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| The beautiful, artistic poster for Erik Balling's Qivitoq |
Qivitoq is a quite unique film; among the only fiction films to be filmed on location in Greenland ever, this was also the first Danish film to be Oscar-nominated as Best Foreign Film, and the film was also nominated for the Cannes Palme d'Or. The Oscar was lost to Federico Fellini's masterpiece La Strada (1954).
Watching the beautifully restored version of the film today is a succulent joy, (the Danish-issued DVD from Nordisk even (thankfully) has English subtitles.) - Filmed in Eastmancolor, as only the second color-film that Nordisk Film made, Qivitoq has spectacular Greenlandic panoramas and gives a stunning, fresh look inside the Greenlanders' way of life. The film was shot over the course of 3 difficult months on location, in which none of the dailies could be developed and screened up there due to the remote location and climate. Poul Pedersen's (Kispus (1956)) photography is very good work despite or perhaps because of these unusual limitations and conditions.
The story centers on the arrival of a young Danish lady to the huge polar-country: Eva Nygaard, who is coming to surprise-visit her fiancée, who is a doctor serving there at the moment. But as she learns that he has succumbed to the harshness of Greenland (in his own words) and embraced the blond nurse at the hospital, she desperately wants to go home again, but is stuck there for a while until sent on to the expatriated Dane Jens at another small coastal town for homeward travel.
Danish actor/folk-hero Poul Reichardt (The Soldier and Jenny/Soldaten og Jenny (1947)) plays Jens, the Charlton Heston-like, rough-and-tumble, hard-edged male who gradually softens up to his unexpected visitor. Danes especially may greatly enjoy and sometimes be amused by Reichardt's untamed manners in the role.
Astrid Villaume (Pelle the Conqueror/Pelle Erobreren (1987)) is sweet as Eva, but the two characters' problems don't reach very affecting heights before the 3rd act.
The plot seems to sometimes be as important as the shots of nature and culture in the first part of the film, but then something happens that speeds up the drama, and Qivitoq later gets very exciting, as Jens has to try to SPOILER save his Greenlandic friend Pavia, who has gone 'qivitoq', meaning that he has left society to go into the ice country to survive there on his own for as long as possible, (effective suicide in other words.) The amazing footage of the chase in the extreme iceberg-country is a highlight of Qivitoq that took 3 days to shoot with great strains and pains involved.
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| Poul Reichardt in the ice in a still from the climactic chase in Qivitoq |
The details:
Only a few times, the filmmakers had to resort to blue-screen post-production shooting, but unfortunately, a few of these stand out, - undoubtedly because the rest of the material is so crisp and delicious to look at.
The film's theme of a man's resisting the impulse to throw himself away in despair and self-destruction is auspicious when linked to Greenland, as the country, (which is a part of the Danish kingdom), has a staggering occurrence of alcoholism, drug abuse and other forms of physical abuse and suicide.
In secondary parts in the film, a young Kirsten Rolffes (The Kingdom/Riget (1994-97)) and Bjørn Watt-Boolsen (Olsen-bandens Flugt Over Plankeværket (1981)) as the irresponsible doctor are good.
The film is a great romantic drama that stands tall in its great director Erik Balling's (Martha (1967)) impressive body of work. Qivitoq is a treasure in Danish and world cinema's vaults that ought to be bought and seen by as many people as possible.
If you are interested in other Greenland-centered films, check out the great, Danish family animation The Boy Who Wanted to Do the Impossible/Drengen Der Ville Gøre Det Umulige (2002).
Related post:
Top 10: The best adventure movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
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What do you think of Qivitoq?
Any stories about the film are welcome
Also, if you know of any other recommendable Greenland-centered films, please advice here
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