The Edge of the Shadows

Summary
It’s eight years since six young people were attacked by the mythical Qivittoq in Qaqqat Alanngui. Tuuma is a tourist guide in Nuuk, Greenland and sails people around for sightseeing. While sailing with some tourists, they ask if they could go to the place where the young people were attacked, against Tuuma’s will. When they arrive, Tuuma’s fears become warranted as the two tourists disappear. Tuuma quickly sails back to Nuuk to get help from the police. But is it a good idea to go back and look for the tourists when the Qivittoqs are roaming the mountains?

Motivation
With his unique ability to build on Inuit stories and mythology, the director of The Edge of the Shadows (Alanngut Killinganni) combines modern storytelling techniques with humour and horror from Greenlandic oral storytelling traditions. One of the film’s central elements is therefore its use of Greenlandic tales and mythology, which are woven into the story in a natural and authentic way.

Greenlandic landscapes are also a key component in the film, where breath-taking views of the mountains and the sea form a fantastic backdrop for the action. The beautiful landscapes enhance a sense of dread and unease, while adding an extra dimension to the thrilling action.

The film explores important themes related to grief, community, and tradition. This can be seen in the clash between civilizations, between city and country, and between the natural and the mystical, as well as in the respect for nature and history. There are things out there that we don’t know about. The film places itself elegantly in the newer tradition of ‘Arctic chills’ from the high north.