BIRTH OF AN ISLAND
- the making of Iceland
Birth of an island is a new film (released summer 2011) that gives the viewer a unique opportunity to experience the creation of Iceland, the youngest country in Europe; an island that is still in the making! And why is that? Birth of an island explores how Iceland was created through volcanic eruptions on the Mid-Atlantic submarine ridge, why they continue and what effects they have on the island today. Why there are geysers and how the Icelanders learned how to harness the power of the natural hot water from deep below, as well as that of glacial rivers. It also shows how natural forces, such as glaciers, rivers, waterfalls, the Atlantic ocean and volcanoes constantly sculpture and mold the island. Explains why the island lost most of its vegetation, so Iceland is now the only country in Europe that has deserts. Also, what measures Icelanders have taken to recover the island´s woodlands. (43 min.) The filmmaker, Valdimar Leifsson, has been filming in Iceland for the past 30 years and has extensive stock of shots from most places in Iceland, many of which are shown in Birth of an island.

Total running time: 43 Minutes
Languages: English and German


Production year: 2011
Format: All regions / PAL
BONUS
Included on the DVD of Birth of an Island are the films THE ERUPTION! A short film about the volcanic eruption in Eyjafjallajökull in 2010 and HEKLA.
The Eruption!
When Eyjafjallajökull volcano erupted, devastating powers deep beneath the Earth crust emerged. This documentary captures the eruption in Eyjafjallajökull in spring 2010. The volcanic eruption is filmed from air and ground, and these breathtaking shots and especially composed Icelandic music give you the eruption of the decade.
Hekla – The entrance to Hell
Hekla is Iceland´s most infamous volcano and the entrance to Hell, according to Middle Age beliefs. This film captures Hekla both at rest and in eruption. The earliest shots are form the powerful eruption in 1947, followed by shots of several later eruptions – the latest by the year 2000 …
To order the DVD click here

Chukotka at the end of the world
- The land of Roman Abramovich
A documentary about life and nature in Chukotka in Siberia and ongoing changes following the election of mr. Roman Abramovich as governor in the year 2000. Chukotka made headlines when one of the wealthiest Russians, mr. Roman Abramovich was elected governor in the year 2000. He started by investing in the country and paying privately for schools, cultural centres and other institutions. What urges a person like Abramovich to be governor at world’ s end and even put a lot of effort and money to renovate and envigorate the small community of Chukotka? He himself said upon his first visit to Chukotka in 1999. It is the duty of every billionarie to share a part of his or hers wealth. To give is not like feeding pigeons on a square but to organize tasks that require sound guidance and directives from experienced investors. Some critics say that he is using money obtained in dubious ways to glorify him self and buying peace from the Russian government. However, it is a fact that childbirth has increased bty 50% in Chukotka since 2000 and many see the development in the country as a model for other autonomous regions. What do the residents in Chukotka feel for Abramovich? What was going on during the Soviet era? What changed when Abramovich took over? How is global warming affecting Chukotka? These are some of the questions that four Icelanders, headed by geopyhiscist and author Ari Trausti Gudmundsson, tried to find answers for among the people, both indigenous people and immigrants, from reindeer hearders and youth to scientists and town mayors.
To order the DVD click here

Running time: 52 minutes
Languages: Icelandic


Subtitles: Icelandic and English
Production year: 2009
Format: DVD All Region / PAL

The Lake between the Continents
Thingvellir is a remarkable and unique place in Iceland. To Icelanders it’s sacred because of it’s fasinating history – here was their parliament, one of the oldest in the western world. Thingvellir actually means “Parliament Grounds”. But extensive scientific research has shown that the Thingvellir area is one of the wonders of the world and is indeed unique. The American plate and the European plate separate exactly at Thingvellir so the area and Lake Thingvallavatn are positioned between two continents. This is shown in detailed video graphic as well as in extensive aerial and close-up shots of the area. At thingvellir we are standing on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge – we can see the ground split, Thingvellir sink and Lake Thingvallavatn grow. In flora and fauna – here is the meeting place of the East and the West. Lake Thingvallavatn is a very young – no more than 10,000 years old. However, four varieties af Arctic Char have evolved in it, and that is a world wonder. The lake is extremely clear which makes the underwater pictures of the Arctic char in their natural habitat very real. Here is the Great Northern Diver, whose range strecthes from the Rocky Mountains all the way east to Iceland but no further than that.
To order the DVD click here

Running time: 55 minutes
Languages: Icelandic, English


Production year: 2000
Format: DVD All Region / PAL

Thorsmörk – The Hidden Valley of Thor
Thorsmörk – The Valley of Thor – is one of Iceland’s most beautiful nature spots. It can only be reached with difficulty, hidden away between glaciers and trecherous rivers, but is still one of the most popular places in the country to visit. The film about Thorsmörk shows it’s beauty and lure. From bird’s eye view you will experience an overall impression of a magical landscape; where the deep green of lush plants meets the blackness of the wide sands lined with silvery bands of untamed rivers flowing through it. And right above rise magnificent glacier covered mountains. Thorsmörk’s flora, fauna and geography is explained by a narrator, guiding the viewer through the magical landscape of one of nature’s unforgetteble beauty spots.
To order the DVD click here

Running time: 43 minutes
Languages: Icelandic, English, and German


Production year: 1998
Format: DVD All Region / PAL

Dimmuborgir – A Mystery World at Lake Mývatn
Dimmuborgir (The Dark Citadel) – one of the wonder of Iceland – attracts thousands of nature lovers from all over the world every year. A visit to to this natural labyrinth with its breath-taking contrast between rough, black lava, lush green vegetation and rich birdlife is an unforgettable experience. Dimmuborgir are situated in one of Iceland’s most active volcanic zones. The film gives a clear account of the formation of this magnificant citadel of lava. The geology of the area is described and the viewer is brought into contact with its incomparable scenic beauty and birdlife as well as with the great danger facing this jewel in Icelandic landscape.
To order the DVD click here

Running time: 27 minutes
Languages: Icelandic, English, German, and French.


Production year: 1993
Format: DVD All Region / PAL

Frozen Paradise
A filmmaker joins a group of expert kayakers on a kayaking trip in the ice filled fiords of East Greenland. The Group visit a remote Inuit village, giving an insight into the habits of people in a magnificent country where, fonunately, the pace and stress of the Western world is still absent.






To order the DVD click here