hurrengoa
of horses and men maider gomez inchauspe   Hross i oss (of horses and men). In Icelandic the words for ‘man’ and ‘horse’ come from the same root (‘oss’), which emphasises the close connection between the two mammals. At last year’s Zinemaldia in Donostia, the most satisfying film we saw was a beautiful Icelandic film about men and horses. One of the few contemporary films capable of breaking the polarisation of entertainment, at one extreme, and art house movies and the other: Hross i oss. Benedikt Erlingsson, better known as an actor, directed this entertaining, original film with his own particular perspective. Erlingsson did not want to challenge the clichés about Iceland in his film about men and horses. We’d say he went beyond the clichés. Otherwise, why would he have set the film in an isolated village in Island? Is there anything more isolated than isolated Icelandic countryside?

While the film has a contemporary setting, it seems to reflect any historical period. The loves and tragedies we find out about are not limited to any one time. Although there are six separate stories, they are all connected with one another. In such an isolated place, there comes a time when it is impossible for everything to be isolated. Each section finishes with a closed shot of a horse. There are few conversations in the movie; we often seem to be watching a silent film; the adventures and misfortunes of two legged and four legged creatures; with a touch of Kaurismaki, this is a beautiful and simple film. And we have to mention the natural performances in the movie. The two legged actors, with their minimal gestures and subtle nuances, allow us to get into their characters’ skins with enormous credibility. The four legged actors play horses in an incredibly natural way (hehe!). And Bergsteinn Bjoergulfsson, the director of photography, makes you want to visit that isolated part of the island.