A simple story of complicated grief, with an outstanding performance from Elín Hall at the centre. Rúnar Rúnarsson’s latest feature When The Light Breaks plays in the Love strand at London Film Festival 2024.
Two glorious Nordic sunsets bookend 24 emotional hours for Una (Elín Hall) in the latest from Icelandic writer/director.
Art student Una is at the beginning of a new relationship with Diddi (Baldur Einarsson), and they spend time on the beach together as the sun sets. The fly in the ointment is that Diddi hasn’t quite got around to dumping his current girlfriend Klara (Katla Njálsdóttir), and they are keeping their new status quiet until he does so the next day. That day dawns with an unexpected catastrophe, and Una struggles to know how to grieve with Klara’s arrival in town.
The time between sunsets fills just 82 minutes of screen time, most of it focussed in tight on the face of Elín Hall as she smokes, cries, dances her way through the day in memory of her departed friend. It’s quite an exquisite performance which I hope achieves some recognition.
When The Light Breaks is in essence a simple story of grief and the way in which its waves engulf us for a moment, before depositing us back into a reality where life somehow has to continue for those left behind, no matter how messy that might feel.
Props to whoever suggested to Rúnarsson that it would be good to use Iceland’s 2019 Eurovision Song Contest entry, Hatrið mun sigra(Hate will prevail), as a song of both mourning and celebration of life. Excellent choice!
When The Light Breaks plays in the Love strand of the London Film Festival 2024.
A simple story of complicated grief, with an outstanding performance from Elín Hall at the centre. Rúnar Rúnarsson’s latest feature When The Light Breaks plays in the Love strand at London Film Festival 2024.
Two glorious Nordic sunsets bookend 24 emotional hours for Una (Elín Hall) in the latest from Icelandic writer/director.
Art student Una is at the beginning of a new relationship with Diddi (Baldur Einarsson), and they spend time on the beach together as the sun sets. The fly in the ointment is that Diddi hasn’t quite got around to dumping his current girlfriend Klara (Katla Njálsdóttir), and they are keeping their new status quiet until he does so the next day. That day dawns with an unexpected catastrophe, and Una struggles to know how to grieve with Klara’s arrival in town.
The time between sunsets fills just 82 minutes of screen time, most of it focussed in tight on the face of Elín Hall as she smokes, cries, dances her way through the day in memory of her departed friend. It’s quite an exquisite performance which I hope achieves some recognition.
When The Light Breaks is in essence a simple story of grief and the way in which its waves engulf us for a moment, before depositing us back into a reality where life somehow has to continue for those left behind, no matter how messy that might feel.
Props to whoever suggested to Rúnarsson that it would be good to use Iceland’s 2019 Eurovision Song Contest entry, Hatrið mun sigra (Hate will prevail), as a song of both mourning and celebration of life. Excellent choice!
When The Light Breaks plays in the Love strand of the London Film Festival 2024.
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