Katla - A mystery series based on Icelandic folklores



Last weekend I chanced upon Netflix's first Icelandic series released this month. The trailer was what hooked me in. Set in an intriguing yet beautiful landscape, a remote Icelandic village Vik, with the ocean on one side, a river nearby and an active volcano named 'Katla' on the other- the area a juxtaposition of black volcanic soil and white snow, this 8-episode series weaves together several mysterious happenings to form its creepy enigmatic narrative. 



The volcano has been erupting for over an year making the place almost uninhabitable. Most of the residents have evacuated or permanently shifted to other places, except a team of volcanologists and scientists, rescue workers, essential service providers, and very few common folk who don't want to leave the place. The mysterious happenings start when a woman is discovered in the restricted area near the volcano- naked -the black mud covering her being entirely. She resembles a lady who used to live in the area 20 years ago, not a day aged. But the actual lady, on hearing of this strange supposed coincidence returns to Vik, and they are doppelgangers, just their age being the differentiating factor. Another incident follows - Asa who was lost in a severe blizzard a year ago, mysteriously returns in a similar way, covered in black ash, without any memory of her whereabouts during this time. Grima, her sister, can't come to terms with this, and wants answers - she searches clues to Asa's disappearance and sudden reappearance. There is no clue towards her not being actually Asa herself, until they discover a dead body dried in freezing cold seeming Asa. Several incidents follow, people long dead return. It is as if the volcano is gobbling people up and throwing them out into the world when it erupts. 



There is mystery and folklore associated with Katla - the old hotel lady tells of changelings and hidden people who leave their offspring in human care. Meanwhile, the volcanologist tries to find answers from the rocks within the cave and tunnels formed within a new crevice near Katla. The geology of the area is changing with the volcano erupting, the glacier melting, the frequent ash storms, snow blizzards - it just adds to the charm of this series. It's an incredible watch - just for its location - its unlike anything I have watched. I need to explore different series from such places, an environment we have just read about in books but never witnessed. 






This post is a part of Blogchatter Half Marathon.

Comments

  1. This review of yours makes us more compelled to watch this one. Yes, a beautiful country like Iceland will always hold it's mysteries and folklores and will be fancied by many. And this tale sounds eerie and dark, making it more interesting to try it out. Thanks for sharing.

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  2. This sounds exactly the kind of stuff I'd love to watch! Thank you :)

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Queeristan by Parmesh Sahani

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  Queeristan (Amazon Link) Thanks to Audible Free Trial I listened to this amazing non-fiction on LGBTQ inclusion in Indian workplaces. Author Parmesh Sahani identifies as gay Indian, working closely with Godrej higher management and employees for years to create an inclusive workplace, both legally and in spirit. This book is a result of those years of experience, research, collaboration with individuals from difference spectrum of the society and organizations who has successfully transitioned into a queer friendly one.   Indian history is inclusive. From the Khajuraho temple architectures, to Konark to the Rig Veda, there is existing proofs even 2000 years ago of Indian inclusiveness of queer. It’s the draconian British law that criminalised it, which was scraped in 2009, came into effect once again following a sad judgement in 2013 and eventually was scraped off for good in 2018. I am in awe of the lawyers who fought this legal battle- colleagues and partners – Arundhati Katju

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