Further Information

KANARÍ- INTO THE SUN

Klara Baldursdóttir ran a bar, simply called Klörubar (Klara's bar), for over 30 years in Maspalomas that is still frequented by Icelanders. Harry runs a shop where Icelanders love to shop and he speaks fluent Icelandic although he has never been to Iceland.

Marý from Kirkjubær is very ambitious in gathering Icelanders together for a sing along, often around the swimming pool at the "famous" Hotel Roque Nublo, the most popular apartment complex with the Icelandic tourists.

You can find an Icelandic library on the mini golf course by the Yumbo Center shopping mall, where Klörubar is located

Icelanders gather for a sing along in front of Harry's Shop on Fridays. The Icelandic national radio plays non stop in the background so no visitor will miss the news from Iceland.

Icelanders have been going on holiday in Gran Canaria, specifically Maspalomas by the Playa Inglés, for over thirty years. It is an experience shared by many people of different nationalities who live in the colder northern regions of Europe. Sun holidays have a special place in these cultures and it conveys a plethora of cultural signifiers that are related certainly to class, social and economic status but also fantasy, freedom and the sheer physical need to bathe in heat and sunlight for those deprived of vital vitamin D. In Iceland this need is perhaps more pertinent than elsewhere, due to the latitude we dwell at. Thus sun holidays have been a part of our culture for as a long as these trips have been affordable for the masses.

Over the years an interesting Icelandic community has formed in Maspalomas that consists mostly of elderly and retired folks. Some people come to stay for many months over the wintertime whilst others come for shorter holidays. Some people come every year and regard the island a second home but some may only visit once. Gran Canaria is not so popular with the younger generations of Icelanders who now prefer going to neighbouring island of Tenerife.

However in Gran Canaria there is still a very thriving and interesting community that goes well beyond the common snub of 'it's only boring old people and nothing to do there'. One woman, Klara, who for decades ran the famous Klara's bar ("Klörubar") known to almost everyone in Iceland, has a wealth of knowledge about the history and community of Icelanders in Gran Canaria since she has been at the center of it for over 30 years. In the wintertime the Icelanders also gather in Harry's shop which is run by Harry, originally from India, who has lived in Gran Canaria for almost as long as Klara. Despite never having been to Iceland he speaks very good Icelandic and so do most of his staff, his entire business model is based on very successful and happy trading with Icelandic tourists throughout the years. They play the icelandic national radio in Harry's shop day in and day out and every night at 7 pm they bring out the flatscreen and screen the live news broadcast from Iceland to the crowd gathered. Once a week the Icelanders even meet up at the shop with guitars and accordions and sing old popular songs from home. But not only at Harry's but by the pool and at Cosmos (Klara's bar) as well. Many of the elderly people we spoke to all claim the main reason for them coming year after year to Gran Canaria is the health benefits it brings, many of them also claim to experience less isolation than they do at home in Iceland where cold weathers and slippery roads pose a very real and serious threat to their health.

Whilst diaspora communities around the world are many and versatile, for the tiny nation of Iceland this kind of a close knit community and also a certain type of folk culture existing outside of Iceland is quite rare. This community is at once universal and unique, the viewer will hopefully contemplate questions such as what it is to be a tourist and what the freedom of travelling brings to us. Our hope is to shed light on and deconstruct ideas about fixed borders and national identities whilst celebrating diversity and the beauty of unique folk cultures such as this one. Cultures are fluid and ever changing like every other aspect of life. This particular community may very well not exist in a few decades so we feel it is time to document this little world.

What lies beyond the material surface of these resorts that are created around tourism? They are in many ways strange places full of clichés, endless kitsch and heavy commercialism but also a lot of strange and intriguing beauty. As Iceland is hit with mass tourism and we see the changes it is bringing to our own community we direct our lens at Icelandic tourists, and we have a look at life after retirement. Our hope and promise for the film "Kanarí" is that is both moving, entertaining and thought provoking.