COLOR GRADING, VISUAL EFFECTS
In Defense of Self
2026
Morten Michelsen fought many battles in life. Struggling with insomnia, addiction and mental illness for years, he was in and out of psychiatric care while simultaneously documenting his life on a personal audio recorder. These recordings form the basis of this alarming documentary, which traces the events that led to his fatal shooting by Norwegian police one December night in 2020.
“Løken has created a visually experimental documentary film from the audio material.”
- Morgenbladet
Carried by the authentic audio recordings Morten captured prior to his fatal encounter with the police, the documentary offers a poignant and unfiltered look into his experience. Our color grading and visual effects were carefully crafted to support and honor these powerful soundscapes, seamlessly enhancing the storytelling while keeping his voice at the heart of the film.
The film had its world premiere in the NORDIC:DOX competition at CPH:DOX 2026. The Norwegian premiere was on October 10, the World Mental Health Day, at Mirage Film Festival - followed by Bergen International Film Festival (BIFF) where it will compete for Best Norwegian Documentary.
Director: Linn Helene Løken
Producers: Linn Helene Løken & Anika Miara
DOP: Runar Sørheim