Reykjavík Grapevine - 23.09.2016, Blaðsíða 22

“My experience as an actress has
taught me a lot about how everything
works during the filmmaking process.
It is also a great benefit to be an actor
when it comes to directing other ac-
tors. I watch movies a lot and by simply
watching films you can learn so many
things about storytelling.
“My leap to directing started when
I went to an extremely good university
scriptwriting course led by two very
talented directors, Hafsteinn Gunnar
Sigurðsson and Árni Óli Ásgeirsson.
They taught me a lot and inspired
me to keep on writing. A year later
my script was chosen to be a part of a
workshop held by [local co-operative]
Klapp Film Production, where we were
taught all the basic steps in making a
short film.”
Tinna
“My first job on a film set was when
I was seventeen. It was a commercial
production and I got hired as a pro-
duction assistant. I got the job because
the director of the commercial was
then renting my dad’s apartment and
my dad, knowing I was deeply into
filmmaking, just asked if I could help
out on any of his commercials. That
became the two toughest days of my
life at the time, as I wanted nothing
more than to prove myself. I worked
relentlessly in every department, car-
rying sandbags, assisting the grip and
electricians while also doing whatever
needed in the production. Years later,
that production company, Pegasus,
signed me as one of their commercial
directors.
“Directing in the commercial pro-
duction industry here opened up for
me to direct internationally. Work-
ing a lot abroad and domestically has
helped me immensely in developing
what I want to say and how I like to
work. What was helpful in Iceland was
the trust agencies would give me to
develop concepts and scripts.”
Rúnar Ingi
“I got a call from a friend of my father
who was going to make a television
series and had heard that my biggest
dream in life was to work on a film set.
He asked me if I wanted a job as a run-
ner on the show and I said yes. At the
end of the phone call he asked me if I
had a driver’s license, which I did not
have, but I promised him that I would
know how to drive when we started
shooting. Then I found the phonebook
(long time ago, you know) and called
the first drivering instructor I found.
I had like four major accidents dur-
ing this production, crashed three
cars and ruined a lot of lives but never
actually got fired. After that I kept on
working in different productions and
I really liked the atmosphere in the
business. I made some friends and
finally starting making some stuff of
my own.
“I finally decided to apply for film
school when I was working as a pro-
ducer at an advertising agency in
Reykjavík. I guess getting paid every
month made me realize that I needed
something else in my life so I opened
up a bottle of wine, wrote a script and
made a film which was something that
had been on my to-do list since I was
fourteen but which I was always too
afraid to do.”
Katrín
“I was the producer for my f irst
film, some five years ago; that came
around when some of my friends
wanted to make a short, and needed
some ‘money guy’ to help them out.
Even though none of us had any ex-
perience we made three 30-min-
ute films. Then I asked them if they
would help me to make one short that
I wanted to make. That film, ‘Sker’
became a success, and after that was
no turning back.”
Eyþór
“I had this dream of living in America
since I was a kid. The US has many of
the best films schools in the world and
if I was going to invest so much time
and money I only wanted to get the
best education possible.
Before I went to NYU I studied act-
ing at the Iceland Art Academy. My
class was way smaller and the school
was demanding but nothing compared
to NYU. You can’t really prepare for the
hard work, long days and lack of sleep
you have to face in grad school. I feel
like I’ve been on a ghost roller coaster
for the past three years!”
Anna Gunndís
“I acted in the theater as a child and as
I got older I began to get roles in some
films. I think I probably got my first
role after somebody rang and asked
me to act. You could call that my ‘film
school.’”
Ísak
On the challenges and
rewards of working in
Iceland…
“The biggest challenge is funding.
That’s material for a whole new inter-
view. In the case of ‘Cubs’ it blessedly
worked out in the end with a couple of
strong production companies behind
me.
“The benefits are that it’s a small
environment and the people in the
business are used to working very
closely with each other, almost as a
family. It makes the process of film-
making more enjoyable but also prac-
tical, the communication is clear and
simple.”
Nanna Kristín
“Nowadays I’m not as concerned as I
was about a lack of support for female
filmmakers, although things still need
to change. Female filmmakers have
now strongly opened the discussion
about gender discrimination, both
here in Iceland and worldwide, and
what I sense is that people are more
aware of the situation and want to
change it—both women and men.
“The filmmaking environment in
Iceland is like an ‘if there is a will,
there is a way’ kind of atmosphere. I
felt when I was making ‘Helga’ that so
many people are willing to lend a hand
and help those out who are just taking
their first steps.”
Tinna
“‘Playing by Ear’ is not fully funded, in
the sense that we hardly paid any sala-
ries, and I had to spend my own money
on the production. But hopefully I will
be able to sell it to get at least some of
the money back. Mostly I look at the
film as a ticket to the larger industry.
“The benefits are how small the in-
dustry is. Everybody knows everybody,
so you can just pick up your phone if
you need anything.”
Eyþór
“The biggest challenge is to evoke peo-
ple’s interest in watching your film.
I financed the film myself: I saved
money for the film for one year and
didn’t spend much in the meantime.”
sak
“I think the first challenge is always
on a personal level. What is it that I
want to say? Why do I want to say it?
And then convincing everyone else
around you why they should team up
for no money.
“I think the culture on film sets in
all honesty is not that much different
in America, Spain, Ireland, Sweden
or wherever. It all comes down to the
chemistry that is built on the set by the
producers and directors. If anything
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 15 — 2016
22