World Film Locations: Reykjavík

Jez Conolly, Caroline Conolly, Jez Conolly, Caroline Conolly, Jez Conolly, Caroline Whelan

• Publisher: Intellect Books
• Year: 2014
• Print ISBN: 9781841506418
• eBook ISBN: 9781841506760
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Media & Performing Arts
• Subtopic: Film & Video

Though the creative community of Reykjavík, Iceland, has earned a well-deserved reputation for its unique artistic output – most notably the popular music that has emerged from the city since the 1980s – Reykjavík's filmmakers have received less attention than they merit. World Film Locations: Reykjavík corrects this imbalance, shedding new light on the role of cinema in a country that, partly because of its small population, produces more films per capita than any other in the world. The contributors to this volume trace cinema in Iceland from the 1979 establishment of the Icelandic Film Fund – before which the country's film industry barely existed – through to today. In a series of illuminating scene reviews, they show how rapidly the city has changed over the past thirty years. In thematic spotlight articles, they go on to explore such topics as the relationship between Iceland and its capital city; youth culture and night life; the relationship between film and the local music community; cinematic representations of Scandinavian crime; and filmmakers' response to the 2008 banking crisis. Together, these varied contributions show how films shot in Reykjavík have been shaped both by Iceland's remoteness from the rest of the world and by Icelandic filmmakers' sense that the city remains forever on the brink of desolate and harsh wilderness.

REYKJAVÍK LOCATIONS

SCENES 1-7

1

79 OF STATION /79 AF STÖÐINNI (1962)

Hótel Borg, Pósthússtrseti 11, 101 Reykjavík

page 10

2.

ROCK IN REYKJAVÍK ROKK Í REYKJAVÍK (1982)

Hlemmur central bus terminal, 101 Reykjavík

page 12

3.

ATOMIC STATION/ATÓMSTÖDIN (I984)

Austurvöllur public square, 101 Reykjavík

page 14

4.

WHITE WHALES/SKYTTURNAR (1987)

Sundhöll Reykjavíkur, by Barónsstígur, 101 Reykjavík

page 16

5.

CHILDREN OF NATURE/ BÖRN NÁTTÚRUNNAR (1991)

Hólavallagarður cemetery by Suðurgata, 101 Reykjavík

page 18

6.

REMOTE CONTROL/ SÓDÓMA REYKJAVÍK (1992)

Reykjavíkurvegur, leading from Reykjavík to Hafnarfjöröur

page 20

7.

WALLPAPER: AN EROTIC LOVE STORY/ VEGGFÓÐUR (1992)

Laugardalslaug, v/ Sundlaugarveg, 104 Reykjavík

page 22

Map used for guidance and reference only

79 Of STATION/79 AF STÖDINNI (1962) Hótel Borg, Pósthússtræti 11, 101 Reykjavík ____________

79 OF STATION IS an adaptation of the 1950 novella by Indriði G. Porsteinsson. The US naval occupation during and after the war is very present in the film and the story addresses American influences in Iceland. An innocent country boy, Ragnar (Gunnar Eyjólfsson), who is working as a taxi driver in Reykjavík, becomes acquainted with the beautiful and seductive Gógó Faxen (Kristbjörg Kjeld). The discovery of Gógó’s other lovers leaves Ragnar deeply hurt, reflecting the clash between the old and the new in Icelandic culture at the time. The truth about Gógó not only hurts Ragnar, it deprives him of the innocence he once knew – just like the nation has been deprived of its innocence through international, primarily American, influences. The opening scene in the ballroom of Hótel Borg sums up all the major themes presented in the film. We see couples dancing and at the nearby tables people are sitting giggling and flirting. The scene mirrors the new relationships in the lives of the people but also the life of the nation. The flirting between young women and American officers mirrors the flirting of a young nation with a powerful industrial nation. The internal conflict in mid-twentieth century Iceland is played out in a simple scene that on the surface seems only to depict a night on the town. The subtext is however connected to the nation’s long battle for independence and is marred by questions of how independent a small country occupied by a superpower really is.

Helga Pórey Jónsdóttir

(Photo ©Ása Baldursdóttir)

Directed by Erik Balling
Scene description: People dancing and flirting at the legendary Hótel Borg
Scene duration: 0:00:00 – 0:02:38

Images © 1962 Edda Film (II)

ROCk IN REYKJAVÍK/ROKK Í REYKJAVÍK (1982) Hlemmur central bus terminal, 101 Reykjavík ____________

THE DOCUMENTARY Rock in Reykjavík provides a glimpse into the Reykjavík punk scene at the beginning of the 1980s. Director Friðrik Þór Friðriksson presents the atmosphere of the budding music scene by mixing concert footage with interviews, and captures the eclectic mix of musicians that compiled the Reykjavík punk scene by featuring both famous and non-famous acts, among them Björk in the film. The unexpected candidness of the young artists and the powerful music they play bring the film an enormous amount of energy, which is impossible for the audience to ignore. The central bus terminal Hlemmur gained notoriety in Reykjavík around 1980 because it was (and still is) a hangout for those considered unwanted by mainstream society. Disenfranchised young punk rockers felt at home at Hlemmur and their dominance is shown in a scene shot as they enter the bus station. We see a crowd of leather clad teenagers rush happily through a door into the building. They pretend to fight and are clearly enjoying their image as outsiders. The scene serves as a backdrop to an interview with a young punk rock singer in his early teens who speaks openly about his drug abuse, in particular sniffing. As the viewers are deeply provoked by the dialogue, they are simultaneously presented with the joy a...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Scenes 1-7: 1962-1992
• Scenes 8-14: 1995-2005
• Scenes 15-20: 2005-2007
• Scenes 21-26: 2008
• Scenes 27-32: 2009-2010
• Scenes 33-38: 2010-2011
• Reykjavík: City of the Imagination: Jez Conolly & Caroline Whelan
• A Stupid Man Built His: Home On Sand’: A Filmed: Response to the Icelandic: Banking Crisis: Júliana Björnsdóttir
• Urban/Wilderness: Reykjavík’s Cinematic: City-Country Divide: Björn Norðjjörð
• Cultural capital and: corrugated iron: The 101: Reykjavík postcode on film: Heiða Jóhannsdóttir
• Violently Funny: Comedic capers, claustrophobia,: and Icelandic crime cinema Bjorn Thor Vilhjalmsson: Björk and Beyond:
• Björk and Beyond: Reykjavík’s Onscreen Relationship: with its Music Scene: Helga Pórey Jónsdóttir
• A Moving Story: Reykjavík as a Global/: Transnational Cinematic City: Marcelline Block
• Resources
• Contributor Bios
• Filmography