Noi the Albino (2003)

Is he the village idiot or a genius in disguise? 17 year old Noi drifts through life on a remote fjord in the north of Iceland. In winter, the fjord is cut off from the outside world, ... See full summary »

Director:

Dagur Kári

Writer:

Dagur Kári

Stars:

Tómas Lemarquis, Þröstur Leó Gunnarsson, Elín Hansdóttir

20 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tómas Lemarquis	...	Nói
Þröstur Leó Gunnarsson	...	Kiddi Beikon
Elín Hansdóttir	...	Íris
Anna Friðriksdóttir	...	Lína
Hjalti Rögnvaldsson	...	Óskar
Pétur Einarsson	...	Prestur
Kjartan Bjargmundsson	...	Gylfi
Þorsteinn Gunnarsson	...	Þórarinn Skólastjóri
Guðmundur Ólafsson	...	Alfreð Kennari
Haraldur Jónsson	...	Teitur Sálfræðingur
Gérard Lemarquis	...	Frönskukennari
Greipur Gíslason	...	Dabbi
Páll Loftsson	...	Pabbi Dabba / Bankastjóri
Ásdís Thoroddsen	...	Bankastarfsmaður
Ásmundur Ásmudsson	...	Barþjónn

Storyline

Is he the village idiot or a genius in disguise? 17 year old Noi 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. Noi dreams of escaping from this white-walled prison with Iris, 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 Noi's universe and offer him a window into a better world.

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Plot Keywords:

fjord | winter | village | snow | natural disaster | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for language and brief nudity

Did You Know?

Trivia

Gérard Lemarquis, who plays the French schoolteacher, is the father of 'Tomas Lemarquis', who plays Noi. Gérard Lemarquis is a French schoolteacher in real life, and the director 'Dagur Kari' was one of his students.

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Goofs

In the scene where the psychiatrist examines Nói, the former behaves strangely negligent. No health care professional would administrate an intelligence test by giving the subject scarce instructions, since these are part of a standardized protocol. Instead, he would give detailed instructions asking the subject if he has understood them and should be present during, at least, a portion of the test.

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Quotes

Kristmundur 'Kiddi Beikon' B. Kristmundsson: I'II teach you a trick that never fails: you ask the cutest chick: Have you put on some weight? I promise you, she wont leave you alone until you have... slept with her. It never fails! Just remember to use a condom. Unwanted children don't let you know they're coming, you know what I mean.
Nói: I think I'll go now.
Kristmundur 'Kiddi Beikon' B. Kristmundsson: Really? Am I being boring?
Nói: Drunk.

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Connections

Referenced in Do You Like Hitchcock? (2005)

User Reviews

A fascinating, deeply touching story

Although distant in time and space, this work is reminiscent of post-WW2 Italian neorealism, with a sprinkle of dry Nordic humour. The grandiose setting of Iceland's north-western fjord region is the real protagonist: that huge white cone-shaped mountain looms in the background, very similar to Dante's Purgatory mount, meting out penance and confining the souls living within its shadow. The actors - like in neorealistic movies - seem (but aren't) taken from the street, they look completely natural, they have jobs and behave like real people. The title character is amazingly expressive, despite his shaved head and eyebrows. With a fractional movement of the eyes and mouth he moves us to tears or laughter. The dialogues are scanty, but the continuity makes it all very clear: Noi is a child prodigy, who is tied to an inescapable, remote environment. He is at variance with his teachers, but loves - and is loved by - his disjoint family. He dreams of escaping to an entirely different world, a world of sunny beaches and palm trees, taking along the girl he is infatuated with. But deep down he knows his dream is doomed: there is no escape from his icy ghetto - almost.

Details

Country:

Iceland Germany UK Denmark

Language:

Icelandic French

Release Date:

28 February 2003 (Iceland)

Also Known As:

Nói

Filming Locations:

Bolungarvík, Iceland

Box Office

Budget:

EUR1,100,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,808, 21 March 2004

Gross USA:

$60,555

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,342,010

Company Credits

Production Co:

Zik Zak Kvikmyndir, Essential Filmproduktion GmbH, The Bureau

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1