“What if we actually succeeded?” Beta Cinema has debuted the first trailer for Growth of the Soil, a love story set in Norway from filmmaker Hans Petter Moland. He’s back again this year with a new film which is premiering at the 2026 Toronto Film Festival this month. It’s playing at both TIFF and San Sebastian, and was already selected by Norway as their Oscar submission film this year. Based on the Nobel Prize winning novel by Knut Hamsun, this epic story is set against the harsh yet spectacular backdrop of the Norwegian mountains and directed by one of Norway’s best directors, Hans Petter Moland (In Order of Disappearance, Out Stealing Horses). Two humans against nature, breaking new ground on the outskirts somewhere in northern Norway. Guided by the elementary needs of life, where abilities are put to the test as the challenges loom. But can their love last? Starring Herbert Nordrum (from The Worst Person in the World), Asta Kamma August, Gard B. Eidsvold, Anders Baasmo, Oddgeir Thune, and Sjur Vatne Brean. TIFF adds: “Moland and his superb cast ensure that Hamsun’s story of how this couple’s hard-won home cannot protect them from history’s wider forces — or from more human sorts of frailties and failings — comes to the screen with all the grace & gravity it deserves.” Reminds me of Godland – the reality of living from the land.
Here’s the first official trailer for Hans Petter Moland’s film Growth of the Soil, direct from YouTube:
“What makes the film very universal is that two people who start out loving each other are also capable of hurting each other… Many films today are too preoccupied with complicated plots, which just tires me out. This is instantly relatable because it’s about human beings. And human beings are interesting.” –Director Hans Petter Moland
A stranger appears over the mountain, carrying little more than his determination. Isak (starring Herbert Nordrum), a man without a past, seeks a place to settle & carve life from the earth. High above the trees, he finds a barren stretch of land, as unforgiving as it is full of promise. The land tests him to his limits, until he meets Inger (Asta Kamma August), a solitary woman shaped by resilience & quiet secrecy. They endure the elements and build a life together, cultivating both the soil & family as the seasons turn. But as years pass and the world closes in, and time, hardship, and desire reshape them, one question remains: is love forever? Growth of the Soil, also titled Markens grøde in Norwegian, is directed by terrific Norwegian filmmaker Hans Petter Moland, director of the films The Last Lieutenant, Zero Kelvin, Aberdeen, The Beautiful Country, A Somewhat Gentle Man Department Q: A Conspiracy of Faith, Out Stealing Horses, and Absolution, plus both In Order of Disappearance & its remake Cold Pursuit previously. The screenplay is by Hans Petter Moland & Gard B. Eidsvold, based on the novel by Knut Hamsun. Produced by ½ Fiction in co-production with Scanbox Entertainment. This is premiering at the 2026 Toronto Film Festival this fall and is Norway’s submission to the Academy Awards. No final US release date is set – stay tuned. Look good?
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