Folktales Christian Review
Have you ever wondered… what if the world got a remote in which everything was moving in fast-forward? Just scroll after scroll. Rain of notifications, reel storm, memes, viral news, trending outrage – everything together. Eyes get fed up. Then, suddenly, a documentary starts – Folktales – and it seems as if someone has reduced the volume of the world. A feeling like a cold wind… which enters straight to the heart and sits quietly somewhere inside.
This film has been made by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady. The premise is simple: some teenagers go to Arctic Norway. That’s it, and then they say – “It’s done, now I want a phone breakup, break up with Netflix, press the mute button on Instagram.” Now only life – the real one. There is you, some sled dogs, and a cold that freezes not just the body, but the ego as well. No filter, no likes, no hassle of validation. Just work. And that too, which, yes, tires you out… but cleanses your soul. And in the middle a soft voice… “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). No, no bold text appears on the screen. It is just felt in the air.
This film doesn’t teach you anything. No speech, no knowledge of voiceover. But there is a feeling in every shot. Like the 40 days that Jesus spent in the desert. Or like the old monks – who didn’t speak, just fought with themselves, in silence.
And these kids – they haven’t come for thrills. Something else is written in their eyes: “I want peace. Something real. Something that will take me with them.” Sometimes they sit quietly near a lake. Sometimes they are walking in the snow. Sometimes they are just looking at a dog. No climax, no “aha” moment. But in every frame it feels as if a puja is going on. Every ego, every overthinking, every personal agenda – everything becomes an offering. A community where people live not just for themselves… but also for each other. Genesis 2:15 comes to mind – “God said, tend and keep creation.“
What did you find the most beautiful? A portrayal of nature. No over-the-top cinematic glam. No dramatic montages with background score. Just real. Raw. Just as it is. Neither did they make nature a god, nor did they ignore its sacredness. They just showed that yes, someone is breathing in this too. Maybe the same God. There is a bit of Norse mythology in the story – Odin, Norns – and surprisingly, that too resonates with the Bible. Trial, purpose, identity – everything is quietly revealed. No exposition. Just layers.
When does a real transformation happen? When a boy is talking to himself alone in the snow. When a girl feels a connection with a dog without saying anything. No motivational quote, no epic scene. Just a feel. Just… the truth.
If seen through a Christian lens, this is not a “Christian film”. But a slight knock is definitely heard. As if someone is asking – “When was the last time you spent time with nature without a screen, without an agenda?”
This summer if you want to see something that will lighten you up from within… something that not only makes you understand, but also makes you feel it… then look at folktales. Perhaps worship does not happen only on the benches of a church. Perhaps sometimes it happens in the snow as well. Where everything is slow… and everything is true.
