Insomnia (1997) was the debut film of Norweigan director Erik Skjoldbjærg, telling the story of a cross-border collaboration between Swedish and Norweigan police to hunt down the killer of a fifteen year old girl. The investigation goes horribly wrong when police officer Jonas Engström (Stellan Skarsgård) mistakenly shoots one of his colleagues and subsequently attempts to cover up his bungle. The title of the film refers to Engström's inability to sleep, the result of both his guilt and the relentless glare of the midnight sun.

Insomnia was remade as an American film in 2002 and re-set in Alaska. The remake was directed by Christopher Nolan and starred Al Pacino and Robin Williams.