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

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:

€1,100,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,808, 21 March 2004, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$60,135, 13 June 2004

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Palm trees are repeatedly present in the movie as a symbol: on the Viewmaster slide, on Noi's father's shirt, on the cake her grandmother bakes and on the green wallpaper at his house.

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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

Prestur: Now, I don't know where your belief lies... but I recommend that we say the Lord's Prayer together.
Nói: I don't think I know the Lord's Prayer.
Prestur: Do you know another prayer?
Nói: No.

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Connections

Referenced in Do You Like Hitchcock? (2005)

User Reviews

A wonderful example of how to do things differently

Coming of age films are a common staple of Hollywood but as with many genres they merely offer variations on a theme. Noi Albinoi is a beautiful film in so many ways from the breathtaking landscape of Iceland to the often used but even more often forgotten ideal of carpe diem (sieze the day). Noi himself is completely believable for anyone who's ever been a teenager, he is an excellent reflection of the aspirations, naievaty and irrepresable emotions that everyone feels at that age. This film kept me amused and touched in equal measures all the way up to its amazing climax. A must see for everyone who understands that life's different when you're 17.