Thomas Østbye

Civil Disobedience

Civil Disobedience takes you along when three generations of activists from Extinction Rebellion and Just Stopp Oil change their tactics from actions against jet fuel to roadblocks and “attacks” on famous artworks and sports events. This observational documentary invites you behind the scenes of direct actions, and emotional and strategic reconsiderations. It gives you insight into the motivation of the actions as activists are prosecuted and taken to court. When the police move in, the filmmaker himself is arrested while cameras are rolling. An intense and empathic depiction of the here-and-now of the activists, the film also offers a larger perspective: What drives ordinary people into using civil disobedience and taking on the state and corporate powers to fight the climate emergency?

The Play of Everyman

Direct Cinema study of the first Norwegian Climate Lawsuit and the hard hitting Supreme Court ruling. In this case environmental organizations sued the Norwegian state over petroleum licensing in the Barents sea.

Out of Norway

In 'Out of Norway' Emanuel (from Imagining Emanuel 2011) is refused to travel from Norway back to Liberia. So now he must flee again - in the other direction! Follow his video diary, and you will see that it is not as simple as it seems.

Imagining Emanuel

Emanuel's identity is unknown, and his life has been put on hold for eight years. He claims to be from Liberia, but the Norwegian authorities believes he's from Ghana. He can't be returned to a country he's not registered in.

Human

The documentary film HUMAN study what’s human – out of context. Without familiar purposes and surroundings, the film plays our labeling instinct against the factual meeting with another person. How close can we get to another human before it gets inhuman, – or maybe too human?

6 Conceptions of Freedom

6 Conceptions of Freedom is a study of Alexander Kiellands plass in Oslo, looking at the social and physical frames of imagination. Its a documentary that explores loneliness and powerlessness in our ideal of freedom. Is freedom a question of uncertainty or happiness, action or condition?