Oblíbený Z Iceland

A portret of the Cobra artist Svavar Guðnason. His life and his art - sources - influences and how he became one of the greatest abstract painters amongst Nordic artists.

Though small, the Icelandic pony is widely renowned for its strength and endurance. However, the vast mountainous coastal region of northwest Iceland was still considered too rugged for even the sturdiest of those horses until a dozen riders and forty horses sailed north to face this deserted challenge. if successful they would be the first to travel through this gigantic landscape of cliffs and glaciers.

A news documentary about the negotiations of EFTS members (European Free Trade Association) with EBE (EEC European Economic Community), with a special emphasis on Icelandic issues.

A documentary programme about jewish refugees who settled in Iceland in the 1930's.

Although the Icelandic Sagas contain many descriptions of stately homes, none of them stood the test of time. However, an archeological finding at Stöng in Thjórsárdal revealed the ruins of an ancient farm which had been preserved in ashes from the Mt. Hekla eruption in 1104. Knowledge from this finding and from literary sources were used to reconstruct in detail and Icelandic farmhouse from the 11th century. This film follows the project from the original designing stage in 1970 until the inauguration in 1977, showing the ancient techniques used to build houses from local building material such as turf, stone and wood.

A collection of self-portaits of Icelandic artists. A few of the artists explain their views on the self-portrait and its importance for their artistic development.

A documentary programme about the life and work of the Icelandic author, Thor Vilhjálmsson.

This documentary film shows the development of the wool industry in Iceland, and the old ways to work the wool, used on Icelandic farms throughout the centuries are demonstrated. In the film, visits are made to modern wool factories and the process of the production is followed from the beginning to the finished product.

Diseases caused by environmental pollution include Rumentomia, a blockage of digestive organs in rumenants who have consumed synthetic waste. Shot on a farm in Iceland, Rumentomia describes a surgical operation on a cow who had eaten plastic trash scattered on the farmland.

This corporate documentary describes one year in the production of herring, starting with marketing speculations and research of the year's possible catch. It shows the herring caught at sea, landed, salted, and tended to until it is exported after passing rigorous quality control. Intertwined with this story is the history of the herring industry in Iceland.

A documentary about the purebred Icelandic horse. All the horses featured in the film come from Kirkjubaer, where some remarkable horse breeding, quite unique in Iceland has been taking place since 1946. The film gives an account of the breeders and their work. The studs are shown in the pasture in different circumstances at all times of the year. Finally, the horses are shown with their riders, both on the race course and in the open, frequently in a magnificent landscape setting.

A documentary film about the painter Louisa Matthíasdóttir. In amongst the turmoil and agitation of downtown Manhattan, Lousia Matthíasdóttir focuses on the calm and serene Icelandic countryside.

A corporate documentary on the construction of the Krafla power station, which describes thoroughly all the stages of the project until the inauguration. The documentary contains animated maps and charts for further explanation on the function of the power plant.

A film about the island of Viðey in Kollafjörður and its manifold role in Icelandic history.

A film about the Municipal Water Supply in Reykjavík which was founded in 1909.

For centuries driftwood from the European mainland and all teh way from Siberia has washed up on the shores of Iceland. This film shows a driftwood expedition casting off at a fishing village on the east coast of Iceland, bound for the deserted Langanes headland in the far north-east. The film not only shows the collecting of driftwood, but also deals with the history of the settlement on the headland, narrated in part by the last farmer to leave.

A documentary on the inhabitants and unique natural environment of the Western Isles of Breidarfjördur bay, Iceland. Photographed in 1975-1980, the film mirrors in a one-year cycle the age-old ties between man and nature. The film asks why these islands, where there was once a flourishing community, are now practically deserted, a little known utopia where time stands still.

A film about Einar Guðmundsson, the poet (Einar Guðmundsson, litlaskáld)

A film about scientific research on the glacier Vatnajökull with excerpts from films taken on the glacier by various film makers in the past.