When past merges with the present, two half-brothers return to a familiar place to complete unfinished business and get a last chance to say goodbye.

Director’s Statement

As a Norwegian director, it has always been my aspiration to write and direct a short film in my native language and country. Growing up, I spent a lot of time with my family in the mountains, which is where ‘Our Father’s Cabin’ began for me.

Often location drives my writing. Spending time dwelling on a space allows me to imagine how others might experience the same location. As nature and rural living has been so influential to me, it was important that these concepts are embedded into the story itself, almost as secondary characters.

Our production was quite limited; the crew consisted of myself, a sound recordist and a cinematographer. We used only natural lighting and kept locations to a minimum. This enabled the production to be quite intimate and true to the storyline.

As a society we often tend to focus on the negative or darker side of life which is a very dominant theme of the narrative and strongly reflected in Patrick’s character. Throughout the short film Patrick dwells continuously on the negative moments of his past and how these have adversely influenced his life. The film captures the journey of his personal growth and ultimate acceptance of his past, bringing him peace and allowing him to move forward with his life.

For me, it isn’t important if an audience doesn’t understand every moment of the story, but they should be left with an emotion that remains with them long after the story has ended.