Hidden in the forests near Andebu in Vestfold lies Vidaråsen, an inclusive community where about 150 people with and without intellectual disabilities live and work side by side. Founded in 1966 as the first Camphill village in Norway, it is built on anthroposophical principles: everyone contributes according to their abilities, whether in the bakery, weavery, carpentry workshop, on the farm, or in the gardens. There is no traditional employer-employee relationship; residents and co-workers share households and daily life.
Vidaråsen reached a national audience in 2023 when the documentary Ola: en helt vanlig uvanlig fyr aired on NRK. The film followed resident Ola Henningsen in his daily life at the village and became a surprise hit, winning second place in the HUMAN Award for Norwegian documentary. For many viewers it was their first glimpse into a way of living that has quietly existed in the Vestfold countryside for nearly sixty years.
Vidaråsen reached a national audience in 2023 when the documentary Ola: en helt vanlig uvanlig fyr aired on NRK. The film followed resident Ola Henningsen in his daily life at the village and became a surprise hit, winning second place in the HUMAN Award for Norwegian documentary. For many viewers it was their first glimpse into a way of living that has quietly existed in the Vestfold countryside for nearly sixty years.