Filming Bear Island : Arctic Island Narratives, Polar Exploration, and Poetic Geometry

______________________________________________" Shima&<www.shimajournal.org>1ISSN:11834:6057& FILMING"BEAR"ISLAND" 1 Arctic1Island1Narratives,1Polar1Exploration,1and1Poetic1Geometry1 1 [Received1March126th12019;1accepted1March112th120201–1DOI:110.21463/shima.14.1.06]" 1 Johannes1Riquet1 1 Tampere1University,1Finland1<[email protected]>11 1 ABSTRACT:1This1article1discusses1the1poetics1of1polar1geography1in1three1filmic1accounts1 of1expeditions1to1Arctic1islands:1Don1Sharp’s1Cold1War1thriller1Bear%Island1(1979),1the1surfer1 film1 Bjørnøya/Bear% Island1(2014),1 and1 the1 NRK1 television1 series1 Bjørnøya1(2014),1 which1 documents1 six1 months1 at1 a1 meteorological1 station1 in1 the1 Arctic.1 Taking1 Bertrand1 Westphal’s1geocritical1call1to1“place1place1at1the1center1of1debate”1(2011:1112)1as1my1starting1 point,1 I1 explore1 the1 filmic1 life1 of1 Bear1 Island1 in1 the1 Svalbard1 archipelago.1 As1 I1 will1 demonstrate,1 all1 three1 works1 create1 a1 poetic1 geometry1 of1 experience,1 mediating1 Arctic1 geography1to1think1about1the1relationship1between1human1agency1and1the1agency1of1the1 physical1world.1They1do1so,1however,1in1very1different1ways:1Bear%Island1oscillates1between1 representing1snow1and1ice1as1forces1overpowering1humans1and1a1fantasy1of1human1control1 of1the1cold1landscape1that1ties1into1Cold1War1environmental1anxieties;1Bjørnøya1(the1film)1 and1 Bjørnøya1(the1 series)1 engage1 with1 surfing1 and1 meteorology1 as1 practices1 that1 embed1 humans1in1complex1geographical1and1ecological1networks.1In1doing1so,1all1three1works1both1 follow1and1challenge1the1conventions1of1island1narratives1by1giving1them1a1distinct1polar1 spin.11 1 KEYWORDS:1 Cold:water1 islands,1 island1 narratives,1 island1 films,1 geocriticism,1 poetic1 geometry,1mediation1of1geography,1Arctic1imaginaries,1poetics1of1snow1and1ice1 1 1 Introduction11 1 At1the1beginning1of1Don1Sharp’s119791film1Bear%Island,1an1image1of1the1ocean1fades1in.1As1 the1 camera1 pans1 left,1 we1 see1 the1 terminus1 of1 a1 glacier1 on1 the1 border1 of1 land1 and1 sea.1 Exploring1 the1 giant1 blocks1 of1 ice,1 the1 mobile1 camera1 crosses1 the1 border1 and1 gradually1 moves1 inland;1 after1 several1 dissolves,1 the1 camera1 distances1 itself1 from1 the1 ice1 and1 tilts1 upwards,1 revealing1 the1 entire1 trajectory1 of1 the1 glacier1 and1 the1 peaks1 towering1 above1 it1 under1a1blue1sky.1A1series1of1shots1follows1of1what1seems1to1be1an1icy1coastline1but1could1 also1be1the1snout1of1a1glacier1elsewhere.1Low:angle1perspectives1underscore1the1enormity1of1 the1ice,1and1gusts1of1wind1swirl1up1the1snow1on1the1ground.1The1next1shot1takes1us1inland1 again,1and1we1see1a1mountainous1landscape1covered1in1snow1and1partly1hidden1by1fog.1The1 title1of1the1film,1“Alistair1MacLean’s1BEAR1ISLAND,”1is1displayed1in1the1centre1of1the1image,1 establishing1 the1 island1 status1 of1 the1 landscape.1 As1 the1 remaining1 credits1 appear,1 we1 see1 various1views1of1the1mountains1that1feature1snow,1ice,1clouds,1and1fog1in1different1states;1 the1snow1whirling1around1the1landscape1creates1the1sense1of1a1dynamic1environment.1One1 image1is1particularly1striking:1the1plane1of1snow1surrounding1the1mountains1resembles1an1 ocean.1 The1 ripples1 on1 the1 hard1 surface1 are1 reminiscent1 of1 waves,1 and1 the1 band1 of1 mist1 around1 the1 mountains1 creates1 the1 illusion1 of1 a1 coastline1 shrouded1 in1 fog.1 Before1 the1 narrative1proper1begins,1then,1the1credit1sequence1offers1a1starting1point1for1thinking1about1 the1poetics1of1polar1islands.1As1Gillian1Beer1points1out,1“in1its1earliest1forms”1the1word1isle1 Riquet"–"Filming"Bear"Island" _______________________________" Shima&Volume"14"Number"1"2020& K"48"K " “derived1from1a1word1for1water1and1meant,1‘watery’1or1‘watered’.1In1Old1English1‘land’1was1 added1to1it1to1make1a1compound:1‘is:land’:1water:surrounded1land”1(1990:1271).1Polar1islands1 are1frequently1even1more1“watery”1than1warm:water1islands:1extensive1covers1of1snow1and1 ice1can1make1large1parts1of1the1surface1of1polar1islands1watery1even1on1land.11 1 While1 the1 representation1 of1 tropical1 islands1 and1 the1 real1 or1 fictional1 travellers1 that1 visit1 them1has1been1discussed1extensively1in1literary1studies,1there1is1as1yet1no1corresponding1 scholarly1tradition1dedicated1to1cold:water1islands1and1the1specific1imaginaries1connected1 to1them.1For1Godfrey1Baldacchino,1polar1islands1have1the1potential1to1counter1fantasies1of1 tropical1 islands:1 “[g]iven1 their1 extreme1 and1 insular1 location,1 and1 shorn1 of1 the1 ‘paradise’1 hype1of1sun,1sand,1sea1(and1sex?),1islands1on1the1top1and1bottom1of1the1world1can1be1seen1as1 absolutely1 the1 most1 remote1 and1 foreboding1 destinations1 on1 the1 planet”1(2006:1 7).1 But1 Baldacchino’s1argument1also1implies1that1polar1islands1actually1suggest1an1extreme1version1 of1 what1 many1 typical1 Western1 representations1 of1 tropical1 islands1 convey:1 the1 idea1 that1 islands1are1remote,1bounded,1isolated,1inaccessible,1and1deserted.1Yet1I1 argue1that1Arctic1 island1 narratives1 can1 serve1 very1 different1 purposes1 and1 contest1 conventional1 island1 fantasies1in1more1fundamental1ways1than1those1suggested1by1Baldacchino.1As1I1have1argued1 elsewhere,1“while1northern1island1texts1typically1draw1on1the1imagery1of1snow1and1ice1to1 paint1suggestive1landscapes,1there1is1a1set1of1texts1that1poeticise1the1specific1geographical1 inventory1 of1 Arctic1 islandscapes1 to1 challenge1rather1 than1 reinforce1 island1 clichés1 like1 ‘inaccessibility,’1‘island1isolation’1and1‘individuality’”1as1well1as1the1territorial,1cartographic1 models1of1space1that1accompany1such1stereotypes1(2016:1146;1emphasis1in1original).1 1 In1 this1 article,1 I1 wish1 to1 present1 a1 geocritical1 exploration1 of1 filmic1 travels1 to1 one1 Arctic1 island,1the1island1of1Bjørnøya1(Bear1Island):1Bear%Island1(1979),1a1Cold1War1film1directed1by1 Don1Sharp;1Bjørnøya/Bear%Island,1a1documentary1about1three1Norwegian1brothers’1surfing1 trip1to1Bear1Island1(directed1by1Inge1Wegge1and1Edda1Grjotheim,1Norway12014);1and1a1six: part1television1series1by1the1NRK1(Norwegian1Broadcasting1Corporation)1that1documents1 the1 lives1 of1 nine1 Norwegians1 running1 the1 meteorological1 station1 on1 Bjørnøya1 for1 six1 months,1also1entitled1Bjørnøya1(2014).1Bjørnøya1is1the1southernmost1island1of1the1Svalbard1 archipelago1in1the1Barents1Sea,1situated1at1about174°1north,119o1east1(Figure11).11It1served1as1a1 base1for1the1hunting1of1marine1mammals1from1the1early117th1Century1onwards1when1the1 English1Muscovy1Company1dispatched1a1series1of1hunting1expeditions1to1the1island.1In1the1 late119th1Century,1the1German1and1Russian1Empires1tried1to1claim1the1island1on1account1on1 its1 strategic1 value.1 After1 World1 War1 I,1 a1 Norwegian1 meteorological1 station1 and1 a1 radio1 station1were1established1on1Bjørnøya,1and1there1was1a1mining1village1on1the1island1from1 19161to11925.1The1area1was1important1for1the1Nazis1during1World1War1II,1who1established1 various1meteorological1stations1in1East1Greenland,1Svalbard,1Hopen,1and1Franz1Josef1Land1 (Lüdecke,12002:139).1The1area1was1also1of1strategic1importance1in1the1Cold1War,1when1it1 functioned1as1a1buffer1zone1between1Russian1and1American:controlled1territories1that1both1 superpowers1surveyed1anxiously.1Today,1most1of1the1island1is1a1nature1reserve,1and1it1is1only1 inhabited1by1the1changing1staff1of1the1Norwegian1meteorological1station1on1the1north1coast.11 1 Bertrand1Westphal’s1geocriticism1advocates1a1“geocentered1approach”1to1space1and1“places1 place1at1the1center1of1debate”1(2011:1112).1He1advocates1multiple1textual1perspectives1on1a1 given1spatial1referent,1coupled1with1a1polysensory1attention1to1space1and1its1many1layers1 (which,1for1him,1always1includes1textual1and1medial1layers).1He1thus1places1geography1and1 not1 the1 subject1 or1 individual1 works1 in1 the1 centre1 of1 analysis1 to1 explore1 the1 interface1 between1space1and1its1representations.1For1Westphal,1representations1are1as1much1part1of1 11See1also1Tynan1(2020).1 Riquet"–"Filming"Bear"Island" _______________________________" Shima&Volume"14"Number"1"2020& K"49"K " space1 as1 physical1 geography1 and1 built1 structures.1 A1 crucial1 ambition1 of1 Westphal’s1 geocriticism1 is1 to1 contest1 spatial1 stereotypes1 via1 multiplicity:1 thus,1 “representation1 proliferates1depending1on1points1of1view,1on1discourses.1It1continues1to1inspire1stereotypes,1 but,1as1they1cross1each1other1and1explode1the1focal1nodes1that1would1limit1our1perspectives,1 they1 will1reveal1themselves1 as1 such”1 (2011:1147).1 Looking1at1 three1 filmic1 accounts1 of1 Bear1 Island1 does1 not1 only1 allow1 me1 to1 follow1 Westphal’s1 call1 for1 a1 multifocal1 approach1 by1 comparing1their1different1visions1of1 the1same1 spatial1referent,1but1these1 portrayals1of1an1 Arctic1 island1 in1 themselves1 already1 contest1 stereotypes1 on1 the1 level1 of1 genre1 by1 both1 evoking1and1challenging1other1island1narratives.1In1Haunted%Journeys1(1991),1Dennis1Porter1 argues1that1travel1writing1is1frequently1haunted1by1the1voices1of1previous1travellers:1texts1 partly1 view1 the1 landscapes1 they1 describe1 through1 other1 texts,1 from1 which1 they1 simultaneously1strive1to1liberate1themselves.1In1line1with1Porter’s1claim,1these1films1in1many1 ways1construct1the1Arctic1island1through1the1poetic1and1narrative1devices1of1classic1island1 stories1–1thus,1one1of1the1crew1members1mentions1Robinson1Crusoe1as1an1inspiration1at1the1 very1beginning1of1the1NRK1series,1before1drawing1attention1to1the1different1climate1zones1–1 but1they1also1complicate1the1latter’s1conventions1and1spatial1ideologies.11 1 1 1 Figure11:1Map1of1Bjørnøya1in1the1surfer1documentary1Bjørnøya/Bear%Island1(2014)1 1 1 Arctic1islands11 1 As1 an1 “environment1 characterised1 by1 an1 exceptional1 level1 of1 spatio:temporal1 dynamism1 and1 material1 complexity”1 (Steinberg1 and1 Kristoffersen,1 2017:1 627),1 the1 Arctic1 archipelago1 poses1 challenges1 to1 Western1 conceptions1 of1 space1 and1 territorialisation1 through1 the1 presence1 of1 snow1 and1 ice1 in1 various1 contexts1 –1 including1 glaciers,1 permafrost,1 and1 ice1 sheets1–1as1well1as1through1other1material1and1experiential1particularities1including1optical1 illusions,1 perceptual1 distortions1 and1 the1 distinctive1 patterns1 of1light1 and1 darkness1 in1 the1 polar1 regions.1 As1 Barry1 Lopez1 writes1 in1 Arctic% Dreams,1 these1 properties1 of1 the1 Arctic1 challenge1conventional1understandings1of1space1and1time1and1have1the1potential1to1expose1 them1as1cultural1constructions1(2014:120).1 Riquet"–"Filming"Bear"Island" _______________________________" Shima&Volume"14"Number"1"2020& K"50"K " 1 Polar1 islands1 arguably1 embody1 the1 interaction1 between1 geospheres1 in1 a1 heightened1 and1 tangible1 way.1 In1 the1 Arctic,1 for1 instance,1 the1 importance1 of1 water1 that1 is1 so1 frequently1 emphasised1in1Island1Studies1is1extended.1Godfrey1Baldacchino1emphasises1“the1multiple1 ways1in1which1the1waters1fold1into1island1life;1or1the1islands1fold1into1ocean1life”1(2012:126)1 and1 maintains1 that1 a1 “sea1 of1 relationships1 has1 made1 small1 islands1 what1 they1 are”1 (2014:1 online).1For1Laurie1Brinklow,1“islandness1must1always1come1back1to1water”1(2011:1online).1 Responding1 to1 the1 debate,1 Philip1 Hayward1 argues1 that1 even1 archipelagic1 conceptions1 of1 islands1frequently1underemphasise1the1importance1of1“the1marine1aspect1of1archipelagos”1 and1should1engage1more1thoroughly1with1“integrated1terrestrial:marine1spaces”1(2012:12).1 The1 credit1 sequence1 of1 Bear% Island1certainly1 presents1 its1 titular1 island1 as1 a1 “terrestrial: marine1space.”1More1than1that,1it1includes1the1atmosphere1in1its1conception1of1island1space.1 The1island1that1emerges1in1the1film’s1first1minutes1is1shaped1by1water1in1its1three1states1of1 matter:1fluid1(the1ocean),1solid1(snow1and1ice),1and1gaseous1(the1fog).1We1see1a1watery1land1 indeed:1 the1 island’s1 solid,1 fluid,1 and1 airy1 spheres1 are1 all1 filled1 with1 varieties1 of1 H2O.1 Furthermore,1these1different1spheres1also1interact:1the1scattered1lumps1of1ice1on1the1edge1of1 the1ocean1and1the1snow1swirling1through1the1air1foreground1the1ongoing1exchange1of1water1 between1 atmosphere,1 hydrosphere,1 and1 terrestrial1 space.1 Having1 initially1 arrived1 on1 the1 island1from1the1ocean1via1the1atmosphere1in1the1form1of1precipitation,1the1island’s1covers1of1 snow1 and1 ice1 are1 shown1 to1 return1 to1 where1 they1 came1 from1 not1 only1 at1 the1 “osmotic1 membrane”1of1the1“maritime1boundary”1(Rivera:Collazo,12011:123;1emphasis1original),1but1 also1on1the1border1of1land1and1air.1If1“island1studies1is1very1much1about1the1implications1of1 permeable1borders1(Baldacchino,12007:15;1see1also1Hay,12013:1220),1this1enquiry1is1usefully1 extended1beyond1the1shore,1especially1(though1by1no1means1exclusively)1in1the1context1of1 polar1islands.1 1 Numerous1 scholars1 have1 reflected1 on1 the1 cultural1 and1 geopolitical1 implications1 of1 the1 material1 properties1 of1 polar1 geography1 (see1 Craciun,1 2010;1 Steinberg1 and1 Peters,1 2015;1 Steinberg1 and1 Kristoffersen,1 2017)1and1 any1discussion1 of1 polar1 islands1 should1 take1 these1 material1properties1into1account.1Conversely,1Island1Studies1offer1conceptual1tools1that1are1 valuable1for1polar1research.1This1is,1perhaps,1particularly1true1for1the1Arctic.1In1the1absence1 of1an1Arctic1continent,1the1circumpolar1north1is1productively1thought1of1as1an1archipelago.1 The1emphasis1on1the1interaction1between1water1and1land1in1recent1Island1Studies1takes1on1 special1 significance1 in1 the1 Arctic1archipelago1where1 the1 presence1 of1 (sea)1 ice1 challenges1 neat1divisions1between1land1and1sea,1as1Adriana1Craciun1argues:11 1 Simultaneously%fluid%and%solid,%turbulent%and%rigid%(but%rarely%tranquil),%the% Frozen%Ocean%posed%unique%problems%for%oppositional%‘ideologies%of%land%and% sea’%that,%as%Christopher%Connery%has%shown,%were%fundamental%to%the%ability% of% capitalist% models% of% global% power% to% eclipse% ‘a% host% of% other% visions% of% maritime%space.’1(2010:1694).11 1 Philip1 Steinberg1 and1 Kimberley1Peters1 make1 a1 similar1 argument1 when1 they1 discuss1 the1 potential1 of1 “wet1 ontologies”1 and1 “oceanic1 thinking”1 to1 unsettle1 static1 cartographies1 and1 geopolitical1orders,1notably1in1the1Arctic1(2015:1560).1 1 1 Poetic1geometries11 1 Literary1 and1 filmic1 representations1 of1 the1 Arctic1 often1 play1 with1 these1 material1 and1 perceptual1properties1of1polar1geography1and1add1their1own1medial1layers1to1them.1In1the1 Riquet"–"Filming"Bear"Island" _______________________________" Shima&Volume"14"Number"1"2020& K"51"K " next1section,1I1will1think1about1how1the1three1filmic1accounts1of1Bear1Island1mediate1Arctic1 island1 geography1 to1 reflect1 on1 the1 relationship1 between1 the1 human1 travellers1 and1 the1 physical1environment.1They1do1so1through1what1I1would1like1to1call1a1poetic1and1creative1 geometry1of1experience.1The1notion1of1poetic1geometry1I1am1advancing1here1relies1on1but1 also1 departs1 from1John1 Gillies’s1 notion1 of1 “poetic1 geography,”1 which1 he1 adapts1 from1 the1 Italian1 philosopher1 Giambattista1 Vico.1 For1 Gillies,1 “‘poetic1 geography’1 [can]1 be1 taken1 as1 paradigmatic1for1any1geography1which1differentiates1between1an1‘us’1and1a1‘them’”,1like1“the1 Renaissance1dualism1of1the1known1world1versus1that1class1of1geographic1entity1bearing1the1 label1 ‘terra1incognita’”1 (1994:1 6:7).1Unlike1Gillies,1I1am1not1primarily1interested1in1binary1 poetic1constructions1of1‘here’1and1‘there,’1but1I1take1from1him1the1interest1in1how1geography1 “mediates1 key1 ideological1 structures”1 (ibid:1 5),1 and1 in1 how1 the1 phenomenological,1 the1 medial1 and1 the1 geographical1 come1 together1 in1 representing1 experiences1 of1 unfamiliar1 spaces.11 1 Phenomenological1accounts1of1space1and1geography1tend1to1critique1Euclidean1geometry1 by1 emphasising1 that1 lived1 experience1 cannot1 be1 reduced1 to1 abstract1 geometrical1 forms1 (Merleau:Ponty,12004:149:56;1de1Certeau,11984:1117;1Ingold,12007;1Pultz1Moslund,12015:11:14,1 223).1At1the1same1time,1Maurice1Merleau:Ponty1(1945)1repeatedly1engages1with1geometrical1 forms1like1cubes,1circles,1and1lines1to1think1about1the1vectors,1directions,1and1dimensions1of1 experience1–1more1generally,1the1orientation1of1the1body1in1geographical1space.1Jean:Paul1 Forster’s1historical1phenomenology1of1space1is1attentive1to1this1geometrical1dimension1of1 experience1in1literature,1for1instance1when1he1discusses1the1emergence1in1the118th1Century1 of190o1angles1of1vision1in1island1narratives,1notably1Jonathan1Swift’s1Gulliver’s%Travels1(1726)1 and1 Daniel1 Defoe’s1Robinson% Crusoe1(1719)1 (2013:1 65:102);1 Edward1 Casey’s1 discussion1 of1 dimensionality1 in1 visual1 art1 and1 cartography1 (2002)1 is1 another,1 more1 explicitly1 phenomenological,1 example.1 My1 understanding1 of1 poetic1 geometry1 is1 also1 shaped1 by1 geopoetic1 explorations1 of1 a1 two:way1 exchange1 between1 the1 physical1 world1 and1 poetic1 language,1that1is,1by1the1textual1production1of1space1as1well1as1the1shaping1of1poetic1form1by1 geography1(see1White,11994;1Marszałek1and1Sasse,12010;1Italiano1and1Mastronunzio,12011;1 Bouvet,1 2015;1 Riquet,1 2019).1 The1 following1 analyses1 rest1 on1 the1 assumption1 that1 medial1 productions1of1 geographical1space1can1both1consolidate1and1challenge1spatial1ideologies.1 The1 three1 filmic1 constructions1 of1 Bear1 Island1 I1 will1 now1 turn1 to,1 though1 overlapping1in1 interesting1 ways,1 produce1 very1 different1 poetic1 geometries1 in1 conveying1 different1 experiences1of1Arctic1islands.1 1 1 1 Verticality1and1Cold1War1geopolitics:1Bear%Island1(1979)1 1 The1first1of1these1poetic1geometries1is1the1experience1of1verticality.1Bear%Island1is1a1British: Canadian1Cold1War1thriller1directed1by1Don1Sharp,1based1on1a119711novel1of1the1same1title1 by1 Alistair1 MacLean,1 though1 the1 film1 tells1 a1 very1 different1 story.1 In1 the1 film,1 an1 international1team1of1scientists1embarks1on1a1scientific1expedition1to1Bear1Island1under1the1 banner1of1the1UN1to1study1climate1change1–1or1so1we1think1at1first.1Soon1we1learn1that1some1 of1 them1 are1 really1 interested1 in1 something1 else:1 gold1 hidden1 on1 the1 island1 by1 the1 Nazis1 during1World1War1II.1As1the1film1progresses,1it1becomes1clear1that1various1groups1are1after1 the1 gold,1 among1 them1 an1 underground1 Nazi1 organisation1 with1 a1 global1 reach.1 In1 its1 conflation1of1Cold1War1 and1World1War1II1references,1Bear% Island1transforms1a1classic1of1 island1fiction,1Treasure%Island,1in1various1ways:1a1tropical1island1is1replaced1with1an1Arctic1 one,1pirates1with1double1identities1are1transformed1into1covert1Nazis,1and1a1treasure1linked1 to1colonial1violence1is1replaced1with1gold1amassed1by1fascism.11In1both1narratives,1a1map1 Riquet"–"Filming"Bear"Island" _______________________________" Shima&Volume"14"Number"1"2020& K"52"K " plays1 a1 central1 role1 in1 guiding1 the1 characters’1 movements1 on1 the1 island;1 finally,1 the1 experience1of1verticality1is1central1to1both1narratives.21 1 The1 real1 and1 imaginative1 histories1 of1 Bear1 Island/Bjørnøya1and1 the1 larger1 region1 within1 which1it1is1located1provide1an1evocative1background1for1this1Arctic1island1tale.1As1Cornelia1 Lüdecke1points1 out,1“civil1 life1 (meteorology)1and1 military1life”1 were1 “combined”1 in1 these1 operations1 as1 “meteorological1 information1 from1 the1 Arctic…1 was1 essential1 for1 wartime1 activities1 concerning1 England1and1 Russia”1 (2002:1 40,1 39).1 Some1 of1 the1 stations1 were1 manned,1 others1 were1 automatic.1 In1 19421 and1 1943,1 the1 German1 Luftwaffe1 set1 up1 two1 automatic1 weather1 stations1 on1 Bear1 Island1 (Blyth,1 1951:1 208,1 214);1 perhaps1 more1 importantly,1in119431a1manned1weather1station1was1established1in1Alexandra1Land1at1the1 western1 end1 of1 Franz1 Josef1 Land1 under1 the1 name1 of1 Operation1 Schatzgräber1 (‘Treasure1 Seeker’)1(ibid:1211:213).1Like1the1fictional1expedition1of1Bear%Island,1the1operation1ended1in1 disaster:1its1members1died1from1food1poisoning1after1eating1polar1bear1meat1in11944.1The1 station1 was1 long1 surrounded1 by1 uncertainty,1 mystery,1 and1 speculation1 until1 Russian1 scientists1 found1 its1 remnants1 in1 2016.1 With1 the1 discovery,1 old1 speculations1 about1 the1 station1resurfaced,1in1more1or1less1sensationalist1form.1Thus,1an1article1in1The%Independent1 vaguely1 referred1 to1 “some1 specialists1 speculating1 that1 it1 might1 have1 been1 used1 for1 the1 pursuit1 of1 ancient1 relics”1 (Khan,1 2016:1 online),1 while1a1 report1 in1 The% Sun1wrote1 that1 the1 mission1might1have1been1“searching1for1a1mythical1treasure1trove”1(Michael,12016:1online).1 Such1secret1treasure1hunts1 are1 probably1as1mythical1as1 the1treasures1themselves,1yet1the1 name1of1the1operation1certainly1resonates1with1the1Northern1mythology1of1Nazi1pseudo: science1(see1 Godwin,1 1996).1One1 of1the1breeding1grounds1for1Nazi1ideology1was1 a1 secret1 society1named1the1Thule:Gesellschaft1(‘Thule1Society’),1an1occultist1group1that1was1founded1 after1World1War1II1and1whose1name1refers1to1classical1antiquity's1legendary1island1at1the1 northern1limits1of1the1known1world,1Ultima1Thule.1Its1members1believed1in1a1lost1Arctic1 continent1and1an1original1Arctic1race1from1which1the1Aryan1race1had1descended1(Godwin,1 1996:1 47:61).1 These1 speculations,1 which1 tapped1 into1 centuries1 (even1 millennia)1 of1 Arctic1 mythology1 and1 ideas1 about1 a1 superior1 Hyperborean1 race1 living1 in1 a1 polar1 utopia,31were1 reproduced1 by1 Nazi1 ideologue1 Alfred1 Rosenberg1 in1 his1 influential1 book1 The% Myth% of% the% Twentieth%Century1(1930),1 where1 he1 asserts1 that1 “one1 has1 to1 assume1 that1 there1 was1 a1 prehistoric1northern1center1of1culture”1(in1Godwin,11996:157).11 The1Arctic1mythology1of1Nazi1pseudo:science1forms1an1important1backdrop1for1Bear%Island1 because1speculations1about1underground1Nazi1survival,1some1of1them1rather1wild,1were1still1 popular1in1the11970s1and11980s,1and1they1invested1Arctic1geography1with1new1myths.1Thus,1 Wilhelm1Landig’s119711Götzen%gegen%Thule1(subtitled1Ein%Roman%voller%Wirklichkeiten1:1‘A1 Novel1Full1of1Truths’)1and1R.1P.1Martin’s1Le%Renversement1(1984),1which1presents1itself1as1a1 factual1account,1offer1visions1of1the1survival1of1Nazism1in1secret1hideouts1in1the1Canadian1 Arctic,1linking1them1to1Northern1mythologies1like1those1of1the1Thule1society1(Godwin,11996:1 63:76).1With1its1underground1spaces1on1the1shore1of1the1island,1which1play1an1increasingly1 important1role1as1the1film1progresses,1Bear%Island1resonates1with1these1popular1and1occult1 myths1about1Nazi1survival.11 1 21In1Treasure%Island,1the1prospect1of1vertical1experience1is1already1anticipated1in1Jim’s1daydreams1about1 the1island1when1he1is1pouring1over1the1map,1linked1to1pleasurable1exploration1and1imaginative1activity:1 “I1climbed1a1thousand1times1to1that1tall1hill1they1call1the1Spy:glass,1and1from1the1top1enjoyed1the1most1 wonderful1and1changing1prospects”1(Stevenson,11985:136).11 31See,1among1others,1Davidson1(2005)1and1Richard1(2003).11 Riquet"–"Filming"Bear"Island" _______________________________" Shima&Volume"14"Number"1"2020& K"53"K " At1the1same1time,1references1to1the1Cold1War1are1present1from1the1beginning1of1the1film.1 When1the1team1is1still1on1the1ship1on1the1way1to1the1island,1a1brief1dispute1erupts1as1the1 Polish1scientist1dismisses1the1expedition1leader’s1appeal1that1“nothing1must1delay1our1final1 report”1 by1 saying:1 “this1 panic1 is1 ridiculous,1 the1 cycle1 of1 change1 will1 take1 decades.”1 As1 a1 young1female1scientist1replies1“not1if1the1Russians1divert1those1rivers,”1ordered1conversation1 momentarily1 breaks1 down,1 before1 the1 professor1 goes1 on1 to1 explain:1 “just1 before1 we1 embarked,1Doctor1 Lansing,1 a1 report1 was1 handed1 me1 that1 the1 Russians1 are1 planning1 to1 divert1several1large1rivers1southwards,1instead1of1emptying1into1the1Arctic1as1they1do1now.”1 There1were1indeed1several1large:scale1projects1by1Soviet1scientists1in1the11950s1and11960s1to1 change1the1Arctic1climate1by1diverting1rivers1or1damming1the1Arctic1Ocean1(although,1in1 fact,1Americans1and1 Canadians1also1 had1river1diversion1projects1with1 the1goal1of1climate1 amelioration).1 At1 the1 forefront1 of1 the1 Soviet1 projects1 was1 a1 scientist1 named1 Piotr1 Mikhailovich1 Borisov,1 who1 wrote1 an1 article1 entitled1 ‘Can1 we1 Control1 the1 Arctic1 Climate’1 (1969)1and1 a1 book1 called1 Can% Man% Change% the% Climate1(1973).1For1 Borisov,1 man:made1 climate1change1was1something1to1aspire1to1rather1than1fear.1At1the1core1of1his1projects1was1 the1 building1 of1 a1 dam1 across1 the1 Bering1 Strait1 to1 heat1 up1 the1 Arctic1 and,1 eventually,1 ameliorate1the1global1climate.411 1 At1the1beginning1of1Bear%Island,1Soviet1climate1engineering1is1perceived1as1a1global1threat1 when1the1 young1female1scientist1warns1that1the1river1diversion1projects1will1“change1the1 whole1 of1 the1 world’s1 weather”1 and1 adds1 “they1 have1 got1 to1 be1 stopped1 now.”1 This1 brief1 discussion1speaks1to1the1 sublimation1of1Cold1War1anxieties1in1complex1 ways.1Thus,1in1 a1 conflict1whose1central1metaphor1relates1to1temperature1(see1Piette,12009:179;1Westerståhl1 Stenport,1 2015)1 and1 which1 generated1 an1 entire1 set1 of1 tropes1 linking1 politics1 to1 coldness,1 freezing,1 and1 thawing1 (think1 of1 the1so:called1Khrushchev1“Thaw”),1 this1 dispute1 about1 Soviet:controlled1changes1in1the1global1climate1inevitable1carries1geopolitical1associations.1 However,1the1film1never1returns1to1this1initial1threat;1it1functions1as1a1red1herring,1a1mere1 diversion1before1the1Nazi1threat1emerges.11 1 Bear%Island1thus1not1only1retells1Stevenson’s1Treasure%Island1by1relocating1the1island1of1gold1 from1the1Caribbean1to1the1Artic,1but1also1superimposes1two1conflicts,1one1substituting1for1 the1other:1in1the1Cold1War1détente1of1the11970s,1the1Soviet1Union1can1no1longer1function1as1 an1active1threat.1It1is1sublimated1into1an1older1threat,1but1the1Soviet1threat1has1not1entirely1 disappeared1 and1 structures1 the1 film1 as1 an1 underlying1 anxiety1 through1 the1 material1 and1 figurative1 links1 between1 Arctic1 landscapes1 and1 the1 Cold1 War.1 Thus,1 the1 initial1 climate1 anxiety1that1is1the1official1reason1for1the1expedition1plays1into1larger1anxieties1about1Arctic1 geography1during1the1Cold1War.1As1Matthew1Farish1argues,1“the1multiple1geographies1of1 the1Cold1War1Arctic1[were]1created1at1the1confluence1of1strategy1and1science”1(2006:1180).1 For1Farish,1the1Arctic1functioned1“as1a1dual1geopolitical1and1scientific1frontier1in1the1early1 years1of1the1Cold1War,1when1fears1of1a1Soviet1assault1led1to1an1alternate1invasion1of1Arctic1 landscapes1by1research1teams,1administrators1and1troops,1all1pushing1northwards1to1occupy1 and1materialize1a1geographic1region”1(ibid:1179).1The1Arctic1thus1became1a1site1of1extensive1 scientific1enquiry1and1imaginative1investment1–1with1alternative1visions1representing1it1as1 either1an1“empty1bulwark1separating1the1superpowers,”1or,1conversely,1a1“wilderness1that1 could1 hide1 a1 growing1 enemy1 presence”1 (ibid:1 184).1 Knowledge1 about1 the1 Arctic1 became1 strategic;1scientific1missions1to1understand1and1master1Arctic1geography1served1geopolitical1 strategy.1Controlling1the1Arctic1environment1 was1associated1with1 controlling1the1 enemy.1 This1convergence1of1scientific1and1military1activities1characterised1both1World1War1II1and1 Cold1War1interest1in1the1Arctic.1 41Today’s1climate1engineering1projects1go1in1the1opposite1direction1and1aim1to1cool1the1Arctic.1 Riquet"–"Filming"Bear"Island" _______________________________" Shima&Volume"14"Number"1"2020& K"54"K " 1 Accordingly,1though1the1Cold1War1anxiety1in1Bear%Island1is1partly1displaced1onto1the1past1 and1Nazi1Germany,1it1remains1present1in1the1film’s1treatment1of1Arctic1geography.1Human1 and1 physical1 geographies1 mirror1 and1 substitute1 for1 each1 other:1 for1 instance,1 an1 iceberg1 visually1parallels1the1ship1approaching1the1island,1and1the1underground1spaces1that1extend1 the1island1into1the1sea1are1part1caverns,1part1excavations.1Throughout1the1film,1there1is1an1 anxiety1around1the1Northern1environment:1an1uncertainty1of1whether1the1Arctic1controls1 humans1or1the1other1way1around.1The1glacier1calving1into1the1Arctic1ocean1at1the1beginning1 of1the1film1evokes1a1dynamic,1active,1and1powerful1environment1(Figure12).1But1as1the1film1 progresses,1again1and1again1natural1threats1masquerade1as1human1threats1and1vice:versa.1In1 one1of1the1film’s1several1cartographic1moments,1the1professor1shows1the1team1a1map1of1risk1 areas1 on1 the1 island1 that1 are1 to1 be1 avoided1 because1 of1 natural1 hazards.1 As1 two1 team1 members1ski1into1one1of1the1danger1zones,1they1promptly1trigger1an1avalanche1–1or1so1it1 seems,1as1the1hazards1turn1out1to1be1man:made1rather1than1environmental:1the1avalanche1 is1engineered1to1cover1up1the1geopolitical1and1golden1secrets1hidden1in1the1area1(Figure12).11 1 1 1 Figure12:1The1verticality1of1the1Arctic1environment1in1Bear%Island1(1979)1 1 As1in1the1opening1image1of1a1glacier1calving1into1the1sea,1the1power1of1natural1forces1is1 associated1 with1 a1 downward1 movement,1 but1 this1 time1 the1 seemingly1 natural1 agency1 is1 actually1 triggered1 by1 humans.1 Thus,1 agency1 oscillates1 back1 and1 forth1 between1 the1 environment1and1humans1in1Bear%Island,1and1although1the1Soviet1threat1is1soon1dismissed,1 the1initial1anxiety1about1controlling1the1Arctic1environment1remains1present1throughout1–1 and1the1film1obliquely1points1to1Cold1War1tensions1that1remain1unresolved.1It1does1so1by1 Riquet"–"Filming"Bear"Island" _______________________________" Shima&Volume"14"Number"1"2020& K"55"K " superimposing1environment1and1strategy,1climate1and1politics.1In1this,1the1film’s1rhetoric1 resembles1that1of1Borisov’s1‘Can1We1Control1the1Arctic1Climate’:1though1Borisov1avoids1any1 direct1 reference1 to1 politics,1 and1 indeed1 highlights1 the1 importance1 of1 global1 scientific1 collaboration,1 he1 nonetheless1 presents1 a1 vision1 of1 global1 climate1 amelioration1 under1 the1 leadership1 of1 Soviet1 engineers.1 More1 subtly,1 the1 text1 figuratively1 evokes1 several1 of1 the1 ideological1pillars1of1Soviet1communism:1for1instance,1in1its1programmatic1description1of1 various1 stages1 of1 climate1 amelioration1 ultimately1 resulting1 in1 a1 “levelling1 of1 landscape1 zonalities”1(Borisov,11969:148),1and1with1notions1like1“liberat[ing]”1the1northeastern1parts1of1 Eurasia1“from1any1remaining1tundra”1(ibid:147),1“destroy[ing]”1layers1of1water1to1counteract1 “the1deleterious1influence1of1the1stable1stratification”1of1the1ocean1(ibid:146),1or1“increased1 production”1 (ibid:1 48).1 In1 doing1 so,1 it1 also1 conflates1 the1 ‘natural’1 and1 the1 ‘man:made’1as1 Borisov1interrupts1the1description1of1his1projects1with1a1long1digression1on1warmer1periods1 in1the1history1of1the1Earth.1This1creates1a1link1between1natural1and1human1histories1of1the1 planet,1making1the1latter1appear1as1the1mere1fulfilment1of1a1pre:existing,1ideal1natural1state.1 1 Several1key1 moments1in1Bear% Island1enact1this1oscillation1between1 ‘human’1and1 ‘natural’1 forces1via1a1poetic1deployment1of1the1island’s1verticality.1Already1at1the1beginning1of1the1 film,1 the1 glacier’s1 downward1 movement1 from1 (and1 of)1 the1 land1 into1 the1 ocean1 is1 immediately1followed1by1a1more1human1threat:1at1the1end1of1the1credits,1we1see1what1seems1 to1be1a1rock1in1the1landscape;1as1the1camera1tracks1forward,1the1‘rock’1morphs1into1a1tent.1In1 the1following1shots,1a1man1skis1towards1and1enters1the1tent,1before1we1see1a1snowmobile1 speeding1down1the1flank1of1the1mountain1and1running1over1the1tent1with1the1man1inside.1In1 the1second1half1of1the1film,1a1violent1storm1and1human1sabotage1conspire1in1bringing1down1 the1tall1radio1mast.1One1of1the1villains’1spectacular1fall1down1crumbling1cliffs1of1ice1at1the1 end1of1the1film1is1another1example1of1how1the1film1stages1the1island’s1verticality.1In1this1 context,1 it1 is1 significant1 that1 the1 island1 in1 the1 film1 looks1 much1 more1 mountainous1 and1 vertical1 than1 the1 real1 Bear1 Island,1 which1 is1 rather1 flat.1 In1 fact,1the1 outdoor1 scenes1 were1 filmed1in1British1Columbia1and1Alaska1by1an1entirely1non:Norwegian1crew.1This1conflation1 of1 geographies1 is1 not1 without1 its1 geopolitical1 correlative:1 like1 the1 Barents1 Sea,1 “the1 Canadian1North1was1 a1 site1of1keen1military1concern1throughout1the1 Cold1War,”1and1 the1 same1is1true1for1Alaska1(Lackenbauer1and1Farish,12007:1921).1But1the1topography1of1the1‘real’1 Bear1Island1is1certainly1changed1in1the1process,1which1creates1an1imagined1verticality1that1 suits1the1purposes1of1the1narrative.11 1 Islands1 in1 general1 invite1 reflections1 on1 dimensionality1 (see1 Riquet,1 2019:1 235:241).1 Any1 island1has1a1minimal1interplay1between1the1horizontality1of1the1ocean1and1a1rise1out1of1that1 horizontality1by1the1land.1In1Bear%Island,1the1vertical1dimension1is1augmented1as1different1 geographies1 are1 superimposed1 in1 the1 production1 of1 a1 distinctly1 cinematic1 space.1 In1 the1 resulting1 topography,1 the1 gravitational1 pull1of1 the1 vertical1 is1 linked1to1 contemporaneous1 fantasies1 of1 human1 control1 of1 the1 environment1 that1 are1 common1 in1 many1 classic1 island1 narratives1–1but1they1sit1uneasily1with1the1mobile1geography1of1snow1and1ice1that1has1an1 agency1of1its1own1and1easily1displaces1human1control.1If1the1vertical1in1Bear%Island1is1linked1 to1a1struggle1over1controlling1the1environment,1my1second1filmic1example,1the1surfer1film1 Bjørnøya,1ultimately1privileges1the1horizontal1–1and1with1it1a1different1relationship1between1 space1and1the1humans1moving1within1it.11 1 1 Horizontality1and1surfing:1Bjørnøya1(2014)11 1 The1 vertical1 is1 not1 absent1 in1 Bjørnøya,1 a1 film1 about1 three1 brothers1 who1 travel1 to1 Bear1 Island/Bjørnøya1to1surf1and1engage1in1various1other1outdoor1activities1for1a1few1months1and1 Riquet"–"Filming"Bear"Island" _______________________________" Shima&Volume"14"Number"1"2020& K"62"K " In1 the1 second1 part1 of1 the1 series,1 we1 see1 the1 oldest1 team1 member1 carrying1 a1 large1 stone1 along1the1island’s1coast1on1his1back,1interrupted1by1meditative1breaks1in1which1the1camera1 goes1off1on1its1own1gentle1explorations.1In1the1end,1before1leaving,1he1transforms1the1stone1 into1 a1 garden1 seat,1 an1 act1 of1 land1 art1 that1 we1 can1 read1 as1 emblematic1 of1 the1 close1 relationship1 between1 humans,1 island,1 and1 camera.1 People1 here1 quite1 consciously1 leave1 traces1and,1by1the1end1of1the1series,1become1part1of1the1island’s1history1and1memory.1In1its1 multidimensional,1round1exploration1of1the1island,1the1series1engages1in1its1own1geocritical1 project.1The1island1it1presents1is1made1up1of1various1physical1layers1including1snow1and1ice,1 traces1 of1 past1 activities1 (such1 as1 houses,1 mining1operations,1 and1 airplane1 wrecks),1 and1 medial1 layers1 –1 including1 historical1 and1 fictional1 layers1 as1 well1 as1 the1 camera’s1 own1 recordings.1In1the1last1episode,we1see1a1compilation1of1many1weather1balloons1released1into1 the1atmosphere1by1the1team1at1different1moments1of1their1six:month1stay.1I1would1like1to1 read1this1as1an1emblem1of1the1series’1release1of1multiple1versions1of1the1island.11 1 1 Conclusion1 1 The1 three1 filmic1 representations1 of1 Bear1 Island/Bjørnøya1 I1 have1 discussed1 in1 this1 article1 poeticise1the1Arctic1landscape1in1ways1that1prompt1reflection1on1the1relationship1between1 human1agency1and1the1agency1of1the1physical1world.1They1do1so,1however,1in1very1different1 ways.1Bear% Island1oscillates1 between1 a1 representation1 of1snow1 and1 ice1 as1 forces1 overpowering1humans1and1a1fantasy1of1human1control1over1the1cold1landscape.1It1thereby1 negotiates1 contemporaneous1 discourses1 about1 climate1 engineering1 and1 the1 Cold1 War1 anxieties1 connected1 to1 it,1 sublimating1 the1 latter1 into1 a1 story1 about1 Nazi1 survival.1 In1 contrast,1 Bjørnøya1(the1 film)1 and1 Bjørnøya1(the1 series)1 engage1 with1 surfing1 and1 meteorology,1respectively,1as1practices1that1embed1humans1in1complex1geographical1and1 ecological1networks.1Each1of1the1three1films1mediates1the1specific1materiality1of1polar1island1 geography1to1articulate1its1own1distinct1vision1of1the1Arctic,1thereby1renewing1not1only1the1 genre1of1polar1exploration1but1also1that1of1the1island1narrative,1whose1conventions1–1such1as1 the1monarch:of:all:I:survey1scene1–1they1transform.11 1 The1three1works1create1a1poetic1geometry1of1experience1by1mobilising1the1language1of1film1 to1accentuate1and1shape1the1geography1of1the1island1in1distinct1ways.1The1verticality1of1Bear% Island1connects1with1the1desire1to1master1space1that1characterises1much1of1classic1island1 fiction,1but1the1mobile1polar1geography1also1challenges1this1drive1and1speaks1to1a1profound1 environmental1 and1 geopolitical1 uncertainty.1 Nonetheless,1 Bear% Island1largely1 remains1 within1the1aesthetic1(and1geopolitical)1conventions1of1a1sublime,1threatening1Arctic,1which1 is1 enhanced1 by1 the1 film’s1 conflation1 of1 North1 American1 and1 Northern1 European1 geographies.1 The1 Wegge1 brothers’1 Bjørnøya1exists1 in1 a1 tension1 between1 an1 adventurous1 verticality1 and1 an1 increasingly1 important1 contemplative1 horizontality.1 While1 the1 former1 domesticates1 the1 Arctic1 and1 turns1 the1 island1 into1 a1 giant1 theme1 park1 of1 fast1 thrills,1 the1 latter1 slows1 down1 the1 pace1 of1 the1 film,1 opening1 up1 space1 and1 time1 and1 presenting1 the1 human1 movements1 on1 the1 island1 as1 part1 of1 a1 larger1 ecology.1 In1 the1 NRK’s1 Bjørnøya,1 a1 similar1meditative1horizontality1co:exists1with1a1poetic1investment1in1roundness,1which1is1 linked1to1the1series’1emphasis1on1intimate1exploration1through1both1physical1movements1 and1a1multimedia1archive.1Both1documentaries1also1make1use1of1light1and1mobile1cameras1 that1can1be1operated1flexibly1or1even1left1to1operate1on1their1own,1creating1two1somewhat1 contradictory1effects:1on1the1one1hand,1this1seems1to1make1the1island1itself1present1as1an1 observer;1on1the1other,1it1is1also1connected1to1the1digital1aesthetics1of1amateur1videos1and1 selfie1 culture1 and1 thereby1 underscores1 the1 personal1 nature1 of1 the1 expeditioners’1 quests1 noted1by1Iversen.11 Riquet"–"Filming"Bear"Island" _______________________________" Shima&Volume"14"Number"1"2020& K"63"K " 1 For1Iversen,1this1privileging1of1the1personal1in1both1versions1of1Bjørnøya1goes1hand1in1hand1 with1a1harmonious1vision1of1the1Arctic1that1disavows1geopolitics.1While1this1may1be1true1for1 the1 surfer1 documentary,1 I1 would1 argue1 that1 the1 many1 references1 to1 military1 history1 and1 historical1resource1 extraction1 in1 the1 NRK1 series1 obliquely1 point1 to1 the1 contemporary1 interest1in1Arctic1resources,1which1becomes1explicit1in1the1last1episode:1the1account1of1an1 oil1spill1caused1by1a1Russian1trawler1in1the1nature1reserve1of1Bear1Island1is1followed1directly1 by1a1comment1on1plans1to1drill1for1oil1near1the1island1and1the1visit1of1a1Greenpeace1team1to1 the1island.1Here,1Norway’s1problematic1relationship1with1oil1is1foregrounded1and1placed1in1 a1larger1context1of1resource1extraction1in1the1Arctic.1 1 Despite1their1different1geopolitical1implications,1then,1the1films1all1mobilise1the1material1 and1experiential1dimensions1of1polar1geography1–1including1snow1and1ice,1open1surfaces,1 light1and1darkness,1colour,1and1weather1–1and1thereby1rethink1both1Arctic1imaginaries1and1 island1imaginaries.1Each1in1its1own1way,1they1present1the1island1as1a1dynamic1environment1 that1interacts1with1and1extends1into1the1ocean.1Recent1developments1in1Island1Studies1have1 emphasised1the1dynamic1and1watery1dimensions1of1islands.1With1their1shifting1geographies1 and1the1presence1of1H2O1in1different1states1of1matter,1polar1islands1lend1themselves1to1a1 radical1 questioning1 of1 the1 man:made1 geographies1 of1 tropical1 island1 narratives1and1 complicate1the1territorial1logic1of1Western1modernity1–1even1if1they1give1rise1to1their1own1 spatial1ideologies1 in1turn.1It1 is1 one1of1 the1premises1of1geocriticism1that1the1 physical1and1 medial1layers1of1any1given1space1fold1into1each1other.1This1is1perhaps1particularly1true1for1 spaces1that1are1sparsely1inhabited1and1difficult1to1access1for1most1people.1As1my1geocritical1 exploration1 of1 different1 films1 about1 Bear1 Island1 shows,1 the1 medial1 lives1 of1 the1 island1 communicate1not1only1with1their1spatial1referent1and1with1each1other,1but1also1with1a1larger1 set1of1texts1and1imaginaries1pertaining1to1both1the1Arctic1and1to1islands.1When1the1crew1of1 the1 meteorological1 station1 of1 Bjørnøya1 watch1 the1 19791 film1 about1 Bear1 Island1on1 Bear1 Island,1though1it1was1actually1filmed1somewhere1else,1their1lived1experience1of1the1island1 intertwines1 with1 its1 fictional1 past1 –1 only1 to1 form1 a1 new1 medial1 layer1 that1 will1 yet1 again1 reshape1the1polar1island1for1future1viewers1and1visitors.11 1 1 BIBLIOGRAPHY"" 1 Baldacchino,1 G1 (2006)1 ‘Editorial1 introduction’,1 in1 Baldacchino,1 G1 (ed)1 Extreme% Tourism:% Lessons%from%the%World’s%ColdYWater%Islands,1Oxford:1Elsevier:13:121 1 :::::1(2007)1‘Introducing1a1World1of1Islands’,1in1Baldacchino,1G1(ed)1A%World%of%Islands:%An% Island%Studies%Reader,1Charlottetown:1Institute1of1Island1Studies1and1Agenda1Academic:11: 291 1 :::::1(2012)1 ‘Getting1Wet:1A1Response1to1Hayward’s1concept1of1Aquapelagos’,1Shima:% The% International%Journal%of%Research%into%Island%Cultures1v61n1:122:261 1 :::::1(2014)1 ‘Small1 Island1 States:1 Vulnerable,1 Resilient,1 Doggedly1 Perseverant1 or1 Cleverly1 Opportunistic?’,1Études%caribéennes1v27:28:11 http://journals.openedition.org/etudescaribeennes/698411 1 Beer,1G1(1990)1‘The1Island1and1the1Aeroplane:1The1Case1of1Virginia1Woolf1’,1in1Bhabha,1H.K1 (ed)1Nation%and%Narration,1London:1Routledge:1265:2901 1 Riquet"–"Filming"Bear"Island" 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