North – North (2009)

Directed by: Rune Denstad Langlo | 79 minutes | drama, comedy | Actors: Anders Baasmo Christiansen, Tommy Almenning, Marte Aunemo, Celine Engebrigtsen, Kyrre Hellum, Mads Sjøgård Pettersen

‘North’ feels like a road movie, but is really only in the figurative sense of the word: the lion’s share of main character Jomar’s journey takes him anything but over roads and streets. Rather, he has to rely on his compass, which leads him to cross the beautiful Norwegian snow landscape; through forests, almost deserted settlements, over frozen lakes and steep mountains. It is clear that this produces breathtaking pictures. But ‘North’ has more to offer than advertising the increasingly popular holiday destination; On his journey, Jomar meets people who turn out to be even more peculiar than himself. It is the chocolates on the already delicious ice cream cake that debut director Rune Denstad Langlo presents you.

The depressed, alcoholic Jomar Henriksen is thirty and has lost his meaning in life after a skiing accident. He has a job as a ski lift operator, but he would much rather have stayed in the clinic. There he is not so lonely and he suffers less from panic attacks. An unexpected visit from someone from his past changes Jomar’s life: it turns out that he has had a son with his ex-girlfriend Linnea, who is currently living in the far north, for four years. At first Jomar doesn’t quite know what to do with this information, but eventually he decides to go on a trip, his snowmobile and a stash of drink and pills as the only company.

He soon runs out of stock. To make matters worse, he becomes snow blind. Fortunately there is Lotte, a girl of about eighteen, who takes care of him. Lotte lives with her grandmother in a very secluded house and is delighted to have the company of this gruff but interesting man. Grandma is less enthusiastic, but that doesn’t stop Lotte from labeling Jomar as a new best friend. Their conversations make for comical, but also heartwarming scenes, which lead to the longing that Lotte and Jomar will see each other again at a later stage. The next encounter is with the teenager, who tries in vain to repair Jomar’s snowmobile. As a true homophobe, this kid has another surprise in store, and that has nothing to do with his absurd but hilarious method of getting as drunk as possible with minimal means. Finally, Jomar ends up in a tent on a frozen lake, where an eighty-year-old man lives. “I thought you’d leave if I didn’t respond,” this Jomar says candidly. Because the man promises that drinks are on the way, Jomar decides to postpone achieving his final goal again, but the night goes differently than expected.

Langlo has struck the perfect balance between comedy and drama in this delightful portrait of lonely people. Universal in their uncertainty and outlook on life, unique because of the beautiful country where they live. In protagonist Anders Baasmo Christiansen, Langlo has cast the perfect interpreter of this man who makes you laugh and cry at the same time. Christiansen finds himself surrounded by a cast that mostly consists of amateurs, but who each come across very natural on the screen. The soundtrack is just as surprising as the film itself. ‘North’ is a director’s dream debut that we hope to see a lot more of!