LOOK UP—The Science of Cultural Evolution | Multi-Award-Winning Documentary

Directed by Nini Myhrvold & Dr. Espen Folmo

Embark on a transformative journey with LOOK UP—The Science of Cultural Evolution. This groundbreaking animated documentary bridges the gap between cutting-edge scientific insights and timeless cultural wisdom. Through vivid storytelling and compelling visuals, it unpacks profound ideas from a meticulously crafted scientific manuscript.

For an uninterrupted, ad-free experience, you can watch the film on Vimeo.

Rooted in groundbreaking research, LOOK UP draws its narrative from a scientific manuscript published by Kolofon, available in both English and Norwegian.

The English version is available from Google play here. From Apple Books here. And on Amazon here.

The Norwegian version can be found here:

About the Film

LOOK UP offers a unique journey where scientific insight meets cultural wisdom. This animated documentary breathes life into complex ideas from a comprehensive scientific manuscript, blending the subtleties of psychotherapy research with timeless cultural insights. At two hours and fifty minutes, this feature film represents a new genre—melding academic depth with the engaging narrative of a documentary.

Embark on a fascinating exploration of how cultural evolution mirrors biological evolution, uncovering emergent phenomena that drive both our scientific pursuits and collective awareness. This film delves into the transformative role of psychotherapy in shaping personal and societal growth, advocating for relational science's integration into daily life.

Guided by a compelling storyline, LOOK UP invites viewers on an immersive journey, exploring the ancient practice of healing through subconscious cultural agreements that manifest in shared human experiences and collective healing processes.

Discover more about the film on our IMDb page, including awards, reviews, and behind-the-scenes details.

Join us for an enlightening experience that fosters both personal growth and societal transformation. This is more than just a viewing—it’s an invitation to integrate profound insights into one’s own journey.

Awards & Recognitions

LOOK UP—The Science of Cultural Evolution has been honored globally for its visionary approach and academic depth. Recent accolades include:

• Best Documentary Feature, Best Editing, Best VFX – Rome International Movie Awards (2024)
• Special Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature – Tamizhagam International Film Festival (2024)
• Nominee – Cannes World Film Festival (2024)
• Gold Award: Best Documentary – MindField Film Festival Los Angeles (2024)
• Special Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature – Nitiin International Film Festival, Malaysia (2024)
• Best Documentary – Buddha International Film Festival (2024)
• Best Documentary – London Independent Film Awards (2024)
• Best Documentary – British Film Festival (2024)
• Best Documentary Film, Critic’s Choice Award for Best Animated Film – Bangkok Movie Awards (2024)
• Best Documentary Feature – Five Continents International Film Festival (2024)
• Best Documentary Feature – Kodaikanal International Film Festival (2024)
• Best Documentary (Feature Length) – Swedish International Film Festival (2024)
• Best Documentary – Eastern Europe Film Festival (2024)
• Best Documentary Feature Film – Poombukar International Film Festival (PIFF) (2024)
• Best Documentary Feature Film – Makizhmithran International Film Festival (2024)
• Best Documentary Feature Film – Rohip International Film Festival (2024)
• Best Feature Documentary – Luleå International Film Festival (2024)
• Best Documentary Feature (Bronze) – Global Indian Film Festival (2024)
• Best Documentary – 5th Literature in Cinema (2024)
• Best Documentary – Symbiotic Film Festival, Kiev (2024)
• Best Documentary Feature – Creation International Film Festival (2024)
• Best Documentary Feature Film – Kollywood International Film Festival (2024)
• Best Social Science Film – Western Canadian International Film Festival (2024)
• Best Documentary, Best Experimental Film – Athens International Monthly Art Film Festival (2024)
• Award Winner for Culture – Mannheim Arts and Film Festival (2024)
• Winner – CineTech Future Fest (2024)
• Best Documentary Feature Film – Sittannavasal International Film Festival (2024)
• Best Educational Film, Best Experimental Film, Honorable Mention (Animated Film), Outstanding Achievement Award (Debut Filmmaker), Best Web and Social Media – Caravan International Film Festival (2024)
• Award of Merit: Documentary Feature – Accolade Global Film Competition (December 2024)
• Honorable Mention for Best Inspirational Film – New York International Film Awards (NYIFA) (2024)
• Honorable Mention for Best Documentary (Long) – American Golden Picture International Film Festival (2024)
• MIFF Award – Mokkho International Film Festival (2024)
• TIFA Award for Best Documentary – Triloka International Filmfare Awards (2024)
• Monthly Winner (November 2024) – Better Earth International Film Festival (awarded across six categories)
• Honorable Mention – East Village New York Film Festival (2024)
• Finalist – Oniros Film Awards (New York)
• Finalist – NewBorn Short Film Festival Berlin
• Finalist – Rameshwaram International Film Festival (2024)
• Finalist – Birsamunda International Film Awards (2024)
• Semi-Finalist – Los Angeles Film Awards (LAFA) (2024)
• Semi-Finalist – Kyoto Independent Film Festival (2024)
• Semi-Finalist – New Orleans International Film Awards (2024)
• Semi-Finalist – MindField Film Festival (Albuquerque)
• Semi-Finalist – Kookai International Film Festival (2024)
• Quarter-Finalist – Better Earth International Film Festival (2024)

About the Directors

Nini Caroline Skarpaas Myhrvold (b. 1990) has a background in environmental therapy, specializing in trauma-sensitive care and holistic approaches to well-being. Nini is a birth and pregnancy therapist, a biopath with published research, and is currently pursuing an EMBA at Hult International Business School. Visit Nini’s website.

Espen Jan Folmo (b. 1980) holds a PhD in psychology and brings a wealth of experience from international research in psychotherapy. As the former Head of the Quality Laboratory for Psychotherapy at Oslo University Hospital, he is deeply versed in therapeutic research and application. Espen also has expertise in journalism, technology management from MIT, and change management from INSEAD. He has a rich background in spirituality, including the Diamond Approach, which has informed his work over the past two decades.

Featured Interviews

Learn more about the creative process, inspiration, and vision behind LOOK UP—The Science of Cultural Evolution in these interviews:

• Interview with American Golden Picture International Film Festival
• Art Film Video Interview: Nini Myhrvold & Espen Folmo

Watch the Trailer

Abridged Abstract

In our collective odyssey through time and space, from the primordial soup to the sprawling complexities of modern civilization, we encounter the enigmatic dance of emergence and evolution.

The evolution of species, a journey marked by gradual adaptations and sudden leaps, mirrors the trajectory of our cultural evolution. Just as biologists grapple with the 'missing links' that puzzle the evolutionary chain, we, too, find ourselves at crossroads in our cultural and intellectual development. These are moments where leaps in understanding and innovation occur, not through incremental steps but through transformative shifts, akin to the emergent properties of complex systems like Dictyostelium discoideum, where collective intelligence surpasses the sum of individual capabilities.

The staircase from the atom to the stars, a metaphor for our scientific and spiritual quest, is not just a linear path but a series of leaps and bounds, where new understanding emerges from the confluence of ideas, much like the discrete notes on a piano coming together to form music.

In the light of our evolving understanding of emergent phenomena, both in science and culture, we stand at the precipice of a new epoch. Our survival and thriving as a species may well depend on our ability to embrace and navigate these emergent realities, transforming our collective consciousness to meet the challenges and harness the opportunities of our times.

As we ponder these possibilities, let us remember that every step in our evolutionary journey, every leap in our cultural consciousness, brings us closer to realizing our full potential as stewards of this planet and architects of our destiny. And, there is no emergent phenomena, unless we all step up. Cohesion is what makes human groups magic, and emergent: This is why you are one of the most important beings ever to be alive. The present movie, invites you on a “therapeutic” journey to integrate a scientific toolkit for you to play your role in our biblical times.

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An aninmated version of my recent studio recording of the Fugue from BWV 998:

The Fugue from BWV 998 live in Universitetets Aula, 1. mars, 2024:

 

Executive & Team Coach | Leadership consultant | Researcher

In order to promote relations that foster change, I apply ancient and modern maps of the mind. Most of these stem from being a spiritual student in various wisdom traditions (e.g., the Diamond Approach, Mahamudra, and the Arica school) for a couple of decades, but psychotherapy research has also offered a unique laboratory for examining how people and groups change. In concert, this sum total of various tools and relational technologies adopted from the Amazon jungle, Ancient Greece, perennial philosophy, modern psychotherapy, and leadership research is what orchestrates my current role as an expert leadership consultant and executive coach. This website is designed to showcase some of these tools, but as my master thesis at INSEAD concluded: Tacit knowledge is not transmitted, but must be co-created within a real relationship. I feel privileged to assist leaders (and organizations) in their daily work of fostering a culture enabling such essential processes to take place, as they constitute most of the value stored in each organization, and its constituents.

I am an expert in enabling knowledge creation in organizations—in my opinion, leadership is concerned with the emergence of new patterns of thinking and knowing, that is, with joint exploratory learning. Click here to explore the foundation of my coaching philosophy. My Executive Master in Change at INSEAD explored how tacit knowledge is transmitted in organizations. In essence, my conclusion, after 21 years of working, researching, and educating myself, is that change processes stem from a successful cultural transmission/co-creation. In its most “extreme” version—which constitutes 40% of the effectiveness of medical practices—the co-called placebo effect, is a result of the individual feeling connected to a culturally accepted healing process (healing myth/ritual). However, the change fostered by psychotherapy, meditation, piano lessons, or adequate parenting, produces its most lasting impact when the teacher succeeds in being a cultural fountainhead that enables the co-creation of cultural knowledge with each individual. Such processes are at core of every organization, and being skilful at understanding human interactions (mentalization) becomes an essential framework and foundation to enable this.

I have spent a couple of decades developing my competence to promote transformative relationships within organizations. Our psyche—including the unconscious, our emotions, and our different parts—is a complex landscape to navigate. Theoretical physicist Richard Feynman once stated, “Imagine how much harder physics would be if electrons had feelings.” As Head of Quality Lab for Psychotherapy for a decade, I helmed affairs for flourishing therapists’ level of skill and adherence to psychodynamic therapy by delivering tailored feedback. I also served as an actor on the international research stage in liaison with Anna Freud Centre, and the multiple architects of Mentalization-based treatment (MBT). In parallel, I worked as a clinical psychologist at Oslo University Hospital—with both groups and individuals. This phenomenological fountainhead was the backbone of my doctorate, which contributed to the field of how to best cultivate relationships that foster growth. I have published several articles in international journals challenging the current paradigm in psychotherapy research: The division between those advocating specific techniques, and those championing the mere importance of the relationship. Attempting to bridge this schism, my PhD thesis was titled “Measuring MBT—A marriage of the common and specific psychotherapy factors”. 

As an executive coach, my goal is to promote individual development, delivering top-notch consultancy services, and challenging client’s maladaptive patterns of relating, thinking, and interpreting other’s intentions. 

As a leadership consultant, one of my key responsibilities is to steer individual’s inner terrain in accordance with both ancient and modern maps of the psyche while inhabiting the lived experience of others. I deliver hands-on assistance to groups and individuals in interpreting both formal and informal roles and resolving tasks pertinent for the larger organism. 

I do not divide between spiritual and psychological work. Hence, I sometimes offer psychotherapy, and am currently leading a self-developmental group. Contact me if you are looking for such possibilities—and what you read on this page resonates with you.

I offer systemic coaching to help organizations optimize, and change (overcome their resistance to change).

• Empower people to change by fostering their willingness and capacity for adaptive behavior.
  
  
• Skillfully and strategically challenge client’s maladaptive patterns of relating, thinking, and interpreting other’s intentions.
  
  
• Inhabit the lived experience of others and navigate their inner terrain according to both ancient and modern maps of the psyche.
  
  
• Helping groups and individuals to take on, and understand, both formal and informal roles, and solve tasks relevant for the larger organism they are part of.
  
  
• As tacit knowledge is not transferred, but co-created (the major finding from my master thesis at INSEAD), one of my key roles is to participate in a group or organization to assist them in knowledge creation.
  
  
• Learning from, and tailoring a broad range of strategies to, each client—while at the same time mapping out, and communicating the lessons learned, to an international, scientific audience.
  
  
  Click here to read my coaching philosopy—developed over a decade, and particularily influenced by my professors at INSEAD. You can read more about me here.

If you are a student interested in collaborating on your master thesis (hovedoppgave ved UiO), then click here to examine a list of possible projects.

You can download my CV here.

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Skills & Expertise

✅ Expert Leadership Consultant: Promoting individual development and coaching, delivering top-notch consultancy services, and challenging client’s maladaptive patterns of relating, thinking, and interpreting other’s intentions.

✅ Track record of facilitating problem resolutions, and cultivating trust-based relationships with customers/clients.

✅ History of performing in-depth analysis, fostering change, assessing needs, solving complex problems, designing, developing, and delivering workshops, informational material, and special programs to meet community needs.

✅ Adept at driving individuals’ collaboration, coaching dynamic staff, and identifying and meeting unique client needs.

✅ Articulate and refined communicator; prudent in providing workable business solutions, cultivating robust working relationships, and negotiating profitable contracts.

✅ Excellent communication, collaboration, and client service management skills along with capability to design and reflect back the desired outcomes aligned with actionable solutions.

✅ Diligent leader and resourceful team builder with robust skills in dealing and collaborating effectively with all levels of organization, customers, and internal and external stakeholders.

✅ Challenged client’s maladaptive patterns of relating, thinking, and interpreting other’s intentions by utilizing strong professional expertise.

✅ Facilitated organizations in promoting and adapting change by delivering high-level systemic coaching.

✅ Created various strategies and planned and communicated the lessons learned to international audiences.

 

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Contact

Reach out if you want to talk to me about productive and long-term operations. I enjoy meeting new people and hearing new perspectives that challenge my paradigm. If your organization is looking for an accomplished, creative, and determined consultant with an affinity for any tech, financial, or any sector, we should connect! Feel free to call me or connect via email at Denne e-postadressen er beskyttet mot programmer som samler e-postadresser. Du må aktivere javaskript for å kunne se den..