Oljeberget (2006)

	Directed by: Aslaug Holm	COUNTRY Norway GENRE Documentary/Political INTERNATIONAL TITLE The Rich Country RUNNING TIME 111 minutes
	Produced by: Tor Buvarp
	Written by: Aslaug Holm

Review

In 2000, Jens Stoltenberg, the wonderboy of Arbeiderpartiet (Norwegian Labour Party), was elected Prime Minister of Norway. Young, handsome, eloquent and popular, Stoltenberg seemed the natural successor to the legendary Gro Harlem Brundtland, destined to follow a tradition of great leaders in Norway's largest political party. But his first period as Prime Minister was short-lived and largely unsuccessful, as he led a minority government and received criticism from his own party.

Halfway into his bid to regain power, filmmaker Aslaug Holm brought her camera and began following Stoltenberg's election campaign. If she wanted to get under his skin, she was only moderately successful, because Stoltenberg remains professional and somewhat reserved throughout Oljeberget, keeping us away from his private sphere (except for a charming dinner he cooks for his parents, Thorvald and Karin Stoltenberg). That is a decent enough choice, as it distances the film from the less serious and more sensational treatment politicians seem to get in modern media. Instead, Holm successfully captures the off-guard moments of Stoltenberg and lets us take a look at some mechanisms behind the scenes of party life. It is both refreshing and interesting, making Oljeberget an enjoyable film – probably a bit too enjoyable if you aren't a member of the Labour Party. Because although Holm sheds light on a handful of hot issues in Norwegian politics, her only criticisms are the ones she shares with Stoltenberg himself. I won't claim Aslaug Holm is Leni Riefenstahl, but she also doesn't come across as the most critical documentarist in the history of the genre. Her kind lens makes never catches him in an unfortunate moment that invites criticism.

Still, it must be up to the viewer to be critical of a political film like this, because any documentary is ultimately subjective, even if the documentarist never is biased. Oljeberget is a narratively driven documentary, and a well-told one at that. As opposed to almost any political material you find in almost any other medium, it also isn't out to smear anyone – which, all in all, makes Holm's effort quite noble.