When the Light Breaks
National and personal tragedy collide over the course of a single Icelandic summer day.
The true moment of reaching adulthood isn’t determined by age, but by death. Rúnar Rúnarsson’s slender story pivots on a traumatic 24 hours – sunset to sunset – in the life of young Icelandic performance art student Una (Elin Hall). This film from the director of “Volcano”, “Sparrows” and “Echo” is almost possessed by the titular light and the image of his native Reykjavík as he works again with his longtime collaborator DoP Sophia Olsson. Newcomer Hall strikes a real presence – bright as the light of summer in Iceland – and her character seems just as likely to survive this problematic present. Technically adults – they all seem to be in their early twenties – the events of this day will scrub out childhoods from their fresh faces and set their futures.
Fionnuala Halligan, Screen International
Rúnar Rúnarsson (1977) is an award-winning Icelandic director and screenwriter. Born in Reykjavik, he lived in Denmark for 7 years and graduated from the Danish Film School in 2009. His acclaimed short films have received over 100 international awards – including an Oscar nomination for “The Last Farm” (2004) and “2Birds” (2008) and “Anna” (2009) being selected for the Cannes Festival. His feature debut “Volcano” (2011) was selected for Cannes Directors’ Fortnight and received 17 international awards in a vast number of festivals. His second feature “Sparrows” (2015) also had an impressive festival run, with 20 international awards, including the award for Best Film in both São Paulo and San Sebastian, and the Silver Hugo for Best New Director at Chicago International Film Festival. His 2019 film “Echo” premiered at the Locarno Film Festival and won 6 international awards.
Eldfjall (Vulkaan, PÖFF 2011), Þrestir (Varblased, PÖFF 2015), Bergmál (Kaja, PÖFF 2019), Ljósbrot (When the Light Breaks, 2024)