The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to join cinemas around the globe for a worldwide theatrical event “a-ha – True North” showing Thursday, Sept. 15 at the Alice Gill-Sheldon Theatre. There will be two shows at 3:30 and 6:30 p.m.
Since their worldwide breakthrough with ‘Take On Me’ in 1985, a-ha have continued to adapt and evolve. Now, with what is both their 11th studio album and the documentation of its creation, a-ha have entered a new phase.
The original idea for “True North” was for the Norwegian trio, formed of Morten Harket, Paul Waaktaar-Savoy and Magne Furuholmen, to record their first session in the wonderous studio location just 90km above the Arctic Circle then to film it. Eventually, the project expanded into more of a production, and they were joined by the talented Norwegian orchestra, Arctic Philharmonic.
What spawned from these sessions is a magnificent album, and film to match, that details the band’s vision of a collective connection to the environment. “True North is a letter from a-ha, from the Arctic Circle, a poem from the far north of Norway,” says Furuholmen.
In recurring vignettes, the multidimensional “True North” film follows this narrative arc through actors portraying life in the North as well as documenting the band recording music over two days in Bodø, Norway.
This is a unique release from a-ha that embodies the spirit of their new songs, with long-time a-ha collaborator Stian Andersen at the helm as director: "It’s been an honorable assignment to direct the ‘True North’ movie. It’s also been a great pleasure to write and create the narrative to match a-ha’s beautiful songs in this film."
“True North is the band at their most revealing, most personal and most affecting. Never before has the spirit of a-ha been so exposed.
This film will also include a special behind-the-scenes featurette, exclusive to cinemas.