greece and have screened at over 40 festivals so far with Melbourne coming up in July. We have had or are due reviews and features in Wire, Pitchfork, DJ Mag, Uncut, Mojo, i-D, Vice, Boiler Room, Electronic Sound, JocksandNerds plus many more available on the website.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

Totally surprised and has given us more confidence to make another film.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

To gain more diversity for our film's audience; the whole objective for us was to share this uplifting tale about Norway with the rest of the world.

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

It would be great for more blogs and journalists to help spread the word across Asia and Ocenia.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

For the audience to be surprised at how much they identify with such a a 'foreign' culture and for it to give creative confidence to everyone that views it.

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

Can you imagine what creativity would be like without the internet?

What are the key creatives developing or working on now?

Ben Davis and Pete Jenkinson (Director/Producer) developing new documentary ideas

Otto Burnham (Editor) Offline editor 'Raised by Queers' for All4 at Burning Bright Productions

Pip Piper (Exec Producer) - Mountain Biking documentary

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/mtbuntold/174599395

Interview: May 2017

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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela

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Northern Disco Lights

The Rise and Rise of Norwegian Dance Music

Length: 74m 11s

Director: Ben Davis

Producer: Pete Jenkinson

About the writer, director and producer: This is Ben and Pete's first film project having run Paper Recordings record label since 1994.

Key cast: Bryan Ferry, Annie Strand, Nemone (BBC 6 Music), Bill Brewster (Dj/Journo), Per Martinsen (Mental Overdrive), Bjørn Torske (Artist)

Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): Journalists and promotion

Social media handles:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/northerndiscolights

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ndlights

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/northerndiscolights

Funders: Indiegogo, Music Norway, Nordnorsk Filmsenter, Tromsø IntroFund, SpareBank

Made in association with: Paper Recordings, Paper Vision Fimls and 7 Minus Media AS

Where can I see it in the next month? Melbourne Doc Fest