When Hilmar Oddsson reached sixty years of age five years ago, he decided to resign from the position of a film school rector which he had held for seven years. To be more precise, he decided to dedicate himself to filmmaking again. He made his previous feature film in 2009. A long pause in filmmaking may cause uncertainty in some, but not in Hilmar. Firstly, because he has carried the idea for the film now included in PÖFF’s competition programme with him for three decades. Secondly, his strong baggage includes a diverse set of experience from previous films.
Jon is a middle-aged man who lives with his elderly mother somewhere on the edge of Iceland. It is obvious that his mother always knows how things should be. Therefore it is only natural that when the mother dies, the son fulfils all the instructions the mother has left for when she dies. Jon combs and dresses his mother’s dead body, puts her to sit on the back seat of his old car, takes the loyal dog Bresnef along and the drive to the other end of the country – to where his mother has told him to bury her – may begin.
Accompanying the deceased on the last journey is naturally a sad emotion. But in this dark comedy, everything is funny. What makes this film special, however, is the author’s special sympathy and understanding and the actors’ love for their characters, which is definitely conveyed to the audience in the cinema, making it the brightest film experience of the year for many. (Mihkel Möölman)