Godland

A Danish priest sent to Iceland to build a church within a Danish settlement. He is initially steadfast and devout, but the journey scars him with grief and isolation after the translator’s death. His fixation on documenting the land with a camera grows from curiosity to a problematic compulsion, and his stubborn resolve leads him into conflict and moral jeopardy. By the end, his actions reveal a descent from principled mission to violent desperation.

Carl's daughter who becomes part of the settlement’s fabric and a bridge between Lucas and the locals. She offers quiet support and curiosity about the outsider, representing the younger generation's perspective within the established community. Ida's presence and eventual discovery of Lucas's fate underscore the intimate human costs of the mission. She embodies resilience amid isolation and upheaval.

Carl's other daughter who becomes a focal point of Lucas's fleeting attraction. She weighs loyalty to her family against the pull of an outsider, navigating complicated feelings within a tight-knit village. Anna's role highlights the personal temptations and moral ambiguities that accompany the broader colonial setting.

The wary Icelandic guide who distrusts Danes and serves as a foil to Lucas's mission. He embodies the tension between local stewardship of land and foreign interference. Ragnar's presence and eventual confrontation with Lucas escalate into a fatal clash, marking a turning point in the settlement's dynamics.

A pragmatic settler who runs the village and helps nurse Lucas back to health. He embodies the protective, cautious outlook of the community, warning Anna about involvement with the outsider and ultimately enforcing a brutal final act to restore perceived order. Carl represents the gravity of local authority in a fragile frontier society.

Lucas's sole ally among the group, the translator helps bridge language and cultural gaps. His death during the river crossing is a pivotal blow that fuels Lucas's grief and deepens the rift between Lucas and the locals. The loss underscores the fragile alliances that sustain the mission and the cost of miscommunication.