Two intrepid filmmakers have gone in search of the Aurora Borealis in Svalbard, Norway, as they look to make a documentary about the science behind the Northern Lights.

It has been quite a journey for Francisco Mattos and Paal Lund, who have made their way to one of the most northern places in the world which boasts a permanent human population.

Over the last three months, Mattos and Lund have spent most nights heading high up into the mountains around Longyearbyen (the administrative centre of Svalbard) in search of locations where they can capture time-lapse footage.

Their fascination and sense of wonder has helped drive them to make the documentary, but filming is a challenge as temperatures commonly dip to -35C and conditions can change rapidly.

And they also need to avoid the polar bears that can be found on the island.

"My fascination about the Northern Lights is how they behave in the sky. It's a big dance show. It's something where you can just lay down and you can look up for hours and then just go into a trance, you know it's just beautiful," said Lund.

"I am always outside looking for it because it's hard to predict. So, sometimes I even have a pain in my neck as I'm always looking up in the sky," Mattos added.

The Northern Lights are the result of collisions between the Earth's gaseous particles and matter released by the sun's atmosphere, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The collisions can jar the magnetosphere around the Earth's North and South Poles, releasing colourful streams into the sky.

"I usually have to go far from the town to the mountains and you need a low light sensitive camera. And what else do you need? Good equipment, good gear for the cold because in the regions where you see the Northern Lights it's very, very cold. So, temperatures can go to -35 ° so you need good gear and you need to set up the camera before you go out," said Mattos, addressing the challenges he faces to get the perfect shot.

It can often take hours of driving their snowmobiles in extreme terrain and Arctic conditions to find suitable spots away from the town where there is no light pollution.

The pair then use low light sensitive camera equipment to capture the moving light show.

"I really want to a make movie that people are going to see all over the world and understand better what the Northern Lights are. Because Northern Lights are a phenomenon few people in the world have the opportunity to see and once you film really well and you go after answers with scientists and everything, people can get to understand what they are," said Mattos.

Their aim is to produce a documentary Green Skies that will also explore the science of the Northern Lights. They hope to complete the project in early 2017.

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