Chronicle published in “NORDLYS” Saturday May 21, 2005
In the Year of City Development
In the film Insomnia (1997) by Erik Skjoldbjærg Tromsø is portrayed as a sprawling and worn-out fishing comunity. As the film’s backdrop Skjoldbjærg has chosen to focus on the dirty and ugly parts of Tromsø, neglecting the town’s urbane cafés and varied architecture, which perfectly suits the film’s theme and thriller-like atmosphere. Personally I did not realise that this was how the twon was represented untill I watched the American version, in which the action was set in a fishing comunity on the westcoast of Alaska. Apart from the fact that the population speaks American the forgotten place might as well have been a north-norwegian town like Tromsø, set in a beautiful natural environment and inhabited by cheerful people.
A view on Tromsø
Neither the fishing comunity in Alaska nor Tromsø in these films come across as a pulsating town one would like to move to make a career in film, art or music. And it hardly is the film’s intention to make publicity for the film’s location. It nevertheless provides an objective view on how one from the outside perceives Tromsø, that is, as an agreeable fishing comunity. We who live here know better. Tromsø is the world’s navel, and when U2 and Eminem do not come here to give concerts that is entirely incomprehensible to us. Robert Plant, who is that? And David Bowie, who was not allowed to come last summer, he would not even be able to fill the club, Kaos. Possibly we are a wee bit to big for our own breeches in Tromsø, and maybe we don’t realise that for Bono to play in Tromsø would be as if A-HA were to play at Lyngskroa, a local pub in a remote district, – even if it were to be for a good cause, and that the local band Unit Five and the local rock singer Sverre Kjelsberg were to come as well. But precisely because we set our aims high, we are to host the Mandela consert, that we have the country’s largest film festival and will host the Olympic Games in twenty years. Aim at the moon, and though you miss, you will end up among the stars!
City of possibilities
Tromsø is the city of possibilities. Here ideas and dreams will come true, be it to open a delikatessen in Main Street, to arrange a music festival at Telegrafbukta or shooting a film in filthy backstreets. And that is precisely why I stayed more often in Tromsø than in Stockholm during the three years I studied in the Swdish capital. It is far easier to make a film in Tromsø. At Tvibit I can borrow equipment, actors at Hålogaland Teater volunteer to participate and the young film makers in the Film Network, Paraplyen, work through the day for a roll and a coke.. During these very days five of the young film makers from Paraplyen (the Umbrella) enter the final admittance round to become enrolled at Lillehammer Film School. That they have been part of a stable and productive milieu of ambitious and competent people no doubt has been a contributing factor to bring them that far. And now they probably will leave to become even more skilled, which is the right thing to do, talented and ambitious as they are. It is important for Tromsø that some leave and acquire knowledge and competency that they can bring back to the city. But it is more than probable that they will not return when they have completed their education. The city’s opportunities to those who wish to work creatively at a high level is far too poor, and that is why Tromsø does not succeed in keeping its talents. The milieu they kept together is threatening to collapse. When the best leave, the rest of us just don’t feel like staying either.
Must be attractive
The school varieties, Rådstua (the council lodge), Kulta (the culture club) and not least the Tvibit youth club make a tremendous effort to develop young talent, but there is nobody to receive them when they wish to go a step further. As long as there is no academy in town for film, art or other creative disciplines, the most ambitious will leave to develop their skills further elsewhere. This is a sad fact, for the manifold activities and particular character of Tromsø possess an enormous potential to become an exciting alternative for creative individuals. It must however be done in keeping with Tromsø’s own terms, its character of being a jovial fishing comunity with urbane cafés and enthusiatic individuals. Given the cheerfulness, goodwill and dedication typical of the town, everything is possible.
If Tromsø wishes to be more than a farming town that produces skilled musicians, artists and film makers for Bergen and Oslo, it must be come attractive for young people who wish to continue their activities here. An academy will automatically draw new, strong impulses and interesting individuals to town, making it attractive for talent to remain, or interesting for those who left to return.. The town will no doubt acquire a new dimension if the nation’s most prominent contemporary artists and film makers realise their projects here
City of art and film
In the wake of an academy a stable milieu with students, professors and guest teachers will follow. And if I know the town correctly we are not content to stop at Bent Hamer and Harald Zwart. No, we wish to have Pedro Almodovár and Martin Scorsese, too. And because we obtain the unobtainable, Tromsø can become the most exciting art and film town in Norway. Why not say the world? Just look at what the youngsters have achieved at Tvibit. They have soon outgrown themselves and next winter they are to shoot their first professional movie film. Then, too, we offer thanks to dear visionary politicians and resourceful enthusiasts for Tvibit, for the Bukta festival and the film festival, and for the future theatre building. Now we need an academy to be able to shoot even to the moon! And when we have done that, then Tromsø will be the best place of all, and all exiled talents will race to return.