~ Endless Night (2015) ~ "Nadie quiere la noche" (original title) "Nobody Wants the Night" (Internet title)
It was so long ago,
it barely seems real anymore.
I'm back in comfort now.
Chandeliers and cup crystals.
Heat and food and home.
And yet, still, some mornings,
I started awake at dawn
to feel the polar night piercing my body.
And nothing,
Not even the sun can warm me.
A big male, right?
Male... Small.
Lost.
This.
Park Avenue, what do you think of that?
They said it wasn't reasonable to risk my life
to join my husband Robert Peary
on his final expedition to the North Pole.
But more than once I had travel those frozen waste with him.
This time I knew he'll get there and I had to be with him.
I arrived Ellesmere Island in June.
Too late. He already setup with his team
and his right-hand man Hensen.
I think you should wait after the winter.
- That's gonna to be... - That would only mean six months here.
Are you suggesting I wait here for almost a year,
Mr. Trevor?
I came all the way up here to meet Mr. Peary and his camp
and return with him before the winter begins.
That is merely... three months.
It's more than enough time.
Yes, but it's different this time. He's...
He's gone far away. He's at...
My husband lives to go further every time. That's way you're all here.
And all of them.
We'll head north
in three days time.
And I trust you'll handle everything.
Well, I'll push off...
unless there is anything else.
No, that's all.
Now, Captain Spalding,
I want to show you the beautiful bear I shot this morning.
- Yes, I heard. - What a feeling, it's impossible to describe.
Nothing at all like a walrus. Nothing at all!
Mrs. Peary, Bram...
Mr. Trevor,
is impulsive, but he has considerable experience
- in the Artic. - Oh, you are too, Captain.
I accompanied Mr. Peary on his third expedition
not very far from here.
And...
I gave birth to the most beautiful little girl in the whole world.
No civilized woman has ever delivered a baby at this latitude, ever.
But...
One week later,
my husband ventured north in search of the Pole, and...
he was gone for...
an entire year.
Well, since then, it's been almost 16 years.
He's only spent 14 months with us in Washington.
I can't allow it.
This is the perfect place to wait for him.
Another few hundred miles further north isn't going to affect that plan, in the least.
Besides,
you won't find anything there except the dilapidated shack.
And colder weather than anyone who can remember.
Much colder than your previous trip.
This is my husband's final expedition.
His last chance to accomplish
what he's been dreaming about, for decades.
And I must be there, close to him,
because he'll...
He'll never come back.
Please.
You know your husband will kill us if we permitted it.
Yes.
Where?
That's for Her Majesty.
- Put it over there. - Yes.
What made me push on?
What compulsion drove me north?
It was the dream that bound us.
I needed to be close when Robert set his flag
into the central point of our terrestrial globe
and made the North Pole his own.
Cover?
Can you cover?
From the day we married,
his beloved Artic had been the heart of the union.
For 23 years,
our love revolve around that frozen plains.
The North Pole meant more to us than anything.
Time and again, my explorer husband
risk his life to attain his dream.
I've been saving this wine for a celebration and...
I can think of no better occasion than
to thank all of you for treating me with such a...
exquisite attention.
This last few weeks, I have had a... delightful time.
Gentlemen, I would like
to propose a toast
to history
which is about to change forever.
Thanks to Lieutenant Peary and your invaluable help.
To the North Pole.
To the Pole.
- It's delicious, isn't it? - Excellent.
My dearest Josephine,
right now, you husband could be only a few miles from his goal.
Every nation in the world longs for what we will soon achieve.
Our flag will fly, once again,
on "terra incógnita [unknown land]."
To be a part of this endeavor
has been the greatest honor I have ever had in my long life.
And for this, I would like to thank you
and these brave gentlemen
for their determination and support.
Never the less, as a doctor of this expedition...
- Doctor, I know. - ...I must insist, Josephine. I'm sorry.
I came back from the north last month.
from your husband's second base camp.
I know what's out there.
And as a doctor, I must say that right now,
as our greatest benefactor Lucius pointed out,
being so close to achieving our goal
and without lost of a single life
it would be tragic to expose yours, my dear Josephine.
Fyodor dear, you haven't touched your turkey.
I think you might be forgetting, doctor, that two Eskimos die
3 months ago.
One of them right in front of you here at Ellesmere.
I know that, Bram. I was referring to...
Oh yes, you mean...
"white people, men."
Members of the expedition, like you.
Yes, well,
I don't believe that you can have an expedition without the Eskimos,
without their dogs, their knowledge.
Of course.
No, I'm just pointing out, doctor,
that they also count as loss of lives.
Oh, of course, uh... No body is questioning that, Mr. Trevor.
Wouldn't you say, Fyodor?
I'm afraid our friend Mr. Trevor is simply paying homage to this
pleasant and strong race which has offer us so much help.
And, without which...
Huh "Help"... But it wasn't exactly free.
Oh Lucius, it's nothing to you.
But being killed isn't free either.
I've... uh...
been coming here for 17 years.
I lost two ships.
Fifteen people on those expeditions never return home.
Some wanted money. Some fame.
Other has scientific ambitions.
One might be here for love.
But, none of them,
and that includes everyone at this table...
None of them came here without knowledge of the danger they were facing.
My toast...
is all those who never came back.
To their courage
and to the infinitely high price they had to pay with their lives.
To all of them.
♫ [Opera Music] ♫
Avalanche!
"Get on the ground! Get on the ground!"
Mrs. Peary.
Come in.
Do you... Do you need anything?
No, thank you. No.
Alright.
We'll leave at 5:00 sharp.
And, don't leave the tent without your rifle.
We're... We're near the coast, and... there're bears around.
I know.
It wasn't my fault.
Snow is not predictable.
Dogs die all the time.
There's nothing ever gonna to change that.
You are a good guide, Bram.
But I... I... I still don't see why you keep coming back here. Um...
I have to get the other tents setup.
With any luck, we should reach the first shelter by tomorrow,
if there is anything left of them.
And there...
It should be a bit more comfortable for you.
- Good night. - Good night.
♪ [Eskimo Chant] ♪
Ow! Ow...!
It's alright.
Alright.
It's alright.
It's no way to be buried. No way to rest.
I know.
I don't want to be buried like that myself.
I want him to be buried under some stones.
- And a cross. - A cross.
Yes, a cross.
But how do we know he would have wanted a cross?
I don't think he'll tell us if we ask him. I just said a cross... A cross.
Some men don't want to have anything to do with God even when they're dead.
You just obey my order and do it.
Have the Eskimos to help you.
I have no need for them.
Purity.
Excuse me?
You were asking me why I keep coming back here.
It's so pure.
More than the sea.
More than the sky.
It certainly is. It's...
magnificent.
It takes me away from human beings.
Brings me closer to nothingness.
I'm sorry.
That's a little too mystical to me.
No, it's really no mystical at all, I'm afraid.
I'm just not comfortable with people.
What about them?
Not with them either.
This is their land.
And...
I'm a stranger here too.
Good night.
Well, huh... Mrs. Peary,
We're all set.
Very good.
Odaq wants to turn back.
I, uh... I gave him my knife, but uh...
I don't know how long he's gonna to last.
These men are so annoyingly undisciplined. Nobody's turning back. Let's go.
Go!
JOSEPHINE PEARY SLEPT HERE ON SEPTEMBER 9TH 1908
That's the Nares Strait out there. [Nares Strait is a waterway between Ellesmere Island and Greenland that is the northern part of Baffin Bay where it meets the Lincoln Sea]
That means we are about 30 miles from Greenland.
That's... It's north-eastern tip.
That's where your husband stopped on his way.
And he's heading north.
The ice there is very dangerous
because it's moving, can't be trusted.
So I think what we should do is take shelter on those mountains over there.
We have enough food for about 10 days.
I'm going to stay there until your husband gets back.
Absolutely not. Why would I stop now?
Nares was here thirty years ago. [The strait is named after British naval officer George Strong Nares]
My husband's been here at least 3 times.
You yourself have crossed this size of field before.
Never this close to winter. It's too dangerous.
Odaq.
Odaq, go back to family.
Odaq, crossed with kayak, not on foot.
Water, not friend now.
Odaq, we're not going to cross.
We're staying here for few days.
Good weather. Good hunting.
You put that away.
It's yours.
"Thank you."
You see,
Those people understand how dangerous it is out here.
Your husband sailed across there in a canoe.
We don't have any canoes.
I understand.
The second base camp is across the strait.
- Isn't that right? - That's right.
Alright, you and I will cross it.
We'll take 8 dogs and food for 5 days. We'll make it.
We will leave tomorrow. Setup camp right here.
- I just explained to you why we can't... - Then I'll go alone.
Prepare light sled and 6 dogs. God will help me.
But take a look around, for your God sake.
Don't you see it!
Don't you feel it!
This is a dreadful instruction!
We don't make the rules here.
It's nature. She is the one that makes the rules.
That means we must abide by them.
These men have no god but they have this.
- And it's more powerful than any god that you have. - Not doing it for God.
I'm doing it for Lieutenant Peary.
And you swore loyalty to him and to me as well.
His undertaking is much bigger than your Eskimos and their nature.
It's the undertaking of all mankind. And it's what makes it superior.
Turning back would mean none of it meant anything.
And I have to be there, with him.
One must always finish what one begins, and...
I'll finish this.
Bram and I set off into the white with courage and hope.
I knew that Robert was there waiting for me on the far side of the ice.
His eyes bright. His arms opened.
The arms that were my compass point,
My true north.
We have to stop.
We gotta have to take shelter
or this fog will swallow something.
I can't continue.
I can't.
Quickly, a mink!
A mink!
We made it.
We're on the other side. We made it.
Bram, we made it.
What?
- Dig my grave, Josephine. - No.
I don't want
the wild dogs to devour me.
Josephine,
no cross.
No cross.
Friend.
Friend, Bram.
R.I.P. BRAM TREVOR 1869 - 1908
HERE LIES AN IRISH SAILOR AND EXPLORER
HONORABLE MEMBER OF THE 1908
PEARY EXPEDITION TO THE NORTH POLE
DIED IN THE LAND HE LOVED
HE WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN
On Bram's behalf, thank you, Ninq.
Thank you.
Robert!
Robert.
Robert?!
Frand Nashtell?
Hello, Frand.
Wake up.
Where is Lieutenant Peary?
So white...
So
beautiful.
But, Frand,
it's me, Josephine Peary.
What happened?
Am I backed?
Is that you, Ingrid?
Can't see you very well.
[Speaking Inuktitut]
You'll die if you don't see a doctor.
I shouldn't be here.
Should be with your husband there in the north.
- In the pole. - That doesn't matter now.
Then what does, huh?
Getting you out of this place.
He abandoned me
like one of his filthy dogs.
I managed to walk here
leaving chunk of me along the way.
He mentioned no use to him.
I've been...
seeing blood in this godforsaken place
for two year, working only for him!
My hands, froze.
He...
He gave me a...
a knife,
seal oil, a little meat,
and said, "Turn back."
"Turn back," huh!
We were almost there...
The lieutenant did what he had to do.
Tomorrow, you're going back to Ellesmere in my sled with me.
Now, get some sleep.
Rest.
Well,
What'll happen to me?
Who will love me... now?
Tell people what you've seen,
what you've done.
They'll love you. They'll... They'll envy you.
And then you'll start a new life.
Who will love you, Mrs. Peary?
Name is Allaka.
Woman? Man?
Allaka, woman.
Woman too.
Yes.
He bared his soul with me.
Left me there like them dog in the...
in the middle of that miserable frozen ocean.
When you reach Ellesmere, tell Captain Spalding
not to sail his ship until my husband and I arrive at the camp.
Whenever that is.
Josephine, go back to ship now
with sick man.
No, I'll wait for my husband. I return with him and his men.
Sun will sleep.
Your husband, white bear.
Josephine not white bear.
Josephine die here.
Bram, white bear.
Bram, dead. Josephine die here too.
My husband, the white bear, is on his way. He won't be long.
Goodbye Ninq. Thank You.
Dead... come
when sun sleep.
Where...
Where are they going?
Return, to their land.
No hunting here.
They have to wait for my husband's group.
Might not be coming back, Mrs. Peary.
Too late.
Oh yeah, much too late.
Husband, he's...
he's lost his mind.
- He only got his... - Goodbye, Mr. Nashtell. - negro...
I hope you survive. I sincerely hope you survive.
Goodbye.
"When There's No Path, Make One." Robert E. Peary June 1908.
♪ [Phonograph playing] ♪
A strange peace came over me that night
as love for Robert fill my being.
I felt him so close to me in the cabin.
I inhaled the smell of his skin from these wooden planks.
I felt his hands on me as I laid on the hard bunk.
I prayed that his presence would fill my sleep.
Hello?!
Is anybody there?
Hello?
Every journey has its dangers.
Otherwise it wouldn't be a journey.
Now you know.
That's what it's like if you want to be a traveller.
You'll never fly south again.
Nope.
No, you won't.
Your feather has warmed you and beautiful.
It was you.
- Allaka. - Yes.
I already know that.
- You didn't leave with your parents? - This woman... wait here.
"Mattak," good?
- Pardon? - Whale fat.
Oh, frankly my dear. I wouldn't know what to do with it.
But... Thanks anyway.
I have things to do.
Teeth, very strong. My eyes, quick.
Yes?
But I don't think you teeth are of any use to me. But...
Right now, I like to be alone.
What is "alone?"
I go. You stay.
Me alone. You alone.
- Allaka alone? - Aww, oh my god!
Goodbye.
Woman?
Yes, woman! Woman!
Lieutenant Peary,
you know I don't like to be kept waiting with dinner ready.
There, I said it.
Why the hell they're always smiling?
Smiling, smiling.
Father, hunt. Mother, make. Allaka, give.
Thank you.
Those "kamiit," very ugly. [Kamiit (pl.) are soft boot, traditionally made of reindeer skin or sealskin, and worn by Arctic aboriginal people, including the Inuit]
Those boots are worn out. Not ugly.
Worn? How?
Old.
Old, yes.
And ugly.
Anyway...
You have to go. Well...
I'm... I'm very cold and I'm tired.
This woman can warm feet, hands, face.
Today, no cold.
Soon, very cold.
- Soon, sun sleep. - Yes, I know. But...
I'll have left by then.
You should go south too.
- Tomorrow... soon. - Allaka, wait.
What is Allaka waiting for?
- For man. - That's good.
- Hunter? - Bad hunter.
Man, walk.
Man look end of world. Brave, brave!
This woman's man,
beautiful.
Peary, is name.
You man is... is white?
Qadlunaaq, no. [People of the main town in the northern part of the Avannaata municipality in northwestern Greenland]
Yes.
Water white, in winter.
Peary, moss.
Green.
Go! This is my house. Go now!
Good house.
Peary's house.
Woman, have name?
Josephine. Josephine Peary.
People from sea always have same name?
Go, go now! Go! Go!
Allaka help Josephine woman tomorrow.
What are you doing here?
This woman make warm Josephine.
Yeah.
You brought me back.
Sun come out in good mood.
Josephine was sleeping in cold.
What happened to my hair?
Pretty hair.
Color of morning.
This woman cut.
Hair wanted to live on ground.
What on earth...?
Food...
make warm Josephine.
"Mattak (whale fat)." [Mattak, usually eaten raw, is most often made from the skin and blubber of the bowhead whale, although the beluga and the narwhal are also used.]
I have food. My food.
Leave me alone.
When will he be back?
Peary man, when... when will he be back?
This woman don't know.
Waiting long time.
I can't take it anymore of this.
Always come back.
Yes.
He always comes back.
There's not much coal.
No, sir.
Allaka.
Allaka?
♪ [Phonograph playing] ♪
"Iherit (Eat)."
"Qujanaq (Thanks)."
You know what this is?
Music.
Peary show me.
This food is to thank you for what you did for me.
This dinner is for you, Allaka.
Do you know what this is?
Allaka see it before.
Good.
Now, you learn how to use one.
Fork.
Close enough.
Now, this is how you hold it.
It's a gift, Allaka.
From me to you. Eat.
Yes, and remember to use the fork.
Very good.
Wine.
Have you ever tried it?
Oh, you'll like it.
You see, Allaka,
you live here.
It's a beautiful land like you.
But where we come from,
things have...
How do I put this?
Owners.
They belong to somebody.
Like that pretty hair belongs to you.
Belonging to somebody is what gives things meaning.
Otherwise, what would be the point?
People too.
They feel better when they belong to somebody.
Here, many people
in
walrus,
in fox,
in bear. People, man and woman...
Eat, Allaka, it's for you.
He'll be back soon.
- Peary man? - My man,
for 20 years. Yes,
Robert E. Peary, my husband.
Meat?
Meat.
Peary is strong man.
Allaka, look at me.
What you see here,
what you eating are part of my world.
Very different from yours.
My husband is also a part of that world.
World, very big.
Every soul is world.
Peary will go back to the sea with me.
He won't come back anymore. I'm his wife. Allaka, you're different.
Sure you understand.
Peary, many winters here.
Peary, no speak Inuinnaqtun.
Allaka, only one summer with Peary.
This woman speak language of sea.
Allaka, same world as Peary.
Warm Peary body, hair, many times.
And laugh together.
World is like this.
People help people.
You don't understand.
This woman, young.
But this woman understand very well.
Allaka rejects wine.
I have gifts for you and your people
from another world,
like my clothes and knives.
Look at me, Allaka...
Look at me.
Tomorrow, you'll take my gifts
and go back to your people tomorrow.
You... You... You can't be in our world.
It's my world and you shouldn't be in it.
Look around you!
It's obvious.
Allaka, can't.
Don't feel fingers.
Oh, sleeping now.
Hot.
I left your gifts in the igloo.
- Get ready to leave. - Heat bad, Josephine.
Water.
Baby come soon.
I see
Why didn't you tell me?
This woman thought
Josephine see
and smell.
Not really.
I didn't... I didn't notice anything.
[Crossing out dates on a "calendar"]
What are you doing here?
Robert.
Robert!
Robert, my darling,
are you back?
Robert.
Filthy tramp,
he's in there!
Josephine afraid white man.
But white man make igloo in north.
Wait until winter pass.
Cannot travel more.
How do you know that?
This woman knows because what she does if she be a man.
Allaka.
Allaka, come here.
- Bright day. Good day. - Waiting here makes no sense.
Peary won't come back before winter sets in. We are alone.
We'll be alone all winter. We'll... We'll die waiting here.
Sun is leaving.
- To stay is bad idea... - Yes, that's what I'm saying,
bad idea!
We must go right away, alright?
To go now is day bad.
Very long way.
Here, we die at home,
- or we live. - To die at home?
This is not my goddamn home!
- This woman knows, yes. - To wait here is like committing suicide.
Allaka, wake up, please.
Hear, we... We have to go. We have a few days.
- Already too late. - We can. We can make it.
Already too late when Jos arrive.
Now, not possible.
Oh my god, please.
Josephine, hunting is a good idea.
Hunting.
Yes!
"Kaperdlak." [Kaperdlak is the name of the season in Greenland when the sun doesn't rise]
Last day sun will wake.
We won't last half the winter.
Small person no live night forever.
Small person see light.
See sun.
Josephine wants to see it too.
No body wants the night.
[Burning her "calendar" for heat]
That's disgusting!
Good food!
Eat raw.
Half for Josephine.
Peary man no eat raw meat.
You don't have to mention him in every conversation.
Just another rock in the path.
Not understand many words.
But see eyes.
Bad eyes.
Like night.
This woman no understand why she look at Allaka this way.
Well, you don't understand a lot of thing.
A lot,
but other things, yes.
People don't understand world.
Only understand people.
So beautiful.
You like it?
Yes.
The dress designer was
one of the best in New York.
It fits you like
dew fits the morning, he said to me once.
Robert never saw me in it.
Josephine be with other men?
Never. No.
Allaka, never.
Why him?
Peary ask,
"Bear cub, warm my bed."
Allaka without person.
Peary without person.
"Bear cub,
warm my bed."
Do you know what love is?
"Yes!"
Eat with person when not there.
Sleep with person when not there.
Laugh with person when not there.
"Aihaggut." [This word has no known translation into other languages]
Do you do that?
"Yes."
And Josephine?
Me too.
Food, good.
Eat raw.
- Josephine. - I'm tired.
I want to sleep.
Allaka, man now.
Josephine, sick woman.
Soon,
Allaka have small person.
Josephine and Allaka,
take care together.
No more wood outside.
We burn the cabin,
a little at a time.
Eat raw meat.
I thought we run out of walrus meat.
Jos eat dog.
I never thought I hear such a statement.
Park Avenue,
what do you think of that?
Marie.
Marie Ahnighito.
My daughter's name.
Your people call her "the snow baby"
because her skin was so white.
When they heard of such a baby had been born, they...
they came from all around.
They brought gifts
made of... ivory
and bone.
Marie Ahnighito.
I hardly thought about her.
My small person will be born soon.
No people will come to see.
No gifts.
Only hunger
and much fear.
I'll help you.
I'll be with you.
Josephine, no mother.
Peary man, no father.
Allaka no understand.
What people look for when people have everything?
"When There's No Path, Make One." Robert E. Peary June 1908.
Allaka!
Wait.
- Igloo, dangerous. - It's more dangerous outside.
Rest.
Think we can go outside.
Can't hear anything.
Storm leave.
You have matches?
Cabin.
Wait here.
It's too hard.
We're... Snow has frozen over. We're...
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry, Allaka.
We are buried.
I can't do this anymore.
I'm sorry.
Small person come out, today.
Josephine...!
The sky, way out.
The sky.
You can't leave the igloo.
Your milk is too valuable.
I'll take care of everything.
Tchikua.
Better luck tomorrow.
- Yes, tomorrow. - Tomorrow.
Dog, good friend, for long time.
Josephine,
Eat.
Skin,
can be food.
Don't think.
Eat, Josephine.
Eat.
Don't want to.
Please, eat.
Josephine.
The faint barking of dogs.
The slides of the sled through the snow.
It couldn't be...
Then, Matthew Henson was in the igloo with us.
Henson,
who've been with Robert on every expedition.
Mrs. Peary.
It's me.
Henson.
Night, Henson?
I've come to get you out of here.
There is some seal meat
in the sled.
Come on, move.
Now.
Food.
Is it really you?
The Pole, ma'am, we did it.
We own the flag.
North Pole.
Where is my husband?
On his way to Ellesmere, ma'am.
We found Ninq,
very ill surviving in the rocks near the Nares Strait.
He told us you were here.
Robert is still alive?
But Ninq died the day after we found him.
I took 3 dogs and some meat.
Ma'am, we have to go.
We have a long trip.
The southern wind will be coming in soon. They are fierce, we won't be able to travel.
Food.
For baby and his mother.
We have a rough trip ahead of us. We need it.
Food.
The baby...
How long...?
How many days have we been asleep?
How could this happen?
Henson brings food.
Tchikua...
Tchikua, sleep,
until sun wakes up.
Tchikua, sleep,
until sun wakes up.
Tchikua, sleep,
until sun wakes up.
Dogs out there won't last long.
They'll eat each other and the winds will come.
We have to go, Mrs. Peary.
I'm begging you.
We'll die.
Allaka,
we have to go.
You don't understand, there's not enough food
or room on the sled for everyone.
Sorry.
Three of us, won't survive.
Impossible.
I'm not leaving.
You husband is waiting in Ellesmere, ma'am.
He did it.
He made his dream come true.
Now...
Now, you made it as well.
North Pole.
What was it like?
She won't come back.
She's probably burying the baby.
- She's coming with us. - It's impossible, ma'am.
It's either her or you.
I'm not leaving without you.
Allaka, come.
Goodbye, Josephine Peary.
- Ma'am... - No. - please.
No.
Please!
Allaka!
Allaka...
Tchikua,
the child of two mothers.
That was the name Allaka gave him the night he was born.
The night, it was all night.
Tchikua never once saw the sun.
Allaka never saw the sun again.
I never spoke her name again
but I carry her secret in my soul.
And still, she haunts my days.
Allaka.