| The Valtari Mystery Film Experiment
Sigur Rós have given a dozen film makers the same budget and asked them to create whatever comes in to their head when they listen to songs from the band's forthcoming album. The idea is to abandon the usual approval process from Sigur Rós, and allow film makers utmost creative freedom.[25]
Among the twelve filmmakers working without brief to a chosen song are Ramin Bahrani, Alma Har'el, John Cameron Mitchell and Ryan McGinley[26]
"We never meant our music to come with a pre-programmed emotional response. We don't want to tell anyone how to feel and what to take from it. With the films, we have literally no idea what the directors are going to come back with. None of them know what the others are doing, so hopefully it could be interesting", said from Sigur Rós[27][28]
On 21 May, Sigur Rós released a video for the track "Ég Anda", which is filmed by Ragnar Kjartansson. It is the first video from the Valtari mystery film experiment. The video shows how we should proceed if someone starts to choke.[25]
On 6 June, Sigur Rós released a video for the track "Varúð", which is filmed by Inga Birgisdóttir, who is the Valtari cover designer and the director of Ekki Múkk music video. It's the second video from the Valtari mystery film experiment.[25]
On 18 June, Sigur Rós released the third Valtari Mystery Film. "Fjögur píanó" was filmed by Alma Har'el starring Shia LaBeouf.[25]
On 2 July, Sigur Rós released the fourth Valtari Mystery Film. Arni & Kinski directed the video for "Rembihnútur". According to them, the video talks about how Sigur Rós's music has changed positively the people who listen to them.[25]
On 16 July, Sigur Rós released the fifth Valtari Mystery Film, by Ramin Bahrani, for the song "Ég anda".[25]
On 31 July, the sixth Valtari Mystery Film, by Ryan McGinley, was released for the song "Varúð".[25]
On 13 August, the seventh Valtari Mystery Film was released. Melika Bass directed a video for the song "Varðeldur".[25]
On 28 August, Sigur Rós released the eighth Valtari Mystery Film. Henry Jun Wah Lee directed the video for "Dauðalogn". The video took place in the primeval forest of Yakushima, a remote island in southern Japan.[25]
On 12 September, the ninth Valtari Mystery Film was released. The film is called "Seraph" and features "Rembihnútur" and "Ekki Múkk". This is the first time in the series that two tracks play in the same film. It was directed by Dash Shaw and written by Dash Shaw & John Cameron Mitchell. The video discusses subtly about homosexuality.[25]
On 24 September, the tenth film was released, a short, narrated story of a man lost in the English countryside set to "Ekki Múkk". It was directed by Nick Abrahams and featured Aidan Gillen and Shirley Collins.[25]
On 8 October, the eleventh film and winner of the People's Choice contest was released: "Dauðalogn", directed by Ruslan Fedotow.[25]
On 15 October, the twelfth film, chosen by the band and overall winner of the Valtari Film Competition was released. The film is called "Skinned" and features "Fjögur Píanó". It was directed by Anafelle Liu, Dio Lau and Ken Ngan.[25]
On 22 October was released the thirteenth film of the series: "Varðeldur" by Clare Langan. According to the director, the film explores the fragility of the human condition, frozen somewhere between life and death.[25]
On 14 November, after a delay of one week, was released the fourteenth Valtari Mystery Film. "Valtari", written & directed by Christian Larson features parts of Ekki Múkk, Valtari, Rembihnútur and Varúð. This is the film that features the largest number of songs on the entire series and this is the first film to display the title track of the album. The video shows a couple intimately dancing in an old abandoned factory.[25]
On 20 November was released the fifteenth Valtari Mystery Film. "Varúð", directed by Björn Flóki. In the end of the video, during the credits, "Ó friður" from Sæglópur EP is featured at the end. This is the only song from another Sigur Rós album to be displayed in the series.[25]
On 06 December, Floria Sigismondi directed the sixteenth Valtari Mystery Film Experiment, a short music film named 'Leaning Toward Solace' and starring Elle Fanning and John Hawkes, that includes songs Dauðalogn and Varúð.This is the last film of the series[25]
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