Smilla's Sense of Snow 1997

In a dramatic turn of events, 1859 saw a celestial phenomenon as a meteorite pierced the sky and crashed into the Gela Alta glacier in western Greenland, unleashing a cataclysmic explosion that claimed the life of an Inuit fisherman. This catastrophic event would have far-reaching consequences, setting the stage for the unfolding drama that takes place in present-day Copenhagen.

Smilla Jaspersen (character), a transplanted Greenlander with a troubled past and unfinished academic credentials, is struggling to find her footing as an Arctic ice specialist at a university lab. Her days are filled with the meticulous study of ice crystals, but her nights are spent grappling with the demons of her own uncertain future. When she returns to her apartment complex, she’s met with a gruesome discovery: the lifeless body of six-year-old Isaiah Christiansen (character), a neighbor and fellow Inuit boy, lying in the snow by the edge of the building.

The police attribute his death to an unfortunate accident, but Smilla is skeptical. She knows that the boy was terrified of heights, and her own observations suggest that he didn’t simply fall from the roof. Instead, she believes that Isaiah’s frantic footprints indicate a desperate attempt to flee from some unknown threat. This intuition sets her on a quest for truth, driving her to seek out answers in the unlikeliest of places.

At the morgue, Smilla encounters Dr. Lagermann (character), whose revelations only deepen her unease. She’s shocked to learn that prominent professor Dr. Johannes Loyen (character) performed the autopsy on Isaiah, a fact that raises more questions than it answers. Her subsequent meeting with Loyen yields little satisfaction, as he dismisses the boy’s death as an accident. Undeterred, Smilla files a complaint with the District Attorney and begins to dig deeper into the mystery.

Her investigations lead her to Dr. Andreas Tork (character), CEO of Greenland Mining, who offers Isaiah’s mother a paltry sum in exchange for her silence. This callous display only fuels Smilla’s determination to uncover the truth. As she delves deeper into the case, she discovers that Detective Ravn (character) from the District Attorney’s office is not what he seems – his connections to Tork and the mining company raise more suspicions than they allay.

Despite the obstacles and threats she faces, Smilla refuses to back down. With the help of a resourceful neighbor mechanic and her own indomitable spirit, she tracks down key information and pieces together the puzzle that will ultimately reveal the dark secrets behind Isaiah’s tragic demise. As she navigates the treacherous landscape of corruption and deceit, Smilla must confront her own demons and draw upon the resilience of her Inuit heritage to bring justice to the victims of this heinous crime.

As Smilla delves into the mysteries of the apartment complex where Isaiah once sought refuge, she uncovers a cryptic cassette tape hidden behind a stairwell wall. The audio eludes her comprehension, prompting a visit to Licht, an audiological expert with a unique gift for interpreting sounds. Shortly after deciphering the tape as a poignant conversation between Isaiah’s father and son, Licht meets a gruesome demise, leaving Smilla to narrowly escape with her life. Aided by a mechanic who has been secretly working with government agencies to expose the truth, she evades capture and follows their pursuers to a ship on the verge of departing for another Greenland expedition.

Meanwhile, Smilla’s father presents her with medical reports that reveal the unsettling truth behind the seemingly accidental deaths of mine workers. A previously thought extinct prehistoric species, the “Arctic worm,” has been awakened, and its toxic presence in human bodies is causing catastrophic harm. The worm’s insidious nature, attacking organs and inducing shock, has led to a series of fatalities.

With her newfound understanding of the sinister forces at play, Smilla joins the mining ship as an employee, where she befriends Nils Jakkelsen. Together, they unravel videotape evidence revealing that the mining company had stumbled upon not only the parasitic worm but also an energy-producing meteorite of immense value. Tork, driven by his ambition to dominate the industry, sees the meteorite as a means to assert his company’s supremacy.

As Smilla navigates the treacherous ship environment, she finds herself pursued relentlessly by Tork’s men, who brutally eliminate Nils. However, her mechanic ally reappears, this time revealing that he has been secretly working with government agencies to investigate the mining company’s nefarious activities. With her life in peril and the stakes higher than ever, Smilla must rely on her wit and determination to uncover the truth behind the sinister forces driving the events unfolding around her.

As the ship finally comes into view on the horizon, Smilla departs and ventures forth onto the vast, frozen expanse, her path unwaveringly drawn to the Greenland Mining ice cave where a clandestine research operation is underway, meticulously studying the meteorite’s mysteries. Among those present at this remote facility is Prof. Loyen, whose expertise has been crucial in unraveling the enigmatic connections between the extraterrestrial visitor and the parasitic worm that has been wreaking havoc on the community. Tork reveals to Smilla that Isaiah’s father, a diver who braved the icy waters surrounding the meteorite, succumbed to the insidious parasite, potentially infecting his son as well. Prof. Loyen had closely monitored Isaiah in an effort to determine if he indeed harbored the unwelcome guest within.

The situation escalates into a tense standoff, but Smilla’s timely rescue by the resourceful mechanic and another stalwart individual saves her from harm. In the ensuing struggle, Prof. Loyen finds himself slipping beneath the icy surface of the cave’s pool, where the meteorite lies in wait. The sudden descent into the frozen depths proves fatal, as he freezes instantaneously, his lifeless form lost to the frigid waters.

Tork, gravely wounded, makes a desperate bid for escape, fleeing across the ice. Smilla pursues him relentlessly, recounting the tragic events surrounding Isaiah’s fateful fall from his rooftop perch. Tork had been tracking the boy in a futile attempt to recover the incriminating recording, which ultimately led to Isaiah’s heart-wrenching demise.

As the aftermath of these calamitous events unfolds, the mechanic, revealed to be a covert operative, sets off a devastating bomb that obliterates the ice cave, entombing everyone still trapped within. The resulting tidal wave crashes down upon Tork, who meets his watery grave in the icy waters below. Smilla stands alone, her gaze sweeping across the frozen landscape of her childhood, forever scarred by the traumatic events that have transpired.