Iceland review - 2019, Qupperneq 68

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Iceland Review
There’s something about Ingvar E. Sigurðsson’s face
that feels innately Icelandic. The peaks and val-
leys of his sharp bone structure are reminiscent of
Iceland’s landscapes of lava rock under a soft cover
of moss. But there’s something that goes deeper
still. As an actor in Iceland, he’s embodied some of
stage, film, and TV’s best-loved characters over the
past few decades. From his first film appearance in
the critically acclaimed Angels of the Universe, to
a successful run as the quintessentially Icelandic
Bjartur in a stage adaptation of Halldór Laxness’s
Independent People, to his established presence as
any curmudgeonly but steadfast character in films
like Jar City, The Swan, Metalhead and many more,
Ingvar’s piercing blue eyes make it clear that his
expressive face is only the tip of the iceberg – and
there’s hardly anything more innately Icelandic than
keeping most of yourself below the surface.
Supressed emotion
Ingvar’s latest roles include his turn as Ásgeir in
hit Nordic noir series Trapped and appearances in
the series Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
and Justice League. The one he’s most excited to
discuss however, is indie Icelandic production A
White, White Day, currently making the film festival
rounds and garnering praise and attention wherever
it goes. “It’s hard to tell you what it’s about because
it’s easy to get the wrong idea. If I say it’s about a
middle-aged man, played by me, who lives in the
countryside with his daughter and granddaughter,
people will imagine this cliché of people in crisis.
There’s something extra in this film that takes it out
of the cliché.” For Ingvar, what makes the film stand
out is the emotional impact it has on its audiences.
“People laugh out loud and cry their eyes out. It’s full
of emotion – but not sentimental. The feelings are
suppressed, but you still feel them. The film builds
slowly, but then it captures the audience.”
In order to get a sense of his character, to really
get under his skin, Ingvar has had plenty of time
to prepare. “It was very interesting to work on. I’ve
been involved in the film for five years, it was writ-
ten with me in mind for the lead. [Director Hlynur
Pálmason] sometimes called me and sent me some
material to let me know what he was thinking.” This
long preparation process had its effect on Ingvar’s
performance. “You don’t realise until you’re there
that you’ve had this character in your head for years,
slowly seeping in. Then when you’re on location, it’s
in you.”
Building character
Scripts outline the story, but acting is what brings it
to life. For Ingvar, getting to the heart of a character
is the most important part of an actor’s job. “It takes
preparation: you read it and think about it. If there’s
something that your character can do but you can’t,
you have to dive into that so you don’t look like an
amateur. If there’s a special knack to it, you have to
know what that looks like. You have to keep thinking
about the character until you reach that state where
you have something more than what’s on the paper,
something so much more. There can be much more
to a line than simply the words. You have to get the
character to that place where you can’t explain it in
words, something almost supernatural happens.”
Change of scene
While Ingvar has done more film and TV work than
many Icelandic actors, his first love was the stage,
and he feels treading the boards is an essential part
of an actor’s path. “Acting on stage before an audi-
ence, you have direct, open contact. There’s nothing
between you and the audience except for air and this
energy. There’s something going on in the heads of
the audience that affects you at the same time as
you affect the audience.” Still, he doesn’t feel there’s
a fundamental difference between theatre and film
acting. “You adapt to the medium you’re working in.
There’s also a difference between working on a small
stage and in a giant theatre, you might have to apply
yourself differently. You have to move differently.
You have to act for a lens and a microphone much as
you would an audience, it’s magical in its own way.
You use the same muscles and you have to make the
same effort.”
Ingvar has not only graced the Icelandic theatre,
he’s also acted on stages all over the world, includ-
ing playing the lead role in Peer Gynt, directed by
Irina Brook. Crossing the boundaries of their native
language is a challenge for any actor, but it can also
be freeing. “Sometimes it’s even easier to act in a dif-
ferent language. Icelandic is so close to your heart,