Nick Jordan - The Atom Station

Nick Jordan
The Atom Station, 2015
single screen HD Video, 13.20 mins.

The Atom Station is a film centred upon the industrial and natural landscape of Iceland; interfusing the cultural, economic and ecological forces that shape the island.

From vaporous hot springs and lava fields to the peculiar structures of geothermal power stations, the film combines Iceland's dramatic and volatile terrain with two corresponding voice-overs from the past and present: poet W.H. Auden, reading ‘Journey to Iceland’ (1937), and environmental activist Ómar Ragnarsson. Auden’s contemplative poem expresses a desire to escape from his British homeland; to leave behind the trappings of modernity and the approaching war. Ragnarsson’s contemporary callings are a rallying cry to protect a vital wilderness, under threat from international aluminium corporations that are exploiting Iceland’s abundant hydro and geothermal energy.

The Atom Station features an electronic score by Lord Mongo, continuing the collaborative film projects between the musician and director.

The film is titled after Halldór Laxness’ satirical novel The Atom Station (1948), which imagines Iceland sold to the USA, as a strategic military-industrial base.

Screenings:

Edinburgh International Film Festival
São Paulo International Short Film Festival, Brazil
Encounters Short Film & Animation Festival, Bristol (awarded Best Documentary)
interfilm International Short Film Festival, Berlin
lnternationale Kurtzfilmtage Winterthur, Switzerland
Uppsala International Short Film Festival, Sweden
International Short Film Festival of Cyprus
Voices from the Waters International Film Festival, Bangalore, India
From the Edge of the Atlantic, Lunenburg Doc Fest, Canada
Leuven International Short Film Festival, Belgium
Cork Film Festival, Ireland
Minimalen Short Film Festival, Trondheim, Norway
Flickerfest International Short Film Festival, Bondi Beach, Sydney
British Short Film Festival, Berlin
London Short Film Festival
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival
Tampere Film Festival, Finland
Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, France
Tabakalera Centre for Contemporary Culture, San Sebastian, Spain
VIS Vienna Independent Shorts, Austria
Portland International Film Festival, USA
19th CinemAmbiente Environmental Film Festival, Turin, Italy

The Atom Station, 2015, stills
single screen HD Video, 13.20 mins

The Atom Station trailer 2015