Aarne Norberg was born in the small town of Sodankylä, in the middle of Finnish Lapland.
The son of a farmer, he began his studies in electrical engineering at the University of Oulu. But soon he ended up managing a student film club and directing his first short films. He was surprised to find that in making films, he could combine all his gifts, skills and passions.
His most important teacher was the master director Krzysztof Kieślowski, who encouraged him to listen to the actor, to overcome his internal obstacles and to write his first screenplay.
