Feb. 10, 2022|Iceland | Denmark|101 Min.|TV-MA
Genre: Adventure;Drama;History
Description: “Against the Ice” is a 2022 historical survival film directed by Peter Flinth. Inspired by the true events described in Ejnar Mikkelsen’s memoir “Two Against the Ice,” the screenplay was penned by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Joe Derrick. The movie features Coster-Waldau as Mikkelsen, alongside Joe Cole, Charles Dance, and Heida Reed in undisclosed roles. It debuted at the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival on February 15, 2022, and was released on Netflix on March 2, 2022.
The story follows a 1909 Danish expedition led by Captain Ejnar Mikkelsen, who aimed to challenge the United States’ claim to North-Eastern Greenland. This claim was based on the belief that Greenland was divided into two separate landmasses. Mikkelsen and his inexperienced companion, Iver Iversen, embark on a treacherous journey across the ice, leaving their crew behind with the ship.
The film is a joint production by RVK Studios and Ill Kippers. Directed by Peter Flinth, it was shot in Iceland and Greenland with minimal use of green screens, under the guidance of producer Baltasar Kormákur and cinematographer Torben Forsberg. Based on Ejnar Mikkelsen’s memoir, the project saw its main cast confirmed in January 2021.
During filming, the crew faced challenges, including being stranded on an Icelandic glacier during a storm. Coster-Waldau also sustained a concussion while shooting a CGI-enhanced bear fight scene, which featured a heavyweight judo champion as a stunt double. Initially, Flinth had considered using a real polar bear for the sequence.
Cast director: Peter Flinth
Cast actor: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Joe Cole, Charles Dance, Heida Reed, Gísli Örn Garðarsson, Sam Redford, Diarmaid Murtagh, Ed Speleers, Frankie Wilson, Nick Jameson
Original name: Against the Ice