(org. Súðbyrðingur - saga báts)

Four boatbuilders join forces in building a clinkboat of the type that was once predominant in the Breidafjord Bay in the West of Iceland.  The story of thousand years of boatbuilding in the North unfolds as we watch them build the clinkboat -- starting with the keel which had its beginning in the logboat of the stoneage, and finishing with the launching. When the sails are set we are brought back to the personal histories of the builders themselves, to the past when these boats were in general use - back home where the film started.

The boat is a religious symbol. The vessel that is the film carries a variety of subjects: craftsmanship, paganism, trade history, fishing, death, celebrations. The boats reflect the ethnic history of the Nordic nations. The building of the boat forms the baseline of the film but the story of the clinkboat is told by the people who appear in it (chiefly the builders) and they to an extent determine its course. Their various contributions add up to the narrative.The score reflects the different historical periods and thus adds another layer to the story.

The filming took place in Iceland, Faeroe Islands, Norway, Sweden, Danmark and Germany. It is 57 min.

The Icelandic Filmcentre and the Nordisk Kulturfond supported the film and the Norwegian Broadcasting Station NRK and the Faeroese Kringvarp have already aired it.

Subtitles:  English, French, German, Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Faeroese, Icelandic.

Price for persons: GBP 15,- (EUR 18,-)

Price per copy for schools and institutions:  30,- GBP (EUR 36,-)