Reykjavík Grapevine - 25.08.2017, Síða 42

Alleged Murder
And The End Of
Innocence
It was Jimmy Hoffa. It was teenage Bonnie and
Clyde. And then somebody at the Reykjavik Police
Department got the bright idea to combine the
two. A new documentary details Iceland’s best-
known murder case.

Words: Valur Gunnarsson Photo: Still from the series

On January 25, 1974, 18-year-old
Guðmundur Einarsson disap-
peared without a trace. His body
was never found, which caused
great consternation in the com-
munity. Later that same year, an-
other man, Geirfinnur Einarsson,
also went missing. In late 1975, a
young couple was arrested for em-
bezzling one million ISK through
the Post Office. The police believed
the couple to be responsible for the
disappearances, and so began the
trial of the century—at least as far
as Iceland was concerned.
The beginning of
modernity
These historical occurrences are
the subject of the new documen-
tary, ‘Out of Thin Air,’ directed
by Dylan Howitt. Much of the film
may be familiar to locals, but to
the outside viewer, this is an ex-
cellent introduction to the Iceland
of a certain period, expertly exe-
cuted. One of the joys of the film
is seeing the Reykjavik of the mid-
1970s brought to life. It feels like
the beginning of modernity, the
birth pangs of which are exem-
plified by the concurrent volcanic
eruption in the Westman Islands.
We get a glimpse of the future too:
the glory of Björk on TV at Christ-
mastime, aged nine, as well as the
darkness of Davíð Oddsson, fresh
out of law school and sitting in on
Parliament for Morgunblaðið. (He
would learn the game well, become
Prime Minister and then editor of
Morgunblaðið, bringing the econ-
omy to its knees in between.)
This era is also the height of
Icelandic hippiedom, which ar-
rived belatedly to our shores. The
murder case that forms the central
focus of the film could be thought
of as the Icelandic version of the
Manson murders in California—
except in this case, the accused
were almost certainly innocent.
Searching for a
Shawshank redemption
Instead of simply relying on vin-
tage footage, ‘Out of Thin Air’
portrays Reykjavik of that period
and does it better than the film
about Bobby Fischer, ‘Pawn Sacri-
fice.’ Yet, at the core of the film are
interviews with real people, par-
ticularly with Erla Bolladóttir (the
Bonnie of the story), whose false
confession triggered the whole
disaster. Her innocence is belied in
the film by the degree to which she
comes across as a very sympathetic
character.
Five suspects in the case con-
fess and are put in jail, despite lat-
er withdrawing their confessions,
which prompts the viewer to ask,
why did they confess in the first
place? The second half of the movie
is devoted to finding an answer.
Sævar Cieselski, is the main pro-
tagonist and serves the longest
time. Upon release, he meets a
girl and moves with her to Amer-
ica, has two children and tries to
start over. If only the story would
have ended there. Instead, Sævar
is haunted by the need to clear his
name and returns to Iceland deter-
mined to have the case reopened.
But his life provides no Hollywood
ending. Instead of achieving resti-
tution, he bankrupts himself with
legal bills and takes to drinking, a
broken man. He finally dies at the
age of 56.
A belated Spotlight
Not long after Sævar dies, a brave
journalist called Helga Arnardót-
tir delves into the case. It turns
out that in the original investiga-
tion, Sævar was subjected to bouts
of intense interrogation, applied
through methods such as water-
boarding and sleep deprivation.
And since his confession turns out
to have been forced, the viewer can
conclude that confessions made
under duress are not always relia-
ble. Who knew?
The narrative is engaging, but
perhaps the film’s major flaw is
that we do not get the police’s side
of the story, but this is only be-
cause they refused to comment.
Also, the film does not manage to
solve who actually committed the
murder, which would have made
for a better ending. But reality is
more complicated than fiction.
With the case now being reopened,
perhaps a sequel will be called for
soon.
In summation, ‘Out of Thin Air’
is a timely reminder that suspects
should be considered innocent
until proven guilty—something
easily forgotten in our outrageous
times.
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Museums
ÁRBÆR OPEN AIR MUSEM
Daily guided tours
Tours are from 13:00 to 14:00
through its open air exhibits.
• On permanent view
THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ICELAND
'The Making of A Nation'
This exhibition is intended to pro-
vide insight into the history of the
Icelandic nation from Settlement to
the present day.
• On permanent view
REYKJAVÍK CITY MUSEUM
‘Settlement Sagas: Accounts from
Manuscripts’
This exhibition has rarely seen
manuscripts that tell the history of
the settlement of Reykjavík.
• On permanent view
REYKJAVÍK MARITIME MUSEUM
'The Coast Guard Vessel Óðinn'
This vessel sailed through all three
Cod Wars and has also served as a
rescue ship to more than 200 ships.
• On permanent view
'From Poverty to Abundance'
Photos documenting Icelandic
fishermen at the turn of the 20th
century.
• On permanent view
'The History of Sailing'
Iceland’s maritime history that
showcases the growth of the Reyk-
javík Harbour.
• On permanent view
'Seawomen'
The fishing women of Iceland, past
and present.
• On permanent view
VOLCANO HOUSE
The exhibition gives a brief overview
of Iceland’s magnificent nature.
• On permanent view
THE ICELANDIC PHALLOLOGICAL
MUSEUM
Permanent Exhibition
More than 215 penises and penile
parts belonging to land and sea
mammals of Iceland.
• On permanent view
Film
This month's special screenings at Bíó Paradís. For the complete schedule,
visit www.bioparadis.is.
Currently Screening
• Mamma Mia!: Singalong!
August 25, 20:00
• American Valhalla
August 26, 20:00
• Angels In America:
National Theater Live
August 27, 28, 20:00

• Regularly Screening:
Out Of Thin Air, BPM (120 Beats Per
Minutes), Heartstone, I Remember
You, Rams, Jar City, The Other Side Of
Hope, I Daniel Blake, Frantz, Manches-
ter By The Sea,
Events
American Valhalla
FILM
MORE INFORMATION, OTHER TOURS & BOOKINGS AT:
WWW.STERNATRAVEL.COM OR VISIT OUR SALES DESK AT
HARPA CONCERT HALL DOWNTOWN REYKJAVÍK
GOLDEN CIRCLE &
THE SECRET LAGOON
A perfect combo of sightseeing
& relaxation in a natural lagoon!
Starting time 10:30
Free pick-up from 10:00
Duration 8 - 8,5 hours
PRICE: 12.900 ISK
BOOK
ONLINE &
GET
STERNATR
AVEL .COM
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