Cold Hearts Revisited: Short Film and Music Videos from Iceland

Thursday April 12th, 7:30 pm, $12

Scandinavia House, 58 Park Ave btwn 37th and 38th Streets, New York, NY

With their follow-up to 2006's Cold Hearts, a video exploration of the cinematic and musical output of young Iceland, the Package Deals curatorial team presents a fresh batch of the best in new short films and music videos from the vibrant Icelandic creative community with Cold Hearts Revisited. From irreverent faux pop songs and edible instruments to escapist fantasies and unorthodox quests, the program of twelve rarely-seen films (many of which have never screened before in the U.S.) encapsulates all that is enchanting and inventive about this small island nation.

Scandinavia House and Package Deals are proud to present two award-winning short films offering glimpses into two very different Icelandic families. The program kicks off with The Magician by Reynir Lyngdal, a visually stunning and poetic portrait of a young boy living in rural Iceland who uses his imagination to escape the harsh reality of his home life. The New York premiere of Sundance Film Festival official selection Family Reunion (Góðir Gestir) by Isold Uggadóttir closes the show. Family Reunion is the coming-out story of Katrin, an Icelandic lesbian living in New York with a girlfriend her family knows nothing about. On a trip home, she decides to reveal her double life to her family, only to find out that they have been keeping secrets of their own. The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with the director.

A trio of artists' films offer an alternate, abstracted vision of the Icelandic imagination, in the form of Unnur Andrea Einarsdóttir's tale of a toy piano made out of bread and Berlin-based Erla Haraldsdóttir's melancholy diaristic video set to the lament of Erik Satie's “Gnossiennes No.4.” Punctuated throughout are hand-drawn short-form interludes by Kyja Kristjansson-Nelson.

Rounding out the program is an ode to the prolific music scene in the form of seven music videos by Iceland's foremost bands. Featuring the beautiful, otherworldly droning that made Sigur Rós an international sensation, the dark glitch-pop stylings of Bang Gang, and Trabant’s tongue-in-cheek synth rock, these videos give viewers a taste of Iceland’s impressive sonic landscape. Also included are animated videos by dance floor vets GusGus, performance artist/musician Egill Sæbjörnsson, young rockers Leaves, and keyboard-and-drum sensations Apparat Organ Quartet.

A Q&A with director Uggadottir and reception courtesy of Reyka Vodka will follow the screening.

Cold Hearts Revisited Lineup

Isold Uggadóttir, Family Reunion (Gódir Gestir) (2006, 21:00, Super-16mm) NY Premiere

Apparat Organ Quartet (Dir: Magnus Helgason), Romantika (2004, 3:45, 16mm)

Reynir Lyngdal, The Magician (2005, 13:00, 16mm) US Premiere

Sigur Ros, Saeglopur (2006, 7:08, video)

Bang Gang (Dir: Arni Thor Jonsson), Find What You Get (2005, 3:45, video)

Unnur Andrea Einarsdóttir, Melaninecholia 1 (2006, 4:00, video). Music by Kira Kira. US Premiere

Egill Sæbjörnsson, You Are My Loving Insane (2001, 2:52, video)

Erla Haraldsdóttir, Sad with Satie, (2005, 7:20, video)

Trabant (Dir: Reynir Lyngdal), The One (2006, 3:32, 16mm) US Premiere

GusGus (Dir: Linda Lotion), Moss (2007, 3:08, animation) US Premiere

Seabear (Dir: Lars Skjelbreia), Hands Remember (2007, 4:04, video) World Premiere

Leaves (Dirs. Katie Freeland and Jey Mal), The Spell (2005, 3:31, animation)

Kyja Kristjansson-Nelson, Portraits and Testimonies (various) (2006, 3:00, animation)

TRT: approx. 80 mins