Reykjavík Grapevine - 10.03.2017, Page 44

Top 8 44The Reykjavík GrapevineIssue 03 — 2017
My Top 8 Icelandic Books
Bergur Ebbi Benediktsson
Stand-up Comic & Author
Bergur Ebbi is a writer and comedian.
He is the author of stage plays and po-
etry and his latest book, ‘Stofuhiti’,
out in April, is an aesthetic essay
about personal identity in the age of
social media and hyperconnectivity.
I only chose poetry. I am of the
opinion that Icelandic serves
well for poetry. Some of the
works I mention have been trans-
lated but most have not. It truly
makes for a justification of a
language if it has produced good
poetry and I believe Icelandic
poets have done just that, and
that's what I want to emphasise
with this short selection. A list
of honourable mentions would
also be very long. All the books
are from the 20th century except
one from 2010 and it can also be
mentioned that ‘Hafblik’ (by Ein-
ar Benediktsson) has one foot in
the 19th century—it is a turn-of-
the-century piece of literature.
1. Svartálfadans
- Stefán Hörður Grímsson
This short book of poetry repre-
sents the best of the "atom era,"
when people had such great inter-
est in literature that they would
go into cold-war trenches over a
dispute rooted only in aesthetics.
It was published in 1951, which is
truly a sweet spot for literature.
The conventional forms had been
broken down in the years prior but
this is still before meaning got
drowned in the experiments of
postmodernism. ‘Svartálfadans’
is poetry at its best. It is full of
meaning but all of it is unworld-
ly. It represents pure madness
but in a very disciplined form.
2. Laufið á trjánum
- Vilborg Dagbjartsdóttir
Even though this book is most-
ly about love it is also Cold War
gourmet. A little baby in a crib,
shadowed by doomsday imperi-
alism. Vilborg was one of Icelan-
dic’s few early modernist women
poets and went to become one
of the nation's most cherished.
3. Hafblik
- Einar Benediktsson
Some say that the poetry of Einar
Benediktsson is dwarfed by the au-
thor's stark and egocentric nature.
But even though his use of words
was sometimes crude and over
the top, his main strength, his
use of symbolism to create highly
conceptual sentiments, is always
intact. No Icelandic poet is as con-
ceptual as him, and in ‘Hafblik’,
from 1906 (his second book), he
pretty much does not touch the
ground. It's all about stars, elec-
tricity, tension in the air, moods
and mysticism. A true testament
of the wicked blend of science
and religion that people were
up to at the turn of the century.
4. Þorpið - Jón úr Vör
You have to like this one. Forget
Halldór Laxness and Þórbergur
Þórðarson, just for a little while,
and get the social realistic toil of
20th century Iceland delivered
through the jugular vein. This book
is the rock that all other modern
Icelandic poetry sprung from.
5. Kopar
- Magnea Matthíasdóttir
This is Icelandic 70s realism at its
best. Thoughts about concrete and
the social welfare system. It feels
like the 70s was a very grey time
in Iceland and that young people
were frustrated, but Magnea
finds beauty in the frustration.
6. Malbikuð hjörtu
- Jóhann Hjálmarsson
1961 is peak time for modernist
poetry. Jóhann Hjálmarsson, in
his early 20s at the time, is like a
tap. Everything in this book feels
like a steady stream of conscious-
ness, delivered without hesita-
tion. In the next years it was more
cool to be a poet than a rock star.
7. Blóðhófnir
- Gerður Kristný
This is a recent book, published in
2010. It is a good representation of
what poetry can achieve in mod-
ern times. If you like the aesthet-
ics of ‘Game of Thrones’ but you
want it darker (like Leonard Cohen
would put it), check out ‘Blóðhóf-
nir’ (‘Bloodhoof’ in English).
8. Þriggja orða nafn
- Ísak Harðarson
Ísak Harðarson's first book of
poems, from 1982, is the work
of a person who is born to write
poetry. It feels like no other me-
dium would justify the thoughts
in this book. Every sentiment
is delivered with pure honesty.
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My Top 8 Icelandic Albums
Guðbjörg Tómasdóttir
Musician & Designer
Bubba (Guðbjörg Tómasdóttir) is the
Icelandic half of Swedish/Icelandic
female duo My bubba, whose third
album, 'Big Bad Good', produced by
Shahzad Ismaily, was released last
year. They have been gaining at-
traction in the US where they have
appeared on major folk festivals and
toured with Damien Rice.
The albums that tend to stay with
me the longest are often acoustic
and sparse in their instrumenta-
tion. Where the message is so poi-
gnant, little is needed to deliver it,
apart from the courage and artistry
of the musicians.
1. Björk Guðmundsdóttir & Tríó
Guðmundar Ingólfssonar - Glíng-Gló
On ‘Glíng Gló’ you can hear Björk
interpret old Icelandic songs (and
some jazz standards in English)
in a very personal, jazzy outfit. It’s
very Björk, yet so far from her usual
gig. Recorded in the early 90s, this
favorite has been with me for a long
time.
2. Emilíana Torrini
- Fisherman’s Woman
Emilíana’s magic powers really
come forth on this beautiful al-
bum. The arrangements are kept
simple and the depth of the guitar
sound brings me to the bottom of
the ocean at times.
3. Ólöf Arnalds - Við og við
On this album Ólöf manages to
sound so contemporary, yet soul-
ful and several hundred years old.
It has a strong, feminine power to
it; like having a older sister sing
you lullabies laced with ancient
wisdom.
4. Sigurður Guðmundsson
og Memfismafían
- Oft spurði ég mömmu
A colorful collection of old Icelan-
dic popular tunes, recorded with
a group of musicians gathered
around one ribbon microphone.
It’s hard to explain in words how
warm it sounds, so give it a listen.
5. Múgíson
- Haglél
With slightly dark poetry and beau-
tifully carved melodies, Mugison
touched me and more or less the
entire Icelandic nation with this al-
bum back in 2011. The direct trans-
lation of the title is “Hail Shower.”
It’s very Icelandic and romantic.
6. Valdimar
- Undraland
This is a really sweet and sincere
album. I like listening to it at air-
ports, on my way home.
7. Gyða Valtýsdóttir,
Shahzad Ismaily
- Epicycle
This one is a new favorite, a very
fresh take on classical composi-
tions featuring cello, electric gui-
tar and flavorful percussion. Listen
twice to “Opus 100,” it’s a hit.
8. amiina
- Fantômas
Originally composed as a live score
to a silent movie from 1913, but re-
leased this year, ‘Fantômas’ takes
you on a journey full of melancholy
and joy. If you liked the ‘Amélie’
soundtrack, you’ll like this one.
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My Top 8 Icelandic Films
Ísold Uggadóttir
Film Director
Ísold Uggadóttir is a scriptwriter and
director who’s putting the finishing
touches on her first feature film, ‘An-
dið eðlilega’ (‘Breathe Normally’).
A sense of humanity and authen-
ticity is a quality shared by all of
the films below. Many tackle class
and social status, while others de-
pict characters of the more vulner-
able and sensitive type. All of these
films convey true cinematic expe-
riences with layered and unique
characters at the forefront.
1. Fúsi
Authentic and charming, ‘Virgin
Mountain’ offers nuanced and deli-
cate performances that remain with
you long after the screen has gone
dark. Gunnar Jónsson as Fúsi is a
mountain of discovery, in Dagur Kári’s
best and most mature film to date.
2. Börn / Foreldrar
Black and white, gritty and effective,
Ragnar Bragason’s “twin” films,
‘Children’ and ‘Parents’ paint a
bleak picture of life in Reykjavík. In-
tertwining stories of misguided in-
dividuals feel layered and authentic.
3. Nói Albinói
‘Nói Albinói’, poetic, engaging, and
visually exciting, was a critical hit
when it came out in 2003. With
its wry humor and original char-
acters, this first feature by Dagur
Kári remains one of Iceland’s most
interesting films.
4. Ungfrúin góða og húsið
Based on the novel by Nobel Prize
winner, Halldór Laxness, ‘Honor
Of The House’ is perhaps Guðný
Halldórsdóttir’s best film yet. Per-
fectly cast and visually stunning,
this film tackles topics such as
class, honour and social status in
Iceland’s early 1900s.
5. Blóðbönd
This film is underappreciated in
Iceland, but deserves much praise
for its skillfully nuanced per-
formances, delicate script, and
scenes artfully photographed. A
husband discovers he is not the
father of his son, resulting in a
fair amount of personal turmoil.
6. Hrútar
Winner of Un Certain Regard at
Cannes in 2015, the tragi-comedy
‘Rams’ is a delightful story of two
brothers sharing farming land,
but unable to speak to one anoth-
er—until drawn together in their
darkest hour, by their mutual love
for sheep.
7. Svo á jörðu sem á himni
Kristin Johannesdóttir’s artisti-
cally courageous ‘As in Heaven’
screened out of competition at
Cannes in 1992. Taking place in a
remote Icelandic fishing village in
the 1930s, Kristin’s film depicts a
young girl’s vivid imagination and
sense of clairvoyance, bringing her
back to events of the 14th century.
8. Börn Náttúrunnar
‘Children of Nature’, Friðrik Þór
Friðriksson’s lyrical Academy
Award nominee about death and
nostalgia, is a magical journey. An
elderly couple takes off from their
elderly home, taking destiny into
their own hands.
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"This book is the rock that
all other modern Icelandic
poetry sprung from"
“Two brothers sharing farm-
ing land, but unable to
speak to one another”
“It’s hard
to explain
in words
how warm
it sounds”