Kvikmyndapod: An Icelandic Cinema Podcast

The Hero’s Journey To The Third Pole (2020) aka Þriðji póllinn

Halló!

The next leg of Rob and Ellie's journey takes them away from Iceland to the exotic mountain jungles of Nepal!

Kvikmyndapod is leaving the country of Iceland behind for the first time, for 'The Hero's Journey to the Third Pole' in which Andri Snær Magnason and Anní Ólafsdóttir artfully document the efforts of Anna Tara Edwards and musician Högni to put on a concert to raise awareness of bipolar disorder, and mental illness more generally, in Nepal.

Featuring elephants, mountains, unbelievable stories, and insight into the experiences of those living with bipolar disorder, this is a fascinating documentary with some great music!

 

Click here to watch 'Apausalypse' 

Click here to watch 'Among the Living' by Markéta Irglová, feat. Siggi String Quartet & Aida Shahghasemi

Click here to watch Árstíðir sing the Icelandic hymn Heyr himna smiður at a train station train station

 

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Artwork designed by Sophie Watts (justahappyspace)

 

Music by Branches Bare

('Half-light' from the EP 'In the Origami Folds of the Night You Rip the Seam of Sleep Wide Open)

LAMB (2021) aka Dýrið

Halló!

Welcome to the Official Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson podcast...

Or rather, thanks for catching up with Rob and Ellie as they journey round the 'Land of Ice and Fire' for a third time!

Series 3 of Kvikmyndapod kicks off with one of, if not THE biggest Icelandic film of the 21st century; LAMB.

A Cannes award-winner co-written by Sjón with the film's director Valdimar Jóhannsson, LAMB takes place in the eerily familiar setting (to regular listeners!) of a remote farm deep in the Icelandic countryside. However, the story is anything but familiar...

A supernatural folk-tale with a horror tinge, this is an atmospheric slow burn with WTF moments to stun and scare. Starring Noomi Rapace, Hilmir Snær Guðnason, Björn Hlynur Haraldsson and a character unlike any you will have seen before, LAMB is the perfect film to send the pod back to Iceland.

LAMB is currently available to watch on MUBI and Kvikmyndapod listeners can get a free 30-day trial by clicking here: FREE ICELANDIC MOVIES

Thanks to MUBI's 'Land of Fire and Ice' collection you can also catch up with other fantastic films already covered on the podcast; 'Under the Tree', 'Rams' and 'Echo'.

 

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Artwork designed by Sophie Watts (justahappyspace)

 

Music by Branches Bare

('Half-light' from the EP 'In the Origami Folds of the Night You Rip the Seam of Sleep Wide Open)

And Breathe Normally (2018) aka Andið eðlilega

Halló!

It's the end of series two!

And the final trip on Rob and Ellie's second journey takes them to the Reykjanes Peninsula for a drama focused on two women from different backgrounds learning how they can help each other.

Ísold Uggadóttir's debut feature is a beautifully stark look at immigration and the struggle to lead a normal life.

Starring Kristín Þóra Haraldsdóttir, Babetida Sadjo and Patrik Nökkvi Pétursson, with cinematography by Ita Zbroniec-Zajt, 'And Breathe Normally' is a stunning film.

Thanks for listening to series two!

 

Nordic Watchlist

 

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Artwork designed by Sophie Watts (justahappyspace)

 

Music by Branches Bare

('Half-light' from the EP 'In the Origami Folds of the Night You Rip the Seam of Sleep Wide Open)

A White, White Day (2019) aka Hvítur, hvítur dagur

Halló!

For their penultimate trip this series, Rob and Ellie journey to the south-east of Iceland to find Ingvar Sigurðsson playing a very different kind of police officer character to Detective Erlendur.

Writer-director Hlynur Pálmason's second feature film, A White, White Day, from 2019, depicts a man named Ingimundur trying to hold himself together after the death of his wife while also supporting his daughter and her family. But after finding some books and a photograph, he begins to spiral.

This is a stark look at grief through a more arthouse lens than previously seen on Kvikmyndapod, but it is an astonishing film with brilliant performances and a unique style.

Also starring Hilmir Snær Guðnason, Björn Ingi Hilmarsson, Elma Stefania Agustsdóttir, Sigurður Sigurjónsson, Laufey Elíasdóttir, Sara Dögg Ásgeirsdóttir and Ída Mekkín Hlynsdóttir.

Cinematography by Maria von Hausswolff

 

 

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Artwork designed by Sophie Watts (justahappyspace)

 

Music by Branches Bare

('Half-light' from the EP 'In the Origami Folds of the Night You Rip the Seam of Sleep Wide Open)

Reykjavik Whale Watching Massacre (2009)

Halló!

It's Halloween and another BONUS episode!

In the first all-out horror film discussed on the podcast, Rob and Ellie, plus very special guest Mike Muncer from the Evolution of Horror podcast, hit the water in the fjords near Reykjavík for Reykjavik Whale Watching Massacre.

Directed by Júlíus Kemp and written by Sjón this is a film that knows its horror touchstones, specifically The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Whether or not it lives up to the Tobe Hooper classic is very much up for discussion!

Expect awful people dying in bloody and gory ways with some humour thrown in for good measure.

Starring Pihla Viitala, Nae, Helgi Björnsson, Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir and Leatherface himself, Gunnar Hansen!

 

Mike's podcast can be found here: The Evolution of Horror

 

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Artwork designed by Sophie Watts (justahappyspace)

 

Music by Branches Bare

('Half-light' from the EP 'In the Origami Folds of the Night You Rip the Seam of Sleep Wide Open)

 

LAMB & Cop Secret (2021) aka Dýrið og Leynilögga (2021) - London Film Festival Special

Halló!

In this BONUS episode Rob and Ellie journey to the remote countryside of northern Iceland as well as the 'big' city of Reykjavík by way of the BFI London Film Festival!

In a non-spoiler discussion, they chat about the two rather different Icelandic movies that were shown as part of the festival in 2021.

 

LAMB

Directed by Valdimar Jóhannsson

Written by Sjón and Valdimar Jóhannsson

Starring Noomi Rapace, Hilmir Snær Guðnason and Björn Hlynur Haraldsson

 

Cop Secret

Directed by Hannes Þór Halldórsson

Written by Auðunn Blöndal, Egill Einarsson and Hannes Þór Halldórsson

Starring Auðunn Blöndal, Egill Einarsson, Steinunn Ólína Þorsteinsdóttir and Björn Hlynur Haraldsson

 

 

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Artwork designed by Sophie Watts (justahappyspace)

 

Music by Branches Bare

('Half-light' from the EP 'In the Origami Folds of the Night You Rip the Seam of Sleep Wide Open)

Grandma Lo-Fi (2011) aka Amma Lo-Fi

Halló!

Things get musical in week four of Rob and Ellie's second journey through the films of Iceland. 

Subtitled 'The Basement Tapes of Sigríður Níelsdóttir', this documentary sheds light on the wonderful low-key musical life of a 70-year old lady living in a basement flat in Reykjavik.

Charming and sweet, 'Grandma Lo-Fi' shows how Sigríður made her music and explores the influence she had on the Icelandic music scene.

Directed by Jónsi's sister in collaboration with others, this film also features contributions from FM Belfast, Múm and Hildur Guðnadóttir.

It can be watched here - Grandma Lo-Fi

And Rob’s interview with Nordic Watchlist can be read here - Interview!

 

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Artwork designed by Sophie Watts (justahappyspace)

 

Music by Branches Bare

('Half-light' from the EP 'In the Origami Folds of the Night You Rip the Seam of Sleep Wide Open)

Noi The Albino (2003) aka Nói albinói

Halló!

For the third week of Rob and Ellie's second journey through Icelandic cinema, they remain in the Westfjords. And this time it's even colder!

Starring 'X-Men' alumnus Tómas Lemarquis as the title character, 'Nói albinói' is a strange indie comedy-drama about a disenchanted teenager who wants (and needs) to escape his isolated Icelandic town.

The question on everybody's lips is "is he super intelligent? or is he the opposite?" That's for the audience to decide after a trip around the town where Nói meets a girl, digs a grave and attempts to hold a bank teller hostage!

Dagur Kári's debut film also features the familiar Icelandic actors Þorsteinn Gunnarsson and Þröstur Leó Gunnarsson as well as noted artist Elín Hansdóttir in an early acting role.

Read the rest of this entry »

I Remember You (2017) aka Ég man þig

Halló!

The next leg of Rob and Ellie's journey takes them to the breathtaking yet creepy af Westfjords of Iceland.

Adapted from the novel by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, Óskar Thór Axelsson's movie version of 'I Remember You' combines the classic Scandi noir with the ghost story.

Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson plays Freyr, a father looking for answers surrounding his son's disappearance. Working with the police to help solve a series of murders his story becomes entwined with three friends attempting to renovate a possibly haunted guesthouse in a very remote town.

Also starring Ágústa Eva Erlendsdóttir, Elma Stefanía Ágústsdóttir and Thor Kristjansson this is the perfect story as the Autumn settles in and the days grow darker...

 

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Artwork designed by Sophie Watts (justahappyspace)

 

Music by Branches Bare

('Half-light' from the EP 'In the Origami Folds of the Night You Rip the Seam of Sleep Wide Open)

Woman At War (2018) aka Kona fer í stríð

Halló!

And welcome back to Kvikmyndapod. Rob and Ellie return for series 2 just in time for Autumn!

In this first episode of the new series they explore contemporary political issues by looking at Benedikt Erlingsson's award-winning eco comedy-drama!

Halla, a middle-aged choir teacher takes action against the heavy industry of Iceland, careening around the spectacular countryside sabotaging electricity pylons while evading police helicopters and drones.

This action is all soundtracked by a fantastic three-piece band (complete with sousaphone) and a Ukrainian choir!

There are no films quite like this one.

Starring Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir, plenty of familiar faces appearing in cameo roles, and music by Davíð Þór Jónsson, Woman At War is a bombastic way to start series 2!

 

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Artwork designed by Sophie Watts (justahappyspace)

 

Music by Branches Bare

('Half-light' from the EP 'In the Origami Folds of the Night You Rip the Seam of Sleep Wide Open)