The Art of Whistling

2021

53min

The film chronicles the life of author Thorvald Steen, who suffers from facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy; a rare waste disorder that gradually and irreversibly paralyzes his body. The disease, however, has never stopped Thorvald. He is still an active public debater, freedom of speech advocate, author and cultural communicator, although his ski jumping days are over. Through Thorvald's own wonderful sense of humor and storytelling abilities, the film paints an intimate and poetic picture of an unusual life and the man who's still very much enjoying it. The well-known Norwegian photographer Per Maning has followed Thorvald with his camera for 25 years and documented Thorvald's development. The result is a unique and rare portrait of the meaning of life.