Dagur Kári's Noi the Albino (Nói Albinói, 2003) succeeded on the international festival circuit as a film that was both distinctively Icelandic and appealingly universal. Its place within the history of Icelandic cinema highlights the specific problems faced by this small nation as it pursues its film-making ambitions, allowing us to appreciate the remarkable success of Kári's film in relation to the challenges of transnational filmmaking. Björn Norðfjörð's examination of the film integrates the broad context and history of Icelandic cinema into a close reading of Nói Albinói's themes, visual style, and key scenes.