Lovers of the Arctic Circle

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Lovers of the Arctic Circle
Los amantes del círculo polar poster.jpg
Poster for Los amantes del círculo polar
Directed by Julio Médem
Produced by Fernando Bovaira
Fernando de Garcillán
Enrique López Lavigne
Txarly Llorente
Written by Julio Médem
Starring Fele Martínez
Najwa Nimri
Nancho Novo
Music by Alberto Iglesias
Cinematography Gonzalo F. Berridi
Release dates 4 September 1998 (Spain)
Running time 112 minutes
Country Spain
Language Spanish

Lovers of the Arctic Circle (Spanish: Los amantes del círculo polar), sometimes called The Lovers from the North Pole, is a 1998 film by the Spanish director Julio Médem, starring Najwa Nimri and Fele Martínez. It won two Goya Awards in 1999.

The film tells the story of Otto and Ana, from their chance meeting outside school at the age of 8, until they meet again in their 20s in Lapland within the Arctic Circle, under the midnight sun.

The themes developed form an important part of Julio Medem's universe, and can be found in his other movies. These include love, death, destiny, nature, the circle of life and the coincidences in life.

The film received favorable critical reviews.[1]


The film is circular in plot as well as in a number of other ways (for example, the names of its main characters, Otto and Ana, are both palindromes). The film is centered around an incestuous love relationship between step-siblings. The two meet one day after school, when Ana's father dies, and her mother marries his father. Ana believes that Otto is the reincarnation of her father, but eventually the two of them fall in love. For a number of reasons, they are eventually separated, and Otto becomes a pilot flying between Spain and the Arctic Circle. Ana moves to the same area to leave behind her past and past lovers, and tries to get in touch with him again.

The movie ends on an ambiguous note: in one version, Ana and Otto are reunited, while in the other Ana dies in a car accident. It is unclear which of the endings is real.

The deaths and lives of the characters are made more confusing through anachronisms and plot details.

The movie plot is about two step- siblings who know each other since they were children. As they grow up, they find out that their love is not just a family love. They want to have a relationship like real couples have, even though they know it is prohibited they found a place where they can see each other at night. As time passes by their parents get divorced and they get separated. Ana's mother moves abroad, and Anna travels to Finland from where she persuades Otto to TravelNorth to look for her.


Lovers of the Arctic Circle was shot in Madrid and in various locations in Finland.[2]

Julio Medem based part of the film on his own experience of unrequited teenage love for his next door neighbor.[3] He also included a reference to his Basque mother and German father in a scene in which a Basque farmer rescues a stranded German paratrooper. Medem said this was "a way of bringing together the two sides of my family."[4]


The film was nominated for four Goya Awards and won for Best Editing and Best Original Score. Julio Medem also received the Audience Award at the 2000 Athens International Film Festival and the Audience Award for Best Latin Film at the Gramado Film Festival. The film also won an Ondas Award for Best Spanish Film and Najwa Nimri won for Best Actress.[5]


  1. ^ "Sun Times by Roger Ebert". Accessed 2007-11-11
  2. ^ "Filming Locations for Los Amantes del Círculo Polar". Retrieved 2008-08-22. 
  3. ^ Lorenza Munoz (1999-04-23). "Personal Journey of Medem’s ‘Lovers’". the Los Angeles Times. pp. F–2. Retrieved 2008-08-22. 
  4. ^ Leslie Camhi (1999-03-29). "Exploring Love in the Arctic, Finding Success in Spain". the New York Times. Retrieved 2008-08-22. 
  5. ^ "Awards for Los Amantes del Círculo Polar". Retrieved 2008-08-22. 

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