Iceland is a small, mostly peaceable country. But in 1970s, the country was rocked by a horrific pair of murders. A youthful gang of petty criminals was implicated and convicted. Only after they got out of goal were questions raised as to the accuracy of the convictions, with allegations made that their confessions were, in effect, tortured out of them. Many find the gang's protestations convincing, and the bodies of the victims have never been found. But the main individual held responsible died, an alcoholic, without getting his case reheard. Documentary film 'Out of Thin Air' revisits the case. As a pure story, it's limited by the absence of resolution: we still don't know what happened, nor have the accusations of a fit-up been ratified by the courts. But it's still a striking and depressing story, one that muddies Iceland's image as a supremely civilised country.
Review of Out of Thin Air
