Author: Valur Gunnarsson
How To Get Away With Murder: The Tale of Erik the Red’s Discovery of Greenland
You know the Sagas. They’re about Icelanders, right? Well, there’s also the Grænlendinga saga (the Saga of the Greenlanders), which…
RIFF Roundup: An Exploration Of Ukrainian War & Norwegian Therapy
What one sees during the second half of a festival is often more determined by contingency than design. I had…
RIFF Roundup: Searching for Superstars
Everyone had their theory about what was up with Nastassja Kinski. Her masterclass in the Nordic House seemed like an…
What If The Nazis Had Invaded Iceland?
Another alternative history thought exercise to wrap your head around What if? It’s a pretty open-ended question and one friend…
What If The Nordic Countries Had United?
What if? It’s a pretty open-ended question and one friend of the Grapevine Valur Gunnarsson is applying to eight relevant-to-Iceland…
What If There Had Been a Revolution in Iceland?
What if? It’s a pretty open-ended question and one friend of the Grapevine Valur Gunnarsson is applying to eight relevant-to-Iceland…
What If… Iceland Had Joined The British Empire?
What if? It’s a pretty open-ended question and one friend of the Grapevine Valur Gunnarsson is applying to eight relevant-to-Iceland…
What If… Iceland Had Been Wiped Out By A Volcano?
What if? It’s a pretty open-ended question and one friend of the Grapevine Valur Gunnarsson is applying to eight relevant-to-Iceland…
What If… Icelanders Had Colonised North America?
What if? It’s a pretty open-ended question and one friend of the Grapevine Valur Gunnarsson is applying to eight relevant-to-Iceland…
What If… The Vikings Had Conquered The World?
What if? It’s a pretty open-ended question and one friend of the Grapevine Valur Gunnarsson is applying to eight relevant-to-Iceland…
Blue Skies and Lumbering Whales: Landlubber finds whale watching heaven
It was a cold, crisp November day. The sea was mostly still and, even rarer for Iceland in autumn, the…
Velvet Terrorism Will Save The World
The opening of the Pussy Riot concert at the National Theatre is almost unbearably sad. When Putin was first appointed…
Food Review: The Greenhouse
by Valur Grettisson and Valur Gunnarsson
Hveragerði is an odd town, occupying a strange space in the hearts of elder millennials and Gen Xers. The town,…
A Half-Elvish Film Festival: The Skjaldborg Film Festival Reviewed
One might be forgiven for thinking that some sort of elven curse was placed upon this year’s Skjaldborg Film Festival….
Dystopian Iceland… As Usual: Iceland & The End Of The World In Hollywood
So the Apocalypse is upon us and we are all wondering what it will look like. For Iceland, it’s business…
Echo: The Nightmare Before and During Christmas
One of the first scenes in ‘Echo’ seems rather familiar in the context of Icelandic cinema. Man returns to the…
The City Across the Bay: ‘Agnes Joy’ Explores Teenage Life In Far-Off Suburbia
by Valur Gunnarsson and Andie Sophia Fontaine
Director Silja Hauksdóttir emerged as a director in 2003 with the charming ‘Dís,’ based on a novel she co-wrote. After…
An Unusual Year in Icelandic Cinema As Usual
It‘s been a good year for Icelandic cinema with 66 films accepted into international film festivals. This ranges from classic…
Polish-Icelandic: A Society Emerges
Poles are by far the largest immigrant group in Iceland, so it was high time someone made a movie about…
Having A Ball With Simon Le Bon: Duran Duran In Iceland
by Valur Gunnarsson and Andie Sophia Fontaine
If someone in Glasgow asks you if you are a Celtics or Rangers fan, simply stating that you don’t follow…
Eclipsing the Sun: Living Legends Take Laugardalur
by Valur Gunnarsson and Andie Sophia Fontaine
There are a few concerts which can be said to have changed the Icelandic pop landscape. One of these was…
Hallgrímur Helgason: “No One Is Afraid Of Laxness Anymore”
Hallgrímur Helgason is Iceland’s best known Icelandic authors—well, after Halldór Laxness. His books have been translated to dozen of other…
From Eurovision to Bloody Murder: The Iceland Noir Festival Braces for a Storm
Reykjavík in late November sounds like the perfect setting for a crime story, and has no doubt often been used…
Murder in Heaven: Nordic Noir and Icelandic Lit
by Valur Gunnarsson and Andie Sophia Fontaine
The third Iceland Noir festival will be held this year at the Iðnó theatre on November 15th to 18th. This…
Killing the Future: Is There A “Too Soon” On Movies About Tragedies?
The problem with many movies about real life killers is that they are shown from the murderer’s point of view,…