Norwegian Rising Talent Vegard Dahle on Cannes Frontières-Bound ‘Light Years’: ‘More Nordic Noir Than Typical Hollywood Sci-Fi’ (EXCLUSIVE)

by

Norway’s recent offerings in the realm of genre films have primarily been in the categories of disaster (as seen in “La Palma” and “The Quake”), horror-comedy (“The Ugly Sister”), supernatural horror (“Handling the Undead” and “The Innocents”), or fantasy-thriller (“Troll”).

Next month, the emerging talent Vegard Dahle (“Penthouse”) will present his debut feature film “Light Years” at Cannes’ Frontières Platform. Notably, this Norwegian director is set to delve into the seldom-explored realm of science fiction within the Nordic Noir genre.

Drawing inspiration from Dridrik Moritz Hallstrøm’s renowned novel, Dahle collaborated with the author and Anna Lian to bring the story to the silver screen. The narrative revolves around an astronaut from Norway who regains consciousness on a crippling spacecraft, his past obliterated to preserve his sanity during the prolonged interstellar journey. Upon ceasing the suppressant medication, fragments of his lost daughter begin to return, forcing him to grapple with a crucial choice: either uphold the deception or confront reality, no matter the price, as documented in the logbook.

Dahle confided to EbMaster that he instinctively felt the book should become a movie, and that it was crucial for him to bring it to life,” Dahle said. “At first, I believed it was due to its thrilling narrative – a space explorer on an endless voyage who uncovers his forgotten history and must untangle the enigma of why he left his child on a dying world. However, as I delved into the adaptation process, I gradually recognized that what truly resonated with me was my identification with the forsaken child. As I observed the lead character recall his past mistakes as a father, questions began to surface within me: Does my own father ever ponder over his role as a father? Does he harbor any regrets? Would he make different choices now? I can’t say for sure. But I hope he does.

In his unique interpretation of science fiction, Dahle mentioned that “Light Years” shares more similarities with Nordic Noir than traditional Hollywood sci-fi. While there’s a spaceship involved, in terms of mood and aesthetic, it prefers to mingle with shows like “Aftersun”, rather than “Dune” or “Star Wars”. (No hard feelings.)

In terms of its themes, the film explores the significance of memory in defining our identities and actions. The director found inspiration in William Strauss and Neil Howe’s book “The Fourth Turning,” which he found enlightening and gave him optimism. He believes that as a society, we have the potential to rectify issues if we can identify recurring patterns and learn from them. Essentially, the film aims to convey a message about learning from our errors, something the director believes we could all benefit from doing more of in the present moment.

In essence, Dahle articulated that “Light Years” is fundamentally a deeply relatable tale about grief, remembrance, and bonding, narrated in a Nordic fashion that’s both emotionally profound and unconventional. This production, currently under final touches, is being supervised by Bente Maalen (a line producer for “The Trip” and “Let the River Flow”), from Blaane Film based in Trondheim. Maalen, also co-founder of the Norwegian horror film festival Ramaskrik, considers the project’s attendance at the European Genre Forum as a prudent move in its progression.

To date, the project has obtained development funding from the Norwegian Film Institute, Filminvest, and mid-Norway Film Centre. The producer is currently seeking sales agents, festival programmers, and distributors across various platforms. At Cannes’ Frontières Platform, they are hoping to find partners who resonate with the film’s essence, can assist with financing, and help bring the story to new audiences. Creative compatibility and strategy are both essential, as the team behind “Light Years” aims to forge enduring collaborations that may extend beyond this film.

Filming is scheduled to start in Feb. 2026.

The top-tier co-production, funding, and networking event for genre specialists known as Borders, affiliated with Cannes, will take place on May 17-18 at the Palace of Festivals.

Read More

2025-04-09 12:18