Icelanders take pride in the international accomplishments of their fellow Icelanders. From Björk, Sigur Rós to Magni, our competitor in RockStar: Supernova, to sportspeople such as Eiður Smári Guðjohnsen and Miss World Unnur Birna Vilhjálmsdóttir, we cheer them on, happy that little Iceland is making big waves in the world. One of the Icelandic phenomena to gain critical acclaim abroad is the Vesturport theatre company. This enigmatic young group has approached its projects in a highly original manner with equally original work methods, bringing spellbinding productions to audiences. Their productions of Romeo and Juliet and Woyzeck both wowed London critics receiving high acclaim in respected British newspapers. This autumn, they are taking on Kafkas Metamorphosis at the Lyric Hammersmith theatre — no small feat. In this issue Hanna Björk Valsdóttir interviews Gísli Örn Garðarsson, actor and director who adapted the famous novel into a play. He also tells ReykjavikMag about the two new films that are the fruit of Vesturports relationship with young Icelandic director Ragnar Bragason, out this winter, and already competitors in the San Sebastian film festival. But were going even more international in this issue: read about the new 12 Tónar store in Copenhagen, which is not only selling Icelandic records but transporting Icelandic artists to play live to Danish audiences, and Hrafnhildur Arnardóttir, aka Shoplifter, a New York-based artist who has worked closely with Björk and is participating in an exhibition at the Reykjavík Art Museum - Harbour House. It seems that as far as creativity goes, Icelanders continue to deliver the goods to a worldwide audience.
Anna Margrét Björnsson
