In the wake of a waning fishing industry and the banking crisis of 2008, Iceland’s economy has come to rely on the income of its booming tourism industry. In the harbour town of Seyðisfjörður, floating hotels higher than any local structure have become part of the landscape as cruise ship visitors outnumber the local population six-fold. The issues behind the scenes are largely unknown to the majority of visitors, who contribute to the shifting identities of the communities they wander. An Icelandic guide who has worked since his teenage years in the 1990’s voices the changes and challenges that have affected Iceland with this new wave of mass tourism, set within the context of the digital age. The full version runs for 35 minutes. Open link to full-length version: https://vimeo.com/378331975

Produced and directed by Jessica Auer
Cinematography by Terryll Loffler
Editing by Kristján Loðmfjörð
Sound design by Peter Hošták
Colour grading by Mika Goodfriend
with the voice of Illugi Arinbjörn Már Jónsson

Shore Power was awarded Best Film at MOVE CINE ARCH (2020) and was exhibited/ screened at Skjaldborg Documentary Film Festival, Iceland (2020); Museu da Imagem e do Som, Sao Paulo, Brazil (2020); Tromsø International Film Festival, Tromsø, Norway (2021); Rendez-Vous Québec Cinema, Montreal (2021); EATSA film festival, Lisbon, Portugal (2021); V Arctic Golden Raven Film Festival, Moscow, Russia (2021); Anti-Matter Media Art Film Festival, Victoria, BC (2021); and the Reykavík Museum of Photography (2022).

Appendix to Shore Power

A selection of interviews discussing tourism and the cruise ship industry with ten local people of Seyðisfjörður, Iceland.