Chill Factor - Icelandic film sector plays by its own rules
January 28, 2003 - The Hollywood Reporter
REYKJAVIK, Iceland— Iceland is a tiny place. The capital, Reykjavik, hosts a scant 180,000 inhabitants. Walk its chilly, vibrant streets in the winter and you’re bound to get curious looks from the locals. Fly Iceland Air more than once and you start recognizing their in-flight staff or end up sitting next to Iceland’s best-known film producer — Snorri Thorisson.
Thorisson founded Iceland’s Saga Film Prods., then moved on to form Pegasus Prods. in 1992. The two are the biggest production houses in the country.
Pegasus’ client/ co-production list includes Warner Bros., New Line Cinema, Village Roadshow and Zentropa Entertainment. Saga, taking advantage of Iceland’s icy backdrop, recently received a big boost with its work on “Die Another Day,” providing a chilly lair for Gustav Graves and Miranda Frost. Both firms draw clients to Iceland’s unique landscape by taking advantage of a recent tax incentive law that reimburses productions made in Iceland for up to 12% of their production expenditures.
Amid the stylish Pegasus headquarters, Thorisson explains how, with a staff meeting just a few feet away, a thief recently walked into his office, grabbed his computer, then called a month later looking to find out how much he was willing to pay for it.
“I told him ‘No’ and called a guy from the underworld instead,” says Thorisson. “The guy found the thief and made up a story that I was willing to pay twice the price of the computer to break the thief’s knees. I had the computer back the next day and the guy from the underworld wouldn’t take my money.”
Quickly changing the subject, he declares, “Hey — You should meet Baltasar.” The man he’s referring to is Baltasar Kormakur, director of “The Sea” and “Reykjavik 101.”
Thorisson makes a phone call, and half an hour later we’re sitting at Baltasar’s café, Kaffibarrin, with Baltasar.
That’s how it seems to work in Iceland. Look for something, and half an hour later you’ve got it.
Kormakur is busy riding a wave of success with his new film, “The Sea,” which screened at Sundance last week and is the country’s official Oscar submission. It’s also been the biggest film of the year in Iceland.
“We just took out ‘Spider- Man,’” says Kormakur. “But we’re a little worried about ‘Harry Potter.’”
“The Sea” has already won five Icelandic EDDA Awards (Iceland’s top film nods). It also has the curious distinction of being the first-ever film shown with English subtitles in Iceland — no small feat considering the capital city only has about 10 movie theaters and 30 screens.
As a filmmaker from a small country, Kormakur says he sometimes feels like an Icelandic ambassador, though many in the country are upset about the way “The Sea” portrays the fishing rights system in his country.
“It’s a rotten system that eats its young,” he says. Returning to his diplomatic role, he adds, “but by being honest and even making a little fun of yourself, it gives you an interesting portrayal.”
“Plus,” he concludes, “I enjoy making small films about a small country.”
