The author and author of the article in front of the Jaja Ding Dong bar in Husavik, home of the museum

Leonardo’s Journey

“I have always been passionate about maps and this island, Iceland, which is lowered into the atlases in the upper left, separate from the continent but politically from Europe, has always fascinated me. So I came there first for a week as a tourist and then, after completing my Ph.D. in Statistics In Oxford, I had to decide what to do “When I grow up,” I left Curato and moved for months to work on an island, in a second-hand bookstore,” says Leonardo Piconi, 34, who, thanks to his love at first sight with Icelandic vibe, put aside numbers. to deal with words (Iceland volcanoes book(Iperborea 2019, is his first title).

Stories of volcanoes and astronauts

“I ended up in the right place,” says Leonardo: In Iceland, the second-hand book trade is very large, a country with a strong readership and 10 per cent of aspiring writers. “Piccione also began researching stories and legends related to the country’s volcanoes. And so he discovered the story of the astronauts who landed at Askja, a very important volcano in northeastern Iceland, a few years before he went to the moon, in 1969. As the Husavik Museum of Exploration He is the only one who has kept it. The artifacts of that expedition made by Neil Armstrong and his companions, who wanted to take measurements of the lunar landscape in Askja, Leonardo came to live there. In the summer to work in tourism, in the winter to write and enjoy the most contemplative dimension of the country, which makes it dark Snow is special.

A Husavik un set da Oscar

However, in October 2019, all possible light came to Husavik: The Netflix crew along with Will Ferrell and Pierce Brosnan installed themselves for four days of filming for the movie. Eurovision Song Contest: The Epic Story of Fire (By the way, Brosnan starred in Dante’s crest, related to volcanoes). The Americans knew nothing of the Eurovision Song Contest, just like the Italians before the Måneskin group won the 2021 edition.

On the other hand, it is a very popular competition in the Nordic countries. And since Will Ferrell’s wife is Swedish, he had this hook in the situation.

Icelanders invade the United States

Leonardo continues:In the comedy Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams two musicians of the Husavik Fire Saga, who dreams of participating in the Eurofestival. They are reconstructed in the film with a very reliable version, and after a series of unfortunate events they succeed in having a musical in competition, Husavik is my hometown.
A type of song that is very popular in America. “In fact, the January 2021 song was included in the 15 nominations for the Academy Awards as Best Original Song. The subsequent skimming that brought the awards night is 5 songs, the so-called shortlist, and we at Husavik have decided to go into this shortlist.” Leonardo continues.

oscar oscarson social worker

And so we did: I thought of a short story to promote with videos to push the song up to the nominations. A story like that Oscar—or rather, Oscar Oscarson who had the desire for another Oscar to come to town, with C, so he wouldn’t be alone anymore. So you can see it with the kids who sang at school Husavik is my hometown, the fishermen who kiss the cod in the harbor while one kisses the statuette… and other nice things of this kind emptied the population of the United States, first on social networks but not only. Articles about The New York Times, The Washington Postand band good morning america, something outside of any local standard. So, the song actually made it to the shortlist.”

First Fire Saga Museum

“Exceptional success of the song and the free publicity obtained by Netflix – But also in Husavik where there is already Fire Saga tourism coming from USA – Paying the American Mayor to reward us, he gave us props and costumes on display in our museum in The Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of an Epic Fire».