Norway brings Liv Ullmann: A Road Less Travelled to Cannes

NOTE: This article is a republication- Source: Nordisk Film & TV Fond (by Annika Pham).

Dheeraj Akolkar’s documentary produced by Norway’s Teddy TV for Viaplay will world premiere at Cannes Classics.

The intimate portrait of Norway’s star actress, director and writer Liv Ullmann is Akolkar’s second collaboration with her after his 2012 documentary Liv & Ingmar.

Besides numerous interviews with film personalities who have worked with Ullmann such as Cate Blanchett, Jessica Chastain, John Lithgow, Jeremy Irons, Sam Waterston and Pernilla August, the film explores her life and career spanning over 62 years.

The documentary also highlights what it means to be a woman in a male-dominated world and shows how to find and use one’s voice without losing one’s integrity, sense of humour or friends.

“Making this film about a timeless artist with an astonishing, multi-layered life and tremendous integrity has been a great responsibility, privilege, and gift for all of us,” said Akolkar, who is thankful for Ullmann’s “heartfelt, incomparable contribution” to the film.

Filippa Wallestam, Viaplay Group Chief Content Officer adds: “It’s a huge honour to be selected at the prestigious Festival de Cannes. Liv Ullmann is an inspiration for the entire Nordic creative community, and we are proud to give an even broader audience the chance to hear Liv’s amazing story in her own words in Viaplay’s latest international documentary.”

The film was produced by Kaare Hersoug and Hege Christensen for Oslo-based Teddy TV, with Viaplay’s Une Søreide serving as executive producer. Viaplay Content Distribution handles global sales.

Liv Ullmann has a long history with the Cannes Film Festival, having attended as President of the Jury in 2001, jury member in 1978, as an actress in Ingmar Bergman’s Cries and Whispers (1973), Face to Face (1976), in Sven Nykvist’s The Ox (1992), then as a director with Private Confessions, selected for Un Certain Regard in 1997, and Trolösa (2000), which screened in official competition in 2000.

Liv Ullmann: A Road Less Travelled will screen at Cannes Classics in the presence of the Norwegian star and Akolkar.

To coincide with the film’s prestigious platform screening in Cannes, Viaplay has set its premiere date to May 21.

Norway is also present in Cannes with Tits, the short film by Eivind Landsvik, vying for a Palme d’or. Kristin Emglem and Guri Neby are producting for Einar Film.