ISBN 9979-895-59-4

A script

Have you ever read a script before? Try. It is fun. Difficult to begin with, but no problem if you just try to make a movie in your imagination.

Blisters and boiled ice

no no no no ! boiled "eyes"

EXT. ICELAND - HUGE WATERFALL "DETTIFOSS"

We are shocked by its penetrating noise we HEAR so suddenly.

title superimposed: blisters and boiled ice

EXT. ICELAND, ON A GLACIER - MAN WITH A COOKING POT -

title, still superimposed: blisters and boiled ice

FAST MOTION: The man shovels some snow into the pot with his bare hand.

A VOICE CALLS:

Come on come on. Hurry up. This is a short film.

The man runs towards us with the pot IN FAST MOTION. Exits.

title now: blisters and boiled

title becomes: blisters and boiled eyes.

Dismiss title.

INT. PERRY'S HOME - A moving COOLING FAN IN CEILING

SERIES OF SHOTS OR MONTAGE -

HOT WEATHER / HEAT WAVE - EVENING

A) PERRY's refrigerator. CLOSE view of the door and handle.

Entering is Perry's hand. Opens the refrigerator. Refrigerator steams when opened.

The hand picks a bottle of "perry wine" from the refrigerator. Hand with bottle exits. Door closes.

Refrigerator makes a DEEP SOUND, as a deep breath, sigh or a moan, and lets some steam out of its closed door. (spfx)

B) Perry's sun-tanned feet (bare or in sandals) lazily walking on living room floor. FOLLOW.

C) Cooling fan in ceiling. Moving.

D) Perry's feet on terrace. Walking. FOLLOW.

E) SEEN FROM ABOVE DOWN Perry's parasol and Perry's legs stretched out on a garden chair. On a garden table the perry wine bottle and a "playboy" magazine

F) A lit garden-torch and heat-withered flowers in dried out soil.

G) CLOSE ON garden table with bottle and magazine. Perry's hand with wine-glass enters. Puts glass on table.

end titles

H) Pear-wine bottle IN CLOSE. Bottle is labelled "perry" "pear wine".

EXT. BALCONY / TERRACE - ON A HOT EVENING - PERRY

Light falls out on the balcony from behind, from the living-room's open door and windows. Perry sits under his parasol sipping his pear-wine.

We HEAR footsteps O.S.

Perry lazily looks up.

RON (O.S.)

Hi, Perry.

PERRY

Hi, Ron.

Ron enters from garden path, wearing a "lopapeysa" (a thick, Icelandic, hand knitted, Eskimo-patterned , woollen, pullover). Ron is holding his VHS cassette.

PERRY

(continuing)

Back from the trip to - eh -

What was that far-away-place again?

RON

You'll soon find out.

Ron exits, heading for Perry's living-room.

PERRY

How was the trip?

Perry lazily stands up, taking his glass and the bottle with him, follows Ron.

RON (O.S.)

Great! Terrific!

INT. PERRY'S LIVING ROOM - PERRY AND RON -

Ron, full of vigour, gets ready for the video show. Perry pours out some perry wine for Ron.

INT. PERRY'S LIVING-ROOM - RON AND TV-SET

PERRY (O.S.)

How come you're wearing a woollen in this heat?

RON

My "lopa-peysa"?

Keeps your warm in the cold weather and cool in the heat. Pure sheep-wool. Isolating, see?

Ron exits. We come CLOSER to TV. picture show starting on TV.

RON (O.S.)

(continuing)

You must go there, man.

Cool breeze, cool women, beautiful blondes, natural blondes, beautiful cool country.

I know you hate these heat-waves here.

RON'S AMATEUR VIDEO SHOW,

ON STOCK:

Majestic glaciers bathed in sunshine;

beautiful Icelandic girls;

Icelandic horses;

glittering brooks;

powerful waterfalls;

erupting volcanoes;

whales swimming in the rough Atlantic Ocean;

four-wheel-drive jeeps on super-tires, one of them stuck in a pool on a glacier and being tugged out by another jeep;

equipment inside safari-jeeps to receive location from satellite;

hikers inside a hut;

fast motion: guys digging up from the snow an out-door toilet (!);

snow scooters;

small fishing boats coming into a small harbour;

sport-fishing;

hot springs;

green beauty spots;

three girls in one huge "lopapeysa";

under-glacier caves;

people bathing in a natural hot pool in the wilderness;

people bathing in the warm "Bláa lón" etc, etc.

Ron's dialogue under the show, along with some AD LIB:

"Look at that, man".

RON (O.S.)

Look at this enormous glacier. We drove for days there. Something unforgettable. And the air is so clear, that there are no limits to how far you can see. Only that the earth is not flat and this is an island, ninety-thousand square miles, surrounded with rough oceans, is why you can't see other countries.

PERRY (O.S.)

What was the name of it again?

RON (O.S.)

Iceland.

And the ocean is full of fish. They eat so good fish over there. They boil it. They don't deep-fry it in all this greasy stuff we're used to. I did not see one overweight person there.

PERRY (O.S.)

What are you wearing these astronaut-outfits for?

RON (O.S.)

Come on, man. We're on sixty-fifth degree North, here. The wind is cold.

The safari-jeeps float on the snow on these huge tires, as the drivers lower air pressure for glacier-driving.

And for every hundred meters up, they have to let out some more, because the air gets thinner and thinner up here.

And look at the mid-night sun, man. In the middle of the night, the sun shining from North, never goes down.

PERRY (O.S.)

It is summer?

RON (O.S.)

Yea, of course it's summer. I just arrived. This is the refreshing summer.

Here we have the three Icelandic girls in one "lopapeysa". They are so free! I mean, they are so free, these Icelanders. A bit cold in the beginning, but very hospitable, once you get through the ice.

PERRY (O.S.)

I wonder what it's like in winter. Dark?

INT. PERRY'S LIVING-ROOM - PERRY AND RON

TV screen flashes light on their faces. Ron is enthusiastically explaining, as we COME CLOSER to Perry's thinking expression.

RON

They have beautiful warm houses. There is thermal activity. They pump the hot water right out of the earth, heat the houses.

Outside swimming in warm swimming-pools all year round.

Oh, look at that, man!

FADE TO WHITE

FADE IN:

INT. PERRY'S KITCHEN - LATER THAT NIGHT -

Perry in his pyjamas, enters, with his wine-bottle, heading for the refrigerator.

INT. KITCHEN - CLOSE ON REFRIGERATOR

PERRY (O.S.)

Ice-land! What a name.

Perry opens refrigerator to put into it the bottle.

DEEP VOICE OF REFRIGERATOR

(with a sigh and steaming)

Cool breeze -

- cool women. -

Free.

INT. KITCHEN - PERRY

Perry hastily slams the refrigerator door. (Shocked to hear that fridge speak.)

He looks at the bottle in his hand.

INSERT: BOTTLE

BACK TO SCENE

Perry looks at refrigerator, reluctantly opening it again.

We slowly COME CLOSER to the open, steaming, refrigerator. Perry puts in the bottle. (no voice from the fridge, only we see steam)

CLOSE-UP ON WHITE STEAM. Filling frame.

MATCH CUT TO: EXT. IN A CLOUD (as it were)

SOUND of an aeroplane in the air.

PREEY (V.O.)

Ice-land. What a name.

(V.O. is voice over, he is not in frame and not off screen, only thinking and speaking about what we see on the screen)

EXT. AEROPLANE WINDOW (BOEING 747?) IN THE AIR -

- PERRY'S FACE IN THE WINDOW (INSIDE THE PLANE)

Same SOUND.

CLOSER TO Perry. He looks down to earth.

INT. PLANE - PERRY SEATED BY THE WINDOW -

He now turns towards us, seeing, AS WE PULL BACK TO TAKE IN: Icelanders on the plane, sleeping in their seats in the sunshine from outside, empty mini-bottles of liqueur on seat tables. Perry turns again to window.

Bottles roll off as plane takes a turn. Heads of sleeping passengers roll to the side.

PERRY'S POV FROM TURNING PLANE - SUN IN CLOUDS, ATLANTIC OCEAN WAVES ON BLACK SAND SHORE AND SURF ON CLIFFS.

(pov is point of view, meaning: as seen from the person in question)

STEWARDESS (O.S.)

(from a loudspeaker)

....fasten seat-belts, please put your seat-backs to an upright position, note the no smoking sign ...

INT. / EXT. KEFLAVÍK AIRPORT - PERRY WITH SUITCASE

Perry in his summer clothing, heading for exit, looks up to a wall.

INSERT: digital clock and thermometer showing the time and temperatures (°F and °C) in: Iceland, New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Bombay.

BACK TO SCENE - + sign: ARRIVALS

Outside is windy. Icelanders are wearing thick winter jackets.

Perry hurries to Fly Bus.

EXT. GUEST HOUSE ENTRANCE -

We HEAR O.S. taxi's engine running, car-door shut, taxi drives away.

Perry enters, walks towards entrance. Rings bell.

(Note: 'drinnng'-SOUND, not 'dingdong')

Stout land-lady, smiling, opens the door.

INT. PERRY'S ROOM IN GUEST HOUSE - LAND-LADY AND PERRY

Land-lady has 'lopapeysas' for sale. Also pictures of white sheep in the mountains.

LAND-LADY

(Icelandic pronunciation)

As you are going up on a glacier tomorrow, you must get yourself a lopapeysa.

INT. PERRY'S ROOM IN GUEST HOUSE - LAND-LADY AND PERRY

Perry tries on a lopapeysa.

The wool irritates, tickles and scratches his skin.

LAND-LADY

What a pity. Some people are too sensitive in their skin to be able to use lopi.

INT. PERRY'S ROOM IN GUEST HOUSE - "LOPAPEYSA"

As Perry is trying to get it off. Land-lady laughing O.S.

INT. ROOM - LAND-LADY AND PERRY

LAND-LADY

I shall get you some warm clothes for to-morrow.

PERRY

Thank you. Thank you.

Well, even if I can not wear the "lopi", I am looking forward to tasting the Icelandic fish.

LAND-LADY

(broken-down English)

Has someone been telling you about all our delicious food?

PERRY

Oh, yea, my friend loved the Icelandic fish and admired the way you're cooking it.

INT. ROOM - ON LAND-LADY

LAND-LADY

(delighted)

Would you like to taste some of our native food? I consider it a part of a visit to other countries to taste the native specialities and traditional dishes. Most of my guests ask for their usual bacon and eggs, and stuff their mother used to give them when they were kids.

INT. ROOM - PERRY

LAND-LADY (O.S.)

(continuing; not fluently)

You are different! You are obviously a cosmopolitan, knowing how to get the most out of your travelling.

I promise I shall treat you on all the most special, Icelandic, traditional, extraordinarily delicious kinds of food, as a special treat for your superb attitude compared to the narrow-minded usual traveller.

I am really looking forward to it.

INT. ROOM - LATER - LAND-LADY

She is entering the room.

LAND-LADY

And here is the alarm-clock for you, as you must rise early to-morrow morning. They come and collect you at seven.

INT. ROOM - NIGHT, BRIGHT SUNSHINE - PERRY IN BED

Perry is asleep.

We HEAR O.S. the door-bell ringing.

Perry wakes up, startled, slams his hand on the alarm clock.

Giddy, he sits up in bed. He looks at the alarm clock.

We HEAR O.S. (in the corridor) the land-lady talking to arriving guests.

INSERT: ALARM CLOCK

Hands showing twenty past four o'clock.

BACK TO SCENE

Perry looks from the alarm clock to the window, the bright night-sunshine blinding his eyes. He lies down again. Not able to fall asleep in bright sunshine, he pulls the eider-down-quilt over his head.

INSERT ALARM CLOCK

Showing twenty past four o'clock

CROSSFADE TO ALARM CLOCK

Showing seven o'clock.

BACK TO PERRY'S EIDER-DOWN-QUILT AND BED

We HEAR O.S. the door-bell ringing. No movement.

EXT. GUEST HOUSE ENTRANCE - BUS DRIVER

O.S. we HEAR mini-bus engine running.

Land-lady opens the door, smiling.

BUS DRIVER

(dryly)

Góðan dag. Ég á að sækja einhvern Perrí.

INT. PERRY'S ROOM - EIDER-DOWN-QUILT COVERING PERRY

We HEAR (O.S.) knocking on his door.

LAND-LADY (O.S.)

Perrí. Perrí. Perrr r r - ííí !!

INT. ROOM - PERRY

Half-dressed, standing on one foot, he panicky puts on his sock.

INT. MINI BUS - DRIVER AND SLEEPY PASSENGERS

(big, sturdy, icelandic sluggards)

Perry, in a hurry, enters the bus.

PERRY

Good morning, everybody.

DRIVER

(gloomily)

Good morning.

INT. MINI BUS ON THE ROAD - DRIVER, PERRY AND OTHERS

DRIVER

Is this the first time you are seeing a glacier?

PERRY

Yea. This will be the first time.

FADE TO :

CROSSFADE IN:

INT. MINI BUS ON THE ROAD - RAIN - DRIVER, PERRY AND OTHERS

We HEAR the O.S. sound of front-window wipers.

Perry looks out of the window. Other passengers are asleep in their seats.

DRIVER

Here we would have beautiful view, beautiful scenery, if it wasn't raining: The "Vestmann"-Islands, the Island "Surtsey", that came to be in 1962 in an underwater eruption; the South-Coast, the gigantic waves of the Atlantic Ocean, glittering when the sun is shining.

INT. BUS - PERRY BY THE WINDOW

INT. BUS - PERRYAND VIEW THROUGH WINDOW - RAIN AND FOG

(Icelandi skítaveður ("shit-weather" i.e. rain and storm from the huge Atlantic))

As we pass by, we SEE and FOLLOW two or three wet, shaggy, dirty, sheep.

DRIVER (O.S.)

There is our barbecue walking.

(laughing)

It must be rather a sad purpose in life to become a delicious fried meal eaten by the greedy, -eh - carnivorous, animal, called Homo Sapiens.

INT. BUS - PERRY AND DRIVER

INSERT: EXT. SHEEP - CLOSE ON HEADS

Sheep looking towards us with a human-like expression.

BACK TO SCENE: INT. BUS - PERRY

EXT. SITE NEAR A GLACIER - FOGGY WEATHER - MINI BUS IN F.G.

Bus stops (parks).

Perry and others step out of the bus, stretching themselves after a long drive. Pick out warm clothes, rucksacks and skis.

ONE OF THE PASSENGERS

(to Perry)

Up there is the enormous, beautiful glacier.

Only, we can not see it now.

EXT. STEEP SLOPE OF GLACIER - FOG / RAIN OR SLEED -

- PERRY AND THE OTHERS

They are walking uphill in a row.

EXT. ON GLACIER - PERRY

Perry, tired, pacing uphill, - looks up.

EXT. ON GLACIER - FOG AND ALL SNOW

White snow, grey fog. As uninteresting as can become.

EXT. ON GLACIER - CLOSE - PERRY'S FEET

We HEAR Perry's heavy breathing.

We FOLLOW his tramping, tramping, tramping, uphill. Treading with small, rhythmic, steps.

ANGEL WIDENS to include the others that are a bit ahead of him, not tired at all.

EXT. ON GLACIER - PERRY AND THE OTHERS

They walk on and on uphill - into the fog.

EXT. ON GLACIER - ALL

Perry is tired and his feet are sore.

They sit down. Open their rucksacks for sandwich boxes and thermos-flasks.

SOMEBODY

(to Perry)

Here we normally have the most gorgeous scenery to the mountains here around us,

to the sea and to the lowland here below.

Pity you don't see anything to-day.

EXT. ON GLACIER - ALL

Some put on their skis, and skilfully set off for the down-hill ride.

Perry and the two others, start walking downhill. Perry's feet obviously aching.

EXT. SITE NEAR GLACIER - IN F.G. MINI BUS AND SKIERS

Entering in b.g. Perry, halting, and the two others very fresh, heading for the bus.

INT. BUS - PERRY AND OTHERS GETTING SEATED

INT. BUS - PERRY SEATED

He looks at his feet.

PERRY'S POV DOWN ON: HIS FEET

He lifts one foot with effort, puts it down in a more relaxing position, then the other one (so knees are apart and soles facing each other).

INT. BUS - PERRY

ONE OF THE GROUP (O.S.)

Are you OK.?

PERRY

Oh, yea, yea. I'm fine

ONE OF THE GROUP (O.S.)

Sore feet, eh? Blisters? Take of your boots.

INT. BUS ON THE ROAD still heading eastwards - PERRY AND OTHERS

Somebody opens a bottle of liqueur "brennivín", takes the first sip himself. Hands the bottle over to the next one.

SOMEONE (O.S.)

Þú afmeyjar.

Laughter, -- everyone but Perry.

INT. BUS - PERRY AND SOMEONE SITTING NEXT TO HIM

(Explaining the joke to Perry:)

THAT SOMEONE

She, - the bottle, - was a Virgin. But after the first sip she is no more. You see?

ANGEL WIDENS.

The bottle is handed over to the one sitting next to Perry. He takes a sip right from the bottle. Hands it over to Perry.

THAT SOMEONE

(continuing; to Perry)

Have one - "af stút".

Get rid of your sore feet. Get rid of your tired feet.

Perry reluctantly takes the bottle of "brennivín" in his hand, staring at the top of the bottle.

INSERT : BOTTLE OF "BRENNIVÍN" IN PERRY'S HAND

THAT SOMEONE (O.S.)

(continuing)

Come on, man. It does you good.

BACK TO SCENE

INT. BUS - PERRY

Perry takes a small sip of the burning-strong liqueur.

We HEAR O.S. laughter.

SOMEONE (O.S.)

Great stuff. "black death" we call it.

"Af stút" means: right from the bottle.

EXT. ICELANDIC COUNTRY ROAD - FOG CLEARING UP - LONG SHOT - THE MINI BUS ON THE ROAD (still eastward bound)

We HEAR laughter and loud talking.

EXT. ICELANDIC COUNTRY ROAD - THE MINI BUS ON THE ROAD CROSSING A LONG BRIGDE

We HEAR laughter and loud talking.

INT. BUS - PERRY

Perry (and we HEAR O.S. that everybody is) having a good time.

Entering hand with the bottle of "brennivín", now almost empty. Perry garbs it and has a drink.

PERRY

Af stút !

EXT. ICELANDIC COUNTRY ROAD - THE MINI BUS ON THE ROAD

We HEAR laughter and loud talking.

EXT. "LÓNIÐ" AT GLACIER "VATNAJÖKULL" - FLOATING ICEBERGS

The mini-bus entering scene in f.g. (f.g. is foreground)

Stops.

Passengers and driver get out to look at the beautiful icebergs.

EXT. BY "LÓNIÐ" - PERRY

Perry looking at the floating icebergs.

EXT. "LÓNIÐ" - FLOATING ICEBERGS

Perry's intoxication makes the icebergs double and dancing and twisting.

EXT. BY "LÓNIÐ" - PERRY

Trying to focus his eyes on the beautiful sight.

EXT. "LÓNIÐ" - FLOATING ICEBERGS

Beautiful aqua green and white ice sculptures distorted, (spfx)

dancing,

becoming double,

tilting,

horizon becomes slopy,

in an amusing and beautiful way.

(we play with it).

EXT. BY "LÓNIÐ" - ICEBERGS IN B.G. ALL BUS PASSENGERS IN F.G.

Icebergs are steady now.

Perry is a bit unsteady.

SOMEONE

(to Perry)

Are you OK?

PERRY

Oh, yea.

Yea. I'm fine. Thank you.

SOMEONE

Nice icebergs?

PERRY

Yea. Beautiful. Beautiful.

SOMEONE

Have some "hákarl". It is good when you're drinking too much "Black Death".

That someone opens his picnic-box, picks up a piece of "hákarl" with his fingers.

Stinking smell of the shark-meat makes Perry recoil.

SOMEONE

(continuing)

Try it. It ain't as bad as it looks. Shark. Rotten shark meat. Kæstur hákarl, man.

EXT. BY "LÓNIÐ" - PERRY

Reluctantly, Perry accepts the piece of "hákarl", puts it into his mouth. Chews ones or twice.

SOMEONE (O.S.)

(laughing)

OK. Give it to the birds. They'll love it.

Just spit it out as far a you can.

EXT. BY "LÓNIÐ" - ICEBERGS IN B.G. ALL BUS PASSENGERS IN F.G.

Perry politely drops his mouthful into his hand.

SOMEONE

Throw it, as far as you can.

Pity that you hand will smell until you find soap and water.

(the speaker laughs heartely)

Perry throws the bit of "hákarl" loosing balance, almost falling, someone catching him. Someone picks up the bottle of "brennivín" from his pocked. Hands over to Perry.

SOMEONE

Have one "af stút" to get rid of the taste in your mouth.

Hey. What is your name?

PERRY

Perry.

The guys laugh.

SOMEONE

(explaining to Perry)

"Perri" is in Icelandic, shortening for "pervert". That's why these dirty blokes are laughing. Don't listen to them.

EXT. BY "LÓNIÐ" - PERRY

Takes a sip of "brennivín". Looks at the icebergs.

PERRY'S POV: DANCING, AQUA BLUE ICEBERGS

(Note: Be it amusing and beautiful.)

EXT. ON ICELANDIC COUNTRY ROAD - MINI BUS

Driving. (On its way back, opposite direction to former 'on the road'-shots.)

INT. BUS - PERRY AND OTHERS

Perry is asleep. Others are singing. Roaring laughters inbetween.

Exposing the uncouth manners in which Icelanders "enjoy" themselves (have fun) when travelling.

EXT. BEAUTIFUL MIDNIGHT SUN

We HEAR O.S. the sound of driving mini bus and singing Icelanders.

(Note: Perry misses all the beautiful scenery as he is fast asleep coiled up in in the seat of the bus.)

INT. BUS - CLOSE ON SLEEPING PERRY

We HEAR O.S. the singing Icelanders.

EXT. VIEW TO THE "VESTMANN"-ISLANDS AND ISLAND "SURTSEY"

We HEAR O.S. the sound of driving mini bus and singing Icelanders.

INT. BUS - CLOSE ON SLEEPING PERRY

We HEAR O.S. talking and laughing Icelanders.

EXT. GUEST HOUSE ENTRANCE - MIDNIGHT SUNSHINE

We HEAR O.S. bus engine running, and Icelanders talking quitely.

Entering scene, heading for the entrance: Icelanders helping the drunk Perry in woollen socks, and they are carrying his luggage and boots.

Perry picks up the key. They help him open the door.

INT. GUEST HOUSE CORRIDOR -

Quietly entering, Icelanders and Perry, heading for Perry's room.

INT. PERRY'S ROOM IN GUEST HOUSE - SUNSHINE - PERRY IN BED

He is asleep, wearing his mountaineering clothes.

Perry moves, only to catch sunshine right into his face. Wakes up by that.

His head is heavy. He looks at his clothes.

INT. ROOM - PERRY SITTING ON BED

Perry now in his pyjama-trousers, still with his socks, and one woollen sock, on, with effort takes off the woollen sock and his sock.

He looks at his sore heel.

INSERT: CLOSE-UP OF LARGE BLISTER ON PERRY'S HEEL

INT. ROOM - PERRY SITTING ON BED

He takes off the other sock with effort. Looks at his heel.

Blood has dried on his socks.

INSERT: LARGE BLISTER ON PERRY'S OTHER HEEL

INT. ROOM - PERRY SITTING ON BED

Perry looks at the alarm clock.

INSERT: ALARM CLOCK

Showing twenty past four.

BACK TO SCENE

Perry lies down with a sigh. Pulls his eider-down quilt over his head.

INT. ROOM - NO SUNSHINE - CLOSE ON ALARM CLOCK

Showing half past twelve

ANGLE WIDENS to take in sleeping Perry in bed.

Perry, still half asleep, slowly opens his eyes to discover his headache.

INT. ROOM / CORRIDOR - PERRY

Perry puts on his shirt, still wearing his pyjama trousers.

He carefully opens the door, peeping out into the corridor,

We FOLLOW him, as he sneaks through corridor, heading for the kitchen.

INT. KITCHEN IN GUEST HOUSE

Entering Perry, sneaking, watching.

PERRY (V.O.)

(thinking; whispering to himself)

All I need now is coffee. Hot or cold. Just coffee.

INSERT: AUTOMATIC COFFEE MACHINE

Coffee-pot is empty.

BACK TO SCENE

Perry carefully opens the deep freezer.

PERRY (V.O.)

(thinking; whispering to himself)

There must at least be some ice here.

INT. DOOR TO THE KITCHEN

For one brief second, smiling land-lady peeps into kitchen, seeing Perry,

she sneaks away again, without Perry notishing.

INT. KITCHEN - CLOSE ON PERRY

Pale-green light from the open freezer makes Perry look awful.

INT. DINING ROOM - CLOSE ON LAND-LADY

She strikes a match (we HEAR it O.S.; along with SOFT MUSIC (?)).

INT. DINING ROOM - CLOSE ON LAND-LADY'S HAND WITH A LIT MATCH, NEAR A NEW CANDLE

Land-lady lights the candle (with dancing movement of the hand to the music (?)).

INT. KITCHEN - CLOSE ON PERRY IN FRONT OF FREEZER

PERRY (V.O.)

(thinking, whispering to himself)

Ice. Ice. - Wanted. Dead or alive,.

LAND-LADY (O.S.)

(cheerfully)

G O O D M O R N I N G !

How are you. How was the trip?

Perry, with a bar of ice cubes in his hand, looks up. (His face still pale-greenish)

PERRY'S POV (from below up): LAND-LADY IN A BIG WHITE APRON

LAND-LADY

(continuing)

Is my cosmopolitan hungry?

You must be, after all this glacier-walking yesterday. Out-door living in the climate of the cold countries calls for nourishing food.

Land-lady invitingly (contented and proud) offers her out-stretched hand down to Perry (towards us; i.e. towards the lense of the camera).

LAND-LADY

(continuing)

Come, come.

INT. KITCHEN / DINING ROOM -

Entering in f.g. is the land-lady, happily walking towards dining-room door, holding Perry's hand in hers, so he, in his pyjama trousers and shirt buttoned with one button, holding the bar of icecubes, follows her into frame.

We FOLLOW them as they walk into dining-room, where land-lady proudly, with a gesture, shows Perry the table.

INT. DINING ROOM - PERRY AND LAND-LADY

Perry stares at the laid dining table. Land-lady happily looks at his astonishment and proudly at her effort showing on the table.

INT. DINING ROOM - TABLE WITH LIT CANDLES, PLATE FOR ONE PERSON, AND ALL KINDS OF NATIVE FOOD

Land-lady entering scene in f.g., offers Perry a seat.

INT. DINING ROOM - PERRY SEATED AT THE TABLE

Entering: Land-lady with plates of steaming hot meals (native food) in both hands. Puts them on the table.

LAND-LADY

This is my special treat for you. Look what we have here. This is "svið", that is "blóðmör". Hot smashed beats to go with it, with a lump of butter in it.

She takes the box of icecubes from Perry's motionless hand.

INT. DINING ROOM - PERRY AND HIS CLEAN, EMPTY PLATE -

- IN F.G. STEAM FROM HOT FOOD

INT. DINING ROOM - LAND-LADY

The land-lady puts a video cassette into the video, puts on the TV.

LAND-LADY

I brought an interesting and educating tape for you here. This shows you all the process of producing our specialities of the Icelandic "cuisine", as the French "gourmet" would say.

We see television as tape starts running:

Starting with herds of shaggy, wretched, bleating (SOUND) sheep being gathered from the mountains and wilderness.

LAND-LADY (O.S.)

(continuing)

Every kid loves the sheep-gathering in the autumn: "réttir".

on video tape:

Shabby farmers putting sheep on trucks, animals frightened and bewildered

(along with pitiable bleating (SOUND) calling for our commiseration).

LAND-LADY (O.S.)

(continuing)

Here the truck takes the sheep to the slaughter-house.

(From now on the tape consists of pictures from the slaughter-house, that we CUT IN, as we need them.)

LAND-LADY (O.S.)

(continuing)

This is how the sheep is shot.

Here you see the heads.

And there you see the way we get rid of the wool. Called "að svíða". The head is held over fire until the wool burns off and the skin is therefore dark-brown. See?

Look here.

INT. DINING ROOM - PERRY

Perry looking at video tape; now looks away from video tape to food on table.

INT. DINING ROOM - HOT "SVIÐ" ON A PLATE

LAND-LADY (O.S.)

These are the sheep-heads. You eat the meat and skin from the bones. To eat the eye, you have to plug it out of the scull, like this.

Land-lady's hands with a fork plug the eye out of the "svið".

Hold the boiled eye on the fork.

BACK TO VIDEO TAPE

LAND-LADY (O.S.)

Here he holds the raw material for "súrsaðir hrútspungar". We leave them after boiling them in "sýra" the by-product from our "skyr".

INT. DINING ROOM - LAND-LADY HOLDING A BOWL OF "SKYR"; FOOD ON TABLE

LAND-LADY

(continuing)

"Skyr", lumps of sour milk product. - -

- - And now you see the "blóoðmör". It is "blood-fat", haggis made from blood and fat and some rye and wheat.

She puts down the bowl of "skyr", points towards the hot "blóðmör" on the table.

BACK TO VIDEO TAPE

LAND-LADY (O.S.)

(continuing)

The blood is collected there.

These are the intestines and womb, used to put the blood, rye and fat into to make the "blóðmör".

INT. DINING ROOM - LAND-LADY

She rubs her stomach slowly.

LAND-LADY

(continuing; laughing)

"Mör" is the fat that accumulates in here when you overeat all the time.

INT. DINING ROOM - PERRY

Perry looks at land-lady's stomach, following her hand moving in circles.

LAND-LADY (O.S.)

(continuing)

Then we sew it together. Sometimes we put in raisins as well. "Rúsínu-blóðmör".

A delicacy.

BACK TO TAPE

(Intestines flowing out of a hanging, dead sheep's cut stomach.)

LAND-LADY (O.S.)

And the liver there.

Smashed and put into a womb. Look.

INT. DINING ROOM - LAND-LADY BY THE TABLE

She cuts a steaming hot haggis "lyfrapylsa" in two.

LAND-LADY

(continuing)

Made from liver and fat.

INT. DINING ROOM - LAND-LADY HOLDING A BOTTLE OF "BRENNIVÍN"

LAND-LADY

(continuing)

"black death" to go with the rotten shark meat, "kæstur hákarl". Very tasty.

Old method to preserve the shark-meat is to let it rotten in a special way over a certain period of time, - some months. Need skill to do that.

INT. DINING ROOM - PERRY

INT. DINING ROOM - LAND-LADY HOLDING UP A BLACK LAMB'S THIGH

LAND-LADY

(continuing; laughing)

A surprise for you! Something, not Icelandic, but that I got from the Faeroe Islands: "skerpukjöt"! They hang it up raw, let it dry in the wind. I suppose flies lay their eggs into it. You are supposed to eat the larvas -the worms- along with the meat.

Land-lady puts the lamb's thigh on the table. We FOLLOW it and COME CLOSER AND CLOSER to see the moving larvas/worms.

LAND-LADY (O.S.)

(continuing)

Oh. I talk to much.to you all the time.

I should leave you to enjoy the food - and the interesting video-tape, that obviously draws your attention away from the food.

You just call me if you want some more.

On leaving the room:

LAND-LADY (O.S.)

You have no appetite while I stay here talking

(continuing; happily)

Don't even thank me for the trouble I was going into, because I really enjoyed it.

We HEAR O.S. her closing the door.

INT. DINING ROOM - PERRY SITTING AT TABLE, IN F.G.: FOOD

O.S. SOUND from slaughterhouse tape.

THE END