Atlantis, Iceland shoot – day 14

Week 2 started as it should. On Heimaey in Vestmannaeyjar looking for a particular grassy field with a particular volcanic rock. With a person who lived there in her youth, but had left at age 17. Who has never seen Sans Soleil. Who until last year didn’t know about that film. Who, with her 2 younger sisters, filled the screen for 7 crucial seconds of the first minute of Sans Soleil. The “image of happiness”. The primary scene that is the inspiration for Atlantis, Iceland.

It took less than 30 minutes for Kristbjörg to locate the place where she had been filmed with her sisters in 1965 by the foreigner that had been on Heimaey to film the Surtsey eruption. We looked at the footage from the film, considered angles, heights, perspecitves and the unique features of that particualr volacanic rock, that had been right of screen. We might not have been able to tell exactly where Chris Marker had stood when he took those images, but we could tell, could gain the perspective, see what it was that he saw. 51 years ago.

Being so integral to the Atlantis, Iceland project, we can’t really share what transpired on the day. Other than to say – it was just SO Atlantis, Iceland.

We left that field ecstatic, with the precious images tucked away and rapidly backed up.

It was then time to “relax” with some “extreme painting” with Rob in the Heimaey natural amphitheatre,

then in the lava fields of Eldfell.We finished as one does – a little fermented shark and a glass of Brennivin.

To say that we ended the day pleased is just SO much of an understatement. Words can’t really describe it.