Accidental Shock Therapy: Revisiting The Timeless Comedy Classic “Stella í Orlofi”

Probably every country with a film industry has, at some point, produced a gloriously unhinged comedy — something that grabs hold of everyday social life and gleefully spins it into farcical chaos. In Iceland, that film is almost certainly Stella í Orlofi (The Icelandic Shock Station in English), a 1986 classic directed by theatre director Þórhildur Þorleifsdóttir and written by Guðný Halldórsdóttir (yes, Halldórsdóttir as in the daughter of Halldór Laxness).

Almost 40 years later, Stella í Orlofi still holds up — and to a millennial (me), who watched it for the first time last week, it’s still genuinely funny.

Wrong guest. Wrong trip. Chaos ensues.

The premise of the film is simple: after a series of stupid and wildly exaggerated accidents — including one where his ass is literally on fire — Georg (played by Gestur Einar Jónasson) is forced to cancel a supposedly work-related trip. He was meant to take an overseas client fishing, which, in reality, is just a cover for a weekend getaway at the summer house with his mistress, who’s flying in from Copenhagen. Instead, he ends up in the hospital, wrapped in casts. His wife, Stella — juggling three kids and rocking an impressive wardrobe of flower-print blouses, big bows, and trench coats straight out of the 80s — doesn’t miss a beat. “Goggi,” she says. “I’ll take this foreign client salmon fishing. And the kids can come along. They’ll enjoy it. We’ll all go… on holiday.”

“After a series of stupid and wildly exaggerated accidents — including one where his ass is literally on fire — Georg is forced to cancel a supposedly work-related trip.”

Before Georg can even say no, Stella’s already packed to the brim — quite literally; the trunk of their American family car won’t close and things might be falling out on the way — with all three kids, heading off to the airport to pick up the so-called “client.” Watching the airport — and the city in general — time-warped straight out of the 1980s daydream is its own kind of aesthetic pleasure: the boxy cars, the advertisement-free buildings, the empty streets. If a time machine ever gets invented in my lifetime, I’d spend a day in 1986 Reykjavík, driving around in a Dodge Diplomat or Chrysler Fifth Avenue, wearing a blazer with oversized shoulder pads, just like Stella.

At the airport, Stella is looking for a smartly dressed man — the so-called “foreign client” her husband mentioned — not a young mistress he’s been secretly hooking up with. But due to a rather obvious mix-up, she ends up meeting Salomon, a Swedish man with decent Icelandic who’s come to Iceland to treat his alcohol addiction. He thinks he’s headed to the countryside for a rehab programme, but instead receives a shocking Icelandic welcome (hence, the English name of the film): heavy drinking and salmon fishing that feels more like a punishment than a fresh start.

The iconic cast

The role of Stella is played by Edda Björgvinsdóttir, an actress who’s been active since 1978 and shows no signs of slowing down. She won an Edda Award for her role as Inga in Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson’s Undir trénu (Under the Tree in English) in 2017 — and honestly, she deserves an Edda for Stella í Orlofi too. Except that the awards themselves were still a decade away when the film premiered.

Stella’s character is an embodiment of both a feminist and a fashion icon. While the men in the film are literally falling apart — submerged headfirst in rivers, covered practically head to toe in casts, or crippled by alcoholism — Stella steps in to save the day. Kids in tow and cigarette in her mouth, she handles every challenge with no fuss. By the end of the film, she even turns the disaster of that fishing trip into a successful business. Later, as the 2002 sequel’s name suggests, Stella í framboði (Stella Running for Office), takes her talents into politics.

The client, or Salomon, is portrayed by comedian Þórhallur Sigurðsson, better known across Iceland simply as Laddi. Actor, singer, and entertainer Laddi has starred in countless episodes of the New Year’s sketch show Áramótaskaup and lent his voice to a number of beloved Disney movies. Rumour has it he’s one of the few Icelanders Disney doesn’t require meticulous casting for when it comes to dubbing. The man who voiced every single Smurf in The Smurfs, Laddi is absolutely brilliant as a desperate Swedish alcoholic. By the end, he’s practically begging Stella for mercy, showing how ready he is to finally start his treatment.

“The man who voiced every single Smurf in The Smurfs, Laddi is absolutely brilliant as a desperate Swedish alcoholic.”

Speaking of alcohol, in 1986, the beer ban in Iceland was still in effect (it wasn’t lifted until 1989). There’s a memorable scene where a pilot smuggles beer from Denmark. Trying to save on alcohol prices is a tradition passed down through generations. Like that pilot, I’ve found myself more than once leaving the Keflavík duty-free shop loaded with cases of beer before a house party. Again, many scenes in the film are theatrically exaggerated, but in some ways, Stella í Orlofi still manages to capture certain timeless things in Icelandic culture. Living beyond your means, always trying to make an extra buck, and a deep love for summer houses — some things never really change.

How to watch Stella í Orlofi today

Now, finding a 1986 movie with English subtitles online isn’t exactly easy. I even took a tedious — and not entirely legal — route to watch it. But Iceland’s compactness came through, and one email later, I was in touch with Halldór Þorgeirsson, the film’s producer, who told me, “I do not own a DVD of the film, but it should be with English subtitles in the public libraries. All of them bought the disc, and they do not throw anything away.” So, if you only speak English and want to watch this cultural gem, public libraries are your best bet. For those who speak Icelandic, there will be a party screening of Stella í Orlofi at Bíó Paradís later in June. If you can’t do either, just find the opening track of the movie, “Stella í Orlofi” by Diddú — and travel a few decades back in time.

Stella í Orlofi is screening at Bíó Paradís on Friday, June 13 at 21:00. Their party screenings often sell out, so be sure to get your ticket early.