France 3 is broadcasting this Sunday evening the 4 episodes of “The Enigma of Flatey”, an Icelandic miniseries set in the 70s which mixes thriller clothing and traditional legends.
What is it about ?
Immersed in Icelandic society in the 1970s. Accompanied by her young son Snorri, Jóhanna, a young academic, returns to Iceland after having lived in France for years. The occasion is sad, however: the funeral of his father, a great specialist in the riddle of Flatey, a 600-year-old mystery that no one has managed to solve until now.
This return to the country once again confronts her with the narrow-mindedness and conservatism of the inhabitants of the island, totally opposed to her free temperament and her feminist values. The murder of a colleague of her father and the interest in her research places her at the heart of the investigation, which will force her to confront the ghosts of her past.
The riddle of Flatey is broadcast this Sunday, August 15 from 9:05 p.m. on France 3.
A historical thriller about a legendary enigma
Written by Margrét Örnólfsdóttir, who notably worked on the crime series Trapped, and adapted from Viktor Arnar Ingólfsson’s novel, The Riddle of Flatey is an effective thriller that takes us directly to the Iceland of the 70s.
Consisting of 4 episodes, this Nordic feminist-inspired miniseries celebrates the history and extraordinary legends of Iceland while featuring a woman trying to rewrite history. Flatey’s book, on which the plot is based, is actually a richly illustrated Icelandic manuscript that contains many legends, poems and historical texts.
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Flatey’s riddle begins in the spring of 1971, when Johanna, a professor of Nordic studies, travels to Iceland to attend her father’s funeral. Johanna arrives from a post-1968 Paris borrowed from freedom to find herself in a patriarchal country ruled by traditions.
Accused of the murder of a friend of her father, Johanna will have to do everything to exonerate herself. A task made difficult by the police officer in charge of the investigation, sent by Reykjavík, who wants to make her disappear in order to obtain custody of their child. In addition to having to prove her innocence, she will have to solve the Flatey riddle, left hanging by her father, in order to keep possession of her family home.
The enigma of Flatey will therefore appeal to fans of the detective genre who will not be disappointed by this series which combines history, fantasy, murder and grandiose landscapes.
