Private Project

Queen without Land

This is the true story of the meeting between Frost, a beautiful polar bear mother, and Asgeir Helgestad, a Norwegian wildlife filmmaker. It is a four-year journey in Svalbard. Rising temperatures are responsible for dramatic changes in Frost's ecosystem as the ice is melting at record speed. From complete darkness to the absolute light of the midnight sun, Svalbard transforms from a cold and inhospitable place to the most joyous and lively scene for ice algae, fish, birds and animals. But alongside these seasonal transformations, the disappearing sea ice forces life to new limits. Fjords that were once full of ice and seals, get abandoned pushing Frost further away. Asgeir is determined to find her and document all that is being lost, but his task is far from easy. This film explores the question "this planet is home to all of us, can we afford to ignore it?"

  • Asgeir Helgestad
    Director
  • Anne Elvedal
    Writer
  • Asgeir Helgestad
    Writer
  • Asgeir Helgestad
    Producer
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Dronning uten land
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    52 minutes 40 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    December 15, 2017
  • Production Budget:
    696,624 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Norway
  • Country of Filming:
    Norway
  • Language:
    Norwegian
  • Shooting Format:
    RED
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Distribution Information
  • Artic Light AS
    Country: Norway
Director Biography - Asgeir Helgestad

Asgeir Helgestad is a wildlife producer, director, cameraman and author from Norway. His love for nature and passion for capturing the perfect image shine through all of his work. Conservation and how we treat this beautiful planet are always part of his films.
He believes that life is too short and valuable to spend time on producing pure entertainment from nature, and even if it looks like entertainment there is always an underlying story about conservation.
Growing up in the countryside of Norway, it is not surprising that its nature has become a major arena for his work, while the Arctic has grabbed his heart with its vast landscapes, beautiful light and majestic animals. If you have been there, you will always carry it in your heart and mind. And to experience the dramatic changes going on there due to rising temperatures just compels you to tell the world about it.
His stills photography and films have won him several international awards including at Wildlife Photographer of the Year and Wildscreen , and he is also awarded as an author of a children book.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Climate change is one of biggest challenges we will be facing in the years to come. Making a gloomy, doomsday film that will make most people feel disempowered and awkward is easy. I choose to show how wonderful and fragile is the world we are about to lose. The viewers will encounter individuals who experience climate change on their skin. I want to bring to the forth what has already happened in the Arctic and what are the future risks we are facing. The underlying question is: what will happen if we do not act now? It is really serious but not without hope or alternatives. I want to make a beautiful and strong film that celebrates life and nature flourishing at the most extreme conditions. Animals in the Arctic are adapted to survive the harshest weather and absolute darkness. But they may not survive the changes caused by humans. The more one experiences and learns about climate change, the more the patterns of change become obvious. With this film, I want to have the viewers with me; feeling, experiencing and participating in what takes place in the Arctic. By showing how interconnected all the creatures of the ecosystem are, from the magnificent polar bears, whales and walruses to the tiny microscopic plankton and crustaceans, we will come to realize the fine balance we are disturbing without easy way back. I want to offer no simple answers, but allow the viewers to see and explore through my eyes and think for themselves. By avoiding didactic and normative interpretations, this film is an insightful reflection on man’s place on earth and an homage to life. It is a subtle call to arms for nature protection and advocacy.