Villi Knudsen's Iceland

Atlantis, Iceland(en)

Obsessed with searching for the origins of a scene from an old film, an Australian man and his friend visit Iceland. Punk music, politics and elves provide the backdrop to his search.

Zrození sopky(cs)

Pompeii: Secrets of the Dead(en)

Forensic experts scan Pompeii’s victims to investigate why they didn’t escape the eruption.

Encounters at the End of the World(en)

Herzog and cinematographer Peter Zeitlinger go to Antarctica to meet people who live and work there, and to capture footage of the continent's unique locations. Herzog's voiceover narration explains that his film will not be a typical Antarctica film about "fluffy penguins", but will explore the dreams of the people and the landscape.

Ring of Fire(en)

Ring of Fire is about the immense natural force of the great circle of volcanoes and seismic activity that rings the Pacific Ocean and the varied people and cultures who coexist with them. Spectacular volcanic eruptions are featured, including Mount St. Helens, Navidad in Chile, Sakurajima in Japan, and Mount Merapi in Indonesia.

Small Mall(is)

A Eurovision singer, Iceland's strongest woman, a male model, a plumber who wants to direct movies. They all work in the shopping mall that this documentary focuses on ... most of them want to get out, even just to the bigger mall down the road.

Lon Marum(en)

A TV-hour length documentary film depicting the relationship between language, culture, place, music, tradition, and magic on an active volcano, in the Pacific nation of Vanuatu, on the island of Ambrym.

Iceland Divide(en)

A solo bikepacking adventure across Iceland.

Alternate Earth(de)

A scientific expedition travels to an alternative Earth in hope of finding a new home for humanity, which has destroyed its own planet. But is it even possible to escape old patterns?

Changes(is)

Tímamót, or Changes in English. An upbeat, heartwarming story about Gudjon, Sigurbjorn and Steinthor who lived together for decades along with several other inhabitants in the Tjaldanes Institution, in a peaceful valley close to Reykjavik. When a decision is made to close down the institution, their life takes an unexpected turn and they discover a new side to life and to themselves.

Under an Arctic Sky(en)

Six fearless surfers travel to the north coast of Iceland to ride waves unlike anything they've ever experienced, captured with high-tech cameras.

Fire on Heimaey(is)

Beautiful documentary by Osvaldur Knudsen about the eruption on Heimaey in the Vestmann Islands in 1973 (South of Iceland). The eruption destroyed some 30% of the town's houses and lasted for more than 5 months. Nice narration like in the old days and some nice sound(track) by Magnus Bl. Johannsson.

The Power of Volcanoes(en)

In the 6th century AD, large parts of the world were affected by mysterious weather events causing temperature drop, crop failures and famines. All this might be the result of a large volcanic eruption in the tropics. But can a local natural disaster impact the global weather, thus influencing the course of history? Using stunning re-enactments and unique animation techniques, “The Power of Volcanoes” makes it clear: Volcanoes might be sleeping giants. But they can wake up quicker than you think and in the worst case trigger a fatal chain of events.

Rumenatomija: The Story of Brandas Addiction(is)

Branda has hit rock bottom. Her addiction has spiralled so far out of control that medical intervention is the only option left. She's forced to confront her darkest demons in order to lick her deadly appetite, and must apply all 12 steps to her four stomachs - Branda is a cow addicted to eating plastic bags. It's easy to find humour and irony in Branda's toxic lifestyle, harder to admit that we're the ones being ridiculed.

A Song Called Hate(en)

The pro-Palestinian, anti-capitalist, BDSM-provocative, techno-punk performance art ensemble Hatari unsurprisingly drew attention to themselves with their performance at the Icelandic qualifiers for the Eurovision Song Contest. So much so that they won and therefore were allowed to perform at the main event in Tel Aviv. But what now? Should they boycott the event, swallow their idealism, or use their airtime to criticise the host country for their illegal occupation of Palestine? The Icelandic director Anna Hildur joins the boys in the band all the way to the fateful final.

Prehistoric Worlds(en)

Five times, Earth has faced apocalyptic events that swept nearly all life from the face of the planet. What did these prehistoric creatures look like? What catastrophes caused their disappearance? And how did our distant ancestors survive and give rise to the world we know today?

Last Hours of Pompeii(fr)

Pop in Reykjavik(en)

Popp í Reykjavík (Pop in Reykjavik) is a film about the vibrant Icelandic music culture of the late '90s. It was released in 1998 and features interviews and concert footage of promising Icelandic bands like Gusgus, Bellatrix, Maus, Ensími, Quarashi, Botnleðja and Sigur Rós.

The Other Pompeii: Life & Death in Herculaneum(en)

The subject of this documentary is a straightforward one: presenter Andrew Wallace-Hadrill introduces us to the treasures of Herculaneum, the city close to Pompeii that suffered a similar fate as a result of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, but which was covered under a far thicker layer of lava and other materials.

Iceland in Winter(en)

Iceland is one of the wildest places on Earth. You never know what the weather will do. You could get caught in the middle of snowstorms and blizzards. But you are never alone.