12/05/2011

For those who can remember as far back as the Cannes Film Festival last year, there was much concern as to whether or not many people would actually be able to make it, thanks to the Icelandic volcano which had erupted before the festival, and was causing mass disruption to flights.

Fast forward to 2011 and there is no stopping Iceland. Several Icelandic films are playing here in the Marche and at the festival proper, including Volcano [+see also:
trailer
film profile], a new film directed by Rúnar Rúnarsson, which is showing in the Directors' Fortnight.

Shot in the fall of 2010, Volcano tells the story of Hannes. When he retires from his job as a janitor the big, empty time span that is the rest of his life begins. He is estranged from his family, has hardly any friends and the relationship to his wife has faded. Through drastic events, Hannes realizes that he has to adjust his life in order to help someone he loves.

TrustNordisk is selling international rights to the Zik Zak Filmworks production.

The films Jitters [+see also:
trailer
interview: Atli Óskar Fjalarsson
film profile], from Baldvin Z, and Our Own Oslo by Reynir Lyndgal are also screening here in Cannes.

Meanwhile, Icelandic talent can be found across other sections of the festival. In the Shortfilm Corner, there are a number of Icelandic titles showing, including Ísold Uggadottir’s Clean, Ingvar Stefánsson’s Chess Story, Haraldur Sigurjónsson’s Got Water?, Logi Hilmarsson’s Gravity, Einar Thorsteinsson’s Legacy, and Utopia by Lars Emil Árnason.

Icelandic producer Hlin Johannesdottir (see interview) has been selected as a Producer on the Move by the European Film Promotion for its 2011 edition of the program in Cannes. And the Icelandic actor Tomas Lemarquis can be seen in the Directors’ Fortnight title Chatrak [+see also:
trailer
film profile] from India/France.