In a desolate village in snowbound Iceland, an affluent father (Žóršur) decides to call all of his children back to home for a reunion, which leads his children to have many suspicions about to what he would be revealing. We see different children making the journey home: the sinister-looking daughter, Ragnheišur making her way through the snowscape with her husband and son in their Land Rover, which affords us of great views of Iceland; and a handsome son named Įgśst, who flies back to Iceland with his pregnant girlfriend, Franēoise, from their home in Paris. At home, we see Žóršur living with his second wife (Kristin, who happens to be the sister of his first wife), their daughter (Marķa) and his cognac-drinking, cigarette-smoking mother, Kata. His other son, Haraldur and his family lives in the same village.

The film shows a tendency for the Islanders to leave their own bleaky villages for a better life in the capital city, or elsewhere. Most of the workers at local ailing fish factory, which Žóršur owns, are immigrants who do not mind living in such a place. Žoršur's factory is suffering due to the globalisation of the fishing industry, which runs a fortune for him. Ragnheišur's son is disgusted by the food which is served at the family's smorgasbrod, which consists of traditional Icelandic food such as whale meat, fish, etc... He askes to go out to eat burger and fries, and ends up playing video games. In our modern times, our children are relatively spoiled. This shows us the contrast between tradition and modern lifestyles in Iceland.

At the end of the family meal, the father finally makes announcements that he is going to stop footing the bills for his children, which leads to a transformation in the family, where the family members start to turn against each other. Įgśst has also read his father's memoirs, which reveals to him something about Maria and Kristen, much to his horror. This is a film which celebrates the quinessential dysfunctional family with secrets, which they prefer to be untold.

The film is sometimes shot "off-centre" which is an interesting approach, as you see characters cut out of frame, talking. There are comic reliefs throughout the film, such as the grandmother who demands to visit the local liquor store and wets herself; the local policeman pulling Maria over for speeding, which Maria exposes herself to him; and also the black ram who makes a regular visit to the local store, much to everyone's dismay.

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