This new Icelandic documentary is directed by Andri Snær Magnason & Anní Ólafsdóttir and produced by Elsku Rut, Ground Control Productions & Ursus Parvus. Part road movie, part musical, part serious inquiry into the caverns of the mind, The Hero’s Journey to the Third Pole is at once an artful, sensitive and amusing examination of mental health, told through an unexpected story of friendship.
The film follows Anna Tara Edwards, an Icelander raised in Nepal, and legendary musician Högni Egilsson, as they journey to Anna’s childhood home in the mountain jungles to explore the afflictions and superpowers that come with bipolar disorder. Delving into their respective pasts through textured archival footage and home videos, the narrative follows their present-day quest to raise awareness about the disease and come to terms with the impact it has had on their own lives.
From the acclaimed filmmakers Andri Snær Magnason and Anní Ólafsdóttir, The Hero’s Journey to the Third Pole is a delightful, heartfelt, and intimate inquiry that expands our understanding of the human heart and mind. This is the first feature-length film from Anní Ólafsdóttir but Andri Snær Magnason previously co-directed Dreamland, based on his book Dreamland – a Self Help Manual for a Frightened Nation.
