THE ODIN CODE: BRIDGING SCANDINAVIA AND AZERBAIJAN THROUGH HISTORY AND DIPLOMACY

The film recently captivated audiences at Brussels’ Flagey Cultural Centre, where the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Belgium hosted a special screening. The evening attracted diplomats, film enthusiasts, students, and members of the Azerbaijani diaspora—each drawn by the promise of uncovering hidden cultural links between North and South.

Rather than beginning with history, Silkeberg starts with a question: What if the Norse god Odin once walked the lands of the Caucasus? Inspired by the late Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl, who proposed that Odin may have migrated from the east, Silkeberg set out to follow this idea from legend to landscape. His journey weaves together interviews with archaeologists and storytellers, scenes of ancient petroglyphs, and reflections on the universal search for meaning.

“It’s not about proving a theory,” Silkeberg said after the screening. “It’s about exploring how myths travel—how migration, language, and imagination shape who we are.” His words resonated deeply with the audience, who applauded both the film’s aesthetic beauty and its philosophical depth.

The event’s host, Ambassador Vaqif Sadıqov, described the documentary as “a reminder that art can unite where politics divides.” He noted that Silkeberg’s cinematic approach offers a different form of diplomacy—one built on empathy, curiosity, and shared heritage.

Odin, revered as the “Allfather” in Norse mythology, represents wisdom, poetry, and transformation. By revisiting Heyerdahl’s controversial theory from a modern lens, The Odin Code invites viewers to reflect on how stories cross continents and evolve with time.

Silkeberg is no stranger to Azerbaijan. His previous work, The Legend of Khari Bulbul, intertwined Scandinavian and Azerbaijani narratives through music and literature. Together, his films form a creative dialogue between two seemingly distant worlds—revealing that myth, much like art, knows no borders.

As the evening in Brussels drew to a close, conversations lingered. Viewers shared their curiosity, Silkeberg signed autographs, and the idea of cultural kinship felt less like fiction and more like rediscovery.