Tourism promoters in Rogaland County continue to go to great lengths, and heights, to drum up publicity for their local landmark known as Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock). Now they’ve flown in international journalists apparently willing to have their expenses paid, in the hopes of getting more coverage of the mountaintop where an action scene from the new Mission: Impossible movie was shot.
The film’s Norwegian premier Wednesday night was arranged outdoors on Preikestolen itself. Local had to buy tickets to make the trek up to the plateau above the Lysefjord where a large outdoor screen was set up.
Arrangers were lucky with the weather, but after just 15 minutes the film was interruped by technical problems. State broadcaster NRK reported a problem with electricity cables to the unusual cinema site, but after around a six-minute pause, the film started up again.
“It’s a fine summer evening with a magical atmosphere,” reported NRK’s own staff at the site. The foreign press invited to attend may be equally captivated as well, and help get the word out that Preikestolen is indeed located in Norway, and not in Kashmir as depicted in the film.
“Our hope is that these reporters will tell their readers that they have seen the film on Preikestolen itself in Norway, and we hope they also will report on other things in the region around it,” Katrine Mosfjeld of the state tourism promotion agency Visit Norway told NRK. “In that way we can build bridges between the film and the place, and create travel inspiration.” She expects the investment in flying in the reporters to generate good returns.
newsinenglish.no staff
