The National Film Archive of Iceland recently launched the streaming website “Iceland on Film“ at a grand opening ceremony. For the website's promotion, a beautiful girl was sought, and a picture of a blonde little girl in the Icelandic national costume with a flag in her hand was chosen. We at the film archive had considered trying to find the girl from the cover, but it wasn't necessary, as within a few days of the "Iceland on Film" launch, she contacted the archive.
This turned out to be Kolbrún Sæmundsdóttir, who was born in Reykjavík on April 8, 1942, and was therefore two years old when her parents took her to the republic celebration. On this occasion, a museum employee visited Kolbrún and had a chat with her. Kolbrún lives in Breiðholt with her husband, pediatrician Björn Árdal. They have three grown daughters, 8 grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren. Kolbrún grew up well-cared for by her parents in Reykjavík. She was, by her own account, a spoiled favorite child—she says, “I was quite pampered: my hair was curled and I had my picture taken by Lofti the photographer. Mom sewed a lot for me; for example, she sewed me a dress like the one “Shirley Temple' had – Dad drew up the pattern that was on the dress. I always got new pajamas every Christmas Eve morning that she sewed, and my dolls also got pajamas made from the same fabric. Mom and Dad were truly artists by God's grace. Mom had learned to paint on porcelain, and Dad found it so interesting that he hurried off to Copenhagen and studied there. Afterwards, he taught porcelain painting here at home for many years and was extremely popular. Mom painted too, and they worked together. She also pressed flowers, glued them onto cards, and made pictures. After she passed away, I started picking flowers, pressing them, and making cards that are sold to raise funds for the "Zonta Club of Reykjavik," of which I am a member. When I was 7 years old and went to Laugarnes School, I started learning to play my mom's piano, much to her delight. At Laugarnes School, there was a lot of music, as everyone knows. When I was 15, I got into the Reykjavík Music School. I was first there with Hermína Kristjánsson and then with Jón Nordal.
At the music school, I was introduced to playing “chamber music," as it was called, and I really enjoyed it. At the school, there was a singing teacher, Mrs. Engel Lund—called Gagga. When I was 17, she needed an accompanist for her singing students for a few weeks until the spring exams. Hermína suggested me. Through Gagga, I was introduced to what would later become my career for almost 40 years. I then graduated from the Music School in 1964 as a piano teacher. I have to interject here: my mom sewed a wonderfully beautiful dress for me for this occasion. She used my confirmation dress for it. I felt like a princess in that dress.
After graduating from Tónó, I started teaching piano at home. I sometimes say that I put my husband through medical school by teaching piano! My husband and I met when we were 17 years old at the Reykjavík High School, from which we graduated in 1962. We lived for one year in Ísafjörður – then in the United States and Canada (by then we had two children) where he was studying. In the fall of 1977, I was offered a job as an accompanist at the Reykjavík Singing School, where Garðar Cortes was and is the principal. This became my life's work until I retired 4 years ago; those were wonderful years.“ In the end, I want to say: I feel I have had a good life and have been the pampered one of luck.
Kolbrún is a big collector, and her home bears the mark of it. She collects various things, such as fingerbowls and Christmas tree figurines. She has also set up a beautiful dollhouse with many rooms that has been “Norwegianized.“ With Kolbrún's permission, a picture is shown here of one of the rooms in the dollhouse, which she calls "The World Traveler's Room.".
The purpose of the streaming website “Iceland on Film" is, among other things, to collect information about the collection's footage featured there. The Film Archive warmly thanks Kolbrún, past and present cover girl, for coming forward and for the pleasant conversation.
