Set in Northern Iceland 'long ago - when even Greenland seemed remote', Ikingut is the story of a deprived community divided by the arrival of a stranger. Resembling a cuddly polar bear in his cute furry snowsuit, Ikingut (Hans Tittus Nakinge) is the young boy who speaks an unfamiliar language.
While 11 year-old Boas (Hjalti Runar Jonsson) and his family welcome him, the other villagers suspect he is a menacing demon, and plot to get rid of him. As charming as the story and performances are here, this is an undemanding and formulaic children's fairy tale - sweet, sentimental and moral without ever being totally gripping. That said, the chilly setting elevates it beyond banality, with a terrific avalanche scene and a frantic chase across a frozen sea providing all too brief moments of excitement.