Astrup – Flammen over Jølster / Astrup – Catching the Flame

Nikolai Astrup (1880–1928) was fascinated by the midsummer night bonfires even as a child, not least because his father, a straitlaced pastor, forbade him to participate in the “pagan” celebrations around the summer solstice. They would later become one of the painter’s favourite motifs. In his paintings, he unleashed a profusion of colours, providing a significant counterpoint to Edvard Munch. After extensive European travels and painting classes in Paris (including with Norwegian Christian Krohg), Astrup returned to his home, Jølster, in west Norway. There, he drew inspiration for his work from the natural world and local life, describing himself as “a sort of naturalistic naïve painter”, and sought happiness in his marriage to the 15-year-old farmer’s daughter Engel Sunde. The film was shot on original locations, including Astruptunet, the hillside complex that the artist shaped and often painted. Against this authentic backdrop, shot in Cinemascope, Astrup’s paintings reveal their intensity and the force of their artistic expression.