Volcano

Colour, 35 mm
Iceland, Denmark, 2011, 99 min
Section: Another View

Synopsis

The protagonist of this subtle feature debut from Icelandic director Rúnar Rúnarsson is 67-year-old Hannes, who has just retired. The reserved, taciturn man isn’t used to expressing his feelings. He has almost no friends. His children, long adults, have become estranged. And his relationship with his wife cooled off ages ago. A tragic event forces Hannes to reevaluate his life thus far and to discover the emotions that have been dormant within him for years. The sensitively written script, masterful direction by a talented young filmmaker, and an absolutely convincing performance by lead Theódór Júlíusson, make Volcano one of the sharpest film discoveries of the year. About his approach, the creator commented: "People at crossroads in their lives interest me. The questions they are confronted with, in balance with the choices they have.” The picture premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight section at this year’s Cannes festival.

About the director

Rúnar Rúnarsson (b. 1977, Reykjavik) finished studies at the National Film School of Denmark in 2009. His short films The Last Farm (Síðasti bærinn, 2004) and 2 Birds (Smáfuglar, 2008) and the medium-length Anna (2009) screened at numerous international festivals, including Cannes. They earned the director nearly 100 prizes along with nominations from the European and American film academies for Best Short Film. At the 5th Prague Short Film Festival, 2 Birds took the main prize.