Light in the Dark: A History of Filmmaking in Iceland by Bjö Norðfjörð ISBN 9780197762141, 9780197762172, 019776214X, 0197762174 instant download

Light in the Dark: A History of Filmmaking in Iceland by Bjö Norðfjörð ISBN 9780197762141, 9780197762172, 019776214X, 0197762174 instant download

Light in the Dark tells the dramatic history of Icelandic cinema from its modest origins in the early twentieth century to the heterogenous and complex national cinema of today. In doing so, it visits and casts light on the earliest films made in the country, Scandinavians adaptations of Icelandic literature filmed during the late silent period, documentaries of the interwar era, the first narrative features following the end of World War II and national independence, the foundation of the Icelandic Film Fund and the emergence of national cinema proper in the 1980s, the subsequent impact of first European art cinema and then Hollywood genre cinema, and the remarkable international success of Icelandic cinema in the twenty-first century. The work illuminates the constant tug between local and national cultural forces and the transnational and global pull of world cinema. Along the way it draws attention to many additional issues and topics regarding Icelandic cinema, including depictions of nature and animals, the aesthetics of fire and ice, the role of film adaptation, the impact of Nordic noir and crime fiction, Hollywood runaway productions, and the question of women’s cinema in Icelandic filmmaking. Throughout the book, films from all periods of Icelandic filmmaking are analyzed in detail with equal emphasis on content and form, including both lesser known titles and familiar classics.

DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780197762141.001.0001