The making of "Isle of the Dead" | Read more at |
| Written by: Hans Kristian Bukholm & Bergen Film Development, Norway | Date: 07.01.2026 |
 Hans Kr. Bukholm and actor Jeff Lane (in the back) shooting "Isle of the Dead" in 65mm. Photo: Roger Sangolt. Bergen Film Development presents ISLE OF THE DEAD A short film Written, photographed and directed by Hans-Kristian Bukholm Produced by Bergen Film Development Music by Sergei Rachmaninov (Chicago Symphony Orchestra/Fritz Reiner) Shot on 65mm film - Digital version: 6K Screening format: 4K - DCP Sound: 5 channel surround Running time: 10 min The relationship between nature and the human race is becoming increasingly out of balance. The impact on Mother Earth by that of an ever increasing human population points inevitably towards untenable living conditions for billions of people in the near future. • Go to PDF Press release " Isle Of The Dead" • Go to Interview with Mr Hans-Kristian Bukholm (2013) • Go to Filming of "Svalbard - Arctic Seasons" Our precious planet has probably already reached the point where it can no longer sustain the ever increasing pressure of human activity. Despite this, many people think that there is little or no reason for changing our ways, believing that the only way forward is to treat our planet of tomorrow exactly the same way we’ve treated her yesterday. Also, this mentality of hubris carries with it the conviction that us humans are endowed with both the right and the might to subjugate Mother Nature, our Creator, without any consequences to ourselves. Nature, however, will always come out victorious! The short film "Isle of the Dead" is an allegory - an audiovisual depiction of Man in his smallness pitted against Nature in its omnipotence - which in this film is represented by the Ocean, the primordial domain which, at the dawn of life itself, birthed the very process through which, after millions of years, brought forth humanity itself. The film has a run time of 10 minutes, and is shot on 65mm film stock. This large analogue film format was the format of choice for such classics as "Around the World in 80 Days" (1956), “Ben-Hur” (1959) and "Lawrence of Arabia" (1962). | More in 70mm reading: |
 Hans Kr. Bukholm and Anette Thorsheim during test shooting of "Isle of the Dead" with the HKB65 camera in 65mm with Kodak Vision2 5201 50D stock on 12. June 2016. Anette only participated in the production during the test phase. Most of the film was photographed on high-speed film in 2020 and 2021. Photo: Roger Sangolt. The resolution of the original 70mm footage has been reduced to a 6K scan, but the distributed version of the film will for practical reasons/screening limitations be in the standard digital cinema format of 4K. • Go to PDF KODAK VISION2 50D (2005) • Go to PDF KODAK VISION2 50D (H1 5201t) Nowadays, digital recording techniques have reached a technical level of such quality that they have rendered traditional formats like 35mm and 70mm all but obsolete. Despite this, the large 70mm format has enjoyed a small resurgence lately, as exemplified by films like Quentin Tarantino’s "The Hateful Eight" (2015) and Christopher Nolan’s "Dunkirk" (2017). We do, however, believe that "Isle of the Dead" may well be the last short film whose production calls for shooting on 70mm film. "Isle of the Dead" shares its name with Sergei Rachmaninov’s great symphonic poem from 1909. The original composition lasts for about 20 minutes, but has been edited down to 10 minutes in the film. In doing so, preserving the composition’s dynamic structure has been of paramount importance. Rachmaninov became inspired to write the piece after having seen a reproduction in black and white of the Swiss painter Arnold Böcklin’s 1880s symbolist painting «Der Toteninsel» («Isle of the Dead» in English). Within a span of seven years, Böcklin painted five different versions of Isle of the Dead. Rachmaninov, however, is reputed to have said that "had he seen one of the colour versions of the painting, he would not have felt sufficiently compelled to write the Composition". When we came up with the original idea for this film more than 20 years ago, we knew exactly which location to use - a very haunting and dramatic looking inlet where craggy rock meets surging waves somewhere on the Sotra archipelago, not far from Bergen in Vestland County, Norway, where the far Western Norwegian mainland meets the North Sea. As stated, our source of inspiration was Rachmaninov’s music. At this point in time we happened to be unfamiliar with Böcklin’s painting. When we finally did see it a few years back, we were astonished by the physical similarity with Böcklin’s isle and our main location! In a curious way, this makes our film emerge as the final part of a trilogy spanning three centuries: A symbolist painting from the late 19th century, a symphonic poem for large orchestra from the 20th century, and finally, a film for the big screen from our own 21st century. | |
 70mm frame blow-up from "Isle of the Dead".Böcklin’s painting depicts an isle of the dead with bright cliff faces, as seen from the sea. Our film depicts an isle of the dead as seen from land, but here the cliff faces are black and brooding, a suggestive reflection of the all too possible sombre future towards which humanity is heading. The film may as such be described as being of an experimental nature, aspiring to seeding ideas and emotions in the mind of the viewer. Narration is absent, thus the viewer’s immersion into the subject is by way of images and symphonic music only. It is our sincere hope that "Isle of the Dead" will find its audience, though we equally anticipate that the viewers‘ reactions may well span the gamut in its entirety. So there we have it! It is our genuine pleasure to present "Isle of the Dead" - a short film, two decades in the making, made for the big screen by way of unconventional means in an unconventional style and inseparately forged together with an outstanding recording (of the original composition by Sergei Rachmaninov) from 1957 with Chicago Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Fritz Reiner. | |
 ISLE OF THE DEADAn allegory about Man and Mother Nature • Cinematographer, director and producer: HANS KR. BUKHOLM • Associate Producer: ANETTE THORSHEIM • Actors: JEFF LANE and BENTE STOCKHAUSEN • Camera assistant: ROGER SANGOLT • Editor and Grader: ANDREAS NOES • Music, Isle of the Dead: SERGE! RACHMANINOFF, CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA • Conductor: FRITZ REINER • Music editor (film version): GUNNAR HERLEIF NILSEN • Musical advisors: GUNNAR HERLEIF NILSEN and ANNE-REGINA KAYSER • Production advisors: EMIL STANG LUND and SVEINUNG MELKILD • Location manager and Set dresser: ROGER SANGOLT • Production assistant: ANNA BODKER • Location staff - 70mm: MARTE HAGELIEN, MATHIAS JOHANNESSEN, THOR SUNDAL, MARI HANSSEN, SANDER BRANDTZ/EG, ANNA BODKER, MARIANNE KRONHEIM • Stills photography ROGER SANGOLT • Technical advisors - Camera modifications and special equipment STEINAR VATNE, HARALD A. GULLAKSEN, SIGNAR KRISTOFFERSEN • Technical support HANS ELIAS BUKHOLM JOSEPHSEN • Many thanks to: JAN ELISABETH LINDVIK, DANIEL LINDVIK (v/Nordisk Film Shortcut Oslo) EIRIK VIE, SIGURD WIK, OLE & HALLFRID GOLTEN • 70mm processing: FOTOKEM BURBANK, CALIFORNIA • 70mm cameras: BERGEN FILM DEV. CO. • Financing: VESTNORSK FILMSENTER (by Jesper Bergom-Larsson) and BERGEN FILM DEV. CO (BERGEN FILMUTVIKLING) | |
 Hans Kr. Bukholm, the HKB65 camera and crew shooting "Isle of the Dead" in 65mm. Photo: Roger Sangolt.A visualization of human history and fight for survival throughout the ages. Compromising dancers set against a backdrop of a brutal coastal landscape and wide, stormy seas, set to music by Sergei Rachmaninov. Collaboration partners: • Emil Stang Lund, production consultant • Carl E. Johannesen, production- and editing consultant. • Anna Öberg, choreographer. • Helge Sunde, photographer / advisor. • Ragnar Bjerkreim, composer / music consultant. • Jan Erik Paulsrud, editing consultant. • Steinar Vatne / Signar Kristoffersen, technical advisor camera equipment modifications. • Eirik Vie, language consultant. • Hans Elias Bukholm Josephsen, digital consultant "Isle of the Dead" will premiere digitally at the 70mm Festival in Oslo 27. January 2026. "Isle of the Dead" is dedicated to the memory of Freddie Young Art short film in the form of an allegory on Man and Nature, seeking to visualize the relationship between the two through cinematic and symphonic musical means. Cast and crew screening took place at the ODEON-kino, Sartor Senter, Lille Sotra, Bergen, Tuesday 19 September 2023 Kl. 12:15. | |
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