O'Horten (2007) O' Horten (original title)

Director:

Bent Hamer

Writers:

Tom Gulbrandsen (script consultant)
Bent Hamer
(more)

Release Date:

26 December 2007 (Norway)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

A drama focused on a life-changing moment in 67-year-old train engineer Odd Horten's existence: the evening of his retirement.

Plot Keywords:

Train | Retirement | Dog | Norway | Machinist

Awards:

3 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Baard Owe	...	Odd Horten (as Bård Owe)
Espen Skjønberg	...	Trygve Sissener
Ghita Nørby	...	Fru Thøgersen
Henny Moan	...	Svea
Bjørn Floberg	...	Flo
Kai Remlow	...	Steiner Sissener (as Kai Remlov)
Per Jansen	...	Lokfører
Bjarte Hjelmeland	...	Konduktør
Gard B. Eidsvold	...	Stinesen
Bjørn Jenseg	...	Valkyrijen kelner
Morten Rudå	...	Röhmer
Lars Øyno	...	Connery
Trond-Viggo Torgersen	...	Opsahl
Terje Alsvik Walløe	...	Man på pissoar
Peder Anders Lohne Hamer	...	Nordahl
Peter Hredal	...	Man with letter and stamp
Anette Sagen	...	Ung Vera Horten
Bård Brinchmann	...	Toller
Nils Petter Mørland	...	Lokomotivfører
Øyvind Dvergsdal	...	Lokomotivfører
Michael Tung	...	Engineer
Andreas Cappelen	...	Cateringpersonell
Claus Plapp	...	Cateringpersonell
Lena Wermelin	...	Gate service
Fredrik Steen	...	Ground service luggage
Kjell Ove Carlsen	...	Ground service luggage
Tor Øines	...	Ground service security
Elin Hamnes Holm	...	Ground service
Einar Breian	...	Flyveleder
Ronald Stiansen	...	Flyveleder
Kari Loland	...	Vera Horten
Kjell Arvid Odden	...	Sivilpoliti
Øyvind Dahle	...	Sivilpoliti
Jørn Hansen	...	Arrestert kokk
Elisabeth Stavenes	...	Valkyrienpar
Thorolv Stangnes	...	Valkyrienpar
Trond Hultgren	...	Stamgjest på Valkyrien
Lasse Ramstad	...	Nordahls far
Kristine Rui Slettebakken	...	Nordahls mor
Anton Lohne Hamer	...	Nordahls storebror
Dag Brekke	...	Skliende forretningsmann
Paal Schøyen	...	Mann i badstu
Lina Jagels	...	Jente i svømmebasseng
Tone Stern Bergersen	...	Jente i svømmebasseng
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Peter Bredal	...	Brevmann
Nils Gaup	...	Same
Karl Sundby	...	Kjell

Directed by
Bent Hamer

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Tom Gulbrandsen		script consultant
Bent Hamer
Harold Manning		french adaptation

Produced by
Catho Bach Christensen	....	line producer
Karl Baumgartner	....	co-producer
Jim Frazee	....	executive producer
Christoph Friedel	....	co-producer
Bent Hamer	....	producer
Alexandre Mallet-Guy	....	co-producer
Mads Peter Ole Olsen	....	executive producer

Original Music by
John Erik Kaada

Cinematography by
John Christian Rosenlund

Film Editing by
Pål Gengenbach

Casting by
Mette Holme Nielsen

Production Design by
Karl Júlíusson

Set Decoration by
Olivier Marcouiller

Costume Design by
Anne Pedersen

Makeup Department
Eva Rygh Holstein	....	makeup artist
Siw Jærbyn	....	makeup artist: Trond-Viggo (as Siw Järbyn)

Production Management
Therese Naustdal	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Simen Malmø	....	assistant director
Tonje S. Rolland	....	first assistant director (as Tonje Rolland)

Art Department
Christine Bozenski	....	props
Tom Gammelsrød	....	carpenter
Bjørn Grønnerud	....	carpenter
Hans Gunnarson	....	construction manager
Karl Júlíusson	....	scenography (as Kalle Juliusson)
Kristian Lie	....	carpenter
Anders Lunde	....	property master
Tord Moberg	....	assistant props
Geir Opheim	....	carpenter
Åsmund Stemme	....	stand-by props
Pål Tohje	....	carpenter (as Pål Tojhe)

Sound Department
Ola Apenes	....	boom operator
Bård Farbu	....	foley recordist
Petter Fladeby	....	sound designer
Petter Fladeby	....	sound re-recording mixer
Baard H. Ingebretsen	....	dialogue editor (as Baard Haugan Ingbtriktsen)
James Seddon	....	dolby consultant
Morten Solum	....	sound
Erik S. Watland	....	foley artist

Visual Effects by
Torgeir Busch	....	visual effects
Bente Santi Helle	....	digital recording
Aksel Jermstad	....	visual effects
Ivar Rystad	....	visual effects
Espen Skjørdal	....	visual effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Richard Berby	....	lighting technician
Even Birkeland	....	camera operator: aerial
Philip J. Borgli	....	second assistant camera
Nikolay Gjerding	....	electrician
Christen Kenneth Gran	....	lighting technician
Jon Arne Jørgensen	....	electrician
Elling Krohn	....	electrician
Anders Leegaard	....	second assistant camera: aerial
Morten Magnussen	....	grip
Kjetil Mathiesen	....	rigging grip
Endre Mehlvold Mathistad	....	electrician
Lars Bjarne Mythen	....	loader
Knut K. Pedersen	....	Steadicam operator (as Knut Pedersen)
Nicolay Poulsen	....	second assistant camera
Henning Røkke	....	electrician
Terje Røkke	....	electrician
Joachim Foss Rønning	....	lighting technician
Hans Petter Sydsæter	....	gaffer
Petter Sørnæs	....	dolly grip
Stig Tvenge	....	electrician

Casting Department
Mia Jensen	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Elin Langhoff	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Andrzej Kiwala	....	color timer
Silje Nordseth	....	co-editor
Liv Risvaag	....	color timer
Camilla Holst Vea	....	film scanning

Music Department
Stefan Karrer	....	soundtrack album producer

Other crew
Niklas Sebastian Alveberg	....	production assistant (as Niklas Alveberg)
Anne Berentsen	....	publicist
Bjørn Bjølseth	....	production accountant
Nana Buraas	....	production assistant
Erik Dyblie	....	production coordinator
Jan Christian Frugaard	....	production assistant
Trond Gisle Gil	....	production assistant
Kim Rune Gulland	....	production assistant
Torulf Henriksen	....	technical supervisor
Ronny Johannesen	....	production assistant
Silje Marie Johnsen	....	production assistant
Reinert Kiil	....	production assistant
Aslaug Konradsdottir	....	script supervisor
Kine Lamøy	....	production assistant
Jeppe Beck Laursen	....	stand-in: Espen Skjønberg
Simen Malmø	....	production secretary
Eirik Ohna	....	location manager
Ole Andreas Skatvedt	....	stand-in: Bård Owe
Eivind Stjern	....	production assistant
Svein Arild Vatsø	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Bulbul Films (presents)
• Pandora Filmproduktion (in co-operation with)
• ZDF/Arte (in co-operation with)
• Memento Films Production (in co-operation with)
• arte France Cinéma (in co-operation with)
• Scanbox Entertainment (in co-operation with)
• Norsk Filmfond (with the support of)
• Nordic Film och TV Fund (with the support of)
• Norsk Filmutvikling (with the support of)
• Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF) (financed by)
• ARTE (financed by)
• Match Factory, The (financed by)

Distributors

• Alambique Destilaria de Ideias Unipessoal (2009) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Amstelfilm (2008) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Longride (2009) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Memento Films International (2008) (France) (theatrical)
• Mirada Distribution (2012) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Scanbox Entertainment (2007) (Norway) (theatrical)
• Seven Films (2008) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2009) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Sony Pictures Releasing Canada (2009) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Al!ve AG (2009) (Germany) (DVD)
• Artificial Eye (2009) (UK) (all media)
• Filmfreak Distributie (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Homescreen (2010) (Netherlands) (DVD) (for Amstelfilm)
• Imovision (2009) (Brazil) (all media)
• Scanbox Entertainment (2008) (Finland) (all media)
• Six Sales (2009) (Greece) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (Canada) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Chimneypot, The
• Fixern

Other Companies

• Ground Control  location scouting
• Milan Records  soundtrack

Also Known As:

"O' Horten" - Norway (original title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for brief nudity

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

Norway | Germany | France | Denmark

Language:

Norwegian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Finland:K-3 | USA:PG-13 | Australia:PG | Netherlands:AL | Canada:G (British Columbia/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/Ontario) | Brazil:14 | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:15 | UK:12 (DVD rating) | UK:12A (cinema release) | Argentina:13

Company:

Bulbul Films

Trivia:

Norway's official submission to the foreign language Oscar.

Delicious!

I'm not certain if this is the first Norwegian film I've ever seen but, if it is, it's a wonderful beginning! I found the film to be utterly enchanting: Charming, quirky, eccentric, and delightful! The cinematography is flawless -- every frame was interesting to watch. The score is an absolute joy, fitting the film to perfection, yet never intruding or proclaiming itself.

I was deeply impressed by the natural, highly specific work done by the actors: They performed with great truth and honesty, saying more with a look or a gesture than they did with words.

I must confess to being something of a railroad lover -- so the inclusion of locomotives in the film was an added benefit. There is a strange dialectic between the freedom of travel and the limited mobility of trains that fits the characters and enriches the story.

So if you're the type who enjoys simple, direct, character-driven storytelling, this is the film for you. I look forward to seeing it again, and hope it will be released on DVD in the US soon!