F I L M P R O J E C T S

HEX

Person with elaborate black and white makeup resembling a bat, wearing a black dress with a choker, looking at a computer monitor. From HEX - A documentary that takes place in the heart of Norway’s great black metal scene.

Producer:
Herstory - Mari Nilsen Neira

Director:
Maja Holand

Premiere:
Norwegian theatrical release 30. october 2026

Distribution: Norsk Filmdistribusjon ARTE. G.E.I.E. NRK SVT

A documentary that takes place in the heart of Norway’s great black metal scene.

Norway, Black metal! It is world-renowned, male-dominated, macabre,
and the perfect breeding ground for witches to come to life again.

This is the story about three ordinary young women - Nikoline, Victoria and Johanna - who make a three-year action to transform themselves into a real black metal band. Without knowing how to play a single instrument beforehand. To succeed in this, they seek the power they gain from witches.

As a documentary, "HEX"  follows girls over three years as they turn a stage into a ritual space. Using the "witch" as a symbol, they use shouting, loud music, and the raw presence of the female body to tell their story. This is a tale of female solidarity—a journey about life, creation, and how women define themselves. It shows womanhood and art not as acts of rebellion, but as a unique path of growth and self-discovery.

A person with long blonde hair and face makeup resembling a clown or joker, with dark eyeshadow and streaks of makeup running down the face, staring intensely into the camera. From HEX.
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A performer singing into a microphone on stage with others and musical equipment, illuminated by reddish stage lighting.
Maja Holand holding a professional camera in a dark, red-lit environment, possibly at a concert or event.
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A crowd of people at a concert lifting a person dressed as Jesus Christ in a white robe above their heads with lights shining down.
A concert stage with a band performing under bright lights and a crowd cheering in front. From HEX.
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Person dressed in dark, elaborate costume with black feathered accessories and makeup resembling a character from a fantasy or horror genre. From HEX.
Person with dramatic makeup and gothic black ruffled collar, playing drums in purple-lit room. From HEX.
Close-up of a woman with wet, dark curly hair, and face painted with white and black designs, submerged in water. From HEX.
Person playing electric guitar in a room with a bed, a framed picture on the wall, and a window with sunlight
Person dressed in a white protective suit with a hood, holding a gun, and appearing to shout or yell in a brightly lit room with a window in the background.
Three young women in casual clothing standing close together, with one woman touching the other's shoulder, inside a brightly lit room with large windows.
Person with elaborate black and white face paint resembling a demon or gothic character, with slicked-back hair, wearing a black outfit with a high collar, looking at a computer screen. From HEX.
Person with black and white face paint, blonde hair, wearing a black lace shirt, sitting with hands clasped, wooden structure in background, nighttime scene.
A circle of dried autumn leaves surrounds three lit white candles on a dark carpeted floor. There are several purple and white pens and a purple marker lying among the leaves.
A live concert with a musician on stage wearing revealing clothing, surrounded by purple stage lights, and an audience watching intently.
Large crowd at an outdoor music festival with a stage in the background, and abstract metallic sculptures in the foreground.
Three women with red hair lying in coffins decorated with flowers in a dimly lit room, with a dark background and people standing and sitting around, some with glowing red objects.
A scene from Game of Thrones with three women lying in caskets, surrounded by roses and flowers, with a dark background and red lighting.
A person with long, curly orange hair and dramatic black makeup on their face, playing a black electric bass guitar on stage with a wooden background.
Crowd at concert or festival with two performers lifting a person horizontally above the crowd under blue stage lighting.
Two women are sitting outdoors near a body of water, with one woman appearing to comfort or pray with the other, both with their eyes closed.
Close-up of a young woman with dark hair and green eyes looking to the side outdoors.
A person dressed as a religious figure with a long gray beard, sitting on a chair, partially covered by a beige cloth, with legs painted to resemble bloody veins, under dim lighting.
A woman with blonde hair and dark makeup is wiping her face with a tissue. She is looking into a mirror in a clinical setting, possibly a bathroom or makeup room, with a blurry background.
A woman with long dark hair underwater. From HEX.
Two people stand outdoors near a pond during dusk, each holding sparklers that emit flames and smoke, with mountains and cloudy sky in the background.
A person dressed as a mythical creature with a long white gown and cape, wearing a detailed mask, holding a sword in an outdoor grassy field with mountains and a blue sky in the background. From HEX.
Empty drum set on stage with silhouettes of audience members and a cloudy, textured background.
A person dressed as a spooky witch with a mask and orange hair, standing on fire, with arms outstretched during a ceremonial gathering outdoors near a lake and mountains, with people watching.
Person with face painted in black and white, with black streaks running from eyes, wearing a hooded black garment, outdoors with blurred landscape background.
Person in dark clothing taking photographs of a woman with long hair submerged in water at the beach during overcast weather
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TRONDHEIMS KAMPEN

Producer:
Herstory Mali Finborud Nøren & Mari Nilsen Neira

Director:
Mari Nilsen Neira

With:
Barbro Rønning

Premiere:
6. march 2026 Kosmorama international filmfestival Theatrical distribusion Trondheim Kino spring 2026

The Trondheim Struggle is a timely documentary about activism, belonging, and the fight for the right to stay

— told through the personal story of longtime activist Barbro Rønning.

Bakklandet is the most beloved neighborhood in Trondheim. Its colorful wooden houses are among the city's most beloved landmarks. But in the 1970s, they were nearly destroyed.

Plans to build a highway through the heart of Trondheim sparked one of Norway’s most influential grassroots movements. The protests saved entire neighbourhoods — and changed the city forever.

Today, the threat is no longer bulldozers, but gentrification and housing speculation.

How do we protect the soul of a city?

BUNADS GERILJAEN

Poster for the film 'Bunadsgeriljen' showing five women in traditional Norwegian bunad dresses standing on a rocky hill with mountains and a fjord in the background, and a large semi-transparent face of a woman with closed eyes in the sky above.

Producer:
Fenris - Tore Buvarp

Co-producer:
Herstory

Director:
Mari Nilsen Neira

Co-director:
Helen Komini Knudsen & Aslaug Holm

Cinematographer:
Maja Holand

Premiere:
2023

- the maternity bunadguerillas.

The spring of 2019 Anja Cecilie made the decision to put on her bunad and promise to leave it on until the maternity ward in Kristiansund is saved after the health authorities have decided otherwise.

Nominated - best documentary and best director documentary

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A woman in traditional Norwegian folk costume standing indoors near a window, with a tapestry featuring a person in traditional dress hanging on the wall beside her.
A person standing on grassy terrain looking out towards the ocean, dressed in traditional Norwegian attire. Overlaid text in Norwegian with five stars. From Bunadsgeriljan.
A woman wearing traditional Norwegian bunad and a black headband, standing among other women in similar attire at a public event or parade, with a quote in Norwegian and a five-star rating overlay. From Bunadsgeriljan.
Six women dressed in traditional folk costumes with floral crowns and holding paddles, standing outdoors during sunset.
A person in academic gown standing in front of a large historic building with a quote in Norwegian overlaid, reading 'Skildrer aktivisten og mennesket på en imponerende måte' - MONTAGES.
A woman standing on a grassy hill with a clear blue sky in the background. The image includes a quote in Norwegian praising Nordmøre, Norway, with five stars at the top. From Bunadsgeriljan.
A statue of a woman dressed in traditional Norwegian clothing holding a sign, standing outside a building with black wrought iron gates. The image features five gold stars and Norwegian text overlayed, from Bunadsgeriljan.
A boat with multiple women wearing flower crowns, being rowed by a person with a green nose piece on a body of water with small islands in the background. Text overlay says 'FANTASTISK FILM' and 'GOD MORGEN NORGE / TV2'. From Bunadsgeriljan.
Close-up side profile of a woman with eyes closed, wind-blown dark hair, wearing a white sweatshirt with red accents, she appears calm, set against a clear blue sky, with five gold stars and Norwegian text reading 'Strong and confident'.

BJØRNIS

Brannbamsen Bjørnis. A teddy bear dressed as a firefighter, wearing a red firefighter helmet and a beige uniform with reflective stripes, holding a firefighter's hose nozzle in front of a fire truck.

Produsert for NRK Super av Monster/Herstory.

Premiere:
2023

Bjørnis - a TV-drama for children age 3-6 year.

This series is a collaboration with Monster for NRK Super (NRK Super is a children’s channel operated by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation).

Following a successful first season, we produced seasons 2 and 3 in spring 2022.

The series about following Bjørnis on his daily journey as a fire constable, confronting different emergencies while teaching children essential fire safety skills.

The team included Mari Nilsen Neira as coordinator, Maja as photographer, and Ine Sofie as lighting master.

Three firefighters and Brannbamsen Bjørnis, a bear firefighter, sitting on a bench, eating ice cream, with a fire truck in the background.
Brannbamsen Bjørnis, a bear firefighter, in front of a fire truck, holding a fire hose nozzle.

Arven & ArvenUNG

A small sailboat with a person sitting inside, sailing on calm waters during a sunset with partly cloudy sky and a distant bird flying. From documentary Arven & ArvenUNG.

Producer:
Herstory - Mari Nilsen Neira

Director:
Mari Nilsen Neira

Cinematographer:
Maja Holand

Premiere:

Documentary

In ArvenUNG, young artisans—a filigree silversmith, geitboat builder, blacksmith, rope maker, and wigmaker—pursue unique craft careers.

The series explores how a silver brooch is made from scratch and what it means to work with your hands in a digital world.

Using spatial audio and gamification, Season 2 reaches youth through The Cultural Schoolbag (DKS) and NRK, blending tradition with modern storytelling.

A collage of three photos featuring people: the first person is crafting with yarn, the second two are working with metal in a workshop, and the third is a woman on a boat at sunset.

GLASURENS

GÅTEFULLE LIV

Produced: Herstory

Director: Mali Finborud Nøren

With support from: Norsk Kulturråd, Sparebank1 stiftelsen og Norsk Håndverkinstitutt

Mali Finborud Nøren has followed ceramic artist, Sissel Wathne, documenting her development of and search for ceramic glazes based on locally sourced natural materials from Røros. Sissel developed this approach to working with glazes during her fellowship at the Norwegian Institute for Craft Research and Development.