{"id":11852,"date":"2026-05-16T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-16T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/?p=11852"},"modified":"2026-05-09T19:44:15","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T19:44:15","slug":"growth-measured-in-everyday-choices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/growth-measured-in-everyday-choices\/","title":{"rendered":"Growth Measured in Everyday Choices"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n \t<\/i> Read Time:<\/span>5 Minute, 22 Second <\/div>\n\n <\/div>

MOVIE REVIEW
\nBeing Ola (Ola – En helt vanlig uvanlig fyr)<\/strong>
\n –  <\/strong> <\/strong> <\/strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n

Genre:<\/strong> Documentary
\nYear Released: <\/strong>2023, 2026
\nRuntime:<\/strong> 1h 12m
\nDirector(s): <\/strong>Ragnhild Nøst Bergem
\nWhere to Watch: <\/strong>shown at the 2026 CPH:DOX (Copenhagen International Documentary Festival)<\/p>\n

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RAVING REVIEW: <\/strong><\/strong><\/strong>What makes BEING OLA connect so strongly is how naturally it allows Ola Henningsen to exist on screen. The film never frames him as a lesson, a symbol, or someone whose value depends on inspiring the audience. He’s simply presented as himself, funny, thoughtful, social, uncertain at times, and deeply aware of the world around him. That honesty gives the documentary a warmth that never feels forced.<\/p>\n

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Set within the Norwegian village of Vidaråsen, the film establishes a slower rhythm almost immediately. Life there revolves around cooperation, routine, and shared responsibility, but the documentary avoids turning the setting into some idealized fantasy. Instead, it focuses on the reality of people building a life together through mutual support and trust. The environment matters because it shapes how everyone interacts with one another, including Ola himself.<\/p>\n

Ola is incredibly easy to spend time with throughout the film. He’s engaging without seeming performative, and director Ragnhild Nøst Bergem understands that the strongest moments often come from simply letting conversations happen. There’s no need for exaggerated emotional framing or manipulative editing choices. The film trusts that Ola’s personality, humor, and reflections are compelling enough on their own, and they absolutely are.<\/p>\n

One of the documentary’s strongest qualities is its patience. Rather than chasing dramatic turning points, it pays attention to the everyday details of Ola’s life, his work, his friendships, his routines, and his thoughts about the future. That slower, observational approach allows the audience to connect with him as a complete person rather than reducing his experiences to a single narrative.<\/p>\n

The friendship between Ola and Lasse becomes especially important as the documentary progresses. Their conversations carry the kind of comfort and familiarity that can’t be manufactured. There’s genuine affection between them, but also an underlying uncertainty tied to the possibility of change. The film never overstates those emotions, which makes the quieter moments between them land even harder.<\/p>\n

What also stands out is how openly Ola talks about himself and his experiences. He reflects on his disability with a level of honesty that feels direct without ever becoming self-conscious. The documentary handles those conversations carefully, allowing him to define his own perspective rather than filtering it through outside commentary. That approach gives the film a level of authenticity that’s difficult to replicate.<\/p>\n

At the same time, BEING OLA isn’t trying to pretend life is uncomplicated. Questions about independence, self-reliance, and the future remain present throughout the film. Ola clearly values the community he’s built around himself, but he also wonders about what more independence could look like. Those thoughts are never framed as a rejection of the life he currently has. Instead, they become part of a broader reflection on adulthood, identity, and personal growth.<\/p>\n

Another reason the film works is that it allows humor to exist alongside vulnerability. Ola has a sharp sense of timing, and several of the documentary’s funniest moments come from completely ordinary conversations that gradually reveal his perspective on the people around him and on himself. That balance matters because it prevents the film from becoming one-note emotionally. Life inside the community isn’t portrayed as difficult or uplifting. It feels layered, awkward at times, funny at others, and ultimately human, giving the documentary its strongest footing.<\/p>\n

The visual style matches its tone well. Nothing feels overly refined or staged. The camera stays close to people without becoming intrusive, and that intimacy helps strengthen the connection the film creates. It’s not trying to overwhelm the audience with visual dramatic editing. The focus always remains on the people and their interactions.<\/p>\n

If there’s a criticism to make, it’s that the film occasionally stays so committed to observation that certain ideas feel only explored on the edges of what they could have been. There are moments when you can sense larger conversations about social systems, accessibility, or long-term independence just beneath the surface, yet not unpacked. Some viewers may want the documentary to dig deeper into broader issues rather than remain so tightly focused on day-to-day life. Others will be more than happy with the exploration of Ola's life. The restraint largely works in the film’s favor, keeping everything personal and focused. BEING OLA never loses sight of the fact that its power comes from human connection, not from trying to make sweeping statements at every opportunity.<\/p>\n

The most impactful part of the film is Ola himself. Not because the documentary tries to turn him into an inspirational figure, but because it spends enough time with him that he simply feels real. His humor, vulnerability, curiosity, and relationships naturally leave an impression. BEING OLA succeeds because it understands that empathy doesn’t come from exaggeration or emotional manipulation. It comes from allowing people to be seen, with all of the complexity, uncertainty, and individuality that comes with real life.<\/p>\n

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[photo courtesy of EINAR FILM]<\/em><\/p>\n

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MOVIE REVIEW Being Ola (Ola – En helt vanlig uvanlig fyr) –      Genre: Documentary Year Released: 2023, 2026 Runtime: 1h 12m Director(s): Ragnhild Nøst Bergem Where to Watch: shown at the 2026 CPH:DOX (Copenhagen International Documentary Festival) RAVING REVIEW: What makes BEING OLA connect so strongly is how naturally it allows Ola Henningsen to exist on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11853,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11852","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11852","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11852"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11852\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11853"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11852"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11852"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11852"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}