As a Norwegian line producer, Per Henry Borch has worked on major productions filmed in Norway, including Dune (2021), No Time to Die (2021), Tenet (2020), Black Widow (2021), Sonic the Hedgehog (2024), The Gorge (2025), and no less than three installments of Mission: Impossible — including the ambitious Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning shoot on Svalbard. His expertise in complex logistics, large-scale coordination, and international crew management has made him and Truenorth Norway a trusted partner for Hollywood studios shooting in Norway.
As both an employee and a freelancer at Truenorth over the past several years, Per Henry has consistently led world-class productions in Norway — combining operational precision with cinematic excellence. His specialization in remote and challenging locations has established him as a key figure in high-level, location-based filmmaking through his own company, Monolith.
Per Henry’s experience in extreme environments gives him a unique edge in remote film production in Norway. A seasoned adventurer, he has completed unsupported ski expeditions across Greenland and to both the North and South Poles, taken part in Norwegian climbing expeditions to K2, and sailed across the Pacific Ocean. These achievements reflect his deep connection to extreme environments and his unique ability to manage risk, scale, and complexity. Per Henry has traveled to over 100 countries and worked in more than half of them — experience that uniquely equips him to support demanding global productions of the highest complexity.
Q: You’ve worked on some of the biggest international productions Norway has hosted — Dune, Mission: Impossible, No Time to Die. What makes Norway an attractive location for high-end filmmaking?
A: Norway offers dramatic, untouched landscapes combined with world-class infrastructure. You can access fjords, mountain ranges, the Arctic Circle, and tundra within a short travel radius. The infrastructure is unbelievable, making dramatic landscapes highly accessible. The four seasons provide a wide visual range. It’s a filmmaker’s dream.
Q: What are the main differences between producing in Norway versus other countries?
A: Norway is highly efficient, everything is ‘just around the corner’. We have invested heavily in our infrastructure, so there’s over 50 airports, bridges and tunnels to the most remote locations. Hotels and facilities are great, and even remote locations have better cell phone coverage than many major European cities. Norwegians of all ages are highly fluent in English. We’re an almost completely cashless society, and Norway is highly transparent, and surprisingly well organized — everything is punctual here. With high efficiency and consistently strong rankings on the global happiness index, Norway offers a very production-friendly environment.
Q: Are there common misconceptions about filming in Norway?
A: Many don’t realize how close dramatic landscapes are to each other. The permitting process is quick and free, and local communities are proud to show off their locations and innately film-friendly. I’m often surprised that these advantages aren’t more well-known. However, filming in harsh outdoor conditions can be tough for those unaccustomed. Norwegians are experts on challenging outdoor conditions, but few others have that winter experience we have. Sometimes, we have to support international crew that aren’t as used to challenging conditions.
Q: How do you manage complex shoots in remote environments like the Arctic or fjords?
A: We plan everything based on years of experience. Building a unit base up on a mountain? No problem! No hotels nearby? Let’s rent a ship to house and transport the crew.
“Leave no trace” is a core value of mine, we always are welcomed back to where we’ve filmed before. Respect for the environment and locals is key. My experience has taught me, when you foresee potential challenges, and with the right preparation, almost anything is possible.
Q: Any hidden gem locations in Norway international productions should know about?
A: Absolutely. Svalbard, and really everything north of the Arctic circle. Lofoten is visually stunning. The tundra and coastal landscapes along Norway are diverse and production-friendly, with short distances between vastly different looks. The fjords in the West and dramatic mountain ranges. We have unique steppe landscapes. All this variation is rare, and it’s all in a short radius, accessible, and film-friendly. And we can double for a lot of places, from the Poles, Canada, Greenland, Russia, the list goes on.
Q: How do Norwegian crews compare globally?
A: Norway has highly experienced crews who understand large-scale productions in challenging conditions. I always work with the A-team, those who know how to deliver at the highest level.
I’ve had the pleasure of working with Per Henry twice. Once was in 2017 on the film 22 JULY for Netflix which was shot almost entirely around Oslo and the second time was in 2023 on THE GORGE for Apple in the mountains near Alesund. Both productions were very challenging and required a lot of detailed preparation to mount. In both cases I found Per Henry to be an extremely competent and trustworthy partner. In particular the production for THE GORGE, which was shot in some fairly remote locations, was flawlessly mounted. In my international travels I consider Per Henry one of the best production partners I've experienced.
Q: Tell about your collaboration with Truenorth and how it enhances production capabilities
A: I work through my own company, Monolith. For over a decade, I’ve had a close joint-venture with Truenorth to extend their reach beyond Iceland to Norway. It’s a powerful combination of local production expertise, uncompromising attention to detail and service, and location access.
Q: Your background as an explorer is quite unique. How does that adventurous experience influence your approach to production in extreme environments?
A: It teaches you to read the environment and adapt quickly when challenges arise. Even the wind direction can tell us what the challenges will be that day. And, having travelled extensively I feel confident suggesting locations. I’ve been to the South Pole, so if I say a location can double as the South Pole — I’ve seen the real thing. I know dramatic locations, and how to achieve it (or how to fake it!).
Q: Any real-world moments where that experience saved a production?
A: Once, on a high-altitude commercial shoot with an A-list director, a snow storm stranded us on a peak. It got to the point that we started preparing to spend the night in snow shelters. Luckily, the weather cleared. I stayed behind to load the last gear myself. It was extreme, but we managed to shoot it! Preparation and calm under pressure made it possible.
Q: What advice would you give to a producer considering filming in Norway?
A: Call me. Talk to someone with firsthand experience to find out how we could achieve what you are looking for.
Shooting in Norway was one of the highlights of Season 4 of Succession, where we found astonishing locations that enhanced our storytelling — from the Juvet Landscape Hotel to the Atlantic Highway and mountaintop Eggen Restaurant. Filming in these remote areas required someone with deep local knowledge, and Per Henry Borch and his team delivered. Per knows how to film in Norway’s mountains better than anyone I’ve worked with, and those locations helped make our episode one of the visual highlights of the show. I would love to go back and shoot with Per Henry again!
Fast Facts: Per Henry Borch – Explorer & Film Producer
Film Career Beginnings
Per Henry Borch entered the film industry in the early 1990s, building on a lifelong passion for nature, landscapes, and photography. He developed an early interest in photojournalism and received his first camera at the age of six. As a young adventurer, he traveled the world with just ten rolls of 36-exposure film in his backpack. His early career included a decade of location scouting across Norway, where he became a true expert on the country’s terrain. Later, he contributed to a documentary filmed at the North Pole — reflective of his extraordinary range and depth of experience in the industry.
Expedition Highlights
- Skied unsupported to both the North and South Poles and crossed Greenland.
- Completed major mountaineering expeditions on K2 in Eurasia.
- Sailed across the Pacific Ocean on extended adventure voyages.
- Participated in the 2007 reality series Peking-Ekpress,hiking from Moscow to Beijing by land on one Euro a day.
Recognitions
Recipient of the prestigious “Sell Norway” prize from NHO (The Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise) for outstanding efforts in promoting Norway as a world-class destination
Per Henry is incredibly well respected, both within the Norwegian industry, but internationally. The feedback we get at the Commission to his work is overwhelmingly positive. His track record speaks for itself, but his reputation in the global film industry is well earned — his mix of deep local knowledge, logistical genius, and lived experience in extreme environments is truly unique.