THE LIGHTER SIDE

Divine Remedy

Gudaveigar

THORKELL HARDARSON, ÖRN MARINÓ ARNARSON
Iceland, 2024
95 minutes, Color

In this playful comedy, the Icelandic Church faces an unexpected crisis: its supply of sacramental wine is running dry, thanks to an unlikely surge in popularity. Seeking a solution, the bishop dispatches four unassuming priests to Rioja to find a wine worthy of both ritual and palate. What follows is a sun-drenched odyssey through Spain's famed vineyards, where the priests embrace their mission with growing enthusiasm—and increasingly blurred judgment. As they indulge in tastings and bask in the pleasures of their surroundings, their spiritual purpose begins to slip out of focus. Meanwhile, momentous events quietly unfold beyond their awareness, lending the journey an absurd, cosmic dimension. Balancing gentle satire with playful humor, the film explores faith, temptation, and human fallibility and invites audiences to reflect on what is truly sacred—and what might simply be well-aged.—Various sources

In Icelandic with English subtitles