Watch The Dance

The Dance is an Icelandic drama that was written by Kristín Atladottir and Agust Guomundsson, who also directed, based upon the short story by William Heinesen. It was filmed in both Iceland and the Faroe Islands. The story begins in 1913 in a thinly populated and remote island. The narrator, Peter (Gunnar Helgason) is recalling a period when the lonely town was under attack by some mainlanders while a wedding party was in full swing.

Sirsa (played by Palina Jonsdottir) is about to marry the son of the island's richest land owner, Harald (played by Dofri Hermannsson). However, the two seem to be an unlikely pair, given her free spirited nature and his more serious and sedate attitude. She seems far more suited to the magnetic and very friendly Ivar (played by Baldur Trausti Hreinsson).

An interruption of the wedding festivities occurs when it is discovered that a ship is sinking offshore, which is a rare occurrence in the region. The men rush to the rescue, saving some sailors, as well as the engineer and captain. They return to the party after the mission is complete.

However, the storm rages on and the men who came back from the ship are devastated. The rest of the people try not to let it all put a damper on their evening. The engineer dies from his injuries and they stop the dance out of respect.

Sirsa would like to continue and Harald and the rest allow her decision to reign.

While a few of the younger men go back to the ship, others decide to indulge in a drunken pilgrimage at the other end of the region in a cottage. Some of the revelers decide to pursue other various interactions with the opposite sex.

Sirsa winds up finally getting next to Ivar, but mainly because her new husband decided to halt the rest of the wedding festivities.