Reykjavík Grapevine - jún. 2021, Blaðsíða 22

Reflectin! On A
Moment
'Apausalypse' captures philosophers, musicians,
and dancers at a standstill
Words: Brittnee Kiner Photos: Art Bicnick & 'Apausalypse'
Our contemporary idea of the word
‘Apocalypse’ describes an inescap-
able end; for example, for many,
COVID-19 brought an end to hu-
manity as we understood it—a so-
cietal apocalypse. However, such
a designation is narrow in its per-
spective and ‘Apausalypse’, the new
documentary by directors Andri
Snær Magnason and Anni Ólafs-
dóttir reveals the true origins of
this word, as it explores the great
pause that enveloped the world due
to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This unfolding of society over
2020 led Andri Snær and Anni to
the name for the film. Visual artist
Haraldur Jónsson, who is featured
in the film, told the two that the
Greek word ‘Apocalypse’ originally
meant to uncover something. So
contrary to last year symboliz-
ing an ending—a modern apoca-
lypse—the film instead suggests
that it could signify the unveiling
of a world that had long been buried
by the strains of humankind. As so-
ciety struggled to find its footing,
earth was able to find its breath
again.
Capturing the pause
While all opportunities seemed to
have faded amid the global lock-
down from COVID-19, Andri Snær
and Anni allowed art to persevere.
They hoped to capture this mo-
ment in time through the nation’s
best storytellers, such as photogra-
pher Ragnar Axelsson, poet Elísa-
bet Jökulsdóttir and professor of
philosophy Sigrí!ur "orgeirsdót-
tir, gaining a philosophical and
theoretical deep-dive before any of
these creative thinkers had time to
process the unfolding of the world
around them.
“Our intentions were to make
a work of art when almost every-
thing was impossible,” Andri Snær
asserted, speaking to the limita-
tions they faced. When asked about
the status of restrictions, Anni
explained that “Everything was
closed” but nonetheless, the pair
travelled around Iceland. They en-
gaged in conversations from a dis-
tance—through living room win-
dows or metres away in cars. The
two set out with no idea where the
conversations would lead them—
they talked indiscriminately with
subjects, developing the narrative
of the ‘Apausealypse’ as they went.
When asked about how they chose
which individuals to interview,
Andri Snær admitted “We didn’t
know if they would be the ones”
but that regardless of what came
of the words exchanged, they would
maintain historical significance.
Occasionally overlooked victims
of the pandemic include kids—
withdrawn from social situations
and experiences that shape their
character. In one scene of the film,
a couple’s eight year old son had not
been in school for several weeks,
and it did not take long for him to
express the suppressed emotions
of confusion and isolation felt by
children across the world. The boy
took a seat at the bench of the pia-
no, stabbing at the keys as he sang
with rage against the virus.
Return, release & reflect
In the film’s closing, images of an
empty airport and a car-less Reyk-
javík flash across the screen. Hints
of desolation and sorrow pervade,
carried by the gentle notes of mu-
sician Ásta Fanney Sigur!ardót-
tir, while a poem is read aloud de-
scribing the resurgence of nature
that was seen around the world.
With the suspension of societal
consequences, it explains, came
notions of peace and tranquility
unfounded in a century of haste.
While the film does not explicitly
highlight the revival of nature, An-
dri explains that “It is about global
warming but in more subtle ways.”
Wishfully, he asks “If we can stop
for a virus and protect the elderly,
can we protect the future?”
The global community has
been trapped in a perpetual cycle
of healing, yearning for a day of re-
lief and release. “Immediately, we
will not learn anything but, in the
long run, we will look at this as a
really significant milestone in how
we understand the economy, ecol-
ogy, [and] society,” Andri adds. And
thus, a piece such as ‘Apausalypse’
serves as a sobering reminder of
the places that we have been and
the places we are to go if we can-
not fully reflect on the pause that
allowed the earth to experience a
degree of recovery. As Anni con-
cludes, “We so easily forget.”
A still from 'Apausalypse'
Andri Snær & Anni, social distancing from our photographer
Film
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