Let’s build a waterfall!

Abstract

  “Let’s build a waterfall!” is about the continuous struggle to maintain a rural community. The village Bleik in North Norway seems to stand strong in this struggle; contrary to most fishing villages, Bleik experiences growth. There are waiting lists to get housing lots and children to the local school. With strong traditions of voluntary work, Bleik has numerous local groups, a new sport arena, golf course, community center, local shop, café and pub. Being called Bleik Indians, ‘the savages behind the mountains’, is turned from stigma to pride. This documentary explores the processes of resilience and mobilization. Bleik is characterized by proud traditions of local story telling. Facing new challenges, old stories are reactivated, like the one about being the first village to have a power station; “What do we do in Bleik when we don’t have a waterfall? We build one!” The film tells stories of a vital village with strong traditions of mobilizing, but also of the drama coastal communities are facing. When the harbour is threatened, will they manage to mobilize to maintain the fishing community?