Kautokeino, Norway: Outdoor Movies at a Drive-In for Snow Mobiles in Kautokeino, Norway

The outdoor cinema at Kautokeino, Norway, is somewhat out of the ordinary. Not only is the entire venue built from snow — amphitheatre, seating, and screen alike — it is a drive-in. For snowmobiles.

“We always wanted to create a different film experience,” says Anne Lajla Utsi, leader of the Kautokeino Sami film festival. “As far as we know, this is a world first.”

The idea of outdoor movies in winter had been around for a few years; this was the year they had the opportunity to make it real. Kautokeino sits 450 km north of the Arctic Circle, and while spring had come to much of Norway, snow was in no short supply.

“The entire cinema is made from snow. We’ve built a snow amphitheatre, with reindeer skins to sit on, and the actual screen is also made from snow.”

Kautokeino is a predominantly Sami town — Norway’s indigenous people, many of them reindeer farmers. While their ancestors herded flocks on cross-country skis, the snowmobile is now the indispensable mode of transport, which made a snowmobile drive-in a natural fit.

“There are almost as many snowmobiles here as there are people. That’s why we wanted to give audiences the chance to drive straight down from the mountains into a film experience, so to speak.”

The programme runs documentaries and short films alongside feature-length movies.

“Each night we have a late show with thrillers, which create a very special atmosphere under the Arctic night sky,” says Utsi.

Temperatures rarely rise above freezing after nightfall, so dressing warmly is mandatory. But the experience wins people over regardless. Audience member Per Ivar Jensen:

“This is a fantastic experience. You have a full moon, the very special Arctic light, and you can hardly see where the cinema ends and the Arctic wilderness begins.”

Around the snow amphitheatre is a lavvo (traditional Sami tent) camp where hot drinks are sold. And since ordinary cinema snacks would feel out of place, a local alternative is available: dried reindeer meat.

Excerpt from “Drive-in cinema is Norway’s coolest” by Lars Bevanger, BBC News.