I must first note that, contrary to the previous reviewer's comment, this film is NOT set in Iceland. It is set in the beautiful and remote Faroe Islands. Funny, I am used to people referring to the Faroes as Denmark, not Iceland! I must also admit that my comments are somewhat biased because I have family that acted in the film and other family that sang on the soundtrack. I have also met one of the two lead actresses and know family of some of the actors. My family is from the Faroe Islands, you see. I saw this film at my college in Colorado, and was absolutely thrilled to see part of my life represented on screen. It was the first time I had ever seen a film in the Faroese language, even BARBARA - a film based on Faroese legend - is in Danish. There have been a couple of films before this one in Faroese, but I hadn't had the chance to see them (I have seen one since). I loved this movie for those reasons, but I also thought it was quite enjoyable in and of itself. I would have to see it again before I could speak more critically on it, since on the first viewing I was just so excited to see it all. But some interesting things to watch in this film are the hints of colonialism and the search for identity that I feel are such a part of the Faroese psyche. Notice the relationships with the Danes - who speak only Danish in the film, for those who don't pick it up. This film is also truly quirky, which makes it a lot more interesting to me than other road films. As a film grad, style counts a lot for me, since so many films are so devoid of it. Now if only this (and other Faroese films) could be released in the States!
Review of Bye Bye Blue Bird
