In virtually every tourist brochure and travel guide about Norway, we see                                    danish text
the image of Munch's "The Scream" - a painting produced at a time when
Norway was in search of a national identity of its own. This depressingly
caricaturish representation of inner emotion has become a strong brand for
the country - but is it really symbolic of Norwegian identity?

Colonel answers the question of whether Norwegians are really depressed,
by approaching people in central Oslo during the winter of 2005. Using
quasi-sociological methods, he studies the collective Norwegian state of
mind, and investigate whether there is in fact a particularly Norwegian form
of depression, and whether this emotion can be expressed in a scream. The
main question remains whether we are dealing with a masterpiece of art
history that has become an icon for an entire nation - or whether Norwegians
are gifted with the unique, innate ability to create soul-baring blues. Are
Norwegians just perpetrating the illusion of happiness, devouring
anti-depressants, finding safety in religion, or just putting up a front
when a stranger asks how they're doing? Colonel interacts with
Norwegians in the public space to get to the bottom of this question.

'Isolation' is central to Colonel's investigation. Being a lively southern
European, he perceives isolation as a horrifying psychological torture that
damages the soul. But for Norwegians, isolation appears to be a positive
factor. They are perfectly happy to be surrounded by a lot of space, and are
content in small village communities and in the great outdoors, far from
other people, so maybe it's in the genes. For this reason, it is also
relevant to investigate how the ordinary Norwegian fares in an urban
environment such as Oslo. Understanding of the geographic influence on the
national existential mentality is therefore part of the study. For
Colonel, 'isolation' is synonymous with depression - for Norwegians, it may
be the key to a happy life.

How does the Norwegian behave in a densely populated public space? Does he
or she have an "inner eye" that can sense other people? What if you stick
two Norwegians close together? Or what if they have to get close to a
foreigner from another culture? Do they feel threatened and insecure?
Colonel investigates whether Norwegians become panicked and claustrophobic
by testing how close he can get to a random Norwegian before he moves away.

Inspired by the people of Norway, Colonel attempts to construct a
machine that allows the user to be completely alone in a heavily populated
public space. Placing his own life on the line, Colonel tries out the
machine.

The film employs empirical methods to study the Norwegian national soul,
with Colonel as quasi-sociologist collecting data and examples to construct
an artistic-poetic machine, and testing people in a pathetic, slightly naïve
way. The main characters of the film are the Norwegian people. We encounter
the well-educated cosmopolite, the farmer on a visit to the capital, the
street junkie, the nationalist, the religious fanatic, an Iraqi
refugee living in Oslo and Danish tourists visiting their 'brother country.'
All are included, and will collectively create a nuanced portrait of
Norwegian identity after years of branding of Norway as home of "The
Scream."

copyright Thierry Geoffroy/Colonel