Pathfinder (1987)

In the icy, unforgiving expanses of Europe's Arctic, for time immemorial, resided the Sami people, solitary guardians of the frost-kissed wilderness. The serenity of their lives shatters approximately 1000 years ago, when the bloodthirsty Tchude warriors from the East descend upon their territory like a storm of violence and terror. The tale follows Aigin, a Sami teenager who, upon returning to his family's modest cot one fateful evening, encounters a sight of unspeakable horror - his family, including his innocent little sister, slaughtered by the merciless Tchudes. Aigin manages to escape the massacre, his heart heavy with loss and burning with the desire for revenge, and seeks refuge in a nearby Sami camp. The news of the Tchudes' savagery spreads fear among the Sami, prompting their chief to order a migration to a safer settlement along the coast. However, Aigin, alongside three courageous souls, chooses to remain behind, ready to face the Tchudes in a desperate bid for revenge and the protection of their people. When the Tchudes launch their brutal attack, Aigin, hidden in a tent, is the sole survivor. The arrival of Raste, the shaman, brings both hope and a daunting task. Entrusting Aigin with his shamanic drum, Raste instructs him to warn the others by the coast while he himself is captured by the Tchudes, tortured for the path to the coast. Aigin, unable to bear the sight of Raste's torment, offers himself as a guide, bargaining for the shaman's life. The Tchudes agree, but treachery runs deep in their veins as they murder Raste after leaving with Aigin. Now, burdened with the responsibility of his people's survival, Aigin must devise a cunning plan to mislead the Tchudes, avenge his family, and save the Sami community from potential annihilation. As the harsh Arctic winds howl in the backdrop, Aigin's tale of courage, survival, and vengeance unfolds in the vast, frost-bitten wilderness, making Pathfinder a chilling saga of resilience and the indomitable spirit of humanity against the raw brutality of invaders.

Pathfinder is an adventure movie featuring Mikkel Gaup and directed by Nils Gaup.

Pathfinder is currently streaming on Criterion Channel.