Umbi s.f.

A young girl breaks up from her petit bourgeoisie home and her piano lessons to lead an entirely new life, as one of the personnel at an institution for juvenile delinquents in a remote part of Northern Iceland. It is the 1970s and the young people in charge of the place are heavily into flower power, sitar music and solving problems by frank talk sessions with the delinquents. However, the hippies, who themselves despise authority, soon find their own authority under attack by the rebellious youngsters, especially after the arrival of a mysterious young girl. Then a violent incident occurs that will have a decisively detrimental effect on relations at the institution.

The Icelandic Shock-Station is a thoroughbred Icelandic comedy, where the Icelander's daily life and habits are elevated to the level of farcical confusion and where all the laws of common sense are reversed in travesty of themselves, while at the same time the opportunity is taken to satirize some of the features the scriptwriter feels are blemish on the otherwise smooth facade of the nation's character.

A men's choir decides to go to Sweden and Germany. Shortly before their departure the choir director, Max, dies and is mourned by the choir and especially by their accompanist Magga, whom he was in love with. In deference to Max's memory, they embark upon a mission of song and companionship, in order to adjust to their loss.

A hypocritical and selfish older sister holds power over her younger, unselfish and humanitarian sister by hiding the shame of her younger sister's pregnancy, with the purpose of upholding the aristocratic status of their name and household. Or that is what we are told, because underneath the facade, is a story of two sisters, who have had intimacy with the same man.

Our hero is Umbi (an acronym for emissary of the bishop), sent by him to undertake an important investigation at Snæfell-glacier. In particular he is to look into the conduct and behavior of Jón Prímus, the old pastor at Snæfell. Fantastic rumors are rife: amongst other things it is said that a corpse is lodged in the glacier! Armed with his tape recorder and notebook, Umbi embarks upon his mission. He tries to question the weird locals, a weird lot, but gets evasive answers. Slowly he is dragged into a quagmire of strange happenings and his efforts to understand only make him confused. If at the beginning he is a chipper, a mere device, by the end of the story he is inextricably involved, a committed participant in the bizarre events.

Jónas, working in peace and quiet in an isolated summerhouse, hires a young girl, Sandra, to cook for and look after him, and complete an ideal situation for an Icelandic writer on the brink of an international breakthrough. The plan, however, does not turn out the way Jónas intended.

Documentary film on Icelandic Leadersheep.

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