Download a photo of Norland Boat builder Ulf Mikalsen and his spouse
A new feature-length documentary by the award-winning Pioneer PBS Postcards team will be broadcast and streamed for the first time on Thursday, December 8, 2022 at 8 p.m. on Pioneer PBS. Entitled “Built with Love,” the film follows Pioneer PBS Senior Producer Dana Conroy as she travels north along the coast of Norway to meet some of the last few people still building boats in the old Norwegian tradition. Along the way, Conroy discovers what her own great-great-grandfather gave up when he moved to America for the woman he loved.
“Built with Love” is edited by Mike Scholtz, a Duluth area filmmaker and long-time collaborator with Dana Conroy and videographers Kristofor Gieske and Ben Dempcy. In June of 2022, the Postcards team plied Norway's northwest and northeast coasts, visiting communities such as Flakkfjorden, Stadsbygn, Joa Island, Nesna and the Lofoten islands. They encountered a cast of characters engaged in the craft of traditional Norwegian boat building and sailmaking. Master craftsmen like Einar Borgfjorn, Frode Bjøru and Ulf Mikalsen shared their love for boats along with up and coming apprentices like Vebjorn Reitan and Stephanie Hiem. Historic sites such as the Coastal Heritage Museum in Stadsbygd and the Lofoten Stockfish Museum also feature prominently in the film.
The Postcards team was guided in their journey by Olav Luksengård Mjelva, an internationally known artist and musician who served as field producer and violinist for the production.
Starting at 8 p.m. on December 8, 2022, “Built with Love” will also be available for streaming at the video.pioneer.org website and via the station’s YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@PostcardsOnPioneerPBS/featured
About Pioneer PBS
Established in 1966, Pioneer PBS is an award-winning, viewer-supported television station dedicated to sharing local stories of the region with the world. For more information visit: www.pioneer.org.