Ofelas (1987)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Nils Gaup

Writer:

Nils Gaup (writer)

Release Date:

7 April 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Action | Drama

Plot:

Around the year 1000 AD warlike people, the so-called "tjuder", roam in northern Scandinavia. As they brutally kill a family in a remote area...

Plot Keywords:

Death Of Family | Death Of Sister | Knife | One Word Title | Spear

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 4 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Mikkel Gaup	...	Aigin
Ingvald Guttorm	...	Aigin's Father
Nils Utsi	...	Raste
Henrik H. Buljo	...	Dorakas
Nils-Aslak Valkeapää	...	Siida-Isit
Helgi Skúlason	...	Tsjuderen med arret
Inger Utsi	...	Aigin's Sister
Svein Scharffenberg	...	Tsjuderen, høvding
Knut Walle	...	Tchude Interpreter
John Sigurd Kristensen	...	Tchude Strongman
Sara Marit Gaup	...	Sahve
Anne-Marja Blind	...	Varia
Ellen Anne Buljo	...	Aigin's Mother
Svein Birger Olsen	...	Diemis
Sverre Porsanger	...	Sierge

Also Known As:

Pathfinder (USA)
Veiviseren (Norway)

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

Norway

Language:

Saami

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby (35 mm prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

Iceland:14 | Norway:12 (original rating) | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-10 | Norway:11 | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Kautokeino, Finnmark, Norway

Company:

Filmkameratene A/S

Movie Connections:

Remade as Pathfinder (2007)

Truly excellent!

Every once in a while, a true gem pops up unexpectedly. This story based on a legend from the Lapps, or Saami, is just such a case in point. Everything in it works. The elements of folklore and the mythic journey come together in an amazing tale of a young man's journey to manhood and redemption. The most amazing thing about this film, however, is its realization in the cultural context from which it belongs. This is a Saami legend, told in the Saami language and Saami actors giving us a deep drink of their rich culture. The scenery is breathtaking in its stark, snow-white beauty. The tale is brutal but life in the circumpolar region we knew as Lappland was often brutal and unforgiving. This is a hearty tale of a hardy people and while it focuses on the journey and heroic adventure of a young man, it is also very much a tale of the Saami people, many of whom still follow their reindeer herds across that barren, frozen landscape today. The film is wonderful in its simplicity and honesty. There are no high dramatic moments, no cars flying across the screen, no explosions with smoke and fire billowing into the air and no open-mouth noisy smooching. As one reviewer noted, Disney, Lucas and Spielberg could well take lessons from this film. It is simply excellent and merely greatly wonderful. My only regret as an anthropologist who specialized in working with pastoral nomads, was that I never worked with the Saami or the Tibetans [viewers who liked this film should also check out Himalaya, for a similar way of life on the other side of the world from the Saami]