Summerlight… and Then Comes the Night
Written and Directed by Efar Adalsteins
Starring: Sveinn Ólafur Gunnarsson, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Siggi Ingvarsson
Runtime: 1 hour 51 minutes
In theaters September 20

by Jon Jansen, Staff Writer 

Small communities have a strong emphasis on both intrapersonal and interpersonal relationships. Especially one as isolated as the Icelandic community Summerlight… and Then Comes the Night follows. The film highlights different corners of the community, showing how hard it can be to find love and dream in a place where time stands still. While the film telegraphs every story beat, which then lowers any tension in the film, it’s still an interesting one to follow because of the stellar cast. The beautiful backdrop of its setting is capturing, but while the place they’re in looks spectacular, the narrative itself lands in an unspectacular place. 

From the start the film lays out its intention for the story that is about to unfold. That life is an endless ramble that eventually ends in mid-sentence. Each everyday occurrence is full of coincidence and chance. Laying it all out at the beginning was effective in some ways. It creates a feeling that there is impending doom coming at any turn. The film feels like it does ramble through these stories and that’s the point, especially when some do end mid-sentence. The effectiveness is a bit limited though. While the film effectively meanders, its coincidences don’t feel coincidental. They’re telegraphed so heavily that instead of feeling like chance, it feels as though it’s exactly what’s supposed to happen next, removing any tension.

This especially hurts two of the film's darker and dramatic turns, stifling its narrative climax. In both cases there is a breakthrough in their interpersonal relationships, one being a father and son, with the other a couple starting to fall in love. Then both end in tragic ways. Those tragic moments are supposed to be coincidental, with the hope of a better tomorrow being met with a sudden end. In the way this film is told, though, the coincidences don’t feel like chance but instead feel designed to happen that way.

Summerlight does shine through its cast of characters. The first member of the community Summerlight follows is the CEO of a prominent business (Sveinn Ólafur Gunnarsson) that becomes a financial anchor for the community. At night, he dreams in Latin and decides to chase the meaning for it. In doing so, he loses focus on his business, pursues his interest in astronomy, and in doing so loses his business and wife. Following dreams and an interest in something bigger than this small community is met with consequences as well for Jonas (
Siggi Ingvarsson), the son of a cop who dreams of being an artist. Jonas’s father wants his son to follow in his footsteps, but doesn’t know how to handle Jonas after the passing of his mother. That leads to Jonas and his father, Guðmundur (Þorsteinn Bachmann), having a tough time understanding each other. The father then feels that he has failed his son, while the son feels as though he is a disappointment for his dad. It’s a tough balance for both the CEO and Jonas. Both aspire to dream bigger than their circumstances, but in doing so can hurt the relationships between their families and the community they’re in. 

The other two tales are about love, with one showing the difficulties of finding love, and the other showing the difficulties of keeping it. Kjartan (Ólafur Darri Ólafsson) and Ásdís (Sara Dögg Ásgeirsdóttir) at first seem like a happy couple. Kjartan, the husband, is particularly charming. A hard working farmer that is a playful father to his kids and a good husband to his wife. However, Kjartan is tempted into having an affair with the neighbor as they continually get together to have sex in the open fields while the wife is away. Kjartan does this to spark passion in his life of farming that has none. The love for his wife is there, but the love for his life isn’t. Watching Kjartan find his passions after the affair is caught and explosively ended, is delightful. Finding that passion and how it affects the relationship he has with his wife is an entertaining thread to follow and one that feels the most complicated. 

Summerlight by the end brings each story together, and tells the story of the community as a whole. Watching these characters come together is rewarding and where the film is at its best. There are two instances in which they come together, one at an annual dance, and the other at the opening of a new restaurant in town. It’s here where the connections formed in this small community are healing, helping them to find purpose, or to help someone grieve. They all want something bigger for themselves, which is fine, but there’s also the importance of maintaining healthy relationships with the community they’re in. The film questions what life is in all of its rambling and the community serves as its answer.

While it is hard for Summerlight to find any chance in its story, it does find purpose. The film captures its beautiful setting well in both its cast and imagery. There’s interest in it’s rambling because of that and it’s rambling is a strong narrative foundation. Summerlight does fall short in finding the chances it desperately wants to give. The film is ultimately less spectacular because of it. However, it’s enjoyable to follow the people of this small Icelandic community through their everyday occurrences. Unfortunately these lead to ordinary occurrences that can’t make the story of this small community feel any bigger.