First published in 1963, ‘The Ice Palace‘ (Nynorsk: Is-slottet) is a novel by the legendary Norwegian author Tarjei Vesaas. Written in nynorsk, it is considered a classic of Norwegian literature, and the author’s masterpiece: in 1964, Vesaas received ‘The Nordic Council’s Literature Prize’ for this novel. The story is centred on the relationship between two 11 years old girls (Siss and Unn) who live in a Norwegian rural community, two friends who have only spent one evening in each other’s company. A movie directed by Per Blom and starring Line Storesund as Siss, and Hilde Nyeggen Martinsen as Unn, was adapted from the novel and released in 1987: it was awarded the ‘Grand Prix’ at the ‘Flanders International Film Festival’ in 1988. Compared to the novel, the film focuses slightly more on Unn’s secret feelings, otherwise it’s very true to the book, retaining the same slow snow-laden pace.
