The movie
Wildgemis + Reindalen
Wildgemis and Reindalen explore the special relationship between humans, animals and nature. From wild horses roaming the American wilderness to reindeer on the rapidly warming island of Spitsbergen. In their own distinctive ways, both films show how climate, freedom and human influence are changing the fragile balance of nature.
Description
Wildgemis
Wildgemis is the directorial debut of Anouk Suntjens and the opening film of the festival. Set in the vast American wilderness, the film follows Dutch researcher Elke Tukker, who has spent years studying the lives of wild horses. What begins as a fascination with these free-roaming animals gradually becomes a personal journey into humanity’s relationship with nature. As activists, government agencies and ranchers clash over land management, Elke is confronted with difficult questions about control, freedom and our place within the ecosystem. When she witnesses a controversial horse round-up for the first time, her sense of “wild longing” reaches a breaking point. Wildgemis is a powerful and thought-provoking documentary about nature, power and the human need for connection.
Reindalen
In the fastest-warming place on Earth, two friends and their canine sidekick uncover how the world’s smallest and fattest reindeer are thriving because of rising temperatures. But are they seeing a positive side-effect of climate change in the Arctic, or witnessing the end of innocence for Svalbard reindeer?
