Black Sands () is an Icelandic crime-drama television series created by Aldís Amah Hamilton, Andri Óttarsson, and Ragnar Jónsson. It is directed by Baldvin Zophoníasson. The show premiered on Stöð 2 on 25 December 2021.
Synopsis The series focuses on Aníta Elínardóttir, a thirty-year-old policewoman who takes a job in her childhood home, the only position she can get after being forced to resign in Reykjavík. She has not been to the village in fourteen years, and in the meantime, it has become a tourist trap, surrounded by black sand. Worst of all, she has to move in with her mother, Elín, with whom she has a broken relationship due to a difficult past.
When Aníta arrives in town, the body of a young woman is found on the sandy beach. She seems to have fallen from the overhanging cliff. An investigation begins, led by police chief Ragnar, village doctor Salómon, and the local police team. Nothing criminal seems to have taken place, until a friend of the deceased is found later that night, battered and covered in blood.
As the investigation dwindles, Aníta ends up at the centre of a fiery love triangle that complicates things for her. It turns out that the local police have not been properly carrying out investigations, and there are possible links with other cases. A showdown with her mother is inevitable. Aníta gets sucked into the search for a potential mass murderer, and the showdown turns into a nightmare.
In the second season, Aníta has an infant child. The father, Gústi, a police officer from Reykjavík, has left his wife and moved to the village to be closer to the child, bringing his teenage daughter. After a suspicious death, Gústi and Aníta investigate the abuse of girls at a foster home many years before, and Aníta learns that her uncle was involved. The uncle is killed, and there are several suspects. Aníta struggles with motherhood, and Gústi takes the baby from her, which almost results in tragedy.
Cast and characters Season 1 Aldís Amah Hamilton as Aníta Elínardóttir Þór Tulinius as Ragnar, chief police inspector Steinunn Ólína Þorsteinsdóttir as Elín, Aníta's estranged mother Ævar Þór Benediktsson as Gústi, detective and Aníta's former lover Kolbeinn Arnbjörnsson as Salómon Túlinius, local doctor and Aníta's boyfriend Lára Jóhanna Jónsdóttir as Fríða Melsteð, local cop, later Aníta's girlfriend Aron Már Ólafsson as Tómas, local cop Dan Cade as Stephen Mayer, widower of the murder victim Þorsteinn Bachmann as Karl, national chief of police Kristín Lea as Halla, Salómon's late mother
Season 2 Ólafía Hrönn Jónsdóttir as Helena, Tómas's grandmother Aðalbjörg Emma Hafsteinsdóttir as Jonna, Gústi's daughter Edda Guðnadóttir as Dísa, Jonna's lesbian friend Pálína Rós Ingadóttir as Abbý, Jonna's friend Pálmi Gestsson as Davíð, Salómon's father Mímir Bjarki Pálmason as young Davíð
Episodes Series 1 (2021)
References
External links
Black Sands at the Icelandic Film Centre