Reykjavík Grapevine - 06.08.2008, Blaðsíða 26

26 | REYKJAVÍK GRAPEVINE | ISSUE 11—2008
INTERvIEW By Ben h. Murray — photo By gas
The Grapevine met up with Valdis and Víkingur Kristjánsson,
one of the film’s lead actors, to find out why the project is
so unique and what dark secrets are hidden within its seem-
ingly complex ad-hoc filming and production process.
The plot concerns, unsurprisingly, an out-of-town wed-
ding and the catastrophes and problems that beset such
events when depicted on the big screen. In the words of
Valdis: “It’s a film about two families that are forced to spend
time together. They can stand each other for one hour but
they get lost and instead of one hour, they are together for
five hours. Then things start to pop up.” However, Four Wed-
dings and a Funeral this is not – it may share a subject mat-
ter with many big name films but everything else about the
project sets it apart from the usual Hollywood blockbusters.
Further details on the film itself, for reasons that will
become apparent, are a bit of a mystery so I started by ask-
ing Víkingur Kristjánsson, who plays a mysterious wedding
guest, about the key to the storyline and describe the filming
process from an actor’s perspective. “It’s quite experimental
– something that’s never been done, not here at least. There
was the thing with the cameras – you would be surrounded
by cameras all the time so you never knew if you were in the
shot or not – and you had to be the character you were play-
ing all along and that is, of course, quite exciting. We also
had a secret, which was quite fun to work with. Everyone had
their own little secret.”
This blurring between reality and acting seems to have
worked in a uniquely personal way, stirring up emotions and
intrigue amongst cast members and director to produce a
performance and camaraderie that even extend into the in-
terview. The pair, laughing in unison, adamantly refuse to
reveal any of the film’s key moments (as though it’s a family
secret handed down the generations) apart from Víkingur’s
comment that “some secrets were quite big and others not so
big, but I think the audience will realise quite soon what my
secret is”.
They go on to reveal that before filming took place
each actor was called into a room and told about their char-
acter (secrets and all), a process that reflects the unique way
in which Valdís has approached her directorial debut. After
winning numerous awards for her editing work on the global
hit Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind she could, argu-
ably, be sitting in a studio in LA working out how to make
millionaire actors look good in a final edit. So to hear tantal-
ising details about an Icelandic film that’s so experimental in
nature is both surprising and refreshing.
A willingness to do things differently extended to the
script, or lack thereof, with the actors again being given free
rein to lead the plot development through their own reactions
and interactions. This is something the director was quite
firm about. “I didn’t want to have a script. I wanted situations
and then I wanted the actors to make their own characters. I
thought that would be quite interesting. Doing it this way, you
get much more depth in the characters. They came with their
own background, with everything from themselves and they
used their own way of speaking, their own words. If I was the
writer I think everyone would talk similar.”
Explaining the reasons for the unscripted shoot, Valdís
explains, somewhat tongue-in-cheek: “First of all, I’m really
lazy so I thought it was great to get actors to do all the stuff
so I didn’t have to do anything myself.” But speaking a bit
more candidly she later reveals a deeper reason for making
Country Wedding using such methods. “I’m a film editor and
because of that I’m often sitting for a very long time working
on a film. It can be from four months up to nine months. So
I wanted to do something now. Not next year. Not two years
from now, but now.”
This impatience also extended to the filming process:
“I wanted to do it in one day, like real time. But the producers
said we would never make it as we’d need about 20 cam-
eras.” Valdís, who seems assured in her new directorial role,
is the only person who knows details of the film’s climax, as
Víkingur confesses: “I really don’t know how this movie is go-
ing to end but we are very much looking forward to finding
out!” Just like the actors, so are we.
"krIStjánSSon and ÓSkarSdÓttIr: the movIe buSIneSS IS really excItIng
Marriage of Mystery
A new Icelandic film about weddings has more
substance than most. And no funerals!
Country Wedding, a new film directed by
BAFTA award-winning Icelander Valdís
Óskarsdóttir, is set to be released later
this summer, but the seemingly straight-
forward title hides a few twists that make
it one of the most interesting movies of the
year.
“i’M a fiLM eDitor anD BeCause of that
i’M often sitting for a very Long tiMe
worKing on a fiLM. it Can Be froM four
Months up to nine Months. so i wanteD
to Do soMething now. not next year. not
two years froM now, But now.”
PREMIERE
Country Wedding is
released on 28 August with
English subtitles. For more
info see: www.countrywed-
dingmovie.com
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