[Film] Beyond Sleep (Beyond Sleep)

12 May 2017

“Beyond Sleep (Beyond Sleep)”---European Union Film Festival

Release Year: 2016

Country: The Netherlands

Director: Boudewijn Koole

Cast: Reinout Scholten van Aschat, Pål Sverre Hagen

Location I watched: National Gallery Singapore

This year, European Union Film Festival had 27 films from 27 countries, but I watched only 3 films. It was a shame. The venue changed to The Ngee Ann Kongsi Auditorium in National Gallery Singapore from this year. National Gallery is an enchanting place, but the auditorium is not suitable for screening at all. As the screen is too far from the seats, only the rows from the first to third are good ones. Anyway, here are my small reviews for the films I watched.

Story from the programme booklet:

Young geologist Alfred ventures out into the swampy North of Norway to research meteorite craters, trying to continue the work his father left off when he died during a similar trip. He searches, stumbles and suffers only to find redemption on the very edge of madness. Based on the iconic, bestselling Dutch novel “Nooit meer slapen” by W. F. Hermans.

During the last 10 years, climbing or hiking in mountains is getting popular among young ladies in Japan. But as I watched this film, I thought that I would never want to go on a hiking trip. The protagonist, Alfred, a geologist from the Netherlands, goes on a research trip to the fiords of Norway. The grand nature is extremely beautiful under the weak white light of the summer sun that never sets. However, Alfred’s journey is quite tough physically and mentally. He walks deep into the fiords area with his guide and two researchers. Except him, all three members are Norwegian. For Alfred, it is his first experience of research in a swampy fiords area. While the other members are used to walking there, Alfred has to struggle to keep up with them. Besides, Alfred can only communicate with them in English, but once they start talking in Norwegian, he feels a sense of alienation. Nature is beautiful, but severe for him. Even when he sleeps, nature sends mosquitoes to his tent. In addition to those painful situations, unlucky accidents happen one after another on him. He is gradually losing the mental balance. Finally he becomes almost mad, mixing up the present with his traumatic past… Now you know why I do not feel like going hiking after watching this film… Anyway, in overcoming this hell tour, Alfred finds an ironic ending waiting for him. The lyrical scene with a girl just before the end of the film leaves an enigmatic echo against his hardship and sorrow. (8 June 2017)