Reykjavík Grapevine - 20.04.2018, Qupperneq 36

On The Edge Of
Morality
Filmmaker Börkur Sigþórsson on his new
movie “Vargur“, on engaging the audience
and embracing the dark sides of personality
Words: Phil Uwe Widiger Pictures: Timothée Lambrecq
After the international success of
the Icelandic TV series “Trapped“,
Börkur is close to finishing his
new film called “Vargur“ which
will be in theatres on May 4th. In
a noir-style crime story, two Ice-
landic brothers are trying to solve
their financial issues by smug-
gling a considerable amount
of cocaine to Iceland. The
Polish mule, having ingested
the drugs, gets sick and bare-
ly makes it through customs.
From there, a ferocious battle
of survival begins. “The story
is about how these broth-
ers deal with the situation
differently. It’s about how
far they are willing to go to
protect themselves and what
they’re prepared to sacri-
fice along the way,” explains
Börkur. “Every noir has an
anti-hero at its core who’s
constantly being forced to
choose between two hopeless
options. And as an audience,
you should be asking your-
self: ‘What would I do in this
situation?’”
Confrontation is art
In a mix of social commentary and
escapism, Börkur seeks to both
entertain and stimulate a conver-
sation. “Art is meant to disturb the
comfortable and comfort the dis-
turbed,” he tells me. “I don't think
about filmmaking as activism. If
you want to be an activist, be an
activist. But you want to be an art-
ist, don't supply answers. Provoke
questions.”
Embrace the darkness
The themes of self-reliance, re-
sponsibility and accountability
have been woven through Börkur’s
work since he started directing
shorts, with ‘Support’ being the
first one in 2008, followed by ‘Come
to Harm’ in 2011. “Everything is
autobiographical in one way or
another, and as an author, you are
always drawing on that,” Börkur
admits. “Especially in crime films,
you can tap into what you think are
your own worst qualities and mag-
nify them. Hence someone who is
trafficking drugs and inflicting
violence on people. You would not
necessarily do that yourself but
you wonder how a person gets to
that point.”
DIY interpretation
Engaging the audience by show-
ing enough, rather than too much,
is what the director strives for. In
order to get the viewer to resonate
with the characters of the film,
there has to be room for interpre-
tation. “'Sometimes you just want
the artist to shut up and pull back
and let the work speak for itself,”
says Börkur. “Forcing an interpre-
tation onto the audience by stating
my intentions is something that
I'm very reluctant to.“
Preying on the weak
The English film title is “Vul-
tures” but it was difficult
finding a proper translation
for the Icelandic word “Var-
gur”. It has a variety of dif-
ferent meanings, referring to
humans and animals alike.
“It can be a predator, a crea-
ture that preys on weaker
animals,” Börkur explains.
“It can also mean an outcast.
And, ironically, it can be com-
plementary. Someone who is
ruthless in their pursuit of a
specific goal and will go to
any lengths to achieve it,” he
adds. All of these meanings
carry a certain connection to
the story of the film, to the
environment the characters
are set in as well as the char-
acters themselves.
When asked about his ex-
pectations for the success of “Var-
gur“, Börkur gives a sober answer.
“In my work, I strive for sincerity.
We are all very similar, dealing
with the same essential questions.
If you are a moral person, you are
constantly questioning your own
morality. I think that is what will
attract people to the film.”
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5 minutes from Eyrarbakki
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483-3330 • raudahusid.is
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