Films and Plays

Salka Valka, Borgarleikhúsið, 2016.   Photo: Grím­ur Bjarna­son

There have been numerous dramatic adaptations of Halldór’s work but they are usually not available in English versions. These listings are only a rough guide with more information on new productions as they occur. Travelers to Reykjavík in the winter months should always check the schedules of Þjóðleikhúsið (The National Theatre) and Borgarleikhúsið (The City Theatre) for any new adaptations of Laxness’ work.


Atómstöðin, Þjóðleikhúsið, 2019



Salka Valka stage production (1999):



Salka from Maria Ellingsen on Vimeo.

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Translated list of Laxness film adaptations via Bíó Paradís, April 2012:

Mexican Lobby Card

Salka Valka, 1954

Genre: Drama, Swedish model
Manufacturer: Tone Nordisk Film in collaboration with Edda-Film
Director: Arne Mattsson
Cast: Gunnel Broström, Birgitta Pettersson, Folke Sundquist, Erik Strand Mark, Multi Aretha Krook, Carl Sten Rune, Nils Hallberg, Sigge Fürst and Ann-Mari Adamsson
Icelandic subtitles

Salka Valka was released in two parts in 1931 to 1932. The story takes place in the Shoulder Óseyri fjord where the people live in sharp terms and Bogesen trader determines the fate of each man. The story is Salka Valka and Arnaldur in the foreground, but slightly less pronounced are Sigurlína mother Salka and Steinthór ástmaður her örlagavaldur in their life mother and daughter.

Complete film (in Swedish)here.

IMDB user review of Salka Valka.

Ungfrúin (Honour of the House), 1999

Manufacturer: Umbi and Pegasus Pictures in collaboration with Nordisk Film production, Göta Film, Nordic Screen Development and Film i Väst
Director: Guðný Halldórsdóttir
Cast: Tinna, Ragnhildur Gísladóttir, Egil Olafsson, Rúrik Haraldsson, Reine Brynolfsson, Helgi Bjornsson, Bjorn Floberg, Agneta Ekmanner and Ghita Nørby

Ungfrúin was first published short story collection in the footsteps of people in 1933. This deals with the people in the house who are concerned about their reputation so a spot does not fall on the family honor.

Chay’s classroom use of Honour…

Gunnar reviews HOTH for Variety…

Kristnihald undir jökli, (Christianity at the Glacier), 1989

Manufacturer: Umbi in cooperation with the SDR Stuttgart
Director: Guðný Halldórsdóttir
Cast: Baldvin Halldórsson, Sigurdur Sigurjonsson, Angels, Kristbjörg Kjeld, Helgi Skulason, Egil Olafsson and Haraldsson Rúrik

Christianity under the glacier was released in 1968. The story tells of the agent bishop, packaging, sent to the glacier to explore the situation in the assembly of one of the peninsula. Occasion journey to the Rev. John Primus is considered to be threats to their embættisverkum and marital status of either unclear. Umbi is to put together a report on his journey, but reporting is turned on as we go along.

Atómstöðin (The Atom Station), 1984

Manufacturer: Odin Film Production
Director: Chairman of the
Cast: Gunnar Eyjolfsson, Björnsson, Jónína Sigrun Olafsdottir and Edda Björnsdóttir

Atómstöðin was released in 1948. It tells of Philosophy, farmer's daughter from the north, arriving in Reykjavik to learn the organ.  Other story-lines involve contracts for the U.S. military base at Keflavik and other hot issues from the later war and civil departments of Western values and morals.

Brekkukotsannáll (The Fish Can Sing), 1973

Type: TV Image in two parts
Manufacturer: Vision Nord NDR
Director and Screenplay: Rolf Hädrich
Cast: Jon Laxdal, Sigrun Hjálmtýsdóttir, Thorstein Ö. Stephensen, Nicholas Þorvarðsson, Regina Þórðardóttir, Robert Arnfinnsson and Arni Arnason

Brekkukotsannáll was released in 1957. The story takes place in the early 20th century and narrative Álfgríms of grandparents in Brekkukot Reykjavik big singer Gardar Holm. Álfgrím wants to learn to sing and feel the pure tone. The story takes place inside and outside the gate to cross Brekkukot separates the two worlds. Within cross the gate - in Brekkukot - dominated the life of clean patience, humility and diligence, but outside it - in Gúðmúnsensbúð - is all the opposite, and the art which is taking refuge is not true.

Paradise (Paradise Regained), 1980

Type: TV Image in three parts
Manufacturer: North German Television in cooperation with Nord Vision NDR and SF Swiss
Director and Screenplay: Rolf Hädrich, Deputy Director: Sveinn Einarsson
Cast: Jon Laxdal, peace Gylfadóttir, Robert Arnfinnsson, Helga Bachman, Natural Jónsdóttir, Dietmar Herr Schoenberg, Gunnar Eyjolfsson, Helgi Skulason, Bjorn and Anna Maria Gudmundsdottir

Paradise was released simultaneously in Iceland and in Sweden in 1960. The story tells Steinar Steinsson, a farmer in Rock slopes. He turns from his estate and family to live among the Mormons in Utah, where he believes they have found the promised land, the ultimate truth.

Silver Moon [TV fiction], 1978

Manufacturer: National Broadcasting Service
Director and Screenplay: Raven Gunnlaugsson
Starring: Sigrun Hjálmtýsdóttir, Egil Olafsson, been published, Kjartan Ragnarsson and Steindór Hjörleifsson

The play Silver Moon gets the circus and was first brought up the field in 1954. Raven Gunnlaugsson brought the story to modern times in television work.

Traced the story of Lou, mistress of beautiful singing voice, who likes to sing to her new-born son. Loa is "discovered" by the questionable Feilan a night club manager Silver Moon, and he makes it a symbol of pure and original, an image that he can sell the prevention of people engaged in the nightclub. But in this environment, the capabilities of its likeness with no optical elements and it’s degrading.

Lilja [short film], 1978


Director: Raven Gunnlaugsson
Cast: Eyjólfur Brown, Vidar Eggertsson, Sigurdur Sigurjonsson, Ellen Gunnarsdóttir and Arora Halldórsdóttir

Lily came into the short story collection footsteps of people in 1933 and the story happens around the time or sometime during the third decade. Raven Gunnlaugsson wrote the script and brought the story to modern times. The story tells of a few medical students who rob the poor man like nýlátins that neither the property nor relatives. These do not cure the students for science and set in stone coffin.

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Theatrical History:

Halldór Laxness had close connections with theatre throughout his writing career, even though his own play writing was incidental. He wrote five original plays for the stage. Many of his novels have also been adapted for the stage and proved very popular with audiences, but he preferred to entrust other playwrights or stage directors with the responsibility of adapting them. Among the novels, The Bell of Iceland, Salka Valka, Independent People, World Light, The House of the Poet, The Summerland Palace, The Atom Station, Christianity at Glacier, The Great Weaver of Cashmir and Nature's Child have thus all been adapted, some even two or three times, and performed on stage and radio. Several of the novels and short stories have also been filmed. Halldór Laxness was a founding member of The Icelandic Dramatists’ Union.

Partial list of productions based on works by Halldór Laxness:

Straumrof, (Leikfélag Reykjavíkur 1934)
Silfurtunglið, (Þjóðleikhúsið 1954, Leikfélag Akureyrar 1986)
Strompleikurinn, (Þjóðleikhúsið 1961 og 2002)
Prjónastofan Sólin, (Þjóðleikhúsið 1966)
Dúfnaveislan, (Leikfélag Reykjavíkur 1966)
Úa, (from the novel Kristnihald undir Jökli), 1970
Norðanstúlkan, (from the novel Atómstöðin), 1972
Salka Valka,  Borgarleikhúsið, 1982
Ljós heimsins, (from World Light) adapted by Kjartan Ragnarsson, Borgarleikhúsið, 1990
Salka, (video clip and image gallery) Adaptation: Hilmar Jónsson og Finnur Arnar Arnarson, Borgarleikhúsið, 1999.
Kristnihald undir Jökli, directed by Bergur Þór Ingólfsson, Borgarleikhúsið, 2001
Gerpla, directed by Balthazar Kormakur, Þjóðleikhúsið, 2010
Islandsklukkan, adapted by Benedikt Erlingsson, Þjóðleikhúsið, 2010
Ljós heimsins, Þjóðleikhúsið, 2012
Salka Valka, adaptation by Yönu Ross and Salka Guðmundsdóttir, Borgarleikhúsið, 2016
Íslandsklukkan, Þjóðleikhúsið, 2023, reviewed in TMM (Icelandic)…

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Björn’s paper on Icelandic film adaptations…

Yana’s overview of 2016 Salka adaptation compared to the novel…

Ottar’s look at the 2016 adaptation of Salka (Google translated)…

Paolo reviews Under the Glacier in In the Seats blog…

Björn’s article on Laxness and Cinematic Modernity (paywall)…

RUV miniseries of Independent People to be written and filmed…

Atómstöðin receives 12 nominations…

Finnish TV movie of Salka Valka made in 1979…

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Publishing history:

Modern Nordic Plays: Iceland (includes The Pigeon Banquet)
Editor: Erik J. Friis, 1973



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