Synopsis

A lone figure repeatedly climbs onto a raised wooden box in a stark, shadowy landscape, using a flashlight to send mysterious warning signals into the darkness. As the music gradually builds, the signals become more urgent, yet their intended recipient remains unknown. The imagery shifts between postcard-like animation and simple filmed movement, creating an uneasy space between memory, dream, and emergency broadcast. The video offers no explanation for the danger or the identity of those involved, leaving the viewer to imagine what threat is approaching and why someone must signal caution.

Factoids & Trivia

• "Varud" is an Icelandic word meaning "caution" or "warning," which directly inspired the video's central image of flashlight signals.

• The video's creator described it as an attempt to combine the slow, open-ended quality of a moving painting with the stronger narrative pull of a conventional music video.

• The production used an animated postcard as one of its main visual elements.

• The climbing shots were filmed repeatedly in front of blue paper, giving the otherwise handmade-looking video a deliberately simple and artificial backdrop.

• The video does not identify who is sending the warnings, who might receive them, or what danger they concern. This ambiguity was intentional.

• "Varud" was released in 2012 as part of the visual campaign surrounding Sigur Ros' album "Valtari."

• The song was also issued as a single on August 21, 2012, backed by "Logn."