Andið eðlilega (Ísold Uggadóttir, 2018)

And Breathe Normally cannot be described as uplifting viewing, but it is heartfelt, honest and pointedly avoids succumbing to melodrama. The paths of an Icelandic single mother struggling to stay above water and an African asylum seeker cross after the former, in her new job as a border guard officer, shops the latter for trying to enter the country with a forged passport. Her young son then bonds with the woman, who is facing imminent deportation, despite their having no common language. This is not given an improbable sugar-coating in any way and comes across in as natural a manner as the understated performances of the protagonists. The end may have a flicker of optimism, but it is fragile and double-edged.

6/10