This movie is about the survival attempts of two women - Josephine Peary (wife of Robert Peary who claimed to reach the north pole) and Aleqasina (an Inuit mistress of Robert Peary).
Both women wait for Robert to come back from the north pole while icebound in the cruel and cold weather of the Greenland. Aleqasina (called Allaka throughout the movie) has a small igloo of her own, while Josephine enjoys the comfort and warmth of the wooden cabin.
The movie shows both women alone and not a single soul around. But in reality, Josephine stayed in the cabin with her little daughter Marie. Aleqasina was also not alone, she was with her son (fathered by Robert Peary). According to the letters written by Josephine Peary, Marie and that little boy often played together in the wooden cabin. When Aleqasina fell ill, Josephine helped her and finally Aleqasina got better.
The movie shows that Aleqasina dies in the end with her little baby - she wanders away into the terrible cold, never to see the Sun again.
But in reality, she lived for many more decades after Robert Peary claimed to reach the north pole in 1908. she gave birth to three more children, including one more son fathered by Robert Peary. She died in 1930's.
Both Juliet Binoche and Rinko Kikuchi have performed their roles beautifully. But the story is not based on facts and leaves the viewer clueless as to what they are trying to show in this movie.
*** 3 stars only for the acting.
Both women wait for Robert to come back from the north pole while icebound in the cruel and cold weather of the Greenland. Aleqasina (called Allaka throughout the movie) has a small igloo of her own, while Josephine enjoys the comfort and warmth of the wooden cabin.
The movie shows both women alone and not a single soul around. But in reality, Josephine stayed in the cabin with her little daughter Marie. Aleqasina was also not alone, she was with her son (fathered by Robert Peary). According to the letters written by Josephine Peary, Marie and that little boy often played together in the wooden cabin. When Aleqasina fell ill, Josephine helped her and finally Aleqasina got better.
The movie shows that Aleqasina dies in the end with her little baby - she wanders away into the terrible cold, never to see the Sun again.
But in reality, she lived for many more decades after Robert Peary claimed to reach the north pole in 1908. she gave birth to three more children, including one more son fathered by Robert Peary. She died in 1930's.
Both Juliet Binoche and Rinko Kikuchi have performed their roles beautifully. But the story is not based on facts and leaves the viewer clueless as to what they are trying to show in this movie.
*** 3 stars only for the acting.