Terribly Beautiful

Terribly Beautiful” is an experimental short film chronicling a 5-week solitary journey through Iceland, where raw landscape beauty intertwines with an intimate exploration of memory and identity. The creative process becomes an act of both destruction and self-discovery. Within Iceland’s stark terrain, a filmmaker immerses herself in her memories, crafting a visual essay that balances on the edge of beauty and solitude.

The filmmaker seeks to move beyond Iceland’s idealized images, experiencing the country through a deeply sensory and personal lens. Her camera becomes an extension of her body, capturing not just visual elements, but also the sounds, textures, and smells of the environment.

Taking the form of a visual essay, “Terribly Beautiful” blurs the boundaries between past and present, reality and memory. The film guides viewers through both external and internal landscapes, transforming the creative act into one of destruction. Rather than presenting Iceland as a series of picturesque postcards, “Terribly Beautiful” offers a complex, sensory journey that mirrors the filmmaker’s internal struggle and ultimate self-discovery.

This essay film was created during the Essay Film Studio international course, organized by the New Narrative Lab at Lodz Film School. More info here.