70-year old woman decides it’s never too late to start making music.

By Azaria Sabrina
Photos by Vancouver International Film Festival

The phrase “it’s never too late to start” suddenly gains new meaning. Grandma Lo-Fi: The Basement Tapes of Sigridur Nielsdottir tells the story of a woman who started making music at the age of 70. In the span of seven years, Nielsdottir produced 59 albums, more than 600 songs, and dozens of colorful, hand-drawn album covers. Her creative process was all done in her own living room with the help of tape recorders, keyboards, and some wild creativity: she used aluminum foil, kitchen appliances, and toys for added sound effects. Soon after she started releasing her albums, Nielsdottir became a cult icon among Icelandic musicians, inspiring young and old artists alike.

The documentary is as endearing as Nielsdottir herself. At the start of the film, Nielsdottir showed black and white pictures of her childhood, looking back on her days in Denmark and remembering her first love. These scenes, and the use of Super 8 and 16mm film cameras, give the film a nostalgic, familiar feeling. Occasionally colorful, moving paper cutouts are added for visual effects, and although it makes the film look like an amateur work, the effect is charming and whimsical. Some collages by Nielsdottir are also featured as a backdrop for young Icelandic musicians who cover her songs in scenes of the film.

As a documentary, the film misses some important elements. There is not a lot of background history on Nielsdottir’s life, and her rise to fame is only covered for a minute or two. It is, however, a very personalized account of her music-producing days. Grandma Lo-Fi shows a very happy woman in her old age, doing what she wants to do and feeling content about it. In the past decade, Sigridur Nielsdottir has inspired not only Icelandic musicians, but the whole world as well. It’s a pleasure to be able to see this: proof that it really is never too late to do what you’ve always dreamed of.