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Sjur Aarthun

Sjur Aarthun

Cinematographer and editor, also writer

Sjur Aarthun is a prominent Norwegian cinematographer and editor known for his versatile work in both film and television. He co-founded the production company Handmade Films in Norwegian Woods in 2013, where he focuses on creating films rooted in Norwegian folklore and nature. His work includes notable projects such as The Tunnel (2019), Villmark 2(2015), and Villmark (2003). He has also contributed to popular TV series like Pørni and Home Ground.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Works as
Cinematographer and editor, also writer
Titles
8 on Motif · 26 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 157 days to Oct 28Down 14% in 30 days

What are Sjur Aarthun's films like?

Across their 7 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Bonds.

Genres

Drama3 titlesTypical Motif score: 13th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Action2 titlesTypical Motif score: 36th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies

Their Motif films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Motif score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Survival
41%
Bonds
19%
Morality
16%
Self
15%
Power
4%
Society
3%
Ideas
3%
Trauma4 titles, browse their movies with this themeParenthood2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 6 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 0 · Serious 1 · Dark 5

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 6 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 0

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 1 · Intense 4

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 2 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 1 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 4 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
7
Dread
7
Melancholic
3
Cold
2
Contemplative
1
Other
1

How their films linger

Unsettling5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Bittersweet6
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Sjur Aarthun's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 7 of their 8 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (4).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Sjur Aarthun's titles on Motif; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Motif score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

26 credits, 8 with a Motif page.

  • Kraken(2026)

    Cinematographer · Editor · Writer

    Motif score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Dark Windows(2023)

    Editor

    Motif score: 6th percentile of all films

  • Operation Lost Boy(2023)

    Show Editor

    Motif score: 60th percentile of all shows

  • Leave(2022)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Nightmare(2022)

    Editor

    Motif score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Pernille(2021)

    Show 18 episodes · Cinematographer

    Motif score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • The Tunnel(2019)

    Cinematographer · Editor

    Motif score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Catching the Flame (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2019)

    Cinematographer · Editor

  • Home Ground (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2018)

    Show 2 episodes · Cinematographer

  • Voyager (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2017)

    Cinematographer · Editor

  • Dark Woods II(2015)

    Cinematographer · Editor

    Motif score: 17th percentile of all films

  • The Vanishing Act of Einar (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2015)

    Cinematographer

  • UpsideDown (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2014)

    Cinematographer · Editor

  • Kampen om Hardanger (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2014)

    Cinematographer

  • Lars Hertervig: The frenzy of light (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2013)

    Editor

  • Hidden (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2009)

    Cinematographer

  • Familien Bergs erfaringer (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2008)

    Editor

  • SOS: Summer of Suspense (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2008)

    Cinematographer

  • Svein and the Rat and the UFO-Mystery (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2007)

    Cinematographer

  • Trigger (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2006)

    Editor

  • Boys Will Be Boys (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2006)

    Show 7 episodes · Cinematographer

  • Ran (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2005)

    Show 4 episodes · Cinematographer

  • Dark Woods (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2003)

    Cinematographer

  • Falling Sky (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2002)

    Cinematographer

  • Stop (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1999)

    Cinematographer · Editor

  • The Well (not in the Motif catalog yet)

    Cinematographer · Storyboard

Career shape

A full career of 25 titles, 24 of them dated from 1999 to 2026.

Biggest box office

The Tunnel (2019)

$3M worldwide

Highest rated

The Tunnel (2019)

Motif 41st

Most popular right now

Kraken (2026)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Writing1 of 25: 0 only writing, 1 with another roleCinematography20 of 25: 12 only cinematography, 8 with another role · typical Motif score30thEditing12 of 25: 5 only editing, 7 with another role · typical Motif score18th

25 titles, 8 with more than one role — cinematography and editing overlap on 7 of them.

By decade

1990s1 · crew2000s9 · crew2010s9 · crew2020s5 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Motif score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on Motif, shown from 5 scored.

How do Sjur Aarthun's films land?

Their typical Motif film has a Motif score in the 18th percentile, the median of all 6; across their 6 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 20th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

20thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Approval · how many liked their films

18thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Reach · how many have seen their films

79thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Motif score across 8 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up1
  • 50th to 74th1
  • 25th to 49th2
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

5 of their 8 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Crowd Pleaser1
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · writer, cinematographer, editor

Kraken (2026)

67th percentile spread · 27% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

Pernille (2021)

Motif 92nd · 91% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 72/100 in their films, across 5 reviewed titles; fans 80, detractors 66. The element that speaks to their work as a cinematographer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on Motif; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Motif score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their Motif titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Sjur Aarthun work with?

People who share at least 2 of Sjur Aarthun's Motif titles, grouped by what they did on them; Kjersti Helen Rasmussen shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers

Producers

Mixed roles