‘Folktales’ Documentary Review: Teens Thrive Learning Dog Sledding In Arctic Wilderness

Directed and produced by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, Folktales centers on teenagers who undergo a different sort of education at a traditional folk high school in Arctic Norway. Learning about sled dogs and self-reliance is not mastered overnight, and this documentary focuses on the teens’ growth throughout the process. CinemAddicts co-host Bruce Purkey recommends the movie but he has one big gripe about Folktales.

In Folktales, several teenagers attend Pasvik Folk High School in northern Norway. They are taking a gap year which serves as the bridge from their youth to impending adulthood. Will they learn a thing or two while living out in the Arctic Wilderness? Find out when this 106 minute documentary hits New York’s IFC Center on July 25 and additional cities on August 1.

Although Bruce recommends Folktales (his rating was ⭐️⭐️⭐️½), he questioned the efficacy of the program. “It’s easy to cope with things and find community and find meaning when you don’t have (to deal) with the daily grind,” said Purkey. “You have a place to sleep and you can learn how to take care of dogs and do (dogsledding). I want to see how this translates to their real lives as time goes on.”

That said, Purkey still found the documentary “compelling and interesting.”

Check out Bruce Purkey’s Folktales review: 

Let us know your thoughts on Folktales, opening July 25 (New York’s IFC Center) and August 1 in select cities, in the comments!