WHEN THE LIGHT BREAKS by Rúnar Rúnarsson selected for Karlovy Vary
Rúnar Rúnarsson's film When the Light Breaks has been selected for Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. The film will be shown in the Horizons section of the festival, which takes place from June 28 to July 6.
Icelandic filmmakers have long been prominent at this prestigious film festival. This year, Anna María Jóakimsdóttir-Hutri is participating on behalf of Iceland in the Future Frames programme, helmed by European Film Promotion. Her short film Who stands up for Alvar will be presented there, with only 10 directors selected for participation.
Photo: Anna María Jóakimsdóttir-Hutri and Sjón.
The jury for this year's Crystal Globe competition features Icelandic author and screenwriter Sjón. In recent years, he has gained attention as a screenwriter, having written the scripts for the films Lamb directed by Valdimar Jóhannsson and The Northman directed by Robert Eggers. Currently, he is working on an adaptation of Hamlet with director Ali Abbasi.
Fleeting beauty and unexpected loss
Rúnarsson's When the Light Breaks had its world premiere in May at the Cannes Film Festival, where it was the opening film of the Un Certain Regard section. The film takes place on a beautiful day when the life of a young woman is suddenly turned upside down. This sets off an emotional rollercoaster where the boundaries between laughter and tears, beauty and sorrow, sometimes become blurred.
The film received excellent reviews following its world premiere in Cannes. Critics from major outlets such as the Hollywood Reporter, Variety, and Screen Daily agreed that Rúnar Rúnarsson, along with a young and talented cast, managed to portray deep sorrow in an effective yet understated way. Screen Daily considered When the Light Breaks one of the standout films at the Cannes Film Festival.