Against the Ice

An expedition film set in Greenland. 1909. Denmark mounts an expedition. The aim is to verify a map: the American side claims Greenland is divided in two and left a record saying so. Denmark wants to prove it is not, because its territorial claim depends on it. Captain Ejnar Mikkelsen will go north and find the notes left by the earlier expedition. Nobody in the crew volunteers; only the engineer, Iver Iversen, agrees. He has no polar experience. The two set out with dog sledges. They find the notes. On the way back they cannot reach the ship; it has gone and winter is closing in. What follows is survival: a small hut, dwindling food, bear attacks and years spent by two men together. In time both begin to come apart mentally. The narrative rests on real events. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau plays Mikkelsen and is among the writers. Joe Cole plays Iversen. Peter Flinth directed. It was shot in Iceland and Greenland and released on a streaming service. A solid example for anyone who likes survival stories and polar exploration. For a viewer expecting action, the film moves heavily and most of it is waiting.