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March 30, 2026

Being Ola review

Documentary follows a resident of a Norwegian village for people with learning disabilities, spotlighting his connection with a Danish care worker

Being Ola review

TL;DR

  • The film focuses on Ola Henningsen, a man with learning disabilities living in a Norwegian village community.
  • Ola describes himself as 'slow' but appears intelligent and articulate.
  • A central theme is Ola's close relationship with Lasse, a Danish care worker.
  • Ola is deeply hurt when Lasse leaves the community.
  • The second part of the film shows Ola visiting Lasse in Copenhagen to discuss his feelings of abandonment.
  • The film's resolution of Ola's emotional experience is presented as painless, but the deeper implications are left open to interpretation.