Greenland is pure magic. The visual beauty, the wonderful and gracious people you work with along the way, and the rich culture of Greenland have a way of getting under your skin – and staying with you forever.
Most important to filming in Greenland are the unique towns and settlements, and the stories you hear along the way. Towns like Ilulissat and Uummannaq are such visual spectacles, pulled straight from the annals of a fantasy novel. They are locations that could never be built, and having the opportunity to have shot them with my crews was a dream that I hope to continue to return to my entire life.
The greatest challenge to filming in Greenland is how cost prohibitive it can be. I get approached on a weekly basis from people in the US and Western Europe with fantastic stories and ideas – and true interest to finance them – that can’t be made due to the cost of heading north. With such fixed facilities and few financial benefits to help make my budgets flexible, most can’t plan for the unexpected, or even make the trip to Greenland at all.
The glue holding together any great film or TV project is open, honest collaboration, in which all parties are working together to raise the ceiling of the projects potential as much as physically possible. I see that desire in my best collaborators in Greenland, and they’re the reason I keep wanting to come back.
Greenland is one of the few places on the planet where you will realize just how small we humans really are – just a tiny part of the puzzle in our Earth’s history.
We are Ace & Ace, a Danish film production company, and we had our first production experiences in Greenland in 1996. We instantly fell in love with the Greenlandic people, the landscapes, the nature, the breathtaking panoramas and the mind-blowing adventures that we had there.
In the last twenty years we have produced more than 40 films for companies in Greenland and produced close to 30 TV-shows for a number of broadcasters. Some of these TV-shows have been distributed to TV-channels in 50+ countries, including Discovery Channel and National Geographic USA. We are proud to have been able to show some exciting stories and adventures from Greenland to a global audience.
Producing in Greenland requires careful planning, and you need to have great respect for the wild and dramatic nature. For us it has always been of great importance to work together with our extensive network of Greenlandic people, who have unique regional knowledge, and on a personal level always makes you feel at home. Having respect for these conditions have always brought us amazing images, great stories and spectacular adventures.
Grønlænderne kan fortælle fænomenale historier om kulturmøder, klimaforandringer og overlevelse.
Tusinder af års historie på toppen af verden har skabt en skatkiste af erfaring og indsigt, der har tydelig, global aktualitet. Kerneudfordringen for tv-dokumentarister er sproget, men med den rette tilgang kan den overkommes.
Grønlænderne vil som alle andre gerne fortælle, hvis de møder ægte interesse. Det kræver tid, tid og atter tid – og ofte en tolk – men så kan gevinsten til gengæld være stor.
Giver man lidt af sig selv, får man rigtigt meget igen.
I have made films across the globe, but there is no place like Greenland.
Beyond the stunning landscapes and the dramatic polar light, the authenticity of the Greenlandic people and the depth of their rich culture are an inspiration for me as a storyteller.
Over the last fifteen years, I’ve had the privilege to shoot four films in Northern Greenland. Once you’ve tasted the magic of the arctic and its people, you’re always itching for more.
The location shoot around Nuuk was essential for Louise Friedberg’s feature film “The Experiment”.
We were met with great flexibility and courtesy as we scouted for locations, and that local attitude helped to secure a very successful shoot.
I was blown away by the natural beauty of Greenland, the grand scale of its scenery, the quietness, the sounds of nature, the brightness of the air and the light, the kindness of its people.
“An African in Greenland” will be shooting in the Ilulissat and Uummannaq areas in 2017.