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The Seagull's Laughter
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Wikipedia article
'The Seagull's Laughter' is a 2001 Icelandic film directed by gst Gumundsson. It stars Ugla Egilsdttir as Agga, an orphaned preteen distrusting of her cousin Freyja, played by Margrt Vilhjlmsdttir, who turns heads on her return from America, no longer the chubby teen that the Icelandic townspeople remember.
Set around 1950, the story portrays a pivotal moment in Icelands recent history: newly independent, with the legacy of the Second World War still prominent, Iceland is modernising and internationalising. The film is set in Hafnarfjrur, now effectively a suburb of Reykjavk, then a fishing town outside it. It is a close adaptation of the novel 'Mvahltur' by Kristn Marja Baldursdttir, published in 1995 by Ml og menning.
It was Iceland's submission to the 74th Academy Awards for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but was not accepted as a nominee.
Plot
The story is set around the 1950s, not very long after Iceland's independence from Denmark. The arrival of modernity in Iceland, including democracy, feminism, and new technologies and fashions, is an implicit theme throughout the text.
The narrative is presented from the perspective of Agga (played by Ugla Egilsdttir), who during the three or so years covered by the story goes from being a preteen girl to being a young woman. The main agent in the story, however, is Agga's older step-cousin Freyja (played by Margrt Vilhjlmsdttir). Freyja returns to Iceland from America after her American army officer husband died of a heart attack two months before. Freyja, who is dressed in American clothing, brought back 7 luggages of clothes with her from America, and amazes her Icelandic family - Agga's grandmother and her aunts Ninna and Dd - with her clothes, perfumes, and her having a fridge in America. Agga becomes suspicious, suspecting that Freyja is an evil woman or indeed a witch, and should be sent back to America. However, no one believes her.
Regardless of her suspicion, Agga told Dsa (played by Bra Lyngdal Magnsdttir) about Freyja's return. Dsa was excited about the news, so she ran to where Freyja is staying to meet her. The family of girls then tried on Freyja's clothes from America, and held a mini fashion show inside their house.
Agga then decided to report her suspicion to the local policeman Magns (played by Hilmir Snr Gunason), telling him that Freyja is heartless and evil, and that she is a liar. Magns did not take Agga seriously, laughed her accusations off, and sent her out of the police station. With no one on her side, Agga began to follow Freyja, hoping to find out more about her. Freyja was found frequently visiting the rocks near the sea, disappearing behind the rocks and only reappearing many hours later. As Agga found the rocks intimidating, she dared not follow Freyja behind the rocks, and therefore no one knows what Freyja does behind the rocks.
Agga realizes that Magns doesn't take her seriously because she is dressed as a child, after some difficulties with the other women in the house she obtains a trench coat; dressed like an adult she returns to the station where Magns finally hears her out.
Cast
* Margrt Vilhjlmsdttir as Freyja
* Ugla Egilsdttir as Agga
* Heino Ferch as Bjrn Theodr
* Hilmir Snr Gunason as Magns
* Kristbjrg Kjeld as Amma
* Edda Bjrg Eyjlfsdttir as Dd
* Bra Lyngdal Magnsdttir as Dsa
* Eyvindur Erlendsson as Afi
* Gulaug Elsabet lafsdttir as Ninna
* Sigurveig Jnsdttir as Kidda
* Diij Mist Einarsdttir as Emela
* Halldra Geirharsdttir as Birna
* Jnna lafsdttir as Lknisfrin
* Charlotte Bving as Mette
* Benedikt Erlingsson as Hilli
* Arnar Jnsson as Syslumaur
* Anna Kristn Arngrmsdttir as Syslumannsfr
* Gunnar Hansson as Unnusti Ddar
* Baldur Trausti Hreinsson as Gummi
* Gumundur lafsson as Dr. Enok
* Thedr Jlusson as rur Lgga
* Sigurur Sklason as Ji Betu
* Gunnar Helgason as Gauji Sgrenjandi
* Halldr Magnsson as Tobbi Spritt
* Kjartan Ragnarsson as Prestur
* Jn Jlusson as Pstur
* Valgeir Gujnsson as Hijmsveitarstjri
* Magns Ragnarsson as Rdd Bjrns Theodrs
* Lsa Plsdttir as Konur Heimskn
See also
*Cinema of Iceland
*List of submissions to the 74th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
References
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