The Sea

Colour, 35 mm
Iceland, France, Norway, 2002, 109 min
Section: Horizons

Synopsis

A family drama set in an Icelandic fishing village, where the new economic climate undermines the life of the local fishermen, unchanged for centuries. Equally turbulent are the relations within the family of the owner of the largest local fish-packing factory – the ageing Thordur. This despotic entrepreneur has three children: the eldest Haraldur who, under his supervision, works at the factory and at home battles with his wife, the alcoholic intellectual Ragnheidur, who studied film in Reykjavik and married a Norwegian. Then there’s the youngest, Agust, in whom he sees his successor. The young man, studying in Paris, cannot picture himself trading in fish and instead dreams of a career in the arts. The tension in the family comes to a head when Agúst comes on a visit with his pregnant French fiancée, of whom his step-sister María is wildly jealous from the very first moment. However, Thordur’s second wife Kristín has yet to have her say in this family conflict, along with the old, wise grandmother. Inspired by the stage play by Ólafur Hankur Símonarson, the story turns to tragedy when traditional family values are overwhelmed by ruthless intrigue, fired by greed and wantonness.  

About the director

Baltasar Kormakur (b. 1966, Reykjavik, Iceland) began with stage direction and acting after studies at the Icelandic Drama Academy, and has worked both at home and abroad. He established himself as an actor on the international scene in the dark film dramas of his compatriot Fridrik Thór Fridriksson Djoflaeyjan (1996) and Englar alheimsins (1999). As director, screenwriter and producer, he successfully debuted with an adaptation of the novel by Hallgrimur Helgason 101 Reykjavik (2000), which won the Young Jury Prize at the Locarno IFF, the FIPRESCI prize at the Thessaloniki IFF, and a New Discovery award at the Toronto IFF. He was also director, screenwriter and producer of his next film The Sea, which won the FIPRESCI prize at the Istanbul IFF and several 2002 Icelandic Edda Awards for Best Film, Direction, Screenplay, Sound (Valdís Óskarsdóttir) and for the four lead actors (Gunnar Eyólfsson, Eva Ósk Ólafsdóttir, Sigurour Skúlason, Herdis Orvaldsdóttir).