SIFF Sighting: NORTH (dramedy; Norway)

Rune Denstad Langlo's NORTH follows the journey of Jomar (Anders Baasmo) as he ventures through arctic landscapes to meet the son he never knew existed. He is not unlike a large portion of the population: he's depressed, he hates his job and he wishes he were in a place where he could feel safe and comfortable again (in his case, that turns out to be a mental hospital).

As is also common, negativity breeds trouble. When one feels sorry for oneself, bad luck seems to magnify and each day after the next is a tougher challenge. This is true for Jomar, who battles snow blindness, a broken snowmobile and other things that can only happen to those traveling alone in the snowy wilderness who hate their life.

He encounters different folks, who seem quirky by obligation, and has random exchanges with all of them—some who give him shelter; others who try creative ways to get him drunk.

As with any road trip movie, in NORTH one hopes to be taken somewhere new. Unfortunately the main character's rare moments of humor and intrigue only succeed in keeping us somewhere familar.

NORTH screened at the 35th Annual Seattle International Film Festival.

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