Reykjavík Grapevine - jun. 2023, Síða 16

The Reykjavík Grapevine 7 / 23 16Culture
06.05.–08.07.
Fimmtíu plöntur fyrir frið
Fifty Plants for Peace
Katrín
Elvarsdóttir
WORDS Iryna Zubenko
IMAGES Art Bicnick
A couple in their seventies
strolling towards the cinema, clutch-
ing a six-pack of beer. A steadfast
group of 10-year-olds always claim-
ing the central seats in the front row.
A duo of filmmakers taking turns
between movie screenings and
babysitting the children. Local wom-
en whose plokkfiskur recipe elicits
applause on par with a grand movie
premiere. A choir singer about to
pitch his tent, instead finding a warm
place to stay courtesy of a generous
local. And a splendid fish feast. This
is Skjaldborg.
ALL ROADS WEST
Skjaldborg is an annual documenta-
ry film festival in Patreksfjörður, the
largest town in the southern West-
fjords, located about a five-hour
drive from Reykjavík. “This festival
is all about quirky traditions,” says
Skjaldborg’s project manager, Kristín
Andrea Þórðardóttir, as we meet at
the festival’s opening party.
Despite the miserable weather out-
side — pouring rain and fierce Icelan-
dic winds that could easily damage
parked cars — the atmosphere inside
FLAK, one of Patreksfjörður’s liveli-
est bars, is the complete opposite.
On one side of the bar, locals eagerly
enjoy the eponymous IPA, while on
the other, familiar faces from Rey-
kjavík mingle, as if everyone from
Kaffibarinn has migrated to FLAK for
the night. The lights dim and the au-
dience is treated to some clips from
the National Film Archive of Iceland,
before bursting into laughter. Can
movies really bring people together?
Karna Sigurðardóttir, who runs the
festival together with Kristín Andrea,
believes they can. According to Kar-
na, the idea of Skjaldborg dates back
Film Feature Movies On The
Fjord: A Taste of
Skjaldborg
Not your average film festival
Forlagið bookstore | Fiskislóð 39 | www.forlagid.is
ICELAND’S LARGEST BOOKSTORE
THIS IS
ICELAND
Memories from
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In addition to showcasing Ice-
landic documentaries and
works-in-progress, Skjaldborg
takes great care in selecting
guest filmmakers for the festi-
val.