Reykjavík Grapevine - des. 2023, Síða 19

19 Culture
from La Biennale di Venezia that
gives you mentorship and follows
you throughout the process. Then
they screen your film at the festival,”
Sol explains.
In addition to the magic realism
event in the form of age transfor-
mation, Sol also introduces fantasy
elements through the presence
of rabbits, representing destiny
and the journey into an enchanting
world, much like in Alice in Wonder-
land. Symbolism involving rabbits
first appeared in Sol’s debut film
and the director is determined to
incorporate them in her future work
as well.
“Rabbits follow destiny and in-
stincts, not something that is very
logical,” she explains. “For me,
being in Iceland, it’s like a big rabbit
that I’ve been chasing for many
years.” She emphasises that rabbits
don’t necessarily need to be under-
stood in any specific way. “It’s nice
to dress your work with little symbol-
ic things and details,” she says.
Sol drew inspiration from 1960s
magic realism writers from Argenti-
na and the film Happy as Lazzaro by
Alice Rohrwacher, which also incor-
porates elements of magic realism.
ICELANDIC INFLUENCES
“One of the film’s characters is
kind of an alter ego of myself and is
obsessed with Iceland,” Sol shares.
“For me, Iceland was always like
a paradise. A paradise is usually a
place you don’t own yet; it’s a place
that is far and somehow unreacha-
ble. This is what Iceland represents
for that character, a place that is
very far away, a dream – and our
dreams sometimes don’t come
true.” Sol reflects on her journey,
saying, “My biggest accomplish-
ment in life has been moving here
because it seemed like the most
random thing I could have done,
to continue my career in Iceland?”
Given the connection to Iceland in
the film, it feels very symbolic for Sol
to show it here.
The influence of the Icelandic band
múm on Sol’s personal and creative
life is undeniable. She admits, “It’s
my favourite band. The atmosphere
and the music were mainly inspired
by múm.” The band’s song “Slow
Down” was generously provided
for use in the film for free by múm’s
founding member Örvar Þórey-
jarson Smárason. Former band
member Kristín Anna Valtýsdóttir
even agreed to perform before the
Icelandic premiere.
Sol also speaks about her desire to
replicate the light she saw in Iceland
in the film, a challenge given the
warm light in Argentina. She ex-
plains, “It’s always been very difficult
for me to find the light that I like.”
Sol aimed to orient the film to cyan
hues, cold tones and a pale, ocean-
like wash in terms of visual texture.
She admits that only recently while
shooting a short film in Iceland, she
finally saw the light she had been
chasing for many years.
Sol confesses that it’s more about
life in the city than the oft touted
otherworldly landscapes that ignites
her affection for Iceland. “There’s a
place I like to go and think – a bench
next to The Unknown Bureaucrat
statue by the lake.” It’s also the wel-
coming atmosphere of Bíó Paradís,
musical programmes at Mengi and
12 Tónar, and even routine super-
market visits that she still romanti-
cises. “I feel at home even though
it’s completely different from my
home.”
Our Happiest Days premieres at Bíó
Paradís on November 1
It’s nice to dress your work with
little symbolic things and de-
tails.
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