Kvikmyndapod: An Icelandic Cinema Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Halló!

Rob and Ellie drop into your feeds to discuss a new football documentary - always striking while the iron is hot - titled 'The Home Game', or 'Heimaleikurinn'.

Directors Smari Gunn and Logi Sigursveinsson bring the story of Reynir FC to cinemas; 25 years after his father created a pitch in a small town in the west of Iceland and failed to get the local team to play a match on it, Kari picks up the mantle and sets out to put together another team to play an FA Cup match on the pitch! And not lose 10-0...

With great characters, surprising moments and an excellent score (pun intended) this feel-good underdog story demonstrates just how much community can mean and how sport can unite.

Available to stream in Iceland, Sweden and New Zealand, 'The Home Game' can also be spotted at festivals around the world and will be playing soon in UK cities. Keep an eye on the film's Instagram for the latest on screenings!

Please subscribe/follow, rate and review on Spotify and Apple

and

Follow us on Instagram kvikmyndapod 

X @KVIKMYNDAPOD

Threads @kvikmyndapod

Join in the conversation on Discord

And if you fancy supporting us, why not sling us the cost of a coffee!

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)

Halló!

In the final episode of series 6, Rob and Ellie are back in the capital for another film by one-man movie-making machine Baltasar Kormákur.

Anna, the daughter of heart surgeon Finnur, is addicted to drugs and madly in love with her dealer boyfriend and all round bad influence, Óttar. As her father, Finnur takes it into his hands  rid her of the bad boyfriend. But things don't quite go to plan.An Icelandic variation on the 'Taken'-style action and psychological thriller, 'The Oath', or 'Eiðurinn' from 2016 was written and directed by, and stars Baltasar Kormákur. It also stars series favourites Hera Hilmar and Gísli Örn Garðarsson and features other familiar faces too - Þorsteinn Bachmann, Ingvar Sigurðsson and Þorsteinn Gunnarsson.

Stunning cinematography by 'Driving Mum' director of photography Óttar Guðnason and a chilling cello score from Hildur Guðnadóttir also help to make this a particularly Icelandic form of Hollywood movie.

'The Oath' is available to rent or buy on Apple TV.

Please subscribe/follow, rate and review on Spotify and Apple

and

Follow us on X @KVIKMYNDAPOD

Instagram kvikmyndapod 

Threads @kvikmyndapod

Join in the conversation on Discord

And if you fancy supporting us, why not sling us the cost of a coffee!

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)

Halló!

Episode three finds Rob and Ellie back in Reykjavík for a psychological thriller from first time director Tinna Hrafnsdóttir, who also wrote the film based on a book by Auður Jónsdóttir.

'Quake', or 'Skjálfti' from 2021 tells the story of an author and mother named Saga who, after an epileptic seizure, experiences memory loss at the same time as hidden memories of family secrets begin to resurface.

With a brilliant central performance from Anita Briem, this is a cold, noir-ish look at how memory works, the cost of keeping secrets, and what it means to want to protect your family.

Edda Björgvinsdóttir, Sveinn Geirsson and Jóhann Sigurðarson give great supporting turns as Saga's mostly well-meaning family, and Tómas Örn Tómasson's cinematography is suitably stark and beautiful.

'Quake' is currently available to rent or buy on Amazon.

Please subscribe/follow, rate and review on Spotify and Apple

and

Follow us on Twitter @KVIKMYNDAPOD

and Instagram kvikmyndapod

And if you fancy supporting us, why not sling us the cost of a coffee!

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)

Halló!

The second episode of series 5 takes Rob and Ellie to 90s America for a 25-minute, Oscar-nominated coming-of-age animation called 'My Year of Dicks'!

Directed by Sara Gunnarsdóttir and written by American screenwriter and actress Pamela Ribon, the short film is split into five chapters, each one about young Pam's encounters with the boy's she hopes will fall in love with her and take her virginity.

Available to watch now at www.myyearofdicks.com, this a hilarious, heartfelt, super cringe and brilliantly animated exploration of what sex means to a teenage girl.

This exciting episode is split in two; the first half is a fun conversation with Sara herself (the first Icelandic female director to be nominated for an Oscar!), while in the second half Rob and Ellie discuss the film in detail.

Oh, and the brilliant end music is I Want it All by the brilliant Mr. Silla.

Please subscribe/follow, rate and review on Spotify and Apple

and

Follow us on Twitter @KVIKMYNDAPOD

and Instagram kvikmyndapod

And if you fancy supporting us, why not sling us the cost of a coffee!

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)

Halló!

It's series 5! And to kick things off for their fifth journey through the cinema of Iceland, Rob and Ellie are keeping things current with Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson's 'Beautiful Beings', or 'Berdreymi' from 2022!

Available to watch on demand from today, Guðmundsson's second feature film focuses on teenage boys once again, except this time in the city. Set in the Reykjavik suburbs, this film focuses on a group of boys and the violence that surrounds them as Addi, Konni and Siggi befriend the bullied Balli and the four of them navigate the brutal world of noughties teenagedom.

Starring a group of fantastic newcomers, as with 'Heartstone', as well as some stalwarts in Ólafur Darri Ólafsson and Anita Briem, this is a beautiful but brutal coming-of-age drama with a surprising supernatural element.

'Beautiful Beings' is not for the faint-of-heart, but is richly rewarding should you choose to press play; wonderful performances, stunning cinematography and an interesting look under the surface of suburbia.

Please subscribe/follow, rate and review on Spotify and Apple

and

Follow us on Twitter @KVIKMYNDAPOD

and Instagram kvikmyndapod

Get in touch via email kvikmyndapod@gmail.com

And if you fancy supporting us, why not sling us the cost of a coffee!

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)

Halló!

And gleðileg jól!

As a little Christmas gift, Rob and Ellie reconvened for a short chat about Christmas, Christmas films, Icelandic films and Icelandic Christmas.

This episode is mostly a general chat, however part of the discussion does revolve around a small scene from Grímur Hákonarson's 'Rams' or 'Hrútar' from 2015 - the very first film covered on the podcast. The scene timecode is 45:30 - 52:27 and the film is available on DVD and Blu-ray, as well to rent or buy on Apple TV, BFI Player and Chili. Or you can stream it for free at MUBI, where you can get 30 days free trial if you follow this link: www.mubi.com/kvikmyndapod

Merry Christmas and Rob and Ellie will be back in the New Year.

Please subscribe/follow, rate and review on Spotify and Apple

and

Follow us on Twitter @KVIKMYNDAPOD

and Instagram kvikmyndapod

And if you fancy supporting us, why not sling us the cost of a coffee!

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)

Halló!

And so another journey through the cinema of Iceland ends. For this final episode of series four, Rob and Ellie discuss the multi-narrative drama 'Life in a Fishbowl' from 2014.

Baldvin Z's second feature follows the lives of three Icelanders living in Reykjavik and the ways in which they influence each other, for better or worse. One is a single mother and occasional sex worker, one is an alcoholic writer, and the other is a footballer-turned-financial businessman.

Starring Þorsteinn Bachmann, Hera Hilmar and Thor Kristjansson, this is a look at the real Reykjavik, the side that tourists don't often see. At times hard-hitting and tough to watch, at others beautiful and heartwarming, it's no wonder this was the Number 1 film in Iceland the year it was released.

Rob and Ellie will return for a pre-Christmas special but in the meantime join us on social media and keep your eyes on your podcast feeds!

Thanks to all our listeners, new and old, and to everyone involved in the films we've covered!

Please subscribe/follow, rate and review on Spotify and Apple

and

Follow us on Twitter @KVIKMYNDAPOD

and Instagram kvikmyndapod

And if you fancy supporting us, why not sling us the cost of a coffee!

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)

Halló!

This week, Rob and Ellie return to Reykjavik and to the documentary format for Gaukur Úlfarsson's 'Gnarr', a film in which famous Icelandic comedian Jón Gnarr sets up a satirical political party and runs for Mayor of Reykjavík!

Over the course of four months Gnarr transforms from joke candidate to favourite, and his outlook and intentions change too...

The film can be found at dafilms.com.

Please subscribe/follow, rate and review on Spotify and Apple

and

Follow us on Twitter @KVIKMYNDAPOD

and Instagram kvikmyndapod

And if you fancy supporting us, why not sling us the cost of a coffee!

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)

Halló!

In this week's minisode Rob and Ellie journey, via Denmark, to the south east of Iceland, by way of the BFI London Film Festival!

In a non-spoiler discussion, they chat about the one Icelandic movie that was shown as part of the festival in 2022. One of only eight films in Official Competition!

GODLAND

Directed by Hlynur Pálmason

Written by Hlynur Pálmason

Starring Elliott Crosset Hove, Ingvar Sigurðsson, Vic Carmen Sonne, Ída Mekkín Hlynsdóttir and Jacob Lohmann

Please subscribe, rate and review

and

Follow us on Twitter @KVIKMYNDAPOD

and Instagram kvikmyndapod

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)

Halló!

And Happy Halloween!

To celebrate spooky season, Rob and Ellie bring together two recent Icelandic B-Movie horror-comedies.

First up is Elvar Gunnarsson’s trippy 'It Hatched' in which a baby is born from an egg laid by a human woman in a guesthouse in a remote fjord. If that doesn't sounds bonkers, then the rest of the film will do the convincing!

This is followed by comedy troupe Leikhópurinn X's 'Thirst’ or Þorsti from 2019, a film about a 1,000 year-old gay vampire and his unlikely friendship with a recovering drug user. It features buckets of blood and the most gore of any Icelandic film covered on the pod so far; probably of any Icelandic movie in fact!

So grab some beers and popcorn, get together with some mates, and settle in for a riotous B-movie double bill and then hear what Rob and Ellie have to say about these unique horror movies!

And keep your eyes peeled for Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir!

Please subscribe/follow, rate and review on Spotify and Apple

and

Follow us on Twitter @KVIKMYNDAPOD

and Instagram kvikmyndapod

And if you fancy supporting us, why not sling us the cost of a coffee!

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)