"Nói albinói (Noi The Albino)" (director: Dagur Kári)

This award-winning 2003 Icelandic film examines the life of the intelligent but troubled teenager Noi, who lives in an isolated village with his dysfunctional family, and with little to do but slack on his schoolwork, commit petty crimes, smoke, and drink. His drab existence is altered when he meets the pretty young Iris, who he finds working in a small gas station one day. They begin a romance, and with the help of a Viewmaster given to him by his grandmother, Noi dreams of visiting Hawaii, escaping away with Iris to a better life. A massive avalanche forever alters Noi's dreams, though, and the closing scene shows him dreaming still of a faraway place. It's quite a well-done film, and although entirely in Icelandic, I could easily pick up the storyline. Tomas Lemarquis plays the albino Noi with both vulnerability and a youthful swagger, and this indie film is well worth a look as a coming-of-age tale full of tragedy and danger.