From Iceland, ‘The Love That Remains’ shows a fractured family tied to the landscape

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Hylnur Pálmason’s beautiful, unusual, and bittersweet film, “The Love That Remains” (from the director of “Godland”), begins with a striking image: the roof of a long, abandoned building by the sea is ripped away. The film pauses on the separated pieces, suspended in the air, and the way the light now falls inside the ruined structure.

The film centers on a family of five navigating life after their parents’ separation. Anna, a visual artist, is trying to find her independence while still living in the family home she shared with her former partner. Meanwhile, Magnús, a fisherman, spends more time at sea as the family’s stability unravels. Their teenage daughter, Ída, and twin sons, Grímur and Þorgils (played by the director’s children), cope with the situation with remarkable humor and resilience, finding moments of connection amidst the change.

Our understanding of the past is built from scattered pieces of the present, like looking through someone else’s carefully chosen photo album—with only a piano piece by Harry Hunt offering a somber mood. We also see that shared activities like cooking, housework, and gathering food sometimes manage to briefly reunite this broken family. However, when Magnus wants to extend his stay, Anna insists on maintaining her independence.

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Even when separated – he working as a fisherman at sea, she as an artist on land – their lives share a connection between nature and human creation. Director Pálmason, who also films the movie beautifully using a square aspect ratio, powerfully depicts the demanding world of deep-sea fishing. This seasonal job gives Magnus a routine but also leaves him feeling increasingly alone. Anna, meanwhile, creates large, outdoor sculptures from rusted iron, but struggles to gain recognition for her work. A particularly amusing scene shows a visiting art dealer being far more interested in a goose’s nest than in Anna’s creations.

Does love, like all things in nature, fade with time? Throughout the film, which unfolds over a year and is filled with beautiful imagery, the director explores what happens to relationships when time passes. A recurring image is a child’s dummy, dressed as a knight and tied to a stake – a surprisingly funny and sad symbol of both play and hardship. This dummy eventually shows both physical and emotional wounds. This approach is similar to the director’s earlier short film, “Nest,” which documented the construction of a treehouse over an entire year.

Following his impressive film “Godland,” which told a sweeping 19th-century story of colonialism and faith, “The Love That Remains” further establishes director Hlynur Pálmason as a talented storyteller. This new film is a subtle and thoughtfully crafted work of fiction, observed with a naturalist’s eye, a deep understanding of family, and a unique style that blends quirky humor with a touch of the surreal.

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2026-02-07 01:31