september, 2021
Event Details
West Nordic futures. Greenlandic and Faroese perspectives and film screening SKÁL (FO)
The West Nordic Day 2021 will be celebrated in the Nordic House this year with a small but compelling program.
The focus this year will be on West Nordic futures and Greenlandic and Faroese perspectives on co-operation. What are the opportunities and challenges in West Nordic collaboration from a Greenlandic and Faroese perspective? What are the wishes for future co-operation? What is unique about West Nordic co-operation?
The Nordic House coordinates the program for the West Nordic Day in collaboration with The Vigdís International Centre, University of Iceland, the Representation of the Faroe Islands in Reykjavik and the Representation of Greenland in Reykjavik.
Please note: Since the number of guests is limited due to Covid regulations, participants are kindly asked to register via the email infovigdis@hi.is. Please help us maximize seat utilization.
Program:
17.00-18.00 Seminar on behalf of Vigdís Finnbogadóttir Institute for Foreign Languages.
Speakers:
- Ann-Sofie Gremaud, PhD, Faculty of Languages and Cultures of the University of Iceland: Opening remarks
- Sigurður Ólafsson, Secretary General at The West Nordic Council: Current conditions for West Nordic collaborations
- Sumarlidi Ísleifsson, PhD, Faculty of History and Philosophy of the University of Iceland: Centuries as neighbors
- Halla Nolsøe Poulsen, Official Representative of the Faroe Islands to Iceland: Faroese visions for West Nordic collaborations
- Tove Søvndahl Gant, Official Representative of Greenland to Iceland: Greenlandic visions for West Nordic collaborations
18.00-18.30 Reception with West Nordic Refreshments.
18.30-20.00 SKÁL – Film screening (Faroe Islands, 2021, https://cphdox.dk/film/skál/). After the film, there will be Q & A with the actors Trygvi Danielsen & Dania O. Tausen.
About the film Skál
Dania is 21 years old and grew up in a Christian community in the Faroe Islands’ Bible belt. She has just moved to Tórshavn and is seeing Trygvi, a hip-hop artist and poet locally known as Silvurdrongur (Silver Kid). He comes from a secular family and writes poems and texts about the shadow sides of humanity. Dania herself sings in a Christian band but is f ascinated by Trygvi’s courage to write brutally honest lyrics. As she tries to find her place in the world and understand herself, she starts to write more personal texts. Her writings develop into a collection of critical poems called ‘Skál’ (‘Cheers’), about the double life that she and other youths must live in the conservative Christian world. A world she does not want to abandon, but to change. Where do you draw your lines when you are young and Christian? Is it a sin to drink or dance? Is it a sin to have sex before marriage? Is it a sin to have a boyfriend who is not a Christian? And how long can you endure living between two worlds?
About the West Nordic day
The West Nordic Day is held on September 23rd every year to increase the cooperation and strengthen the sense of closeness between the three neighbouring countries, The Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Iceland. The winter equinox was chosen as the date for the marking of the West Nordic history and culture in the West Nordic countries. The agreement on this West Nordic cultural cooperation is managed by the cultural ministries in the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Iceland. Today the West Nordic Day is celebrated in all three countries simultaneously.
