Adapting from the book by Grand Mal/ Quake: A Novel, by Audur Jonsdóttir, Tinna Hrafnsdóttir’s grounded, yet completely absorbing Icelandic drama is a treat. An unwinding, emotional journey that compels from the off, all of the way through to its unflinching, devastating, though beautiful finale.
Aníta Briem (Journey To The Center Of The Earth) is Saga, a single mother who we meet looking after her six-year-old son. It is winter in Reykjavik, and all is not well; Saga suffers a devastating epileptic attack whilst playing with her son in a local park, leaving him having to wave down a police car and call for help on his own. She wakes, hours later, with no memory of what has happened or of anything else prior to the incident. We soon learn that Saga has had episodes of this in the past – though maybe not so recently. and rather than tell those closest to her of her plight, she keeps it to herself for fear of her not being able to care for her son on her own.
She knows not how she has come to part ways with her husband, Bergur (Sveinn Geirsson), or why her mother suddenly chooses to skip town leaving her father and sister Jóhanna (Tinna Hrafnsdóttir) to remain at her side to care for her as echoes from the past suddenly re-emerge.
As with most films that have memory loss at the heart of their story, we spend most of this narrative in the shoes of the main protagonist, in this case, Saga, as she attempts to piece together her past. This is what makes the film as engrossing as it is, the narrative presenting many questions, assumptions made along the way as Saga weaves her way through the unknown to the film’s heartbreaking conclusion; a series of scenes that throw a massive curveball at the audience and a story arc that literally had me in floods of tears.
While the plotline is dark, and indeed devastating, there are also many light-hearted moments, and, overall, the feeling is actually positive and uplifting. No easy task for the clearly talented Hrafnsdóttir who balances the tone of the piece perfectly. Briem is outstanding as Saga, while there is solid support from all around, including Hrafnsdóttir as Jóhanna, who also harbours a wounding secret herself.
While sometimes meandering – you’re not quite sure where the film is taking you – and with a pace that is just about digestible, Quake is a real festival find. A film that tackles its troubling subject matter with soft blows; a beautiful piece of filmmaking that leaves a mark on its audience, even if you do find yourself dabbing your eyes as you leave the auditorium.
Quake was reviewed at the 2021 Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. A release date is TBC.
Quake
Summary
A stunning piece of work from filmmaker Tinna Hrafnsdóttir and a wonderful central performance from Aníta Briem make Quake a beautiful, though sometimes harrowing portrait of a family struggling with loss.
