NOI ALBINOI aka NÓI THE ALBINO

Year: 2003
USA: Palm Pictures
UK: Artificial Eye
Cast: Tómas Lemarquis, Throstur Leo Gunnarsson, Elin Hansdóttir, Anna Fridriksdóttir, Gerard Lemarquis
Director: Dagur Kari
Countries: Iceland / Germany / UK / Denmark
Language: Icelandic (English subtitles)
UK: 93mins
UK Certificate: 15 contains strong language
USA Release Date: 19 March 2004 (Limited Release - New York)
UK Release Date: 14 November 2003

Synopsis

Heralding the arrival of an exciting new filmmaking talent, Icelandic director Dagur Kari's distinctive feature debut, NÓI ALBINOI, mixes art-house lyricism and striking photography with black humour and a youthful romanticism. Dagur Kari's eagerly anticipated audience pleaser, won the Moviezone award at Rotterdam 2003 and picked up awards at Gothenburg 2003, including the International Critics' Award and the Grand Jury prize at Angers.

Is he the village idiot or a genius in disguise? Seventeen year-old Nói (Tómas Lemarquis) drifts through life on a remote fjord in the North of Iceland. In winter, the fjord is cut off from the outside world, surrounded by ominous mountains and buried under a shroud of snow. Nói dreams of escaping from this white-walled prison with Iris (Elin Hansdóttir), a city girl who works in a local gas station. But his clumsy attempts at escape spiral out of control and end in complete failure. Only a natural disaster will shatter Nói's universe and offer him a window into a better world.

Educated at the Danish Film school where he met NÓI ALBINOI's cinematographer, Rasmus Videbæk, and editor, Daniel Dencick, 30-year-old Dagur Kari has made numerous featurettes and musical videos. His graduation short film, LOST WEEKEND won 11 prizes at 11 international festivals. Dagur Kari also works as a musician with his band 'Slowblow'. The band, who have released two albums, also composed the soundtrack for NÓI ALBINOI. Dagur is currently working on his next project, a Dogma film in Copenhagen.

Dagur Kari's portrait of a gifted teen, rebelling against the limits of life in a remote Icelandic town, is infused with beautiful scenic vistas, small observational details and a melancholic humour that engulfs his protagonist's actions. With his out-of-this-world looks and wide-eyed awkwardness, newcomer Tomas Lemarquis as Nói, makes the perfect outsider, adrift in an alienating environment.