NÓI ALBINÓI (Nói the Albino)

Is he the village idiot or a genius in dis- guise? 17 year old Nói drifts through life on a remote fjord in the north of Iceland. In winter, the fjord is cut off from the outside world, surrounded by ominous mountains and buried under a shroud of snow. Nói dreams of escaping from this white-walled prison with Iris, a city girl who works in a local gas station. But his clumsy attempts at escape spiral out of control and end in complete failure. Only a natural disaster will shatter Nói’s universe and offer him a window into a better world. Heralding the arrival of an exciting new film-making talent, Icelandic director Dagur Kari’s distinct- ive feature debut, NÓI ALBINOI, mixes art-house lyricism and striking photography with black humour and a youthful romanticism. Dagur Kari’s eagerly anticipated audience pleaser, won the Moviezone award at Rotterdam and picked up awards at Gothenburg, including the International Critics’ Award and the Grand Jury prize at Angers. Dagur Kari’s portrait of a gifted teen, rebelling against the limits of life in a remote Icelandic town, is infused with beautiful scenic vistas, small observational details and a melancholic humour that engulfs his protagonist’s actions. With his out-of-this-world looks and wide-eyed awkwardness, newcomer Tomas Lemarquis as Nói, makes the perfect outsider, adrift in an alienating environ- ment.