Rock In Reykjavík

Rokk Í Reykjavík

Iceland

1982

83 Min

Color

Icelandic

Currently 4.7/5 Stars.
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CAST Björk, Finnborgi Ásgeirsson, Sigtryggur Baldursson, Heimir Barðason, Einar Örn Benediktsson, Bergsteinn Björgúlfsson

ED Peter Auspin, Richard Crowe, Sigurður Grímsson, Steinunn Harðardóttir, Ari Kristinsson, Sigurður Jón Ólafsson, Kristín Pálsdóttir, Sigurður Snæberg

SOUND Jón Karl Helgason

Synopsis

Rokk í Reykjavík is a documentary directed by Icelandic Friðrik Þór Friðriksson during the Icelandic winter of 1981-1982 and released for the local television the same year.

With this documentary, Friðriksson showcases the alternative music scene through several performances of the post punk/New Wave most important bands at that time taken from different concerts and accompanied by, some times, short interviews with musicians, and it portrays the lifestyle of the Icelandic youth faced to the establishment and advocated to anarchy, who were trying to find their own identity.

Rokk í Reykjavík is today considered as one of the most important documentaries about the Icelandic music culture and it included several important bands. For instance, Tappi Tíkarrass, a punk/pop band led by vocalist Björk Guðmundsdóttir contributed with two of their works: “Hrollur” and “Dúkkulísur”. The New Wave band Þeyr, today considered as one of the legendary Iceland bands of the early eighties, is featured here with their songs “Rúdolf” and “Killer Boogie”.

It is also worth of mentioning, the presence of Einar Örn Benediktsson’s punk group Purrkur Pillnikk, which appeared with two tracks: “Ovænt” and “Gluggagægir”.

Other important artists featured here are Bubbi Morthens with his band Egó, Fræbbblarnir, Grýlurnar, and the renowned Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson with his chanting poem “Rímur”, among others. —Wikipedia

Director

Friðrik Þór Friðriksson

Fridrik Thor Fridriksson (b. 1954) gained international recognition with his feature Children of Nature (1991) which was nominated for the Oscar as Best Foreign Language Film. Fridriksson’s films are both deeply personal and have a strong rooting in Icelandic culture, often depicting characters at the crossroads of tradition and modernity. Films by Fridriksson: Rock in Reykjavik, White Whales, Movie Days, Children of Nature, Cold Fever, Devil’s Island, Angels of the Universe, Falcons.

Fridrik Thor Fridriksson started his film making carrier with a series of experimental films and documentaries in the early 1980’s. In 1987, he founded THE ICELANDIC FILM CORPORATION, which has become Iceland’s most important production company, producing Fridrikssons films as well as working with other Icelandic directors and producers. Through Fridrikssons international reputation the company has built a network of internationally well-established co-production partner companies, including Lars… read more

Fridrik Thor Fridriksson (b. 1954) gained international recognition with his feature Children of Nature (1991) which was nominated for the Oscar as Best Foreign Language Film. Fridriksson’s films are both deeply personal and have a strong rooting in Icelandic culture, often depicting characters at the crossroads of tradition and modernity. Films by Fridriksson: Rock in Reykjavik, White Whales, Movie Days, Children of Nature, Cold Fever, Devil’s Island, Angels of the Universe, Falcons.

Fridrik Thor Fridriksson started his film making carrier with a series of experimental films and documentaries in the early 1980’s. In 1987, he founded THE ICELANDIC FILM CORPORATION, which has become Iceland’s most important production company, producing Fridrikssons films as well as working with other Icelandic directors and producers. Through Fridrikssons international reputation the company has built a network of internationally well-established co-production partner companies, including Lars von Triers Zentropa and most recently, Francis Ford Coppola’s American Zoetrope. As a director, Fridriksson gained international recognition and critical acclaim with his second feature CHILDREN OF NATURE (1991) which was nominated for an Oscar as Best Foreign Language Film.

Growing up in Iceland in the sixties, Fridriksson was influenced by American films but his exposure to Kurosawa’s works was of crucial importance in his decision to become a filmmaker. Co-writing with two of Iceland’s most acclaimed novelists and script-writers Einar Már Gudmundsson (CHILDREN OF NATURE, ANGELS OF THE UNIVERSE, MOVIEDAYS) and Einar Kárason (WHITE WHALES, DEVILS ISLAND, FALCONS) Fridriksson has been acclaimed for the strong visual style of his films and his gift for stunning images. His films combine a wry sense of humour and genuine solidarity with the characters. Fridriksson’s films are both deeply personal and have a strong rooting in Icelandic culture often depicting characters at the crossroads of tradition and modernity.

Uniquely Fridriksson’s films have both touched a chord with local audiences in Iceland who have flocked to see Fridriksson’s vision of themselves (more than 50 % of the Icelandic population saw his film, ANGELS OF THE UNIVERSE, released in 2000) as well as moved audiences from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds.

Fridriksson’s own identity as a filmmaker is that of a storyteller within a tradition that goes back to the writers of the Icelandic Sagas, more than a thousand years ago. —Icelandic Film Corporation

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