James Aiken's surfing film with a difference captures Iceland's breathtaking beauty
- Date
- 5 March 2013
- Words
- Rob Alderson
Share
Get ready for a different kind of surfing film in the form of James Aiken’s gorgeous Norður: Almost Arctic. Firstly, as the title suggests, this is not surfing in its traditional sun-kissed sense, but rather the story of surfing in a completely cut-off region of the West Fjords in Iceland. But secondly it’s a surfing film that is actually about much more than surfing – it’s an anthropological portrait of the area based around one of the inhabitants who still lives there, raising questions about what makes people seek out this kind of place, and what makes them stay. It’s also stunningly shot, with breathtaking cinematography capturing some of Iceland’s beauty on both a massive and a micro scale. Well worth five minutes of your time.
James Aiken: Norður: Almost Arctic (still)
James Aiken: Norður: Almost Arctic (still)
James Aiken: Norður: Almost Arctic (still)
James Aiken: Norður: Almost Arctic (still)
James Aiken: Norður: Almost Arctic (still)
Share Article
Further Info
About the Author
—
Rob Alderson is a freelance writer, editor and strategist. He was previously editor-in-chief of It’s Nice That and WePresent, and editor of Design Week. He publishes the newsletter Undo, which tries to make sense of how AI is changing design work, the design process and the design industry.

