SNAPSHOT
How far do you have to travel to find yourself? And what sacrifices are you willing to make to get there? Veiga Grétarsdóttir is the first person in the world to attempt to kayak the 1,300 mile circumference of Iceland, counter-clockwise and against the current, an achievement that has been compared to climbing K2. Veiga’s personal journey is no less remarkable. She was born 44 years ago as a boy in a fishing village on the far west coast of Iceland. By the age of 38 Veigar had a wife and family but decided that she could no longer live as a man and decided to undergo gender reassignment. The inner struggle for Veigar to become Veiga was a journey as difficult if not more so than the solo kayak expedition she undertakes. These two stories of conflict and struggle are intertwined as the film follows her amazing 103 day journey around Iceland, with the magical, rugged coastline of the country a backdrop to the story of Veiga’s transition. Against the Current is directed by the Icelandic filmmaker Óskar Páll Sveinsson, making his directorial debut after working as cinematographer / producer on the doc Ransacked previously. (synopsis courtesy First Showing)
It may sound like a warm puppy of a philosophical slogan but the truth is that being true to yourself asks a lot of anyone.
In the case of Against the Current, Veiga Grétarsdóttir not only journeys around the full extent of 2100 km of Iceland’s coastline (“Many kayakers have begun without finishing.”), but also does so as a transgender woman who has fought hard to be authentically herself.
The costs have been and are great on both counts but Veiga comes across in the trailer as someone all too aware of what commitment to her authentic life journey involves but who is determined to press ahead anyway and see where it takes her.
It’s impressive and inspiring stuff with Against the Current opening in US cinemas on 25 June; international release dates to be advised.