OUTCAST: An interview with Nói's (Nói Albinói) Tómas Lemarquis. By Warren Curry 4/8/04

Tómas Lemarquis as Nói

It's nice to know that there are movies out there which center on the plight of troubled teenagers, but don't settle for easy answers. Hailing from (of all places) Iceland, one such film is Dagur Kári's feature debut entitled Nói (Nói Albinói), a nicely restrained bit of filmmaking that conveys its young protagonist's angst without ever feeling the need to become overwrought or bombastic.

Set in an otherworldly environment covered by mountains and sheets of blinding white snow, 17-year-old Nói (Tómas Lemarquis) is the proverbial misfit, who perpetually causes mischief seemingly to forget about his oppressive surroundings. Armed with a sly sense of humor and a sharp wit, Nói glides through a directionless life until it becomes apparent that all the idle troublemaking in the world will not get him any further to a place where he can be happy. The film concludes on a powerful note that is open to any number of interpretations.

Another in what is by now a long string of fantastic Scandinavian films, Nói (a favorite on the film festival circuit) opened in New York in March and will be released, courtesy of Palm Pictures, in Los Angeles on April 9. Lead actor Tómas Lemarquis, who now resides in Paris, accompanied the film to Los Angeles when it played at the AFI Film Festival in November 2003. I had the pleasure of chatting with the actor one-on-one the day after the movie's sold-out and very well received first screening at the festival.

How did you get involved with the film?

Me and Dagur were together in the same college, that's where we met. My ex-girlfriend is a cousin of Dagur's, so we were always together at Christmas parties and family parties. In my first film, which was made by five directors who directed 5 small stories, that's where Dagur saw me. After that he asked me to come to this film, so there was never any casting process. We knew each other, and that helped when we were making the film, since there was almost no rehearsal. It's not like we were best friends, but we had really good contact. It was an almost telepathic relationship.

How would you describe the character Nói?

I think he's a guy who always follows his heart and does what he thinks he has to do, even if it doesn't always have good results. He's different from everybody else, but he just continues on his way. At the same time, I think he's a sympathetic guy who has a sense of humor. He's a good guy -- even when he robs a bank, you know he's good and could never shoot anyone.

During the course of the film, Nói undergoes a tremendous journey of self-discovery. What do you think is the biggest lesson that he learns in the end?

That's difficult. I like to look at it in an optimistic way. In the ending, even though everybody in his life dies, I think it's a new beginning. The film is very open, and I think Dagur really wants it that way. There is no specific meaning you should take out of it. But I think Nói is willing to continue after the tragedy, so maybe that's the lesson. What Dagur told me is that because the film has no linear story, he wanted something dramatic and strong to glue it together.

What do you think Nói is going to be like 10 years after the movie ends?

I haven't really thought about the character that way. The town he lives in is so small and so claustrophobic -- I think he will move away and continue somewhere else and meet other people more like him.

Is the need to escape something that's common in Iceland? Especially in the smaller communities?

I don't think it's necessarily Icelandic, I think it's quite universal in small towns everywhere. Perhaps you see it even more (in the film) because of all the snow and the fjord is so remote. 60% of the population in Iceland lives in Reykjavik, but in the small towns it's quite difficult. People are moving away from the small towns, everyone's going to the capital. In the smallest fjords, there are places where the sun never goes down except for two months. And there are only 3 hours of light in the winter. The film is not supposed to be realistic. I think Dagur wanted to make it a world of its own. It's not a typical Icelandic town.

The film has played at over 30 festivals all over the world. Have people been connecting to it everywhere?

Everywhere where I have been, people have really responded well to the film. It's not always the same response; it's quite interesting to be with the crowd and see the film. I like to see how people react in different ways and how people laugh in different places.

Are there a lot of opportunities for Icelandic actors to make movies?

No. You can't be a full time film actor in Iceland; you have to do theater too. I'm not into theater at all -- it's not what I want to do. It's so rare that I go to the theater and it touches me. I just graduated from art school and that's more what I want to mix together -- visual arts and drama.

Because it was so cold during the shoot, was it difficult to do any of things Dagur asked of you?

Many times it was very difficult, mainly because (Nói's) wearing such light clothes in the film. Sometimes it was negative 15 degrees. It was difficult for everyone else too -- we constantly were using a hair dryer on the camera. It was a tough process for the entire cast and crew.

If you had to leave Iceland permanently, what's the one thing you'd miss most about the country?

Well, I'm living in Paris now and the thing I miss most is the nature. In Reykjavik, we have the sea and the mountains really close to us, and I have the horizon to watch. Also, it's hard to explain, but I miss the energy and the lights in the summer. There's a positive energy between artists, because we all know each other. There are people doing good things right now, and it's always nice to meet these people.