Discoveries from Iceland World Cinema

A close-up on their characters and their unique art.

They call him Krakatau Dundee, the man who spends much of his working life in remote and hostile deserts, studying volcanic activity. They mystery of Krakatau, the island that all but disappeared from the face of the earth in an explosion 100 years ago has been the centre of his longtime studies. We learn about the man and his work as we follow him and his fellow scientists from their camp on an uninhabited jungle island in Indonesia, to the top of the mountains and the bottom of the sea.

The film is about various kinds of winter sports in Iceland jeep excursions, mountain skiing, cross-country skiing, ice climbing and many other exciting winter sports that are attended in Iceland.

A documentary about the man, Thorlákur helgi, who was worshipped as a saint in Iceland and in Europe in the middle ages.

The story of a herring enterprise in Árneshreppur á Ströndum which began in 1934 with the construction of the country's biggest herring plant in the village of Djúpavík. The plant brought great prosperity to the community, in the mids of world depression. The film includes interviews with several people involved in this adventure as well as old films and photographs.

Although the Icelandic Sagas contain many descriptions of stately homes, none of them stood the test of time. However, an archeological finding at Stöng in Thjórsárdal revealed the ruins of an ancient farm which had been preserved in ashes from the Mt. Hekla eruption in 1104. Knowledge from this finding and from literary sources were used to reconstruct in detail and Icelandic farmhouse from the 11th century. This film follows the project from the original designing stage in 1970 until the inauguration in 1977, showing the ancient techniques used to build houses from local building material such as turf, stone and wood.

A collection of self-portaits of Icelandic artists. A few of the artists explain their views on the self-portrait and its importance for their artistic development.

A documentary which traces the development of abstract sculptor Ásmundur Sveinsson and his major contribution to Icelandic art.

A documentary about the disastrous consequences of a volcanic eruption known as "Skaftáreldar", which took place in 1784.

In recent years, various people working with "problem youths" have been experimenting with programmes that have come under the heading of "Survival Therapy". Among other things, the treatment involves exposure to a difficult environment. City kids are transferred from their traditional habitat to the desolate interior of the country where they have to tackle manifold problems. For instance, they plod long distances across rough terrain in all kinds of weather, carrying heavy rucksacks on their backs for several days. This documentary covers a tour by British and Icelandic youngsters of the Icelandic interior ruing the summer of 1983. The young people come from London, Bristol, Liverpool and Reykjavík. All are at odds with society and have records of drug abuse, delinquency and violence.

The film shows in detail how Icelandic rivers are cultivated, with particular emphasis on maintaining fish stock. There are scenes from a salmon hatchery, the release of the young salmon, the catch of adult fish for egg collection and the salmon ladders. The second half of the film shows fishing in two of Iceland's finest rivers. There are many underwater shots which include the salmon taking the bait and its fight for survival.

A documentary on the inhabitants and unique natural environment of the Western Isles of Breidarfjördur bay, Iceland. Photographed in 1975-1980, the film mirrors in a one-year cycle the age-old ties between man and nature. The film asks why these islands, where there was once a flourishing community, are now practically deserted, a little known utopia where time stands still.

A film about scientific research on the glacier Vatnajökull with excerpts from films taken on the glacier by various film makers in the past.

A documentary about a pioneer of Icelandic film making, Óskar Gíslason, with excerpts from some of his most famous work.

A film about a revolutionary road-protection system from the Icelandic inventor Einar Einarsson. This film won the audience award at Techfilm-Czechoslovakia 1976 and received an honorable mention certificate at The International Film Festival in Moscow 1977.

The five thousand inhabitants of the Westman Islands were evacuated during the 1973 volcanic eruption and relocated in various towns on the mainland. This film deals with the social implications of this natural catastrophy.

A corporate documentary about the construction of the hydro-electric power plant at Búrfell, from the beginning in 1966 until the inauguration in 1970.

A film about the region of Landmannalaugar.

A film about the return of the Icelandic manuscript from Denmark.

A promotional documentary made for ABU fishing gear manufacturers from Svängsta, Sweden. Every year, ABU awards a number of prizes for the largest fish caught with ABU equipment. This prize consists of a trip to a famous fishing area. This year, it was a seven-day trip to Iceland, including three days' fishing at Laxá, and a visit to both the north and south of the country. The film follows the prize winners from the time they board the airplane at Kastrup airport until they leave Iceland, after a short but memorable visit.

Newsreel depicting the second visit of Christian X, king of Denmark and Iceland, to Iceland in 1926. Iceland was from 1918 - 1944 a sovereign state united with Denmark under a common king.

Newsreel depicting the first visit of Christian X, king of Denmark and Iceland, to Iceland in 1921. Iceland was from 1918 - 1944 a sovereign state united with Denmark under a common king.

An oneiric film about a student who sacrifices his studies for the girl he loved.

Drama shot. Based on the authors' personal reflections on the ancient folk-tale of Ólafur Liljurós.

The film is a conversation between the director and the composer. The image and the music relate to each other, creating a very special kind of a tension.

A film about teenage drug use and its consequences.

A story about a lonely man who is visited by a raven. He tries to find answers about his long lost love, Lenore.

When the heroine of the film gets what she always hoped for, she becomes miserable and unhappy and really misses what she had.

Uniform Sierra was filmed in Snæfellsnes in Iceland and features Sigríður Soffía Níelsdóttir dancer/choreographer and Benjamin Khan circus artist dancing in a hot spring but most of the film takes place under water.

The stories of three different characters: a teacher, a foreign school worker and a six year old student become intertwined over the course of one day in an antiquated elementary school.

Two artists set up a show in a local music hall. They want to include an open fire in the performance but neither the establishment nor the technician will give permission for the stunt. That shouldn't matter though because they won't use a lot of gasoline. Right?

Travellers cycle across Iceland.

About the public interest in the eruption of the Fagradalsfjall volcano on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula. The eruption started on March 19, 2021, and continued for several months.

A heartless man on the run with a mysterious box in search of a new beat.

Una was the first person who used the change in Latvian Law to find her sister, lost in the process of adoption. Breaking through bureaucratic jungle she suddenly discovers that she has not only one but four sisters, all adopted and scattered around the world. The search for them becomes her mission that takes her to Europe, Russia and the US. She translates her call in 32 languages and posts it across the world. The almost impossible task is helped by media, friends, courage and persistence.

Filmed in Iceland, this work explores the idea of the fixed and the volatile as a diagrammatic space. Repetitive processes of ‘fixing’ the volatile and ‘liberating’ the volatile from the fixed are ideas not only central to historical alchemical discourse, but might also be considered central to the act of perception itself.

Documentary about the Icelandic fisherman who lives on a boat in Ålesund, Norway. Ásgeir visits him and inquires about his life. He is the one who has sold his cod for the highest price and other fishermen envy him for it. Beautiful film about a hard life.

During the 1950s, very much in the spirit of the day, some progressive-minded Icelanders founded an association that would cultivate good relations with the USSR – by showing films, among other activities. Now the superpower is gone, but their Icelandic friends are still showing Soviet movies once a week.

Two lovers dance their story, united in space, divided in time.

Inspired by the city symphonies of the 1920’s and 1930’s, this short film documents Reykjavik city during the summer. Free from the constraints of narrative filmmaking conventions, the film carefully observes the beauty of fleeting moments in our everyday lives.

Ingólfur tries to make the perfect kitchen for his wife.

Jóhann is a thirty year old guesthouse owner in downtown Reykjavík who has isolated himself socially after the death of his father. The guesthouse has no visitors until his nine year old neighbour starts visiting Jóhann which leads to a unlikely friendship.

Nine Icelandic gay teens tell us about their lives in their frozen corner of the world. Feeling excluded, experimenting with drugs and sex, finding others like themselves, self hatred, thoughts of suicide, coming out to parents. These honest interviews show us that no matter where they are in the world many aspects of being gay are universal.

Emerging artists working in their hometown Reykjavík and abroad share with the viewers the diverse processes that spark a work of art. Threading a line between realism and performance, the film explores inspiration and creativity through an intimate two-year collaboration, providing an insight into a booming scene. Pouring Coke into empty Fanta bottles, Ásmundur asks himself "What is art?" suggesting that it is embedded in what an artist does. Accordingly, rather that focusing on the end product, the film deals with what the artist is up to before it comes to that.