{{Short description|Norwegian film director}}

'''Ola Solum''' (17 July 1943 – 28 June 1996)<ref name=NBL>[http://nbl.snl.no/Ola_Solum/utdypning "Ola Solum"], ''Norsk biografisk leksikon'' {{in lang|no}}</ref> was a Norwegian film director. In 1983, he directed the documentary ''Kamera går! – Norsk filmproduksjon gjennom 75 år'' (Camera Running - 75 Years of Norwegian Film Production). One of Norway's greatest directors,<ref name=Ny>Atle Jørstad, [http://www.vg.no/film/artikkel.php?artid=10013559 "Lager ny ''Reisen til Julestjernen''"], ''Verdens Gang'', 29 January 2011 {{in lang|no}}</ref> he was particularly known for ''Orion's Belt'', which premièred in 1985 and won four Amanda Awards, including best Norwegian film of the year. He also wrote scripts for a number of Norwegian films.<ref>Gunnar Iversen, Øivind Hanche and Nils Klevjer Aas, ''Bedre enn sitt rykte - En liten norsk filmhistorie'', 2nd ed. Oslo: Norsk Filminstitutt, 2004 {{in lang|no}}</ref>

==Career== Solum began his career as a director in the early 1960s, writing and directing short documentary and educational films primarily for Norsk Documentarfilm A/S, by whom he was employed beginning in 1964, but also for other companies, such as a film about the Norwegian State Railways made with Ed Epstein for ABC-Film in 1966.<ref name=NBL/> In 1968 he co-directed ''Bare et liv'' (''Only One Life - the Story of Fridtjof Nansen''), a Norwegian-Soviet co-production.<ref name=NBL/><ref name=Institute>[http://www.nfi.no/english/norwegianfilms/search/Person?key=30585 Ola Solum] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304000449/http://www.nfi.no/english/norwegianfilms/search/Person?key=30585 |date=2016-03-04 }}, Norwegian Film Institute, accessed 21 July 2013.</ref> The Norwegian production partner for this film was Norsk Film, a company with which he was associated for the rest of his career. He was one of the young film makers supported by that company, and was a member of the Vampyrfilm group.

He made his solo feature-film directing début in 1976 with ''Reisen til julestjernen'' (Journey to the Christmas Star), a children's film with a stellar cast<ref name=Ny/> which has since been shown on NRK every Christmas.<ref name=Institute/> He also wrote the shooting script.<ref>Astrid Thon, [http://dt.no/kultur/laget-den-store-julesvisken-1.2913973 "Laget den store julesvisken"], ''Drammens Tidende'', 21 December 2001 {{in lang|no}}</ref> In 1978, he made ''Operasjon Cobra'' (Operation Cobra), which was intended for older children and successfully used their language, earning praise from Norsk Film.{{citation needed|date=July 2013}} He was therefore given the assignment to direct ''Carl Gustav, gjengen og parkeringsbandittene'' (1982) in connection with Norsk Film's 50th anniversary.

In 1985 Solum directed ''Orion's Belt''. The film was a big success both in Norway, where it was seen by some 700,000 people, and abroad. It won four Amanda Awards, including best Norwegian film of the year,.<ref name=Institute/> It had an effect on the Norwegian film industry, sparking the so-called "helicopter period" of films marked by internationalisation (partly as a result of the need for international financial support for such large projects) and emphasising suspense and special effects;<ref name=NBL/><ref name=Iversen>Gunnar Iversen, "Norway", in ''Nordic National Cinemas'', ed. Tytti Soila, Astrid Söderbergh-Widding and Gunnar Iversen, London / New York: Routledge, 1998, {{ISBN|9780415081948}}, [https://books.google.com/books?id=00ZYFy2-EY8C&dq=%22Ola+Solum%22&pg=PA130 p. 130].</ref> it was listed in ''Dagbladet'' in 2007 as the tenth most important Norwegian film.<ref>Karen Moe Møllerop, [http://www.dagbladet.no/kultur/2007/07/10/505853.html "Iskald krig og ekte mannfolk"], ''Dagbladet'', 10 July 2007 {{in lang|no}}</ref> His next film, ''Turnaround'' (1987), was not even shot in Norwegian and was therefore ineligible for state financing.<ref name=Iversen/>

Solum was appointed artistic director of Norsk Film in 1982<ref>''Scandinavian Film News'' 2.2 (1982) [https://books.google.com/books?id=JooqAQAAMAAJ&q=%22Ola+Solum%22 p. xlii].</ref> but resigned to take over the direction of ''Wayfarers'' (''Landstrykere'', 1989) after the original director became ill. The film was a success,<ref name=NBL/> but required two years and 12&nbsp;million kroner over budget, leading amongst other things to a change in leadership at Norsk Film.

After this, he directed only two more feature films before his death from cancer in Oslo in June 1996:<ref name=NBL/><ref name=Institute/> ''The Polar Bear King'', a well received children's film, and ''Trollsyn'', for which he again took over directing duties. In 1990&ndash;93 he ran his own production company, Alpha Film A/S.<ref name=NBL/>

In addition to the Amanda Awards for ''Orion's Belt'', Solum three times won the Norwegian cinema managers' award, ''Sølvklumpen'', in 1978, 1980 and 1985.<ref name=NBL/>

==Filmography==

*1976 - ''Reisen til julestjernen'' *1978 - ''Operasjon Cobra''<ref name=NBL/> *1982 - ''Carl Gustav, gjengen og parkeringsbandittene''<ref name=NBL/> *1982 - ''Pakketur til Paradis'' *1983 - ''Kamera går! – Norsk filmproduksjon gjennom 75 år''<ref name=NBL/> *1985 - ''Orion's Belt'' *1987 - ''Turnaround''<ref name=NBL/> *1990 - ''Landstrykere''<ref name=NBL/> *1991 - ''The Polar Bear King''<ref name=Institute/> *1994 - ''Trollsyn'' (''Second Sight'')<ref name=Institute/>

==References== {{Reflist}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Solum, Ola}} Category:Norwegian film directors Category:1996 deaths Category:1943 births Category:Deaths from cancer in Norway