English Subs – Godland

Godland impresses as a film about discovering a new world. This epic and, at times, dryly comical drama by Hlynur Pálmason (A White, White Day) marched triumphantly from film festival to film festival last year. Everywhere the film received praise for its visual style.

At the end of the 19th century, the young Danish priest Lucas is sent on a journey to Iceland, one of the last colonies of the Danish Empire. His mission is to oversee the construction of a church in a remote parish, and to photograph the local residents. With a camera on his back, the priest embarks on an adventure that is not without challenges: the local population is not looking forward to any submission and has no interest whatsoever in making itself understood. Lucas does manage to reach his destination, but the further he ventures into the wild landscape and its unknown culture, the further he strays away from his moral compass and from himself.