Aahana Swrup
‘The Wrong Track,’ originally titled ‘På Villspor,’ is a Norwegian comedy film in which a pair of siblings take on the herculean task of completing the cross-country Birken race. Emilie is a divorced single mother who has somewhat of a chaotic approach to life. Therefore, she inevitably finds herself needing to crash at her older brother, Gjermund’s house. However, this comes with the caveat of joining him in the upcoming Birken race, where participants undertake a 54-kilometer-long skiing journey.
Although the task initially irks her, she eventually sees it for what it is: an opportunity to unlock her inner strength and dedication. Consequently, as the brother-sister duo take on this impossible challenge, their lives unravel in unexpected ways. The Hallvar Witzø directorial presents a motivating tale about taking back the reigns of one’s life. Therefore, this grounded narrative about self-improvement through extreme sports is bound to incite some curiosity regarding its origin.
The Wrong Track is a Fictional Story About the Real-Life Birken Race
‘The Wrong Track’ is an entirely original idea credited to the creativities of screenwriters Lars Gudmestad, Maria Karlsson, and Vilde Klohs. As a result, most of the storytelling elements that populate the on-screen narrative remain confined to the film’s fictionality. Yet, its inherent connection to the Birken race—which serves as the base premise for Emilie’s adventure—strengthens the fictitious tale’s connections to reality. The Birken race, better known as The Birkebeiner race, is a historical Norwegian cross-country race that takes place between the municipalities of Rena and Lillehammer in Innlandet County, Norway. It spans two mountains and 54 kilometers—a little over 33 miles. Typically, it tends to consist of three different types of races, including cross-country skiing, mountain biking, and cross-country running.
The Birkebeiner Races share an intriguing history since they’re founded upon an escape that Birkebeiner loyalist skaters Torstein Skevla and Skjervald Skrukka employed in the early 1200s. Reportedly, the Birkebeiners were being pursued by their rivals, The Baglers, who were after the 18-month-old Norwegian prince and heir to the throne, Haakon Haakonssen. This led to a grueling journey, which ultimately brought the prince to safety in Trondheim. For the same reason, every year since 1932, numerous participants take on the same journey in honor of the area’s history. Furthermore, to mirror the historical journey, all participants—who must be 16 and above—are required to carry backpacks weighing 3.5 kilograms or over 7 pounds.
For years, this annual race has been a marker of sport, status, and fitness for hundreds and thousands of Norwegians and foreigners. While the stories of these participants remain varied and diverse, no particular real-life experiences of any Birken racers were employed as the basis for ‘The Wrong Track.’ Instead, the film simply takes inspiration from the concept of the Birken race and the life-changing potential it possesses. As a result, the race becomes a compelling backdrop to Emilie and Gjermund’s transformational journeys, allowing them to grow in their own specific ways. Nonetheless, no real-life people or events directly influenced the on-screen narrative, rendering it a work of fiction.
Emilie and Gjermund Represent Realistic and Relatable Narratives
The film’s fictional origins extend to Emilie and Gjermund, making them both fictitious characters. Consequently, despite their relatively realistic and grounded storylines, neither has a direct counterpart in reality. Still, their storylines highlight an authentic reality of the Birken race participants, which is often overlooked in favor of the professionals and champions who undertake the course. Most recently, in 2023, the race passed the 10,000 participants mark, which was a typical turnout for the event. Therefore, it’s evident that the race invites people from all walks of life.
In 2014, one of the participants, Mari Bernsten, conducted interviews among her fellow racers to explore the motivational drive behind people’s participation in the event—especially people with high economic and cultural capital. At the end of her research, she discovered that the majority of participants—regardless of their profession—viewed this race as a training target. Consequently, fitness emerged as a leading motivation for many Birken racers.
This is reflected in Emilie and Gjermund’s storylines. Both characters undertake the race for many reasons, including their desire to prove something through such demonstration of their fitness. In Gjermund’s case, this manifested as his desire for control while complications arose in his family life due to marital and fertility issues. Meanwhile, for Emilie, the race became a way to prove she could pull her life together despite the perpetual chaos that surrounded her days. Thus, these grounded struggles add a universally relatable component to the skiers’ characterizations. For the same reason, their narrative remains reminiscent of reality despite a lack of direct real-life connections.
