The Iceland Aurora Films project pairs northern lights with the landscapes underneath them. Water, buildings and a dark horizon give the changing sky a recognisable setting.
A film assembled across many nights
The original production account credited Arnþór Tryggvason, Petur K. Gudmundsson and Snorri Thor Tryggvason, describing photographs made at numerous Icelandic locations. Its July 2014 release announcement belongs to that historical account, rather than a current promise about formats or availability.
Why the ground matters
A foreground helps reveal the scale and movement of an aurora sequence. Time-lapse also compresses time, so the screen’s speed should not be mistaken for an uninterrupted real-time view. Dark skies, cloud cover and changing activity all matter to an actual sighting; one beautiful film cannot guarantee the same display on a particular trip.
Explore more: an aurora film from Yellowknife; seasonal Iceland travel ideas.
The aurora also provided the setting for Dale and Karlie’s northern lights proposal in Norway’s Lofoten Islands.
For help choosing an aurora holiday, explore our northern lights destination guide, with Iceland alongside nine other viewing options.
A trailer condenses a much larger effort
The original production announcement named Arnþór Tryggvason, Petur K. Gudmundsson and Snorri Thor Tryggvason, with more than 100,000 RAW images gathered at sixty Icelandic locations. Those figures describe the filmmakers’ account of the project, not one continuous night under the aurora.
The sixty locations and large image count describe the breadth of the production, while the trailer presents only a tightly selected impression. That relationship is worth remembering when planning an aurora trip: a film can move instantly between nights and places that a traveller experiences separately. Its strongest creative idea is the pairing of sky and foreground. Water, a building or a horizon gives each display a different identity, so the changing lights remain connected to Iceland rather than floating in an anonymous dark frame.
Sources, photography and further reading
Original feature and image attributions:
- Iceland Aurora Films
- Life Buzz
- Blue Iceland: Stunning Photos Of Icelandic Landscapes Taken With Infrared Technique
- 37 Reasons Why You Need To Visit Iceland Right Now (Historical link unavailable when checked on 15 September 2026.) Related reading: Ten Iceland Experiences: Waterfalls, Glaciers, Hot Springs and City Life.
- A Man Travels Over 3,000 Miles Taking Pictures Of Iceland's Unique Landscapes.
- The Place Where Earth Meets the Sky: Strokkur Geyser, Iceland
- an aurora film from Yellowknife
- seasonal Iceland travel ideas
- Dale and Karlie’s northern lights proposal
- northern lights destination guide
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