My interest in Iceland was probably started with film! Although I was well aware of Bjork and her previous band,The Sugarcubes, before that.
One of the first Icelandic films I recall seeing was probably "Cold Fever" by Fridrik Thor Fridriksson. It's about a young Japanese man who has to travel to Iceland to commemorate the deaths of his parents in Iceland seven years before.
The first scenes, set in Japan, are shot in a classic 1.33:1 aspect ratio. The frames are stuffed with detail, creating an overwhelming feeling of claustrophobia.
The next scene is of an aircraft landing at Keflavik (the same airport we flew to). The aspect switches immediately to 2.35:1, the wide-screen image and open space delivering a sharp shock to our systems, just as the experience is for our young protagonist. It was exhilarating.
As the man struggles to reach the spot where his parents died, he gradually has everything stripped away from him -- he gets lost, his vehicle breaks down, etc. By the time he reaches the spot, he only has himself and his memories.
Full of the harsh beauty of the Icelandic countryside along with the somewhat harsh humor of the locals, it made a pretty strong impression on me. Over the years, I've generally tried to see any films from Iceland that appeared at TIFF (there are typically one or two a year).
The attraction to Iceland is multi-faceted for me. I find the barren geography quite beautiful. That, aligned with the fierce independence of the people, is a powerful combination.
When our thoughts turned to ways of commemorating our 50th birthdays, something out of the ordinary seemed appropriate and Iceland fit the bill. And we're off!
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