JORUNN MYKLEBUST SYVERSEN

Norges Visjonære

22.04 - 18.06.23

Still from Norges Visjonære, Jorunn Myklebust Syversen. Photo by Marius Matzow Guldbrandsen.

In Norway, anyone who has received a calling from God can establish his or her own congregation and receive support from the state, as long as the operations are in line with the Religious Communities Act.

Norges Visjonære is a re-enactment of a Visjon Norge broadcast, one of Norway's many free conservative congregational churches that rose out of the Pentecostal movement. The fictitious congregation Norges Visjonære is based on actual Pentecostal congregations such as Vision Norge, Brølende Lam (The Roaring Lamb) and Oslokirken (Oslo Church).

In the work Norges Visjonære, filmmaker Journn Myklebust Syversen exemplifies how these congregations often correlate faith with donations, taking advantage of people in vulnerable situations. Based on conversations with former members of various religious communities, who tell stories of social control, psychological and physical abuse, she asks whether exorcisms and prayer for the healing of illness in return for money should be legal.

Jorunn Myklebust Syversen is artist and filmmaker. Her debut feature film "Hoggeren" (Maria Ekerhovd/ MerFilm), with actor Anders Baasmo Christiansen in the lead role came out in 2017. The sequel "Disco" (Ekerhovd/Mer Film) with Josefine Frida in the lead role, is inspired by the Pentecostal movement. "Norwegian Visionary" is one of these.