Musical Storytelling On The Big Screen
It is 8:30 A.M. in Los Angeles when composer Herdís Stefánsdóttir logs in to meet with me virtually. With the latest winter storm bearing down on Reykjavík Herdís retreated to
What the news?! There’s No Negotiations With These Humpbacks
Free whale watching in Hafnarfjörður Three humpback whales have been frequenting the harbour of Hafnarfjörður since mid-February. The Icelandic Marine & Freshwater Research
The Unforgiving Island: Hlynur Pálmason’s “Godland” explores an intense but conflicted journey to Iceland
Hlynur Pálmason postponed our interview at least four times. I knew he was busy travelling to festivals with his new movie, so when I found myself at one festival and […]
The Islanders: To The Moon And Back
Iceland-based wildlife photographer Karim Iliya is nothing short of a nomad. One day he’s free diving with humpback whales in French Polynesia, the next he’s catching waves on
The Útlendingur’s Guide To Getting Shit Done — Just get your Icelandic drivers licence already
Before any of my fellow immigrants feel judged, I’ll offer that this column is as much meant to be informative for those not sure how to navigate various aspects of […]
Ask an Expert: How the fuck do Icelanders Swear?
As much as it’s discouraged by our elders, curse words tend to sneak into the vocabularies of most people at some point in their lives. Icelanders are no exception. [&hell
The Renaissance of Milk Cartons
The happy tones of Italian children’s music fill the cavernous workspace of Íslensk Grafík. The peppy pop feels at odds with the imposing machinery in the space, some of which
How It’s Made: The Sense of Wonder in Fischersund No. 23
“Smoke in the air and tarred telephone poles, tall freshly mowed grass, and tobacco leaves. Dead flowers bow to the ground. In the breeze, the feminine fountain pine tickles the
The Islanders: Blowing Glass and Minds
As we step into Anders Vange’s studio on a crisp January morning, the temperature may be below freezing outside, but things are definitely heating up in here. With his trusty [&h
Sigurður’s Very Busy Year — And It’s Only February
A lot of people head into a new year with grand plans for a fresh start; to do things differently. But a lot of the time that’s little more than […]
Well, You Asked: Don’t Worry About the Dragon
Why do all Icelanders have kids? Not much to do in the winter, I would gather. The general mentality towards parenthood around here seems to be “why the hell not?” […]
The Haul: Shopping Away the Post-Holiday Blues
Welcome to The Haul, where we give you a peek into our shopping bag (or the shopping bag of someone far more interesting than us) and an idea of what’s […]
The Village People: Don’t Dry Your Balls With the Hairdryer
The Village People is a series of micro-interviews with the people who make life in Reykjavík better. Name & age: Fríða Björk Einarsdóttir, 55 Occupation: Shift manager
Beneath Bústaðakirkja is a Bunker
I heard the rumour about a nuclear bunker underneath Bústaðakirkja some time in the summer of 2017. My friend was going through a Bubbi Morthens phase and mentioned the 1983 son
Ask An Expert: How Do Geysers Erupt?
Geysers are some of the most popular natural phenomena to be observed and studied — there’s just something fun about seeing the Earth let out a great big belch every […]
Well, You Asked: Tuna in for more fishy advice
Why is it that whenever a restaurant offers a “catch of the day”, it’s always cod? When in trout, you can always count on cod in Iceland. It even used […]
The Haul: The Self-Care Shopping Bag
Welcome to The Haul, where we give you a peek into our shopping bag (or the shopping bag of someone far more interesting than us) and an idea of what’s […]
Monochrome Magic — With a Corpse for Colour
Hilmar Oddsson is a veteran of the film industry, making waves ever since his cinematic debut in 1986. “I’ve been doing almost everything in the book: documentaries, featur
What The News?! Don’t Tase Me, Bro, Let’s Negotiate
Negotiations are stalling Diving right in, ongoing wage negotiations between labour union Efling and the Confederation of Icelandic Enterprise (SA) can best be characterised as fei
How It’s Made: Harðfiskur
They say necessity is the mother of invention. In Iceland, the need for foods to last through potentially lengthy periods of shortage and strife is clear in the ways they’ve [&he
The Village People: Daníel the Cobbler
The Village People is a new series of interviews with the people who make life in Reykjavík run in subtle yet crucial ways, while giving it colour and character. Full […]