And Breathe Normally

On the edge of Iceland's Reykjanes peninsula, And Breathe Normally follows two women whose lives intersect in a moment of pressure and uncertainty. Lára, a mother struggling to keep her family afloat, and Adja, an asylum seeker from Guinea-Bissau, find themselves locked together by circumstance far from home. The encounter is brief yet transformative, a fragile alliance born of shared need rather than easy sympathy. As they move through cramped spaces, buses, and weary hopes, each woman keeps her own plans close while learning to read the other's unspoken signals. The film quietly charts how resilience can bloom in unlikely circumstances, even when futures feel precarious. The camera lingers on small gestures that reveal mutual respect and a tenuous trust.

Directed by Ísold Uggadóttir, And Breathe Normally stems from an original screenplay rather than a source novel or play. The Icelandic drama released in 2018 flexes a restrained style, focusing on two women whose imperfect choices test their boundaries and trust.

Box office figures for And Breathe Normally are not widely reported, reflecting its status as a small scale arthouse release. The film found audiences primarily through film festivals and select art house venues in Iceland and abroad, rather than commercial.

Without wide distribution the film has sparked conversations about migration and gender in Nordic cinema. Critics and festival audiences note its quiet realism, how it situates intimate drama inside a harsh landscape, and how the two leads carry a story that avoids simple judgments.

Critically, the film is praised for restrained storytelling and the performances of Haraldsdóttir and Sadjo. It centers on motherhood, immigration, and resilience, exploring power dynamics in a brief human bond. The tone is careful rather than sensational, inviting viewers to read between the lines. Its minimal score and intimate framing amplify the emotional stakes for viewers.