Lamb

Twisted imagery magic in modern fairy tale where Noomi Rapace’s sheep farmer longing for a child experiences a strange miracle.

At a farm far out in the Icelandic countryside, the rueful, childless couple Maria (Rapace) and Ingvar (Hilmir Snær Guðnason) take care of their sheep. But during lambing something very strange happens. One of the lambs is not like lambs normally are, and the distinctive newcomer affects Maria and Ingvar profoundly. Valdimar Jóhansson has previously worked as an electrician for major productions like Noah and Game of Thrones. His astonishing debut film as a director was awarded for its originality at Cannes and merges a realistic chamber play with folkloric metaphors and absurd humour. The result is a magically beautiful and completely unforgettable film to be placed somewhere between Grímur Hákonarson’s Rams and Ali Abassi’s Border.

• Jonas Holmberg (from the 2022 programme)