Performance Lab, the British company behind the Nu:tropic brand, wanted to tell the story behind one of their key ingredients — black oats from Norwegian soil. They had discovered Den Sorte Havre: a family-run company at Tveter farm in Våler in Østfold, where Johan and Ingunn Anstenrud cultivate and process black oats — a Norwegian ancient grain from Viking times with 50% higher fat content and fewer carbohydrates than regular white oats. Their products are sold today in stores all over Norway. The black oats from Den Sorte Havre were one of the key ingredients in the Nu:tropic bars — and the assignment was to give the ingredient and the people behind it a face and a voice. The contact came via Cinemasters — an American production company that had discovered Visio Film and wanted us as production partners for the filming in Norway.
On a June day in 2022, we met at the farm in Våler. The team from Performance Lab had travelled from England — including the company's founder and CEO, Dave Wright, who wanted to be present himself. It quickly became clear that everyone gathered that day shared something: a genuine enthusiasm for what the project was about. Johan and Ingunn welcomed us with open arms. The atmosphere was warm, effortless and good. We shot interviews, drone footage over the open fields, close-ups of the oat grain itself — and glimpses of a farm run with pride and care.
The result was a three-minute mini-documentary that combines personal stories with images of the Norwegian cultural landscape. In addition, clip-friendly material for social media and photo stills for marketing were produced. The film was used by Performance Lab in connection with the launch of Nu:tropic in the UK.
