Focus Iceland

“It must be lovely to live somewhere, where there are always people…,” remarks one of the characters in the Icelandic film The Last Farm. In our country, most people would say the exact opposite. For us, few countries are as exotic as Iceland. According to the themes of Icelandic films, the island is controlled by a relentless Mother Nature, constant wintertime, alcoholism, omnipresent spirits, sheep and disappearing farms, pent-up passion, strong people, and the huge distances between them. Iceland also happens to be an incredibly cultured country where the level of cultural development is backed not only by the formal existence of a ministry of culture and numerous cultural declarations and manifestations. When we bear in mind that it turns out at least six shorts a year for a population of just 250,000, we must tip our hats to its unprecedented filmmaking capacity. To rival that record, the Czech Republic would have to produce 240 shorts a year! But things sometimes work in reverse: maybe we are the most exotic country Icelanders can imagine. Be sure to check out the short film by Icelandic director and FAMU graduate Grímur Hákonarson, Slávek the Shit, which he filmed in Prague. Well, actually, in Prague’s public toilets…

Stutt kvikmynd án titils (Untitled Short Film / Lars Emil Árnason / Iceland / 2005 / 16min.)
A young sailor accidentally stumbles into an art gallery and becomes the focus of a big misunderstanding.

Fullt hús (Full House / Örn Marinó Arnarson - Thorkell Hardarsson / Iceland / 2003 / 10min.)
The story of a gambling machine, its faithful client and his friends.

Síðasti bærinn í dalnum (The Last Farm / Runar Runarsson / Iceland / 2004 / 15min.)
At the end of a remote valley lies the region’s last surviving farm, where an old man struggles to keep his dream alive in a crumbling rural culture. Hrafn is about to lose his land, independence and dignity. But in his desperation, he finds a way to keep it all.

Slavek the Shit (Grímur Hákonarson / Czech Republic - Iceland - Estonia / 2005 / 15min.)
For the past 30 years, Slavek has cleaned a public toilet in the centre of Prague. He has long pursued the toilet ladies across the street with no success. But one morning, his boss informs him a new woman is starting work.

Memphis (Thorgeir Gudmundsson / Iceland / 2002 / 10min.)
Nothing is as it seems. What at first appears to be a country hotel is actually a state rehab centre, and everything that happens is part of the inmates' carefully orchestrated plan to escape.

Vín hússins (Wine of the House / Örn Marinó Arnarson - Thorkell Hardarsson / Iceland / 2004 / 13min.)
A film about hangovers, mistakes, trust and how even a visit from God Almighty does not change much in a person’s life. Black-market booze saves the day for hungover Icelandic barflies unsuccessfully trying to straighten up and fly right.

Módan (Condensation / Jón Karl Helgason / Iceland / 2004 / 14min.)
A flight attendant accidentally locks her baby and dog in her car at a petrol station. A security guard must get them out. But how, when he is deadly afraid of dogs?