Tales from the Gimli Hospital (1989)

While their mother is dying in the modern Gimli, Manitoba hospital, two young children are told an important tale by their Icelandic grandmother about Ainar the lonely, his friend Gunnar, ... See full summary »

Director:

Guy Maddin

Writer:

Guy Maddin

Stars:

Kyle McCulloch, Michael Gottli, Angela Heck

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kyle McCulloch	...	Einar the Lonely / Minstrel
Michael Gottli	...	Gunnar
Angela Heck	...	Snjófridur
Margaret Anne MacLeod	...	Amma
Heather Neale	...	Granddaughter
David Neale	...	Grandson
Don Hewak	...	John Ramsay
Ron Eyolfson	...	Pastor Osbaldison / Patient (as Ronald Eyolfson)
Chris Johnson	...	Lord Dufferin
Donna Szöke	...	Fish Princess
Tiffany Taylor	...	Gunnar's Strolling Companion / Gimli Maiden
Linda Schinkel	...	Dying Mother
Jeff Solylo	...	Angry Husband
Randy Kray	...	Angel
George Toles	...	Angel With Mustache

Storyline

While their mother is dying in the modern Gimli, Manitoba hospital, two young children are told an important tale by their Icelandic grandmother about Ainar the lonely, his friend Gunnar, and the angelic Snjofrieder in a Gimli of old.

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Plot Keywords:

hospital | icelandic | fishing village | patient | seagull | 

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Taglines:

It all happened in a Gimli we no longer know.

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Genres:

Fantasy | Horror

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Details

Country:

Canada

Language:

Icelandic English

Release Date:

28 July 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

Gimli Saga

Filming Locations:

Gimli, Manitoba, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Extra Large Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

72 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the scene where Gunnar meets Einar on the beach where Einar is chopping fish, the background music used is the theme from Richard Fleischer's The Vikings.

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Connections

Referenced in The Tragedie of Admiral Cigarette (2006)

User Reviews

Truly surreal and grotesque film.

Guy Maddin is a truly unusual filmmaker.His movies are black comedic and supremely bizarre excursions into silent black-and-white cinema."Tales from the Gimli Hospital" is possibly his most famous and creepiest work to date.This is a wonderfully strange and puzzling movie filled with haunting and disturbing imagery.The action takes place in the small fishing town of Gimli,Manitoba, in some indeterminate time in the early part of the 20th Century.Einar and Gunnar,two men afflicted with the deadly smallpox virus,are housed in the small Gimli Hospital,their bodies covered with the scars of disease,their minds slowly slipping into paranoia and fear.Much of the film is silent,only archaic soundtrack is used regularly.The film is shot in equisite black-and-white and looks terrific.Give it a look,if you enjoy watching surrealist cinema.8 out of 10.