Iceland review - 2015, Qupperneq 12

10 ICELAND REVIEW
NOT-SO-HIDDEN PEOPLE
The Little Book of the Hidden People is a collection of stories about the huldufólk or
‘hidden people,’ curated from oral accounts and texts from right across Iceland. Full
of charm, they are accompanied by whip-smart observations and a good helping of
humor from successful Icelandic author and blogger, Alda Sigmundsdóttir.
Some of the stories will shock you with their sex and violence, or by their very
subject matter. One such example is the story of ewes being impregnated by elf rams.
No, really.
Despite the author’s initial warning about the dangers of believing the press hype
about hidden people, there is nothing else out there quite like this. You will have the
feeling of being watched for some time to come. BY EDWARD HANCOX.
OF TRUTH, BITTER LIKE THYME
The plot of ‘dramedy’ Blóðberg (Homecoming), directed by Björn Hlynur Haraldsson,
would have been far-fetched in a bigger society than Iceland. Meet Gunnar (Hilmar
Jónsson), a popular best-selling writer in his fifties and clear evidence that self-help
books should be taken less seriously. A storm starts brewing when Gunnar’s son arrives
with his new, likable girlfriend. Raised by a single mother, she is reluctant to talk about
her father, whom she doesn’t know at all. Gunnar’s marriage is already at a low point
but the situation is about to get worse… One might dismiss the movie as another
moral about the importance of telling the truth and taking responsibility for one’s
actions. However, it’s more complicated than it seems and works as a remedy against
compulsive perfectionism. BY YAROSLAVA KUTSAI.
NO DONKEY
Five years since their last studio album, Icelandic favorites, progressive metal band
Agent Fresco, return with a fresh offering, Destrier. Appropriately, its title references a
medieval knight’s horse, used in fierce battle.
Destrier is not an easy listen by any stretch of the imagination, but this is intelligent
rock that plays on contrasts of loud and quiet, on heavy instrumentation set against
frontman Arnór Dan Arnarson’s falsetto vocals. This is no more evident than on the
single ‘Wait for Me.’
Arnór Dan may have also benefitted from working with neo-classical composer
Ólafur Arnalds on his recent projects, as Destrier benefits from a more mature and
detailed soundscape than its predecessor. The album is certainly no donkey; it’s much
more of a thoroughbred. BY EDWARD HANCOX.
REVIEWS
Our critics take a look at three recent Icelandic releases: Agent Fresco’s widely-acclaimed sophomore
album Destrier, Björn Hlynur Haraldsson’s directing debut Homecoming and Alda Sigmundsdóttir’s
third ‘little book,’ The Little Book of the Hidden People.
CULTURAL CURIOSITIES