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Ár í Miðhúsum - a documentary by Hilmar Bragi Bárðarson and Hörður Gíslason, screening in autumn 2026.
The film will be screened three times on October 4 at 14:00, 15:30 and 17:00.
For generations, people at Miðhús in Garður have grown up surrounded by farming, the sea, the shore and ditches. Torfi and Margrét settled there around 1940 and raised fourteen children. For many years, they ran Garður’s largest dairy farm, with around thirty milking cows and sometimes as many as fifty animals, including young cattle. From an early age, the children took a full part in the work, while also finding freedom and adventure in the nature surrounding the farm.
The documentary A Year in Miðhúsum follows life in this remarkable place through the seasons. At once a personal family story, a portrait of Icelandic farming traditions and an account of people’s deep connection to the land, the past and one another.
The old cowshed became the heart of the family
Although traditional dairy farming has ended at Miðhús, the buildings live on. The siblings joined forces, renovated the old cowshed and barn, and turned them into a community hall and a gathering place for the family. Family reunions, skate feasts and other gatherings are held there. The buildings also house workshops, farm machinery, trailers and everything else that comes with an active way of life.
The family now numbers more than 200, and Miðhús fills with life during large family reunions. Tents are pitched, bonfires are lit, children play by the shore and musicians from the family keep the celebrations going. The old cowshed, which once supported the livelihood of the extended family, has taken on a new role as its heart and a symbol of unity.
The memory of Torfi and Margrét is always close. “They are our history,” says one of their descendants. The place is dedicated to them and the legacy they left behind.
One tractor for every sheep
There are around eight old tractors at Miðhús, most of them between fifty and seventy years old. They are not merely on display. Every one of them is in working order and used for farm work. A tractor bought for dismantling turned out to have such a good engine that scrapping it for parts was out of the question. Instead, it was restored and added to the collection.
There is also haymaking equipment, a round baler, a baler-wrapper and a manure spreader from the 1970s, assembled from two old spreaders. The equipment is cleaned, repaired and carefully preserved. At Miðhús, sustainability is not a new buzzword but an old way of life: making use of what is available, repairing things and making them last.
The farm is not run for profit. Hay is made for the family’s own use, and the produce is used within the family. As they say with a smile in the film, there is practically “one tractor for every sheep.”
A whole year in the life of the place
The film follows the brothers and their family in their daily work. In spring come the lambs, and sometimes large lambs need help into the world. In summer, the fields are mown and the hay is baled. In autumn, sheep are slaughtered for the household, and skills learned in childhood are brought back. When winter settles over Miðhús, the old buildings and machinery continue to stand guard over its history.
Amid the work, memories of childhood return: the children driving the cows out to pasture, making their own toys, playing on the shore and skating on frozen ditches. There was a great deal of work, especially in summer, when all the children were called out into the fields with rakes. Yet there was always time for fun and games.
Generation follows generation
Jón Gunnar Torfason was the last farmer at Miðhús. He knows every field, every building and every task. As he and his brothers maintain the buildings, machinery and land, the question of the future inevitably arises.
Will the younger generation carry the torch?
The answer is cautiously optimistic. The descendants do not want to lose the place. They want to preserve the buildings, the land and the connections that have been formed there. Knowledge, memories and family solidarity pass from one generation to the next.
A Year in Miðhúsum is a warm, sincere and often humorous documentary about hard work and ingenuity, a strong family and a place that continues to bring people together. It explores the value of knowing your roots, making use of what you have and preserving your connection to the past – without forgetting to live in the present.