A great movie for little ones that was made for big ones

Last night I began watching a movie with my husband. It’s called Heima and is basically a series of concerts given by the instrumental band Sigur Ross in various rural areas of Iceland. We got it because we are planning to go to Iceland and wanted a preview of the nature. Once I started watching, it resonated with my love of remote, natural places. It brought back memories of Kyrgyzstan and Siberia, but with a strange European feel. I wanted River to experience it. I wanted him to feel the volcanic sand beneath his feet, to look out across vast horizons of empty land, sky and rushing waters.

We initially planned to bring him, since his airfare would be virtually free. The fact that Icelanders seem to be very family friendly is another bonus. But his daily nap from 11-2 or 3 would put a big crimp in our ability to explore. The extended daylight hours might make it hard to sleep. When my parents offered to babysit for two weeks, we weren’t going to turn down an offer like that. So we decided we wouldn’t take him along.

Nevertheless, I wanted him to see this movie. I paused it halfway through and waited to watch the rest with River. There is very little dialogue. The music and the panoramic shots are interrupted only by brief commentary from band members about what it was like to make such a tour.

This morning I propped him on his special pillow he sits on while watching videos and turned on the movie. He sat riveted for quite a while, pointing at the glaciers, the birds, the wild horses, the sheep, the beautiful and thoughtful faces of families listening to the hauntingly beautiful music played in an epic landscape. Watching little Icelandic girls fly red kites, he said nina (girl in Spanish) for the first time.

I would consider buying a copy of this movie to have on hand for him to watch. If you think your child would like nature, music and lots of close-ups of people’s faces, this may be an unusual film worth considering.