Lovers of the Arctic Circle (1998)
"Los amantes del Círculo Polar" (original title)

Otto and Ana are kids when they meet each other. Their names are palindromes. They meet by chance, people are related by chance. A story of circular lives, with circular names, and a ... See full summary »

Director:

Julio Medem

Writer:

Julio Medem

Stars:

Najwa Nimri, Fele Martínez, Nancho Novo

13 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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)
Jaroslaw Bielski	...	Álvaro Midelman (as jaroslaw Bielski)
Rosa Morales	...	Sofía
Joost Siedhoff	...	Otto Midelman
Beate Jensen	...	Madre de Otto
Petri Heino	...	Aki
Outi Alanen	...	Mensajera

Storyline

Otto and Ana are kids when they meet each other. Their names are palindromes. They meet by chance, people are related by chance. A story of circular lives, with circular names, and a circular place (Círculo polar) where the day never ends in the midnight sun. There are things that never end, and Love is one of them.

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Plot Keywords:

love | midnight sun | sun | palindrome | two narrators | 

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Taglines:

Destiny cannot be denied.

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexuality and brief language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site (Portugal)

Country:

Spain France

Language:

Spanish English

Release Date:

4 September 1998 (Spain)

Also Known As:

Lovers of the Arctic Circle

Filming Locations:

Helsinki, Finland

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$10,697 (USA) (9 April 1999)

Gross:

$504,223 (USA) (30 July 1999)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Canal+, Sociedad, Sociedad General de Televisión (Sogetel)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

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.

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Quotes

Otto: I'll love you always and if the petrol runs out, I'll die.

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Crazy Credits

"En el recuerdo de mi padre" - In memory of my father.

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Connections

Referenced in Golden Whore (2000)

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Soundtracks

"Sinitaivas"
Written by Josef Rixner, Lauri Jauhiainen, George de Godzinsky
Performed by Olavi Virta and The Harmony Sisters

User Reviews

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.