dried cod. everywhere you look, you see the mountains, the sea and racks of stockfisch. they're everywhere. they're islands of fishermen. but they're slowly moving towards tourism. people who are looking for adventure, breathtaking nature and arctic surf are actually coming to the lofoten islands. people are falling in love with this place, and i can understand why. i've never seen such magnificent beauty. (terje boe) around 25 000 people live on these islands, and lofoten is about 50 sea miles from the mainland or the big city, bodo. you can drive by car to the mainland without taking the ferry now. the barents sea is not so far from us, and the norwegian sea is directly outside of these islands. it's the sea that brought us here. we have a lot of blood from our forefathers, the vikings. many people are tall, many people are blond, many people have blue eyes, and we still have this temperament. we are like nature. we respond very quickly. you have to rise up and do the things when you have to do them. if you don't do it, you don't survive out on the sea. (sophie fouron) terje boe. direct descendant of the vikings that settled in the lofoten islands hundreds of years ago. passionate about his ancestors, culture and history, he's one of the few captains still able to sell an authentic viking ship, and these are his islands. (terje boe) in december, it's darker. you cannot see the sun, so when january is coming and the sun returns, everybody is very glad. the midnight sun starts on the 23rd of may and it goes to the 23rd of july. some people believe that it's another sun. it's the same sun. it is the same sun, but it's not going down in the sea. in lofoten now, we have three pillars: we have fisheries, we have farming and we have tourism. all this time, fishing has been the most important. before you can go out on the sea, you have to be educated. you have to go to school to learn how to be a fisherman. then, you are around 16 years old, you are finished with normal school, which is 10 years. then, you can go to high school. here, there are two of them. there's high school for fisheries and you have also a high school for tourism nearby in svolvaer. everything else, you have to go out. (sophie fouron) this is quite a special classroom. (gry anette stromnes) the program is fishing and... (tom andreassen) fishing and hunting. (gry anette stromnes) yeah. in norwegian, the name is naturbruk. (sophie fouron) naturbruk. (gry anette stromnes) naturbruk. how to use nature. (male student) it's the natural way. we've always had fishing in norway. if we don't know how to fish, we can't use our natural resources. (sophie fouron) could you tell me about the whole program and how it works? it's two years? (female student 1) yeah. the first year of the program, we're learning about many kinds of jobs like farming, going in the woods, fishing... (sophie fouron) it's more general, the first year. (female student 1) yeah. the second year is only related to fishing. (tom andreassen) they have three days of activities and two days in the classroom. (female student 1) it doesn't feel like school that much. - i know! - you can start here and go further as a farmer or a fisherman. or you can become a boat captain of course, if you study three or four more years. - is that your goal? - yeah. - you want to be a captain? - yeah. - did you have that opportunity when you were studying? - yes. that was 30 years ago. - really? - it was the same, yeah. - why is it important for you to be part of it? (male student) well, first of all, i'd make a lot of money. in a year, i can go out and study on a boat and then make normal wage. (sophie fouron) really? (man) eight or nine hundred thousand that they can earn today. (tom andreassen) some of them earn over a million. (sophie fouron) over a million? (tom andreassen) yes. they are 20 or 21 years old. not us! not us. (sophie fouron) but it's not an easy job, though. (man) no. it's hard! (sophie fouron) it's hard. do you think it's a way of keeping the younger generations here, on the islands? (female student 1) i think many children and youths in lofoten want to be fishermen and want to live here, and work on the sea. (sophie fouron) o.k. what is it that they're doing this morning? (man) now, they're taking off the line lead. (sophie fouron) when did you put it in? (man) yesterday evening. - he could be running this ship. - almost, yes. - almost. you're having a snack! - yeah. dried fish. - of course! - of course! it's the best snack. he's going to hammer it so that it gets softer, so it's easier to eat. now it's better. - now, it's better. thank you, tom. it's your cod. (tom andreassen) fished on this boat. (sophie fouron) really? - yeah! - what do you want to do later on? (female student 2) i'm planning on doing an internship next year, so i can be out on the sea instead of being in class. - that's where you're the happiest? - yes. - out on the sea? - yeah. absolutely. - look at that smile! cod? cod! how do you say "cod" in norwegian? (man) torsk. - torsk? that's a big one! (male student) it's regular. - it's regular! (gry anette stromnes) i said to glen: "you have to kiss the cod." but he licked it. - he did? - yeah! - oh my god! i have to! o.k. that's enough. that's good luck, right? (female student 2) this is it. (sophie fouron) thank you, glen. it is delicious. you sleep on the boat sometimes? - yes. - you sleep in the cabins? (female student 2) yes. everywhere. (tom andreassen) there are nine beds. - nine beds. - and... - he slept on the roof. - what? he slept on the roof? - yes. the pupils have the beds, so we have to stay on the roof. - it's 2 degrees out. - two and a half. - two and a half. - two and half, yes. - what do you do for fun when you're not... - we arm wrestle. - o.k. show me. show me. one, two, three, go! oh my god, oh dear! beautiful! - for fun, we also try our safety suits and jump in the sea. - o.k. for fun? and you go in the water? - yeah. we have to know where they are and how to use them. - here they are. this is part of the program as well? - yes. - they actually have to go... - they have to go in the water. - in the polar water? - yes. - yeah. - it's 6,5 degrees. - o.k. that's very warm. - yes. - do you like doing this? - yeah. when you are in the water, it feels like you are in a very good bath. - a good bath. - you can try. - o.k. bye! [counting in norwegian] - bye bye! oh my goodness! (sophie fouron) are you o.k? - yeah. (sophie fouron) is it cold? (male student) no. (terje boe) in lofoten, we have seasons for everything. but in january, we start with the cod fisheries. that's a big part of the system, here. we take all this cod, bring it on land, and hang it and split it for drying. in rost, i think there are around 500 people living there. that's the main thing they are doing over there. they have been doing it for a very long time. (sophie fouron) rost is the westernmost inhabited island of the lofoten archipelago. and it's the true paradise of dried cod, stockfisch. that is very, very impressive. i've never seen anything like this. it smells good. i like that smell. (olaf johan pedersen) it smells great. the quality seems to be very good this year. the drying conditions have been perfect. - and you can tell by the smell? - yeah. - really? - it smells fresh and good, you can see the color as well. it's really nice. (sophie fouron) this to you, obviously, is everyday life. (olaf johan pedersen) it's normal. this is life. this is... every year, this is happening. - it's a cornerstone of your economy, isn't it? - for us, stockfisch is like the cornerstone of the community. it's everything. it was the first norwegian export product. - do you know when this tradition started? - probably... it could have been done for thousands of years. we don't really know. - why is it called "stockfisch"? - there are different theories, but some say it's because the wood it's hanging from, in norway, it's called a stock. the fish is hanging on a stock. stockfisch - on the wood. - the other theory is that the fish is hard like a piece of wood. - that too. - so it's like a stock. the fish is coming from the barents sea down the coast, down to lofoten, to reproduce, to lay eggs. and just at this time, the fish, or the cod, has a particular quality. it's very fit because it's been swimming for a long way, a long time. and at that time, it's also just the right temperature to air dry the fish outside, because it must not be too cold, not too warm. you need some wind. you need some rain also. - so the climate, obviously, is very important. - the climate is very particular. there's a microclimate in lofoten, and rost has a very particular climate, just perfect. maybe the most perfect place in the world to air dry the fish. - so you just hang them, no salt... - no additives. - no additives at all. - 100% natural. and it stays out there three to four months to dry. - when you eat it, you rehydrate it. - yeah. - how different is it from fresh cod? - the texture is a bit different, and the smell and the taste is more... it's a mature product. it's like ham and cheese. (sophie fouron) this is where you work and live. (olaf johan pedersen) yes. this is the production plant and my house is just 50 meters away, so it's a short way to work. - no traffic jam. - no traffic jam. my production, probably 95% of it is exported to italy. it's our oldest market. we've been exporting there for almost 600 years. - how did that come about? - there are many stories about how it happened. the story we like to tell is a story about pietro querini, who got shipwrecked on the island in rost in 1432. he was a venetian nobleman who was found by local fishermen out on the island, and he stayed there for about five mons. and they brought the first stockfisch to italy. - they loved it so much. - maybe! i hope so. - yes. and the story has been told over and over throughout the years. - generations. yes. (sophie fouron) where are we going now? (olaf johan pedersen) now, we're going to our weekend house. - the weekend house? - yeah. and it's approximately two minutes from the other house. - what? - it's just another island, just beside. people are laughing: "you're going from one island to another island." but it's like another world there. - it's like another world there. - yeah. yeah. - you know, i'm still laughing at the concept. - yeah, i need that to relax, you know. you need to get away. - from what? the hustle and bustle of rost? - no. no cars, no visitors. perfect. - you need to get away. do you feel isolated on your island? - no, never. i don't have this idea of being isolated. it feels like i'm the middle of the world. i don't know if it's just a way of thinking to survive. i don't know. but i never feel like i'm in a remote place. - far away from it all? - but at the same time, we have the plane, we have the ferry. we can move very easily down to the middle of europe in just a few hours. o.k. - thank you! takk! oh! this is nice. oh my goodness! o.k. you guys know how to live. what comes to mind is hygge, you know, the danish hygge. - yes. it's just the same. this is what it's all about. - you have a word in norwegian here? - yes. it's called koselig. and we're coming here to just chill out, take it easy and have a cozy time. - there's something very... i don't know. authentic about all of this. all of this. - i think rost is a very authentic island. we don't have as much tourism as other places do. things are more authentic in this way. it's just how it is. it's not made up to sell anything. maybe you can find other places where everything is just in the right position. it's moved to look nice. if you walk here along the quay, there are some fishing nets there and it doesn't look too well. but it's just how it is. it's honest. it's... - it's genuine. - genuine. it's how it is. - it's exactly the feeling i have. authentic, genuine. there's something very true, here. (terje boe) if you are talking about rost, they want to find small steps to stand on. not only the fish. they want to do something else, to have fun and to create something new. they've performed an entire opera on their little island out on the sea. (hildegunn pettersen) the view is o.k. we like to live here. it's so quiet. i grew up here. of course, like everybody else, when you're 16, if you want an education, you have to move, so i did. i went to oslo, and then i started to sing, which surprised everybody, because on this island, i had never heard about opera, ever. (sophie fouron) really? (hildegunn pettersen) no, no. i wasn't thinking much about rost, because there's no work for me here. then... yeah. then, i had this idea. this crazy idea about an opera. and we did it. we performed an opera here. the idea was actually coming from this very unique story, about this italian shipwrecker. (sophie fouron) yes. why was it important and to make it happen here, on your island? - it's important to have it here, because this is the actual place where it happened. and i love this island, and i love to develop cultural activities. the premiere was in 2012, and then we did it in 2014, and now we're doing it next year. - when you did the operas, did you have a big audience? - we had 1200 people coming to this island. - really? - yes. - was it sold out? - yes, it was sold out. - and did you find singers here? - no, no. - because it's quite a small population. - yeah. we did find choir singers, singers in the choir. they're all people from rost. but the professional singers are from oslo, from the opera in oslo. - i see. - yeah. - oh! hello! (woman 1) hello! (hildegunn pettersen) hello! - wow! and that would be querini. - yeah. - at first, were you apprehensive of this whole project? (man 1) i remember the first time she asked me about opera, i thought: "opera... it's not my take." but it's not the opera i know. we are like stars in this opera. i felt like it. - you felt like stars. - yeah. (man 2) producing an opera like this is... well, there are so many details, so much work that has to be done. this is the opportunity we have, so if we don't do it, there won't be any opera. - and the choir is so funny, because there are doctors, a stockfisch selector, a teacher, and a hotel employee. - there's stockfisch there. and it's next to the tea. i'm wondering if it's your snack. - this opera is very special, because you can look at it. it's very beautiful to look at. and then you can listen to it, and you can also smell it. it's a smelling opera. shall we go? - yes! shall we sing? [opera extract] (terje boe) the islands of lofoten are connected by tunnels or bridges. we still have some ferries and passenger boats in reinefjord, but it had almost stopped. then, the tourists started coming and lifted it up. the new generations want to live out in nature. not only in the cities. (olaf berntsen) we're going to kirkefjord; my old family house, the place i grew up in, is there. (sophie fouron) and the only way to get there is by boat. (olaf bernsten) yes. (sophie fouron) how long is the ferry ride? (olaf bernsten) it's half an hour. - and how many ferries per day? - normally, two. - what is a typical day for him? (olaf bernsten) there are three places where we're going: there's rostad, vinstad and kirkefjord. (sophie fouron) so these are the three remaining places that still need the ferry services. - yeah. it's seven people, total, that need this service and that live there. - in the three fjords, seven... - in the three places, only seven people. so you know, then, to have a daily boat, it's not bad. - who pays for this service? (sophie fouron) what happens when there are medical emergencies? (olaf berntsen) well, if an emergency should happen, they rent a ferry and they bring the doctor on the ferry to pick up people. these days, they would probably use an emergency helicopter as well. - yes. o.k. it's snowing! when you were growing up here, how many people lived in this community? (olaf berntsen) like 40 or 50 i would think. but it was like this, you know. people lived in places like this. i think the value of owning the land... because of that, places like this, where you can have a small farm, with sheep, maybe a cow, are a good place to live. - we are the only ones today. - yeah. actually, all the houses are kept by family members of the people that used to stay here, so they have their summer homes or holiday homes. - so this is your house. - this is the house, yeah. - who lives here today, permanently? - there's one old man. he's away now, but he normally lives here. - do you think these places will come back to what they used to be? - not with my generation, i think, but the kids from the next generation will think differently. because my generation, they think, or their mindset is that you have to drive your car to your house, so you need to make it... to bring stuff to be able to stay there. but if you have the internet, there are lots of things and jobs that you can do from here. other than running a farm, you can probably run a hostel or something, so that you can benefit from the tourists. today, there are a lot of tourists, especially in the winter months. there are lots of photographers coming. coming for the northern lights and the light in general. and the locals, the people here, they say: "what is this light that they're talking about?" they don't really understand that. it's just normal. it's just normal light. - for you, it's just normal. - yes, exactly. (terje boe) we don't have as many farmers as we had before. people have milking cows, and there are many who have sheep, which go up in the mountains there, and graze on the green grass. you know, before, we had a lot of milking goats on this island, but there aren't so many left. the ones left are producing many types of cheese, which are very popular. on saupstad live marielle and hugo vink. so we are very glad they're there, because they are also keeping the agricultural landscape in good condition. (sophie fouron) i'm drawn to the goats. they're so cute! (marielle vink) yeah. so they are really ready to go now. - hello ladies! are you from here, both of you? - no, we are from the netherlands. - how did the people here react to you coming here, and starting a goat farm? - they really welcomed us with open arms. they came with presents, and we are not the deutsch people anymore. we are the cheesemakers. we are a part of the community, and that feels really good. that's where they're going. (sophie fouron) thomas, are you ready? (marielle vink) o.k. so now, they don't think. they're just following the leader. - he's running, so they're running. - yeah. they're just following. - that's amazing! - so we will join him. - yes! look at that! - so normally, we walk to the gate, and then they can go free. they walk in the mountains. the place around us is our backyard. there's so much nature. it feels real. - it feels real. - yeah. the goats are happy. they go outside in the mountains. they produce healthy and high-quality milk. - happy goats, good cheese. - yes. that's the thing. that's the secret. - tell me how the land is shared here. - you see the fence there? that is the border between what we call innmark and the utmark. the innmark is private, and on the other side of the fence, the utmark is shared with maybe eight other people from this small community. we have grazing rights, but for example, for picking berries, everybody can do it. so there are eight farms, eight families, who own all the mountains around us. we use them, we need them, but we also take care of them. so it's like a good deal. - you have a very tight-knit community here. - yes. very. for example, the school we have in this community was a public school, but it was difficult to maintain. it was expensive. and they decided that the children from this community had to go to another community. people were really afraid that when the school goes, so would the strength of the community. - of course. it's the heart of the community. - yeah. and we bought the school for a symbolic price, and now we have our own school and we rule it ourselves. - you untied my shoes! (marielle vink) come on! come on! (sophie fouron) they're actually answering. go! go! go! i'm liking this. how long have you been doing this? (hugo vink) in this farm, we've been making cheese for 17 years now. (sophie fouron) and i'm sure it evolved throughout the years. - yeah. the nice thing with cheesemaking is that about every week, you learn something new. when we bought the farm, we were not satisfied with the quality of the milk. so the main improvement for the cheese we've done was making a better place for the goats in the stable, giving them more space. and of course, we've also selected the goats. and now, we're happy with the taste of the milk and the taste of the cheese. - wow! was there a tradition here in lofoten of cheesemaking? - there was before. in the viking times, of course, people had animals, goats and cows, and they were using the milk for different kinds of cheese. well, about a little more than 100 years ago, all the traditions of cheesemaking disappeared. there were of course some exceptions. i believe in the 1990's, there were about five or six farms producing cheese in all of norway. but then, it started to come up again. people saw that there was a need for other kinds of cheese than just the factory cheese.
Related Keywords
Norway , Italy , Oslo , Lofoten , Nordland , Denmark , Netherlands , Lofoten Islands , Italian , Norwegian , Danish , Olaf Johan Pedersen , Sea Sophie ,
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