Lovers of the Arctic Circle (1998) - full transcript

It's good that life runs
in circles.

But mine exists of one circle,
not even a whole one.

The most important is missing.

I have written her name so many
times in my mind.

Here, at this moment,
I can't close anything.

I am alone.

As a child, surrounded by the world,
I felt safe.

But on a cold afternoon,
after school...

something happened.

I knew nothing about girls.

Where do girls run to?



Why did they stare at me?

If she wouldn't have stared like that,
I would have kept running untill I had the ball.

Or especially there, if the shoe of
the guy hit the ball the right way...

then I would have stayed on the
field and I could have been on the goal.

Everyone would have congratulated me.

But it didn't go like that.

I like cold weather. What about you?
-I don't. Why?

Winters should be cold,
so you appreciate the spring more.

I love summer, the hot weather.

Life runs in cycles.

Everything emerges and dies again.
-Not everything.

Do you know something that lasts forever?

That's how life is, inevitable.

Happy and sad.



Time affects everything.

Also love.

If you run out of gas for example,
you get stranded on the road.

You have to accept problems
in your life.

Because they come and go.

They never last forever.

I'll be right back.

It's not my fault.

Your mother and I are getting a divorce.

My child.

I will always love you.

And if I run out of gas, I'll die.

airmail.

How is this journey going to end?

Are there any questions?

Eight-year-old children ask 33
questions per hour, did you know that?

I even ask more,
but always the same question.

Are there really no questions?

May I go to the toilet?

Is that your only question?

I think you have a much more
important question.

Do girls ask the same questions as we do?

Let me think.

They ask less questions.

Girls of your age are
more grown up.

Did you read that?
-Whom are they from?

It's loaded with it.
-I would be ashamed like crazy if I got this.

What a poseur...

There's only one sentence.
-Everytime the same.

Romantical, huh?
That's the big question of life.

I decided I had to talk to her.

Firstly I would ask her name.

I would say my name is Otto,
also possible to read from right to left.

Hello, my name is Ana.

I'll wait here as long as needed.

I am waiting for the biggest
co?ncidence of my life.

I have encountered many
kinds of co?ncidence.

Co?ncidence forms the path
of my life.

The first and most important
time was the worst. It came like a drama.

My mom came to pick me up from school
with terrible news.

Stop crying, then it won't happen.

That stupid car.

Stop it, I say.

If I say no, I mean no.

Can you walk backwards?
A few hours? Your whole life?

It was my fathers life. If his daughter
didn't run. who would?

Where did he come from?
From the death of my father?

Maybe to make it up to me
that he died to early.

I thought it was himself.

That night I viewed his youth pictures.

They didn't look like eachother.

But that didn't matter.

As a child I began to believe that
my dad was living on as a boy.

But better than him.

I got enough of
seeing my mother cry.

Dry your tears.
Daddy isn't dead.

How did it happen?

When it's cold,
most things happen faster.

Co?ncidences, I mean.
I love cold weather.

I love cold weather.

On a cold day I read a loveletter,
too beautiful to be from a child.

I had to share the message
with someone.

Here, mom.

How pretty.

From whom is that?

It comes from...

...that mister.

Really?
-If you don't want it, I want it back.

What are you saying?

I think it's beautiful.

It was him again.

The message came from
my father.

Cold, huh?
-That's right.

My name is Olga.

Mine is ?lvaro.

I heard his name.

If I wanted to wait too.
What a sucker.

What got into you?
You are getting crazier every day.

He's soaked.

You don't have to bring us home.

I'll bring him to his mom
so he can take a bath. Ok, Otto?

Then I'll bring you home.

H?, I'm here. I'm Ana.

Do you remember?

Say something.

My name is Otto

Do you know your name?
-No. Yes, I do.

You can also read
Ana from right to left.

Ofcourse.
-That's a palindrom.

Did you notice it just now?

Did you notice it just now?

My dad said a palindrom as
name brings luck.

And it changed my life.

I don't feel so good.

What's wrong?

I don't know. I feel sick.

Do you know why I am called Otto?

Not right now.

I'll walk a bit further.

I'm near my home.

I am stubborn
and not easy to convince.

I decided that Otto spoke from outside
and my father from inside.

I spent a lot of time beside him.

I spoke with him,
without Otto hearing me.

Mothers boyfriend is only
for her, right?

You are my only dad.
One is enough for me.

Good bye.
-Say hi to your mother.

See you tomorrow.

A kiss.
Give me one too if you hear me.

Hello Otto.
-Had a nice sleep?

Very nice.

The fact that Ana seemed so weird,
admitted my love.

Your dad made a promotion.

Didn't you tell that?
-He doesn't even know what I do.

He has a bigger office now.

Your dad is very busy.

Ana, you can talk with
eachother sometime.

You are almost brother and sister.
-I don't want a brother.

And I don't want a sister.

Oh well, you just need to get used to it.

We will sleep in our new house today.
You can see it if it's all done.

Come and stay over for a weekend.

All of a sudden everything changed.

Are you hurt?

Are you crazy?
-You have to stop right now.

I have two children in my car.

Don't try that again.
Get your papers please.

Get out, I have to leave the car here.

Take the bus from now on.
You are old enough.

Different houses, different busses.

I only saw her in the weekends.
Once every 2 weeks.

I couldn't wait any longer.

I wanted to admit my love to Ana
and know what she thought about me.

Ana, my dear, I love you.

It took my dad a long time to
leave Otto and really die.

Do you know why my name is Otto?

On a sunday afternoon
I finally listened to Otto.

You be quiet now.

At the bombing of Guernica my
grandfather went angry into the forrest.

He saw a German pilot
who jumped with his parachute.

The German was stuck in a tree.

You there. Your gun.

If he dropped his gun
my grandfather would help him.

The pilot did it.

My grandfather kept his promiss.

After that they smoked half a sigaret.

My name is Otto.

Otto the pilot.

The pilot said he would be
grateful forever.

My grandfather gave him back his pistol and
the German gave my grandfather the sigaret.

He was almost out.

My mother is German.

My grandfather told my father that she
was a gift from the German pilot.

That's why I am named after him, Otto.

Otto the pilot. Ofcourse.

It's late.
Your mother is waiting for you.

But why did he safe him?
He was a fascist.

If I were that German,
I would have never killed anyone again.

Why was he called after a nazi?

The loveletter on that plane
came from Otto, not from my dad.

That story about the pilot
is a joke, right?

That afternoon I knew
that Otto was in love with me.

I want to be in love too.

I want to be in love too.

This is where the Arctic Circle runs.

There the sun won't go
down in the summer.

That's the midnight sun.

That's weird, huh?

I couldn't say a word.

You aren't listening. Are you bored?

I wish I were born without a tongue,
that way I would have an excuse.

It's only wednesday.
-I'm going to live here.

And your mother?
-I didn't tell her anything.

Idiot.
-Otherwise it wouldn't be permitted.

Ofcourse not.
I'm going to call her right now.

What's wrong?
-He wants to live here.

Without telling his
mother or anyone else.

She hasn't got anything to say.

Oh well, if it's for a little while..

What's wrong with that boy?

Don't cry.
You always think you are sad.

Easy now.

I don't know either
why he wants to live here.

No, not live.
Only for a little while.

I'll give it to him.
Maybe he wants to talk to you.

Mom, I am sorry.

I'll visit you every day
after school.

Come to my room tonight.
Climb through the window. Be brave.

Come on, your best smile.

Be brave.

Ana, I'm here.

Wake up.

What do you think about our family picture?

What a nice list.
-I already have a family.

One is enough for me.
-You are lucky with two families.

Do you have to be proud about that?
-Yes, we are a handsom family.

Mom, here I am.

Come, we'll go out for a bit.

We'll go to the mountains with the train.

One more left.

I'll make nice pictures of you.

Aren't you there?

I guess you are shopping.

I'll get some more photo material and call you.
When you're back again.

Come back soon.

Mom, it's me.

I am back.

Now one of you?

The camera is full.

You are very pretty.
-Thank you, my child.

I don't understand why daddy
didn't love you anymore.

You can't understand things like that.
They just happen.

Your father is a good man.
It's not his fault,

Yes it is. And he's not good.

You say that
because you still love him.

No, I only love you.

The love of a child is forever.

I'd rather have that you were dead.

You are way too hard on your father.
Apologize.

I wanted to do that,
untill a second ago.

But not if you say it like that.

You can't ask for
someone's apologies.

'Please,
let my mother live again.'

Ok, I'm sorry.

But you really have to change.
You have too much pride.

I am sorry, daddy,
It's all my fault.

I am going with you.
-You can't.

I will go all the way down.

That's why.

You will jump off too fast.

That's too fast. Jump off.

Stay with them. I am going.

Jump off. There is the cliff.

Why aren't I dead.

I didn't know
how many lives I had left...

but I only wanted to live
with my mother at that moment.

I wanted to go back to her.

Skii up.

But you are Ana.
-Yes, my child.

Do you want to be my mother?

I can't.

I remember my first time
at the Arctic Circle.

Being in love isn't easy.
Next to desire you also have to hear it.

No one has a heart like Otto.
Neither do I.

It's only wednesday.

One evening Otto came to live with us.

He left his mother.

To see me every day.

And every night.

I love the smell of smoke.

It makes me think about Otto the German.

He should still be alive.

I like it that your name is Otto.

You're like my mother
and I'm like your father.

I got very close with him.

I wanted to love him
as much as he loved me.

Where is Otto? He's not in bed.

You fell asleep.

I bet he's in the garden.

No, I looked everywhere.

Get up, 8 o'clock.
Your brother is gone. Do you know where he is?

I don't know anything about Otto.
And he's not my brother.

I can't stay any longer.
I have to go.

And your weird little son?
-Don't you worry.

I bet he went to his mother.

Did you look under his bed?

Ofcourse not.

Why should I?

No idea.
I hear snoaring in his room.

Otto, it's 8 o'clock.

We have been looking for you.

Do something we
can understand too.

Do you always sleep naked here?

You don't live here alone, you know.

Don't I get a morning kiss?

I never enjoyed sex as much as
in that time with Otto.

At home, sneaky.

I never had such a red heart
as in that time.

How lovelly.
I bet your mom likes that.

I think it's ugly.
-Please stop it.

Did you decide?
-I don't know.

I always think that color is ugly.

Listen, the best hearts are red.

What will you give me for Christmas?
-Snow.

As much as you like.

Do you have a phone?
-There is one outside.

I'll call your dad and say we'll come later.
This already costs two hours.

Should I wrap it?

He will carry it.

Your mother is coming.
-Here.

Did you buy it?

I am running out of patience.

Your dad is pretty cranky.

I'd like a red heart.

Should I wrap it?

Yes, it's for my mother.

Fine.

More hearts?
-No, that's it.

Can I borrow thousand peseta?

I also have to pay the cab.

Very good.
Brothers and sisters have to help eachother.

Good evening, excuse me.

I am ?lvaro Midelman
of the Spanish Television.

Do you perhaps want to do an
audition for news reader?

Excuse me?

I'm looking for someone of your age
for the evening news.

Excuse me...

but I accidentally heard you making
that phone call.

It's just an audition.

You've got nothing to lose.

Today in Guernica a German delegation
officially expressed their feelings of...

...remorse to basque authorities.

During the ceremony, the german ambassador
in Spain held a speech.

He recognized the bombing on Guernica
for the first time...

in which back then 2000 civilians died.

What you just saw has no meaning.

I've got everything under control.

Do you want to do something for your mother?
Keep it secret.

I'm good in keeping secrets.

I'm never going to leave ?lvaro,
the ?lvaro that's waiting home.

This one is also named ?lvaro.

Believe me, I'll never leave you.

I'm your mother after all.

Otto's mother died unexpectedly.
Afterwards he would never be the same.

Go away.

Just leave.

Otto wanted to die.
And I went with him.

Stop it.
-You are going to fast. Jump.

Come on jump.

Jump, there is the cliff.

Answer me.

Stay alive, do it for me.

We are going to get some help.
-You go, but I stay here.

That's to dangerous.
-I don't care.

Come here, immediatelly.

Otto, we are searching Otto, damnit.

Stop it.

You are not dead.

So I'm not going to cry.

Otto, I found Otto.

Is he alright?

Are you alright?

Tell me you are.

You are Ana.
-Yes, my child.

Where is my mother?

Nobody knows.
It depends on you.

Otto didn't want to be with me any longer.

His guilt was so big that it
enclosed me too.

Where is your brother?

No idea.
He didn't sleep with me.

No jokes for a moment.

Did you see his room?

I've looked under his bed.

And in the closet?

Look in it.
With him you can expect anything.

I was hoping so much that he would
be in there.

Your son has left.

Asleep.

Naked.

How long will you stay?
-Don't know yet.

Will you open the door, please?

Otto took money from his father.

A lot of money.

Ana, I want to talk to you.

What's wrong with you?

You have to see a psychiatrist.

My mother left ?lvaro.
She asked me if I wanted to live with her.

The money I had stolen was almost
gone. So I travelled on.

But I didn't want to live anywhere.

I still know that it was spring.

vacancies

Do you have a cigarette for me?

They are heavy, though.

I smoke everything.

vacancy: pilot
long distance flights

Thanks.

I know you.
-Are you serious?

Sorry, I don't know you.

Do you like fate?

Depends if it's positive.

I was also taught by Sofia.

Ana.
-My name is Javier.

You left Sofia, right?

I don't have luck anymore.

That's my fault.
I consumed all of it.

You are Otto's sister.

Our names are palyndroms.
You don't forget that very fast.

My life was empty.

By leaving Ana I had no longer a destiny

I had to create one myself.

Finland.

Flying at night, during day sleeping.
What could a life like that bring me?

What are you doing here?

I just came to visit you.
I'm doing good.

You are a little late with that.

It's too late now.
I don't want to see you anymore.

That's mutually.

I'm not coming for you.

Why did you come to live here?
You ruined my life.

Are you happy now?
-What's happened?

They are gone.
They left me.

I'm all nerves.

Where are they?

No idea.
-And Ana?

Somewhere.

She lives together with a teacher
from your old school.

Who?

Someone who couldn't help you.

He now fucks your sister, who
is 20 years younger.

The world is getting greedy.
With a lot of bastards.

I see how you are doing.
-You never saw anything.

You didn't see me either.

I'm your father, aren't I?

I'm really sorry.

It's too late for that now.

Everything is broken here.

Do you still love Olga?

Draw a person.

Who?

You can choose.

Give it to me.

Is this yours?

Whom is it?

Here, you are.

Who is that?
-My mother.

She's very beautiful.

Yes, she died of love.

How can you die of love?

She was left alone.

Are you kidding?
-She was german.

She died while washing salad.

Ana, what a surprise.

How are you doing?

Pretty good.
And you? Are you still with your teacher?

He's not my teacher.

And I'm a teacher too now.

How is your mother doing?

Good.

She has been thinking of going to
Australia.

Much too far away.

If you let her go, you'll never see
her back.

He's in Portugal since last summer.

How is Otto doing?

No idea. Well, I think.

You know how he is.

He doesn't tell where he lives or works.

But from time to time he calls me
or visits me unexpectedly.

If you had acted like brother
and sister...

everything would be like it was.

Lend me some money.

What has happened?

I've left Javier.

I saw that coming.
What are you going to do now?

I want to leave for a while.
-This is very bad timing.

We are going to Australia next month.

Have a nice trip.
-Wait, don't be so proud.

Stay over here untill we leave.
But after it has been rented.

This is the first place where
Javier will come and look for me.

You can join us to Australia.

That's too far for me.
-Too far, too close...

It's never good enough.

What do you want?
-I don't know. I want to go away.

Where to?
-To Lapland.

Do me a favor.

Think about it.

You can't just leave your husband whom
you have been living with for 4 years.

You own nothing and
you don't even have a plan.

You are always very
practical, yes.

Do you want to go to Lapland?

My father lives in Finland,
in a town called Rovaniemi.

He has a little house near the lake,
inside the polar circle.

Next month
the sun doesn't go down at night.

That's the midnight-sun.

Another world.

You smoke to much.

I'm bored with this disaster movies.

As a child you loved air-fights and
fighters, remember?

I've changed radically.
-So hard?

Completely.
-Are you scared for airplains now?

Did you ever fly?

Yes.

And I'm not affraid of it.

I'm going home.

Visit me more often.
-Next week again.

Oh yes, there's been a letter for you last
week. It's on the table.

Who sent it?
-There's no name on it.

Only an address in Finland.

66 33 40 North
02 55 05 East

I recognized the plane number and
the package number.

It mostly surprised me that I had
transported it myself, without knowing.

Who would also know it?

'I look at night to the sun and wait for
you. Be brave. Descend through the window.'

Be brave.

'The fate we both waited for.'

I'll stay here tonight.

Fine, you still have your own room.

'The fate we both waited for.'

I've met the real Otto,
the pilot who rescued your grand dad.

It was a good thing that he rescued
him and shared a cigaret with him.

He went to Finland with a Spanish girl.
He left the war.

His son is called ?lvaro,
my mother's friend.

What do you say about that?
And it becomes even better.

Otto said farewell to your grand dad.
He travelled along and saw a bombed house.

He saw a man. He was dead.

His daughter cried.

He was all she had.

When she saw Otto, she ran away.

Otto followed her.

Here name was Cristina.

She was only 17 and ran very fast.

But then she fell.

Otto stood still
and looked at her in a way...

...that she felt he asked for pardon.
For everything.

And it really went like that.

Otto promised silently that he would take
care of her if she would forgive him.

Here is the little house.

Between the forest and the lake.

Exactly on the polar circle.

They can deliver your food,
even in the winter.

You have to go the shop in the village.
I hope it is still open.

Since the dead of my wife i haven't
been there.

That has been 7 years.

She was a Spanish, just like you.

She looks young here.

Almost a child.

There she is only 17.

She was my life.

There was something with this guy.

Something alarming.

Why are u named Otto?

There is no explanation for that.

Life contains much things that are
not explainable.

But Otto is a name
that's very frequent in Germany.

Are you a German?
-I'm a Finn now.

Only my name is still German.

It's such a geometric name, Otto.

And me Ana.

I 've been thinking about that.

You can read our names the same way.
From left to right and visa versa.

Do you want an explaination for that?

There might be none.
-Could be.

On the day my wife died,
I got mail from my son.

He wrote he fell in love with
a Spanish girl.

Why?

I was with my mother that day.

I got a present as well.

And now I've got a very beautiful
Spanish granddaughter.

You are here thanks to Cristina.

I feel her hand in yours.

Thanks, Otto.

It's nice to know you.

The polar circle.

There had been something known
mixed together with the unknown.

I was on my final destination.

I had a weird feeling,
the first of many.

I felt the present of fate.
That could be Otto.

Otto had sent me.

The owner of this house.

He asked me if I could bring this.
-That's very sweet.

Come in.

Do you know if Otto used to be a pilot?
- I don't know.

But his wife was a Spanish, just like you.

He met her in Spain.

He was brought her over here.
She came alone, like me.

I didn't know that.

For how long will you stay?

I'll see how long I can hold out.

Bye.

I thought all day about Otto.
I couldn't be calmed down.

One morning I heard a car.

It was the mail car.

I thought:
if I run, there is something in it for me.

Do you have something for me?
I'm Ana Lopez.

Let there be something for me.

It's from Australia.

Hallo, Ana.

Hallo, mum.

Australia is the ideal place
to start over again.

Forget the North and come over
to live with your mother.

First I want to say to you...

What is it?

I think alot about you.
Everyday more and more.

More than ever before. Sorry.

Now you just sound like my mother.

Your mother is getting old.

And good.

That would be about time.

Very nice. Fantastic.

?lvaro's father is very happy, that
he has met you.

He calls you his granddaughter.
He's happy.

You have brought warmth in his house again.

He's named Otto,
but you already knew that probably.

Of course.

But did you know that Otto is a pilot?
-Which Otto?

The story about that German pilot
who jumped with his parachute...

Well, forget about it.

You brother took that story so seriously
that he became a pilot.

That's what we heard from someone
who has flown with him.

We don't know where he works,
but that doesn't matter.

He lives with his head in the sky.

Otto the pilot. Of course.

The polar circle.

How will this journey end?

66 degrees, 33 minutes, 40 seconds,
north.

2 degrees, 55 minutes, 5 seconds,
East.

Tonight there will be no sun-down.

That spanish airplane
must have had something for me.

Who else?

I'll wait here as long as it takes.

I wait on the greatest luck in my life.

I have known a lot of different
kinds of luck.

Luck runs through my life like
a continuous thread.

It's good that life passes in circles.

But mine consists of one circle,
and not even a complete one.

The most important is missing.

I've written her name so often
in my mind.

Here, at this moment,
i can't lock anything up.

I'm alone.

Got something for me?

Ok then, I'm tired.

I'm going home.

I'll be lunching soon.

Did you hear about the
airplane from Spain?

Last night a messenger plane
crashed in the north of Finland.

Did someone die?
Do you know the name of the pilot?

Are you going to Rovaniemi?

Everything that's left, is for the city.
-Can I drive with you?

Here you go.

Thanks.
-Don't mention it.

Where are you from?
-Spain.

What's your name?

Aki.

I'm Otto.

I'll never forget this. Thanks.
-Don't mention it.

Do you have a cigarette?
-No.

Never mind.
The rest is going great.

Thanks.

Don't mention it.

Do you know a Spanish woman, Ana?

Do you know where she lives?

Over there.

Good bye.

Thanks.
Oh, don't mention it.

She's not there right now.

She isn't?
-No, I just saw her in a car.

We passed on the road.

Where was she heading?
-I don't know.

It was a messenger car.

Ana is a messenger? Like me?

No, she was with the messenger.
Rovaniemi is that way.

The eyes of Ana

Thank you.

What has happened? Translate it for me.

Calm down. It doesn't really matter at the moment.

There is someone here that wants to see you.

Oh? Who is it?

How did you come here?
-With my parachute.

You were in that plane.

That's him, right? The german pilot.

The one who smoked with your granddad.
-That's right.

Otto in the eyes of Ana

Music calms you down.

Can you skii up hill?

Otto lives over there.

In memory of my father