Film Reviews

Far North

• Rating:
• Director: Asif Kapadia
• Starring: Michelle Krusiec
• Details: UK/France / 89mins (TBC).

When she was born, a shaman pronounced Saiva (Yeoh) evil and that anyone who came in contact with her would come to a grisly end. From Saiva's first scene, it seems that the shaman knew what he was talking about: starving on the bleak landscape of the tundra, Saiva has no choice but to kill and eat one of her dogs to survive. Saiva moves about the icy world with the younger Anja (Krusiec), hiding from groups of wandering men who would surely rape and kill them if they were spotted. While foraging for food one day, Saiva comes across the half-dead Loki (Bean) and, going against her every instinct, drags him to their tent and nurses him back to health. Despite resisting her feelings, Saiva falls in love with Loki, but Loki falls for the younger Anja...

Apologies for the vague synopsis, but that's Far North's plot in a nutshell. Just below the ice, however, and you'll find that the story is allegory heavy; allegories of what, though, is the question that's proving tough to answer. Nothing really happens until the final ten minutes, where the story takes a bizarre and confusing turn, but until then the audience can enjoy Kapadia's David Lean-like wide shots; Kapadia somehow makes the bleak surroundings beautiful, a picturesque postcard from a frozen hell. Kapadia, too, likes to confuse the audience as to time and place, as questions like where is this set and in what era won't go away. Strange but compelling.

Review by Gavin Burke