At this year’s CPH:DOX Forum, Norwegian auteur Margreth Olin (Songs of Earth, The Self Portrait, Doing Good) unveiled details of her latest non-fiction venture. Known for her lyrical storytelling and focus on human rights and environmental consciousness, Olin is now turning her lens toward a different kind of subject: the horse – not as a servant to human needs, but as a sentient, autonomous being.
Currently in development, the project – currently untitled – is being produced by Olin’s own banner Speranza Film, a Norwegian outfit renowned for its poetic documentaries and socially engaged features. The 90-minute film is scheduled for release in January 2027 and is being handled internationally by Cinephil. Some of the project’s confirmed backers include the Norwegian Film Institute and Norsk Filmdistribusjon.
The film is structured in two parts and unfolds as both a personal diary and a philosophical inquiry into our historical and emotional relationships with horses. The first chapter draws on Olin’s own memories and home footage featuring Fidel, her beloved Arabian horse, and her daughter Maria. “He [Fidel] was the love of my life,” Olin narrates in her director’s notes. “Then I became a mother. He started to love her, too.” The deep bond between horse and human is explored not through training or ownership, but through affection, presence, and trust.
Following Fidel’s death after 29 years of companionship, Maria found her own equine partner, Snara, and together they introduced Olin to the concept of ‘liberty’ – a practice of interacting with horses without bridles, coercion or control. This approach emphasises mutual respect and voluntary collaboration, offering a powerful counter-narrative to the millennia-old history of the horse as a tool of war, sport, and labour.
The second part of the documentary delves into this deeper historical context. For over 30,000 years, horses have been domesticated, trained and tamed – often at the expense of their agency. In this film, Olin seeks to unearth what has been lost in our subjugation of the species: a form of wisdom and collaboration that arises when the horse’s instincts are appreciated, rather than overridden.
Visually, the project promises a sensorial experience. Olin’s camera becomes a curious observer, approaching the horse as if for the first time—tracking the interplay of light on a mane, the expressive movements of flanks, the nuanced body language within herds. The natural landscapes and changing weather will function not just as backdrops but as emotional extensions of the horses themselves.
Sound will also play a pivotal role. Working with celebrated composer Rebekka Karijord, Olin plans to create an original soundscape informed by the horses’ own breath, hoofbeats, and presence. “Can the rhythms of the gaits be translated into music?” she asks. The team aims to discover a sonic language—a fundamental tone—that captures the intuitive bond between horse and human, something “uncontrollable, wild, and beautiful.”
Through this immersive and multi-sensory approach, Olin’s pic aims to shift perspectives and foster a deeper respect for animals as sentient individuals, rather than extensions of human will. It aligns with Speranza Film’s signature style: poetic, ethically driven, and unafraid to challenge anthropocentric narratives.
With its blend of memoir, philosophical inquiry, and aesthetic ambition, Olin’s new film may well become a singular contribution to the growing body of ecological and animal-focused documentary cinema—one that gently but firmly asks us to see, hear, and feel differently.
At CPH:DOX, the team is seeking pre-sales and additional partners.
