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:

Sun | Palindrome | Midnight Sun | Love | Sexual Awakening

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

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:

Ana: Do you always sleep under your bed, naked? Give me a good morning kiss.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Palindromes (2004)

Soundtrack:

Sinitaivas

Spiritual, surprising movie

Your love's mother gets married to your father, she becomes your sister and you grow up together as brother and sister. What a story!!! And Julio Medem is a great director who made a very good film from this story. The movie is full of original ideas, this uncommon relationship requires an uncommon way of telling. The story builts up from mosaics so it keeps you interested in until the last minute because you have to put the pieces in order for yourself. It's a fantastic idea that we can only see the children (Otto and Ana) at the back seat of the parents' car going to school. They don't meet each other for years just at the car and they don't even talk to each other because their love is so deep and spiritual that words are unnecessary. Just secret touches, stolen moments. When the teenager Otto moves to his father's and stepmother's house because he wants to be next to Ana, they become real lovers. The first night together, when their spiritual love becomes physical, is a so gentle, innocent and discovering journey into the world of sexuality, that never been better put on screen before. The next scenes, where we can see them as secret lovers hiding from the parents are so beautiful that the last one hour, when Otto leaves Ana and works as a pilot and they don't meet for years, is one of the most sorrowful one hour in the film history. They are crossing each other's lines, but they never meet, and it causes a physical pain to the viewer. During these years they're getting to know more about themselves and their family, relationships, have some accidental meetings. Finally, years after they meet... The ending is as unusual as the whole movie, Julio Medem had enough talent to make a good ending which is the biggest risk of the movies - and he doesn't fail, leaves some doors open, because life doesn't finish, when curtain goes down. Full of surprises, one of the best film of the 90s. I highly recommend it to everyone who is tired of pink, unrealistic romantic films, and wants to see a really good, modern romantic film.