Nordic Nights: A Letter from Helga by Ása Helga Hjörleifsdóttir

Our next Nordic Nights feature is an Icelandic film from 2022: A Letter from Helga by Ása Helga Hjörleifsdóttir.

The story takes place in the 1940’s in the west fjords of Iceland, a strange paradise hidden at the edge of Europe. In this small but thriving community we meet Bjarni, a young, idealistic farmer. Bjarni has a place in this world; his house has been in his family for 9 generations, he has status, respect and his wife Unnur is capable and hard-working. It appears that the sun is shining on them, but underneath the surface, a silent anguish is growing between husband and wife, too painful to talk about. Unnur clings to the farm work, as does Bjarni who is torn between loyalty to Unnur and a deep, growing frustration.

And then there is Helga, the mother of two on the next farm.

Helga is intelligent, her poetic mind trapped in farm life and trapped in a marriage with a man who was never her equal. Bjarni and Helga share a love for literature and soon enough the rumor starts to spread that the two of them are having an affair. Ironically this rumor eventually does drive them together.

And just like that – they’re plunged into a passion they didn’t think could exist, both so thirsty for it that there’s no way of stopping . But when Helga becomes pregnant and asks Bjarni to move to Reykjavík with her, he can’t take the jump. He stays, loyal to his wife and to this place.

Decades later Bjarni finds himself haunted by the past, wondering if he made the right choice.

Registration to watch the Nordic Nights screening of A Letter from Helga on Zoom is required and can be done HERE 

Note: the Nordic Nights event is FREE but donations are welcome!