Reykjavík Grapevine - jan. 2020, Blaðsíða 28

Reykjavík Grapevine - jan. 2020, Blaðsíða 28
The Ni%htmare Before And Durin% Christmas Director Rúnar Rúnarsson surprises with ‘Echo’ Words: Valur Gunnarsson Photo: Still from the film Film Screening at Háskólabío, but not yet with English subtitles. One of the first scenes in ‘Echo’ seems rather familiar in the con- text of Icelandic cinema. Man re- turns to the farm he grew up on, but now as a representative of the city. Instead of moving back into the old family abode, he sets it on fire, intending to import prefab- ricated housing to build a guesthouse. He also offers to b u y e g g s f r o m the neighbour for money, disrupting the barter system of the locals. And yet, things seem a little bit off. The metaphor is a bit too strong, almost parodic. It soon be- comes clear this is a rather different kind of film. Drunks play Matador Instead of following the fate of small-town folk, we soon return to Reykjavík. Polish workers are cheated of their wages. A mother proudly looks on as her daughter practices dance moves. We then see a parade of fitness contestants. Drunks play Matador (Monopoly) and haggle over down payments on housing no one can afford. Characters are introduced and then never appear again. This is probably a first in Iceland—an epi- sodic film. Echoes (pun intended) of Roy Anderson abound, who in recent films has explored the drab downside of the Swedish social- democratic paradise. But Rúnar Rúnars- son’s third film can perhaps be said to have more bite. After introducing some of those worst off in Icelandic so- ciety, we peek into other segments. There are no clear winners in late- capitalist Iceland. Some have it hard- er than others to be sure, but there’s no easy villains. A seemingly well-off man drinks expensive wine with his TV din- ner alone on Christmas Eve while looking at his phone. Another has a fight with his family over the pur- chase of a Christmas tree. Two traumatic weeks What ties everything together is the most traumatic two weeks in the Icelandic calendar: the last two weeks of the year leading up to Christmas and New Years. A geothermal hothouse farmer begs for an extension of his overdraft so that he can give his children a happy Christmas but is turned down. An elderly woman takes her grandson to the graveyard and tells him this is where everyone goes in the end. ‘Echo’ is an admirable antidote to the common perception of Ice- land as a nature-loving utopia. There is perhaps nothing more Icelandic than the pre-Christmas, hyper-consumerist rush, which is then followed by manic overin- dulging that everyone is supposed to enjoy but few probably do. Two men argue over the merits of the Minister of Finance, one storming out with his minuscule party hat still on, ranting that nothing will ever change unless someone says something, though it is not clear the ranting has improved society very much. In a way, this can be seen as a companion piece to Ísold Uggadót- tir’s excellent ‘And Breathe Nor- mally,’ but whereas Ísold attempt- ed to capture society by zooming in on two women, one local, the other immigrant, Rúnar goes for a more panoramic view. We also get a glimpse here of refugees being deported after seeking shelter in a church, although the idea that the bishop would support their cause is one of Rúnar’s most cruel jokes. Deserves to be seen At 79 minutes, ‘Echo’ does not over- stay its welcome, and the ending is nothing short of masterful. The day after the party, and the first baby of the year is born, as depicted with footage from a real live birth. One cannot help but feel sorry for the poor child with all this in store. ‘Echo’ won’t be to everyone’s taste, but it deserves to be seen. Find today's events in Iceland! Download our free listings app - APPENING on the Apple and Android stores Film FILM gpv.is/film Share this + Archives It's like Home Alone, except Kevin just feels alone in a room full of people “A seemingly well-off man drinks expen- sive wine with his TV dinner alone on Christ- mas Eve while looking at at his phone.” 28.11.2019–09.02.2020 Ólafur Elíasson The glacier melt series 1999/2019 Photo: Olafur Eliasson. 'HWDLORI{7KHJODFLHU{PHOW{VHULHV    { Courtesy of the artist and i8 Gallery, Reykjavík Hafnarhús Tryggvagata 17 +354 411 6410 artmuseum.is Open daily 10h00–17h00 Thursdays 10h00–22h00 NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ICELAND Opening Hours Daily 10–17 Closed on Mondays 16/9–30/4 The National Museum of Iceland Su!urgata 41, 101 Reykjavík The Culture House Hverfisgata 15, 101 Reykjavík www.nationalmuseum.is +354 530 2200 @icelandnationalmuseum @thjodminjasafn WELCOME TO THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ICELAND

x

Reykjavík Grapevine

Beinir tenglar

Ef þú vilt tengja á þennan titil, vinsamlegast notaðu þessa tengla:

Tengja á þennan titil: Reykjavík Grapevine
https://timarit.is/publication/943

Tengja á þetta tölublað:

Tengja á þessa síðu:

Tengja á þessa grein:

Vinsamlegast ekki tengja beint á myndir eða PDF skjöl á Tímarit.is þar sem slíkar slóðir geta breyst án fyrirvara. Notið slóðirnar hér fyrir ofan til að tengja á vefinn.