VIDEO: New Documentary Reveals Iceland’s Underground Weightlifting Scene - At Steve’s Gym, men are picked up off the street, turned into champions

At Steve’s Gym, men are picked up off the street, turned into champions

New Icelandic documentary Hellacious portrays an underground powerlifting gym deep in the heart of Reykjavík—Steve Gym—where one Stefán Hallgrímsson (AKA Steve) has “for four decades trained the strongest of Icelandic men, as well as underdogs and the shadier characters of Reykjavík,” as the press release states. The pic is enthralling and heartful, and you should see it while you have a chance.

We dropped in on the film’s premiere at Tjarnarbíó on Friday and interviewed the man behind the movie, Haukur Valdimar Pálsson, just before the screening started. As we arrived, it was evident that this was no ordinary premiere. The smell of chalk, glutamine and testosterone filled the air—we had evidently just missed the bench press competition. Almost all in attendance were enormous in size, or sported incredibly manly beards, or both. It was beautiful.

The movie will be screening Friday February 27 and Saturday February 28 at Tjarnarbíó. Showtime is at 21:00, admission is 1,500 ISK. Go see it.