Grandma Lo-Fi – Amma Lo-Fi (2011)

Directed by: Ingibjörg Birgisdottir, Orri Jonsson, Kristín Björk Kristjánsdottir | 62 minutes | documentary, animation, biography, music | With: Sigridur Nielsdottir

In Iceland she is a true cult hero: Sigridur Nielsdottir. This elderly lady started making music overnight at the age of seventy. Seven years later she stopped just as suddenly, to throw herself into making collages with the same idiosyncrasy. She passed away in 2011, completely unaware of the cult status she had achieved in her homeland. After all, the nearly sixty albums and around seven hundred songs she had cobbled together in her Reykjavik basement were used extensively in the work of popular Icelandic DJs. Filmmakers use her music as a soundtrack for their films. Influential Icelandic musicians such as Björk and members of Sigur Rós put her even further on the map by expressing their admiration. What makes Nielsdottir’s oeuvre so different is that she uses all kinds of everyday objects to imitate sounds. Animal sounds such as the barking of her dogs, as well as kitchen appliances and pots and pans serve as musical instruments. Combined with simple sounds from a keyboard, these alternative instruments yield unconventional but wonderfully beautiful compositions.

She is a bit otherworldly. Newspapers, television – Sigridur Nielsdottir didn’t like it. As a result, she had no idea how hip she really was. Orri Jonsson, Kristin Björk Kristjánsdóttir and Ingibjörg Birgisdóttir saw how special this woman is and decided to follow her for eight years for their Super8 and 16mm documentary ‘Grandma Lo-Fi: The Basement Tapes of Sigridur Nielsdottir’ (2011) ). The film shows this ‘super grandma’ exactly as she is: straightforward, idiosyncratic and above all pure. In addition to a musical talent that remained hidden from the masses for years, she also turned out to have other artistic talent. Through her own stories, old photos and animations we get to know her special life story. The animations featured in the film were based on the collages Sigridur made and are all handmade. Her works of art could also count on many enthusiasts, as it turns out when we learn that her first exhibition was sold out within ten minutes. The elderly Icelandic woman herself was not concerned with that at all; if only she could do what she liked, and above all that she could do it in her own way. Although it appears from the documentary that she really liked that her newly acquired fame gave her the necessary new friends.

‘Grandma Lo-Fi’ not only makes you wonder about the hidden talents of this remarkable late bloomer, but also has a disarming and inspiring effect. The modest and down-to-earth view of Sigridur Nielsdottir is a breath of fresh air compared to all those artists who take themselves very seriously and take everything they do very seriously. The trio of directors has also subtly managed to incorporate a dose of humor into the film, which only further enhances the charm of ‘Grandma Lo-Fi’. They paint a warm portrait of this lady and with that approach they underline how much respect they have for her. Because they took the time to get to know Sigridur, so that she dares to be herself with them. It resulted in a cheerful, unconventional music documentary about a special older woman, who unfortunately was unable to see for herself how great her influence was on the Icelandic music and art scene.