The grief takes your breath away': how death transformed a loving family and shaped a remarkable film

In rural Norway, the Payne family lives a serene, nature-connected life, raised by Nik and his late wife Maria. Their life takes a tragic turn when Maria passes away from cancer, prompting Nik to navigate raising their children—Falk, Freja, and Ulv—while preserving the principles of creativity, homeschooling, and environmental stewardship that Maria instilled. The documentary 'A New Kind of Wilderness', directed by Silje Evensmo Jacobsen, captures their poignant emotional journey as they travel the film festival circuit, grappling with grief yet finding a path forward together.

“The children are being raised by Nik and his Norwegian wife Maria to be wild and free: home-schooled, creative, growing their own food, living closely and gently with nature.”

“With sensitivity and intimacy, film-maker Silje Evensmo Jacobsen follows what happens next as the grief-stricken Nik tries to stay true to the beliefs and daily patterns of living he created with Maria.”

“At their first festival, they all watched the film again with the audience. That was a mistake, because it still affects us in many ways and we're fighting back the tears.”

“Nik tries to stay true to the beliefs and daily patterns of living he created with Maria, home schooling his bereft children and trying to protect his family.”

Read at www.theguardian.com