This is a poetically, beautiful film where the name is derived or taken from the Polar star shining so bright in the northern countries, the countries of the Midnight Sun.
The story is set in Norway, Finnmark, as far north (north east) as you can come in Norway and a geographical point from where two recently made films emerged, namely Død snø (2009) and Kill Buljo: The Movie (2007).
Stella Polaris is however an œuvre of a totally different and higher artistic quality, both from the point of view of content/scenario, mise en scène, acting and aesthetics.
We get to follow a boy and a girl who grow up in Finnmark during WWII and their encounter with the Nazi's, during the period when the Germans and their allies occupied this part of the country. They live in fear of what will happen to them and their family and the other families in the village.
We get to see the curiosity displayed by the children towards the Nazi's, their combination of fascination and fear, the villagers fear and at the same time contempt for the German soldiers and the efforts of the inhabitants to continue living a day-by-day life in spite of the external violence.
On the same time, the young girl engages herself in a realtionship with a Russian POW (Prisoner of War), helping him to survive, a relationship abruptly ended when the war ends.
When the Nazi's leave, they use the tactic of 'Scorched Earth' ('La politique de la terre brûlée') leaving the towns and villages in ruins.
The population is forced to flee southwards where they have to stay for a couple of years until they can return during the late 40's.
The impoverished 'Finnmark'-population returns to rebuild their region, trying to continue living a 'normal' life after the attrocities they have suffered.
All this is told through contemplative and yet dramatic photos, displaying both the external physical landscape as the internal psychological landscape of the inhabitants, before, during and after the occupation.
There are almost no dialogues but this shouldn't frighten you as the film talks through its images.
Poetically, yet in a dramatic way, using close ups and the barren landscape in order to create a visually poignant story becoming a film 'stele' or a tribute, commemorating all those who either died or suffered during the German oppression during WWII.
The love story between the young Norwegian girl and the Russian POW, I think also refers to the sometimes tragic stories about young Norwegian women falling in love with German soldiers, where their children were looked upon as 'bastards' and having great problems being accepted by their fellow countrymen after the war (a famous example of this is Anni-Frid (Frida) Lyngstad in the former pop group ABBA).
If you want to experience a real 'auteur' work with the special themes and aesthetics of Knut Erik Jensen, we can recommend you this little pearl!
If you want to learn more about the filming, the group of themes, symbols and film ethics of Knut Erik Jensen, we recommend you to read the essay written by Aurore Berger Bjursell and being found if clicking on this link: The transparitions of time in space in four fiction films by Knut Erik Jensen.
The story is set in Norway, Finnmark, as far north (north east) as you can come in Norway and a geographical point from where two recently made films emerged, namely Død snø (2009) and Kill Buljo: The Movie (2007).
Stella Polaris is however an œuvre of a totally different and higher artistic quality, both from the point of view of content/scenario, mise en scène, acting and aesthetics.
We get to follow a boy and a girl who grow up in Finnmark during WWII and their encounter with the Nazi's, during the period when the Germans and their allies occupied this part of the country. They live in fear of what will happen to them and their family and the other families in the village.
We get to see the curiosity displayed by the children towards the Nazi's, their combination of fascination and fear, the villagers fear and at the same time contempt for the German soldiers and the efforts of the inhabitants to continue living a day-by-day life in spite of the external violence.
On the same time, the young girl engages herself in a realtionship with a Russian POW (Prisoner of War), helping him to survive, a relationship abruptly ended when the war ends.When the Nazi's leave, they use the tactic of 'Scorched Earth' ('La politique de la terre brûlée') leaving the towns and villages in ruins.
The population is forced to flee southwards where they have to stay for a couple of years until they can return during the late 40's.
The impoverished 'Finnmark'-population returns to rebuild their region, trying to continue living a 'normal' life after the attrocities they have suffered.All this is told through contemplative and yet dramatic photos, displaying both the external physical landscape as the internal psychological landscape of the inhabitants, before, during and after the occupation.
There are almost no dialogues but this shouldn't frighten you as the film talks through its images.
Poetically, yet in a dramatic way, using close ups and the barren landscape in order to create a visually poignant story becoming a film 'stele' or a tribute, commemorating all those who either died or suffered during the German oppression during WWII.
The love story between the young Norwegian girl and the Russian POW, I think also refers to the sometimes tragic stories about young Norwegian women falling in love with German soldiers, where their children were looked upon as 'bastards' and having great problems being accepted by their fellow countrymen after the war (a famous example of this is Anni-Frid (Frida) Lyngstad in the former pop group ABBA).
If you want to experience a real 'auteur' work with the special themes and aesthetics of Knut Erik Jensen, we can recommend you this little pearl!
If you want to learn more about the filming, the group of themes, symbols and film ethics of Knut Erik Jensen, we recommend you to read the essay written by Aurore Berger Bjursell and being found if clicking on this link: The transparitions of time in space in four fiction films by Knut Erik Jensen.
(Photo Eirin Hargaut, actress copied from: http://gfx.dagbladet.no/pub/artikkel/5/50/505/505229/StellaPolarisXcopyX3_1183445459_1183445474.jpg)
(Photo soldier from the film copied from: http://www.kulturverk.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Stella_Polaris_IV.jpg)
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