Directed by Christina Rosendahl (Denmark, 2015). January 21, 1968 – An American B-52 bomber carrying nuclear warheads has just crashed on the polar ice near the U.S. military Air Base in Danish controlled Thule, Greenland. A few days later, responsible governments classify the crash as a Broken Arrow scenario (nuclear accident), but declare the situation under control. Hundreds of Thule workers are engaged in the gigantic clean-up operation, and, after eight months, all traces of the aircraft and plutonium-saturated snow are gone. The case is closed.
Hundreds of Thule workers are engaged in the gigantic clean-up operation, and, after eight months, all traces of the aircraft and plutonium-saturated snow are gone. The case is closed. 18 years later, reporter Poul Brink (Peter Plaugborg) unexpectedly discovers that the true story of the 1968 crash is buried deep beneath the Thule Bay ice cap, and the U.S.’s classified archives.
Special thanks to the Danish Film Institute.
Praise for The Idealist:
“a tale of power, idealism and one man’s courage to expose the true events during the Cold War.”—Cinema Scandinavia
About the director
Danish director Christina Rosendahl studied Comparative Literary History, Film & Media Studies at the University of Copenhagen, and spent a time at the European Film College, and the New York Film Academy before graduating from the alternative film School Super16 in 2002. That same year she saw her breakthrough with the highly acclaimed documentary Stargazer/Stjernekigger about the band Swan Lee.
Her feature film debut Triple Dare/Supervoksen (2006) received international recognition with awards from Trondheim Film Festival and Zlin International Film Festival for Children & Youth in 2007 and a domestic box-office success. Rosendahl’s short film Crybaby/Pusling (2008) received a number of awards at international festivals, including Frankfurt Lucas International Children’s Film Festival and Victoria Film Festival.
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Image by Christian Geisnæs
WED—5-4-2016—7 PM
$10 ($7 ASF Members)
114 min. | In Danish with English subtitles