Echo (2019)

Everyday life in Iceland around Christmas time: 56 vignettes full of joy, sorrow and thought-provoking situations.

Director:

Rúnar Rúnarsson

Writer:

Rúnar Rúnarsson

Stars:

Sigurmar Albertsson, Bent Kingo Andersen, Sif Arnarsdóttir

6 wins & 12 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Sigurmar Albertsson
Bent Kingo Andersen
Sif Arnarsdóttir
Ari Arnarson
Finnur Arnar Arnarson
Árni Arnarson
Gísli Már Arnarsson
Jon Magnus Arnarsson
Pétur Arnarsson
Bragi Arnason
Fannar Freyr Atlason
Sigurjón Þór Atlason
Ólíver Tumi Auðunsson
Álfgrímur Aðalsteinsson
Aron Bragi Baldursson

Storyline

Iceland, Christmas time. As everyone prepares for the holidays, a peculiar atmosphere falls upon the country revealing emotions of both excitement and concern. In the middle of the countryside, an abandoned farm is burning. In a school, a children's choir is singing Christmas carols. In a slaughterhouse, chickens are parading along a rail. In a museum, a mother is arguing with her ex-husband on the phone. In a living room, a young girl is making her grandmother try on her new virtual reality headset - Through 56 scenes, Echo draws a portrait, both biting and tender, of modern society.

---

Plot Keywords:

iceland | christmas | new year's eve | 2010s | holiday season | 

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Articles in French about "Echo"

• Alex Masson, « Écho », V.O. Version Originale, no 86, Paris, January 2020, p. 14
• Eithne O'Neill, « Lucides lumières», Positif, no 707, Institut Lumière/Actes Sud, Paris, January 2020, p. 34, (ISSN 0048-4911)

---

Soundtracks

Fourth prelude in E Minor, op. 28
Composed by Frédéric Chopin
(1839)

User Reviews

A movie for observers

'Echo' aka 'Bergmal' doesn't make my best of lists but my predilection for Iceland made it time well spent.

Seemingly intermingling fictionalisation and real scenes, it's a montage of never repeated characters involved in everyday life throughout the year, with a Xmas culmination.

I appreciated in the way I would a documentary on sociology. It is for viewers who choose observation over entertainment. It fits well into what we, in the Nineties, called the art circuit.

Details

Country:

Iceland France Switzerland Denmark Finland

Language:

Icelandic English

Release Date:

5 August 2020 (USA)

Also Known As:

Echo

Filming Locations:

Reykjavik, Iceland

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$17,422

Company Credits

Production Co:

Nimbus Iceland, Pegasus Pictures, Jour2Fête

Technical Specs

Runtime:

79 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (Dolby 5.1)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1