BEYOND THE FROST
by Rei Kim
This study explores the Trans-Arctic Railway’s development, focusing on its impact on tourism, logistics, and the Arctic environment, examining ecosystem disruption and effects on Sámi communities; exposing broader economic, ethical, and environmental concerns.
Film Logline: In 2047, as climate change opens the Arctic for travel, a reserved train attendant on the world’s longest railway silently observes the fragile balance between progress and preservation.
The project explores rapid climate change has melted the Arctic, enabling unprecedented travel through its frozen expanse. The Arctic Transcontinental Railway is the longest train route in the world which spans 19 days and connects Asia to Norway through Siberia, Finland, and Sweden.
Designed with cutting-edge technology, the train consists of passenger zones, cargo areas, and crew-exclusive quarters. Travelers can disembark at any location via an “instant stop system.” While the railway fuels economic growth for Arctic communities, including the Sámi people but also disrupts their traditional way of life. Reindeer migration routes are severed, ancestral lands are divided, and corporate interests encroach upon indigenous culture.
The Arctic, once an untamed wilderness, is now a battleground between progress and preservation. Economic expansion fuels indigenous resistance, and within the train itself, stark class divides emerge. Tourists marvel at the icy vistas, unaware of the workers labouring to sustain the train’s operations. What seems like progress comes at the cost of tradition and ecology. Within the train’s compartments, alliances shift and an escalating crisis evolves. As the train becomes a stage for a larger ideological battle, one must choose: remain a silent observer or confront the truth hidden beneath the Arctic’s melting surface.