Institute History
Description
Directing Award: World Cinema Dramatic
On Reykjanes peninsula in Iceland, Lara trains as a border patrol officer at the Keflavík airport. Despite struggling financially and fighting personal demons, she’s a devoted mother to her young son, Eldar. One day on the job, Lara spots a suspicious passport, resulting in Adja, a female refugee from Guinea-Bissau, being detained. Days go by as Adja is held in a state of limbo, and the two women’s paths continue to cross in the small town. Despite resentment and cultural differences, the women—neither with obvious paths in life—find a unique bond that rests on a moment when Lara is faced with a crucial decision.
Writer/director Ísold Uggadóttir returns to the Festival (her short Family Reunion played here in 2007) with an accomplished, timely first feature rooted in its stark yet stunning Icelandic locale. And Breathe Normally subtly weaves global issues of immigration, LGBT rights, and human rights into an intimate, moving story of two women and how they are able to alter the course of each other’s lives.