Pathfinder

"When the invader comes...the hardest path to find is survival."

1987 1h 26m SE

👍

6.9

SOLID

★6.9TMDB · 90

Adventure

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Around the year 1000 AD warlike people, the so-called "tjuder", roam in northern Scandinavia. As they brutally kill a family in a remote area, including the parents and their little daughter, the family's teenage son, Aigin, observes the slaughter. He manages to flee from these killers and reaches a camp with other Sámi whose inhabitants are worried if he has been able to hide his track. Afraid of the murderous people, they decide to flee to the coast. The boy stays alone to avenge his family's murder. Unfortunately, they get him before he can do anything and force him to lead them to the other Sámi. He guides them but has a plan to destroy the barbarous people before reaching the camp.

“When the invader comes...the hardest path to find is survival.”

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Cast

Mikkel Gaup
Aigin
Svein Scharffenberg
Tchude Chief
Ingvald Guttorm
Vater
Nils Utsi
Raste
Nils-Aslak Valkeapää
Siida-Isit
Helgi Skúlason
Tchude with Scar
John Sigurd Kristensen
Tchude Strongman
Knut Walle
Tchude Interpreter

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Nils Gaup
Writers: Nils Gaup
Languages: Northern Sami
Countries: Norway

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

86 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

39 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Nils Gaup, shot by Erling Thurmann-Andersen. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Nils Pagh Andersen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Mikkel Gaup and Svein Scharffenberg and Ingvald Guttorm carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "When the invader comes...the hardest path to find is survival.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0093668 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Nils Gaup directs. Erling Thurmann-Andersen behind the camera. Nils Pagh Andersen cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Norway. Dialogue in Northern Sami.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

186 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
239 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Nils Gaup, shot by Erling Thurmann-Andersen. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Editor Nils Pagh Andersen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Mikkel Gaup and Svein Scharffenberg and Ingvald Guttorm carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "When the invader comes...the hardest path to find is survival.".
8IMDB entry: tt0093668 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 90 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
10Classified under 9 themes, including "chase", "loss of loved one", "mass murder", "lapland".