Reykjavík Grapevine


Reykjavík Grapevine - 10.03.2017, Blaðsíða 44

Reykjavík Grapevine - 10.03.2017, Blaðsíða 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. SHARE: gpv.is/tb03 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. SHARE: gpv.is/ta03 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. SHARE: gpv.is/tf03 "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”
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