Icelandic Waves
Icelandic Waves
The Australian Cinémathèque presents a series of documentaries and video programs celebrating the extraordinary music culture of Iceland. The program features Heima 2007, the first live film by Sigur Rós, Rock in Reykjavík 1982, the landmark historical documentary about the post punk and new wave music scene in Reykjavík during the early 1980s, and three curated programs of video clips and short films by some of Iceland’s most accomplished artists, filmmakers and musicians.
Cold Hearts program series curated by Deirdre Corley and Kelly Shindler with accompanying film notes and courtesy of Package Deals (New York). Special thanks to Sigur Rós, Christof Wehmeier (Icelandic Film Centre), Alexander Gandar (Shooting People Films), Icelandic Embassy in Berlin and all the musicians and filmmakers featured in the Cold Hearts programs. Takk.
|
|
Hlemmur (Last Stop) 2002 Ages 15+ Sigur Rós provide an instrumental electronic score to this moving documentary that revolves around the lives of destitute men who spend most of their time in and around Reykjavík's main bus station. The screening of Hlemmur will be preceded by a compilation of Sigur Rós video clips including: Svefn-g-englar 2000 (d. Agust Jacobsson and Sigur Rós); Viðrar Vel Til Loftárása 2001 (d. Stefán Árni and Siggi Kinski); Untitled #1 2003 (d. Floria Sigismondi); Glósóli 2005 (d. Stefán Árni and Siggi Kinski); Hoppípolla 2005 (d. Stefán Arni and Siggi Kinski) and Sæglópur 2006 (d. Sigur Rós). Fri 9 May 6.00pm (Sigur Rós Video Program) and 7.00pm (Hlemmur) / Cinema A |
 |
Cold Hearts 3: Foregin Relations 2008 Ages 15+ DV CAM, COLOUR AND BLACK AND WHITE, STEREO, 103 MINS, ICELAND, ENGLISH AND ICELANDIC (ENGLISH SUBTITLES) / PRINT SOURCE: PACKAGE DEALS Iceland's current film and music scenes are more vibrant than ever. This latest instalment of Package Deals' exploration into contemporary Icelandic culture, commissioned for the Australian Cinematheque, features a host of music videos, video art, and short films. From the newly refashioned pop stylings of the well-known band Múm and the up-and-coming indie folksters Seabear, to the unique aesthetic visions of the latest crop of young multidisciplinary visual artists and filmmakers—whose work is shown at galleries as well as at festivals like Sundance—this collection reflects the exuberant spirit of not only the Package Deals' ethos but, naturally, Iceland itself. Fri 16 May 6.00pm / Cinema A |
|
|
Heima 2007 All ages Heima (meaning "at home" or "homeland") is a breathtaking film diary documenting Sigur Rós as they perform a series of free, unannounced concerts in Iceland during the summer of 2006. The band moved 40-plus people round 15 locations to the furthest corners of their homeland to create an inspirational live film. On their way they went to ghost towns, outsider art shrines, national parks, small community halls and the absolute middle-of-nowhere-ness of the highland wilderness, as well as playing the largest gig of their career (and in Icelandic history) at their homecoming Reykjavík show. Fri 16 May 8.00pm / Cinema A REPEAT SCREENING: Friday 23 May 6.00pm / Cinema B
|
 |
Cold Hearts: Icelandic Music and Film 2006 Ages 15+ MINI DV, COLOUR AND BLACK AND WHITE, STEREO, 75 MINS, ICELAND, ENGLISH AND ICELANDIC (ENGLISH SUBTITLES) / PRINT SOURCE: PACKAGE DEALS Featuring macabre stop animation, the secret life of moss, mouse suits, exploding dictaphones, women who live on clouds, Outkast ballads, and some very creative uses for whipped cream, Cold Hearts represents the whimsical Icela ndic imagination. 17 artist films and music videos cover expansive aesthetic ground. Working in locales as diverse as art school in Los Angeles to the craggy vistas of Skagafjördur in northern Iceland, these young artists explore their native and adopted worlds in inventive ways. Intrinsically dark and aloof, yet also refreshingly honest, Cold Hearts is a glimpse into the curious cultural landscape of Iceland now. Fri 23 May 6.00pm / Cinema A |
|
Rokk í Reykjavík (Rock in Reykjavík) 1982 Ages 15+ A landmark documentary about Icelandic music culture, Rock in Reykjavík surveys the Icelandic post punk and new wave music scene in Reykjavík during the winter of 1981—82. Director Friðrik Þór Friðriksson captures a diverse collection of musicians, including the legendary experimental band Þeyr, punk group Purrkur Pillnikk (fronted by Einar Örn Benediktsson from The Sugarcubes), rímur (epic poem) poet/singer Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson and two extraordinary performances by a 16 years old Björk Guðmundsdóttir with punk/jazz ensemble Tappi Tíkarrass. Friðriksson also interviews band members who reflect on the increased social and political awareness of the music scene. The screening of Rock in Reykjavík will be preceded by video clips Ammæli (Birthday) 1987 (d. Friðrik Þór Friðriksson) and Cold Sweat 1988 (d. Óskar Jónasson), taken from The Sugarcubes breakthrough album Life’s Too Good 1988. Fri 23 May 8.00pm / Cinema A |
 |
Cold Hearts Revisited: Icelandic Music and Film 2007 Ages 15+ DV CAM, COLOUR AND BLACK AND WHITE, STEREO, 80 MINS, ICELAND, ENGLISH AND ICELANDIC (ENGLISH SUBTITLES) / PRINT SOURCE: PACKAGE DEALS Cold Hearts Revisited is a fresh batch of short films and music videos from the vibrant Icelandic creative community. From irreverent faux pop songs and edible instruments to escapist fantasies and unorthodox quests, the program of twelve rarely-seen films encapsulates all that is enchanting and inventive about this small island nation. Fri 30 May 6.00pm / Cinema A |
|
|
Gargandi snilld (Screaming Masterpiece) 2005 PG For an island nation with a population of 300,000, Iceland continues to produce an extraordinarily dynamic and diverse contemporary music scene. Screaming Masterpiece celebrates the waves of successful bands and musicians, from international artists such as Björk, Sigur Rós, Múm and Ghostdigital to the lesser-known Apparat Organ Quartet, Amiina and Quarashi. A mixture of interviews, live performances, and sweeping aerial shots of landscapes, the documentary also includes a remarkable sequence taken from a performance of the Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson / Sigur Rós collaboration Odin's Raven Magic 2002, a musical adaptation of a lost chapter from The Edda (the bible of Norse mythology), featuring Icelandic rhymer Steindór Andersen performing alongside Sigur Rós and the London Sinfonietta Orchestra. The screening of Screaming Masterpiece will be preceded by Björk’s video clip Triumph of the Heart 2006 (d. Spike Jonze) featuring Reykjavík’s recently closed Sirkus Bar. Fri 30 May 8.00pm / Cinema A
|
