The documentary series “Far Away. In Greenland” has reached audiences, revealing Greenland’s harsh natural environment and the stories of its people through the extraordinary life stories of two Latvian adventurers: doctor Ainārs Zariņš and scientist Ivars Sīlis. The series is available on the Tet+ platform and was produced by VFS FILMS and Studija PILNA in collaboration with ZIEMEĻU PUSE.
The documentary series Far Away. In Greenland is the first documentary project of this scale made in Latvia to take an in-depth look at Greenland and its people. The story weaves together tales of adventure, people’s personal experiences, and Latvia’s connection to this extraordinary Arctic land.
The series follows two parallel expeditions. Doctor and traveler Ainārs Zariņš sets out alone into the Arctic wilderness to complete an expedition that was cut short by a storm a year earlier. Meanwhile, a new film crew embarks on a different journey—to meet the people of Greenland and those who have chosen this vast island as their home.
Sixty-four-year-old Ainārs Zariņš is a pulmonologist at Riga East University Hospital, a mountaineer, and an adventurer. His journey in Greenland gradually becomes more than a test of physical endurance—it is a story about recognizing one’s limits, loneliness, and the ability to make responsible decisions at the right moment.
Ivars Sīlis, meanwhile, is a unique link between Latvia and Greenland—a Latvian exile, engineer, researcher, writer, photographer, director, and traveler who has lived permanently in Greenland since 1964. He began his life in the Arctic as a researcher and geophysicist, but little by little, the land became an integral part of his life and creative work.
Alongside the stories of Ainārs Zariņš and Ivars Sīlis, the series also reveals the perspective of its directors, filmmakers from a new generation. The series is directed by Aivars Šaicāns and Jēkabs Okonovs, who have worked as a directing duo ever since their studies at the Latvian Academy of Culture. In Far Away. In Greenland, Aivars Šaicāns is also the cinematographer, while Jēkabs Okonovs is the editor. The two young filmmakers share values with Ainārs Zariņš and Ivars Sīlis: a spirit of adventure, a desire to venture into the unknown, and respect for the documentary process.
The creators of the series Far Away. In Greenland deliberately look beyond familiar stereotypes of Arctic landscapes. Here, Greenland is more than glaciers, mountains, icebergs, and an endless horizon. The people featured in the series offer an inside view of local life—its traditions, contemporary challenges, relationship with the land, and the bonds within the community.
The film crew gets to know the local community alongside Dane Lars Ankel-Moller, who arrived in East Greenland in 2001 and has lived there ever since. He has become a licensed hunter, fishes and hunts seals, leads expeditions, and documents the people and nature of East Greenland. Conversations with local residents reveal a Greenland where the traditional Inuit way of life meets rapid change and the challenges of the modern world.
The series’ geographical journey thus becomes a much more personal expedition. Its creators do not seek to explain or idealize Greenland. They get to know it through its people—their everyday lives, conversations, choices, and life stories. Beyond landscapes at the edge of the world, a very simple question gradually emerges, though one that is far from easy to answer: what is happiness, really?
Before making this series, Aivars Šaicāns was nominated for a National Film Award, Lielais Kristaps, for his work on the documentary Ksenija, in the Best Documentary Cinematographer category, while Jēkabs Okonovs has worked in documentary film as well as editing music videos, film trailers, and other audiovisual projects. Their jointly made short film Žļurga received the National Film Award Lielais Kristaps for Best Short Fiction Film earlier this year. Set against the grayness of the capital in February, the film tells a story of friendship taking shape, shared experiences, and unexpected turns. It also received a Special Mention from the international jury at the Riga International Film Festival (Riga IFF).
The documentary series Far Away. In Greenland was produced by VFS Films and Studija Pilna in collaboration with Ziemeļu Puse. The series was supported by the Riga City Council Department of Education, Culture and Sports, Binders Ltd., Ceļotājs store, Motosports Ltd., Tet, Latvian Public Media, and Greenland’s public broadcaster KNR.
