Los amantes del Círculo Polar (1998)

Director:

Julio Medem

Writer:

Julio Medem (writer)

Release Date:

4 September 1998 (Spain)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Destiny cannot be denied.

Plot:

Otto and Ana are kids when they meet each other. Their names are palindromes. They meet by chance, people are related by chance...

Plot Keywords:

Love | Midnight Sun | Palindrome | Sun | Arctic Circle

Awards:

13 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Najwa Nimri	...	Ana joven
Fele Martínez	...	Otto joven (as Fele Martinez)
Nancho Novo	...	Álvaro
Maru Valdivielso	...	Olga
Peru Medem	...	Otto niño
Sara Valiente	...	Ana niña
Víctor Hugo Oliveira	...	Otto adolescente (as Victor Hugo Oliviera)
Kristel Díaz	...	Ana adolescente (as Kristel Diaz)
Pep Munné	...	Javier (as Pep Munne)
Jaroslav Bielski	...	Álvaro Midelman (as jaroslaw Bielski)
Rosa Morales	...	Sofía
Joost Siedhoff	...	Otto Midelman
Beate Jensen	...	Madre de Otto
Petri Heino	...	Aki
Outi Alanen	...	Mensajera

Also Known As:

Les amants du cercle polaire (France)
The Lovers from the North Pole (USA)
The Lovers of the Arctic Circle (International: English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality and brief language.

Runtime:

112 min | Brazil:104 min

Country:

Spain | France

Language:

Spanish | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Certification:

South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-8 | France:U | Germany:12 | Mexico:B | Peru:14 | Spain:13 | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Helsinki, Finland

Company:

Canal+

Goofs:

Errors in geography: Otto jumps from his plane at 66°33"40' North, 02°55"05' East. These are the geographic coordinates that Ana wrote on her letter to Otto, to mark the location where she was staying in Finland (Rovaniemi). But if he really would have used these coordinates he would have jumped right into the Atlantic Ocean. The (almost) correct location of the cottage where Ana was staying is 66°33"40' North, 25°55"05' East. That is also the same location that the old Otto points out on his map when he and Ana meet each other for the first time in his apartment in Rovaniemi.

Quotes:

Otto: Where is my mother?
Ana: Nobody knows, it's up to you.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Palindromes (2004)

Soundtrack:

Sinitaivas

Movies that challenge the mind....

And this one does. The names of the protagonists are palindromes, Otto and Ana.

Life may be a palindrome. There is much talk of circles. The beginning of the movie may be the end.

Coincidences abound. Missed chances, never more exemplified than by the two lovers sitting unaware of each other in a cafe and moving along on another path for a while.

Haunting images of caribou, planes crashing, red buses, accidents that may or may not be happening. Newspaper headlines that could cover many similar events.

Destiny. Can we create our own? Is there just one soulmate out there for each of us? How does this movie end? All unknowns.

I was challenged, uplifted and mystified. Technically, the subtitles were very poor in places - white on white, frustrating.

Musically, very sombre, rather unnecessary. Children Ana and Otto beautiful, understated.

7 out of 10.