Photo by Stien Andersen

Sony Music Entertainment Premium Content and Trafalgar Releasing have announced the release date for a-ha’s forthcoming film True North, the accompaniment to their new studio album of the same title.

True North will be released in select cinemas worldwide on Thursday 15 September, with the album following on Friday 21 October. This film will also include a special behind-the-scenes featurette, exclusive to cinemas.

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 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 Norwegian orchestra, Arctic Philharmonic. “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 honourable 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“First, we had the idea to record a studio session live,” says Waaktaar-Savoy. “Then, to film a studio session. That grew into more of a production with the Norwegian orchestra, the Arctic Philharmonic, who we have collaborated with.”

a-ha’s first offering from the forthcoming album is the single I’m In.

True North is produced by Aparent in conjunction with Sony Music Germany, Bodø2024 and Aker Horizons and distributed by Sony Music Entertainment’s Premium Content Division. The film is distributed theatrically worldwide by Trafalgar Releasing.

The True North film is out in select cinemas worldwide on 15 September 2022 via Trafalgar Releasing. Tickets are on sale from 4 August.

The True North album is out on 21 October 2022, pre-order now and sign up for further information here.