Heart of Light

This "first film ever made exclusively in Greenland" purports to tell the story of a man's quest for spiritual redemption after tragedy strikes his family. Rasmus (Rasmus Lyberth), an Inuit nimrod, is devastated when his oldest son goes on a shooting spree at a disco, killing both himself and a young woman. To regain his spiritual center and win back the love of his estranged younger son, the feckless Rasmus embarks on a symbolic hunting trip, but soon discovers that he has lost touch with his Greenlander hunting heritage, or at least their navigational acumen. Lost, without food, ammunition or his dogsled, Rasmus meets up with a wacky wilderness wise man (Anda Kristiansen) who takes him on a mystical journey that leads, both figuratively and literally, back home again. While Heart of Light is nicely lensed, with some gorgeous Arctic landscapes, Dersu Uzula it ain't; neither Rasmus nor his mentor make compelling traveling companions. It's possible that this tale, laden with Inuit mythology, would ring dearer for those immersed in the culture, but it plays as a rather unremarkable odyssey in warmer climes. Not recommended. (S. C. Sickles)