Hjalti runs a museum/restaurant in any-tourist-town-Iceland with his childhood best friend, Björn. When Björn’s father dies, he embraces his true self that he has kept hidden for over half a century and comes out as Birna. There is a plot about expanding the business to run the whole year, but it’s just something to keep the film flowing. This film is really just about the characters and their struggle to deal with themselves and each other.
The script gives us these thought out, real, characters and the actors give them life. Björn Jörundur is in my books one of Iceland’s greatest actors and shines here as a character who doesn’t know how to feel about his best friend coming out as trans. Why didn’t Birna tell him sooner? Where is the trust? Where they ever real friends if she kept such a big thing from him and how is he supposed to feel and act when his best male friend is now a woman?
Birna, portrayed by Arna Magnea, starts the film as a rugged man who can’t hide how uncomfortable he is in his own skin. Somehow the other characters don’t notice, or more likely, they are just used to him being that way. After an emotional goodbye to her father, Birna emerges with a bang. Burning the old male clothes, symbolising burning a bridge—she isn’t going back to Björn for no-one, and she couldn’t if she wanted because he is dead.
The supporting cast is stellar: Helgi Björns, Ólafía Hrönn, Sara Dögg, Sólveig Arnars, Vigdís Hafliða. Everyone in this film is fantastic.
Director Snævar Sölvason made something quite special here. He has made three other films. Albatross which I wasn’t a fan off and two I have never been able to find anywhere (finding Icelandic films can be a real hassle). Based on Off Fish, I’m quite excited to see them.
