SHORT SYNOPSIS
For ten years, Norwegian filmmaker Asgeir has followed the extraordinary life of a polar bear named Frost – a mother struggling to raise her cubs in a rapidly changing Arctic. What begins as observation slowly becomes an intimate journey of survival and love, conflict and loss, transforming Asgeir from a quiet witness into a storyteller.
Driven by a deep connection to nature, he seeks to reveal the devastating impact of climate change on Frost’s home, Svalbard – the fastest-warming place on earth. As Asgeir confronts the consequences of human actions, he reflects on his encounters with Frost and asks: can empathy and understanding bridge the gap between humans and other animals before it’s too late?
AWARDS, NOMINATIONS & FESTIVALS
Official Selection, 28th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival, Greece
DIRECTOR NOTES
After decades of filming in nature, I am still out there feeling awe and wonder, curiosity and desire to find out more. At the same time, I feel disillusioned, sad and angry about how some humans have been treating all other creatures and life on this planet.
Frost has given me a unique opportunity to tell her story – a story about a polar bear, myself, us humans. I aim for my approach to be both gentle and subtle, yet unmistakably present. There is an intuitive, emotional engagement with nature that drives my work, which I do not want to hyper-analyze and turn into an intellectual exercise. For me, it is all about allowing emotions to come through every frame.
In this film, I explore a challenging trade-off between the personal and the systemic, the human and more-than-human. I have filmed how polar bears kill their prey – nature being indifferent to other’s pain, brutal, cruel. And I have filmed animals mourning for the loss of their children, supporting each other – nature being caring, symbiotic, kind. Nature has many faces, just like all of us.
I want to strip away as many layers as necessary to reveal the story of another being and a place I have deeply loved. My vision is that Frost Without Snow and Ice will transform the viewers to engaged participants, fill them with empathy and motivation to fight for co-existence.
POSTER
CREDITS
Director and Original Idea: ASGEIR HELGESTAD
Editors: HELGE BILLING, ASGEIR HELGESTAD
Writers: ASGEIR HELGESTAD, ANNE ELVEDAL, AGELIKI LEFKADITOU
Director of Photography: ASGEIR HELGESTAD
Composer: RAYMOND ENOKSEN
Sound Design: ANDERS TVETEN, ERIK WATLAND
Narration (Norwegian): ASGEIR HELGESTAD
Narration (English): JAN GUNNAR RØISE
Narrative and Editing Consultant: JESPER OSMUND
Story Consultant: HELLE HANSEN
Additional Photography: INGE WEGGE, ISMAELE TORTELLA, FRANCISCO MATTOS, ODDGEIR SAGERUP, SVEIN WIIK, THEO JEBB, ALEXANDER SLETTEN, AUGUSTUS MOLTUBAKK, CARL HERDENBERG
Producers: AGELIKI LEFKADITOU, ASGEIR HELGESTAD, OLA K. HUNNES
Co-producers: INGE WEGGE, YNGVAR CHRISTENSEN
Executive Producer: GITTE HANSEN
Financed in Collaboration with DR Sales
Executive Producer: KIM CHRISTIANSEN
Senior Sales & Acquisitions Executive: FREJA JOHANNE NØRGAARD SØRENSEN
PR, Marketing & Festival Executive: NANNA LYKKE
Funded by: NORWEGIAN FILM INSTITUTE, NORDISK FILM & TV FOND, VIKEN FILMSENTER, ARTS COUNCIL NORWAY, NORWEGIAN AUDIO AND VISUAL FUND, THE FRITT ORD FOUNDATION, ARCTIC FILM NORWAY, OSLO FILMFOND, FILMINVEST, BERGESEN FOUNDATION, NORSK FILMDISTRIBUSJON, DR SALES, NRK, SVT, RUV, WESTDEUTSCHER RUNDFUNK
PRODUCTION DETAILS
Format: DOCUMENTARY
Length: 94
Master: 4K 16:9 and 2.39:1 scope
Shooting Format: 4K–8K
Languages: NORWEGIAN (AND ENGLISH)
Country of Origin: NORWAY, GERMANY
Filming Country: NORWAY (SVALBARD)
Production Company: ARTIC LIGHT
In Co-production with: LOFOTEN FILM COLLECTIVE and WESTDEUTSCHER RUNDFUNK in collaboration with ARTE
Distribution Norway (cinema): NORSK FILMDISTRIBUSJON
PR and Marketing: KULTURMEGLERNE
Broadcasters: WDR, ARTE, NRK, SVT, RUV
World Sales: DR SALES
Pitched at
NORDISK PANORAMA
BELOW ZERO, Winner of the Arctic Documentary Award
DOC NORWAY
WILDLIFE FILM FESTIVAL ROTTERDAM
Selected at
EFM Doc/Fiction Toolbox 2025