Norway's Oscar Entry 'Growth of the Soil' Sells Across 15 Territories

Beta Cinema has closed deals for Hans Petter Moland's "Growth of the Soil" in more than 15 territories, positioning Norway's entry for best international feature film at the 99th Academy Awards for a global run. The sales follow a world premiere in Toronto and a European premiere in San Sebastián, where the film won two major awards.

Greenwich Entertainment took North American rights. Neue Visionen bought Germany and Austria, Teodora Film Italy, A Contracorriente Films Spain, and Conic the U.K. and Ireland. The deal list extends well beyond Europe's major markets:

• Cherry Pickers — Benelux
• Frenetic Films — Switzerland
• Weird Wave — Greece
• Scanorama — the Baltics
• Vertigo Media — Hungary
• Beta Film — Bulgaria
• Big Tree Entertainment — India
• Falcon Pictures — Indonesia
• Imovision — Brazil
• Palace Films — Australia and New Zealand

Scanbox Entertainment released the film across Scandinavia. In Norway, "Growth of the Soil" climbed to No. 1 at the box office over its opening weekend — a concrete signal that the Nobel Prize-winning source material still draws domestic audiences.

What did the film win at San Sebastián?

The film took home the Silver Shell for best leading performance and the jury prize for best cinematography. Cinematographer Oskar Dahlsbakken shot the film, with an original score by Danish composer Kaspar Kaae.

The autumn festival run has continued since. Showings include the Warsaw Film Festival, the Rio Film Festival, the Denver Film Festival and the Mar del Plata Film Festival, and the film opened the Bergen Film Festival. It is also shortlisted for the European Film Awards in the best feature film category.

What is the story, and who leads the cast?

"Growth of the Soil" adapts Knut Hamsun's Nobel Prize-winning novel. It follows Isak, a man without a past who crosses the mountains to find land where he can build a life. High above the tree line, he settles an unforgiving stretch of territory and meets Inger, a woman whose resilience matches his own. Together they build a home and family from almost nothing, until time, ambition and a changing world transform both their relationship and the landscape around them.

Herbert Nordrum ("The Worst Person in the World," "Sense and Sensibility") and former EFP Shooting Star Asta Kamma August ("The Hypnosis") play the leads. Gard B. Eidsvold, Anders Baasmo, Oddgeir Thune and Sjur Vatne Brean round out the principal cast. Eidsvold also co-wrote the screenplay with Moland.

Who is Hans Petter Moland?

Moland's previous films include "Out Stealing Horses," "In Order of Disappearance," "A Somewhat Gentle Man" and "Zero Kelvin." His work has competed for the Golden Bear at the Berlinale four times. "Out Stealing Horses" was Norway's Oscar submission in 2019, making "Growth of the Soil" his second consecutive bid for the category.

Håkon Øverås produced the film for 4 ½ Fiction, in co-production with Scanbox.

With a No. 1 Norwegian opening, two San Sebastián prizes, an EFA shortlisting and sales spanning five continents, "Growth of the Soil" enters the Oscars race as one of the most widely distributed contenders in this year's international feature field.