WHEN THE LIGHT BREAKS nominated for the 2025 Nordic Council Film Prize
The Icelandic film When the Light Breaks (Ljósbrot), directed and written by Rúnar Rúnarsson and produced by Heather Millard, is one of seven films nominated for the 2025 Nordic Council Film Prize – among the most prestigious cultural awards in the Nordic region.
The film takes place on a long summer's day in Iceland when the life of a young woman is suddenly turned upside down.
Jury motivation:
Una, the film's protagonist, wrestles with inner turmoil reflected through mirrors and mirror images, born of the deep secrecy that defined her love affair. Elín Hall plays Una, and with raw vulnerability she guides the audience through an emotional journey where grief simmers beneath the surface. Ljósbrot deals with the transience of existence and how everything can change in the blink of an eye. Rúnar Rúnarsson's poetic realism gives precedence to the unspoken over explicit words, while weaving unexpected humor into the narrative. By allowing the tragic and the comic to stand side by side, Rúnar avoids presenting grief as a one-dimensional phenomenon and ensures that the film mirrors the often contradictory spectrum of human emotions in its entirety.
The film, which received critical acclaim and opened the Un Certain Regard section at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival where it premiered, has won numerous international awards. It was chosen as Film of the Year at the 2025 Edda Awards, winning five Edda Awards in total, and also received the Dragon Award for Best Nordic Film at the Gothenburg Film Festival.
https://youtu.be/wkcirD6MnhY?si=MusJ9wxCHrV7SfWb
The nominees will be presented on Tuesday at the Norwegian Film Festival in Haugesund, Norway. The winner will be announced on 21 October. This year's nominees include three documentary films and four feature films:
The Nordic Council Film Prize nominees 2025
- DENMARK: My Eternal Summer (Min Evige Sommer)
Directed by Sylvia Le Fanu
Written by Sylvia Le Fanu, Mads Lind Knudsen
Produced by Jeppe Wowk - FAROE ISLANDS: The Last Paradise on Earth (Seinasta paradís á jørð)
Directed by Sakaris Stórá
Written by Tommy Oksen, Mads Stegger, Sakaris Stórá
Produced by Jón Hammer - FINLAND: The Helsinki Effect
Directed & written by Arthur Franck
Produced by Sandra Enkvist, Arthur Franck, Oskar Forstén - GREENLAND: WALLS – Akinni Inuk
Directed by Sofie Rørdam, Nina Paninnguaq Skydsbjerg
Produced by Emile Hertling Péronard - ICELAND: When the Light Breaks (Ljósbrot)
Directed & written by Rúnar Rúnarsson
Produced by Heather Millard, Rúnar Rúnarsson - NORWAY: Dreams (Drømmer)
Directed & written by Dag Johan Haugerud
Produced by Yngve Sæther, Hege Hauff Hvattum - SWEDEN: Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958–1989 (Israel Palestina på svensk tv 1958-1989)
Directed & written by Göran Hugo Olsson
Produced by Tobias Janson
Since 2002, the Nordic Council Film Prize has been awarded to a full-length feature film that has roots in Nordic culture and displays high standards of artistic quality.