Population 0, Qoornoq is an abandoned Greenlandic fishing village in a long fjord accessible only by boat from Nuuk.

Why, you may ask, would anyone need to visit such an obscure and remote location on a Salvation Army filming trip?

Firstly, b-roll. Given that Greenland is so unfamiliar to the majority of audiences, some footage (and stills) that help contextualise the piece was desirable. It’s impossible to drive anywhere from Nuuk – there are no roads connecting the country’s settlements – so the cheapest and simplest option was to negotiate with a tourist boat company. Secondly, the circumstances of Qoornoq’s abandonment were relevant to the story of homelessness in Nuuk that was the primary purpose of the film.

About half an hour into our voyage (clad in full Arctic exploration gear), the fjord started to freeze over. There was either a veneer of ice over the top of the water, or a curious dense semi-frozen liquid resembling a slush puppy. We assumed our best laid plans were about to come to naught and the cruise curtailed. But no, the boat was built to pierce the ice and we continued, with ear-splitting cracks as we carved our way up the sound.

The weather, other than being bitterly cold, was very kind to us. There was not a cloud in the sky, which helped enormously in gathering some scenic footage. The effect of the minus-lots temperature on our cameras and batteries was less positive, but we devised a method of keeping the equipment in the warmth of the enclosed cabin until we saw a shot we particularly wanted.

Arrival at Qoornoq was also ‘interesting’, as the landing stage was out of use so we were disembarked (with our kit) directly on to some treacherous rocks. We had a local guide who, as well as giving us the history of the place, also had some inexplicable means of keeping us abreast of the day’s Premier League action. We’d had no mobile signal since leaving our accommodation that morning, so how this was accomplished remains a mystery.

Showing us into the abandoned church, he explained that despite the raw beauty of Qoornoq, life here had become untenable. With fishing being the only source of income, a location where the workplace is frozen over for extended periods is suboptimal. And so the whole village had left for the metropolis of Nuuk (population 17,000 – the world’s tiniest capital city). As well as the church, Qoornoqians left behind their homes and the remnants of the fishing industry, including – bizarrely – a railway!

But Nuuk also struggled to support the influx from Qoornoq in gainful employment. Many ended up jobless and unsupported. And this continues to be the case today – Greenlanders heading to Nuuk in the hope of greater financial reward can find quite the opposite reality, with unemployment and homelessness a real danger.

As we shivered in our thermals, looking longingly at the warm boat amid the icebergs, we again considered how tough it must be to be homeless in Greenland. We had met one guy who lived underneath an upturned boat in a disused boatyard. Shipping containers, tents and condemned apartment blocks are also used to mitigate the effects of the all-pervasive cold.

After 90 minutes on the island, the warmth of the boat’s cabin (and a cardboard cup of hot chocolate) was very welcome. Seeing a pod of whales on the journey back rounded off an outstanding day. It was such a privilege to be able to visit such a remote and beautiful place.

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