During winter time, day light in Iceland becomes rare and only darkness remains. The sun rises just briefly, often hiding behind clouds near the horizon. During December, there are just four hours of daylight, and the darkness is darkest.
Siguður Atlason lives far from the nearest town. His home is Holmavic, a village of 400 inhabitants in the Westfjords. Here, the man with the bobble hat runs the only museum for witchcraft and magic on the island. He is a hospitable, open-minded and unusual man who inspires each visitor telling his stories of Iceland and the elves.
However, during the winter, when visitors leave the region and tourism calms down, he feels weak. The long-lasting dark hours affect his mind. He feels sick and can barely breathe. “You just want to close your eyes and sleep for a while. And then you wake up and want to turn on every light you can find.” Siguður Atlason doesn’t have the strength to stay awake all day.
The long-lasting darkness during the winter affects the locals, even if they don’t know it differently. This short film by Nora Klein introduces an Iceland resident and his world of ideas. The short film tries to answer the question: How does it feel to be exposed to this much darkness?