Remember how we mentioned that last week was a bit of a “calm before the storm” situation, as we get closer to the Halloween season and its nonstop onslaught of fresh horror movies?
That orange wave has arrived, and it won’t be slowing down until October 31. In fact, there are so many new releases this week that we’re going to break them up into separate days.
Here’s all the new horror that just released for August 22, 2023!
For daily reminders about new horror releases, be sure to follow @HorrorCalendar.
Cinephobia Releasing brings Dane Elcar‘s acclaimed sci-fi thriller Brightwood home today, a time loop horror movie that’s now available on all your favorite VOD outlets.
The indie horror movie centers on a married couple at the end of their rope, and that’s before they get trapped into a loop with a hooded killer in the woods.
That orange wave has arrived, and it won’t be slowing down until October 31. In fact, there are so many new releases this week that we’re going to break them up into separate days.
Here’s all the new horror that just released for August 22, 2023!
For daily reminders about new horror releases, be sure to follow @HorrorCalendar.
Cinephobia Releasing brings Dane Elcar‘s acclaimed sci-fi thriller Brightwood home today, a time loop horror movie that’s now available on all your favorite VOD outlets.
The indie horror movie centers on a married couple at the end of their rope, and that’s before they get trapped into a loop with a hooded killer in the woods.
- 8/22/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
There have been horror takes on children’s stories before, but turning fairy tales into horror movies has become very trendy lately. Earlier this year, we got Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey (read our review Here), and the filmmakers behind that movie are planning to make a sequel, while also building a cinematic universe that will include horror versions of Bambi and Peter Pan (Bambi: The Reckoning and Peter Pan: Neverland Nightmare), among others. Meanwhile, Cinderella’s Curse, Cinderella’s Revenge, Sleeping Beauty’s Massacre, and Goldilocks and the Three Bears: Death and Porridge are all coming down the line. Before we get any of those, Level 33 Entertainment will be bring Belle, a horrific take on Beauty and the Beast, to VOD on August 22nd. A trailer for the film can be seen in the embed above.
Max Gold, whose previous credits include Surfer’s Paradise, Silicon Beach, and Classic of Changes,...
Max Gold, whose previous credits include Surfer’s Paradise, Silicon Beach, and Classic of Changes,...
- 8/18/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
On the way from Level 33 Entertainment is the horror movie Belle, a brand new reimagining of the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast that’s headed home later this summer.
Written and directed by Max Gold, Belle will be released in select theaters July 14 and On Demand August 22.
The film will be playing at Hawkins Theatres Gateway Pavilions 18 in Avondale, Arizona this Friday, July 14, with more theaters to be added throughout the week.
Watch the official trailer for the Beauty and the Beast horror movie below…
In the upcoming film, “Belle would do anything to save her ailing father so she journeys in search of a mythical rose believed to be a cure. As payment for the rose, Belle must surrender herself to a vicious beast and battle his spell.”
Andrea Snædal (“Silicon Beach”), Ingi Hrafn Hilmarsson, Hana Vagnerová, Gudmundur Thorvaldsson, Helga Braga Jónsdóttir, and Sigurður Sigurjónsson star.
Written and directed by Max Gold, Belle will be released in select theaters July 14 and On Demand August 22.
The film will be playing at Hawkins Theatres Gateway Pavilions 18 in Avondale, Arizona this Friday, July 14, with more theaters to be added throughout the week.
Watch the official trailer for the Beauty and the Beast horror movie below…
In the upcoming film, “Belle would do anything to save her ailing father so she journeys in search of a mythical rose believed to be a cure. As payment for the rose, Belle must surrender herself to a vicious beast and battle his spell.”
Andrea Snædal (“Silicon Beach”), Ingi Hrafn Hilmarsson, Hana Vagnerová, Gudmundur Thorvaldsson, Helga Braga Jónsdóttir, and Sigurður Sigurjónsson star.
- 7/10/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Grímur Hákonarson finds more trouble brewing down on the farm in his follow-up to the Cannes Un Certain Regard-winning Rams. More of a low-key straight forward drama than his black comedy-inflected hit, The County tracks what happens to farmer Inga (Arndís Hrönn Egilsdóttir) after the unexpected death of her husband Reynir (Hinrik Ólafsson).
Suddenly in control of their farm, which was scraping by even with two of them working it, she finds herself locking horns with the local co-op after discovering the company has been strong-arming those who don't like its elevated prices in a move that cuts close to home.
Hákonarson's woman against corporate Mafia premise is solid enough but The County never manages to generate the emotional intensity that the feuding brothers brought to his previous film, perhaps because the bad guy, co-op chief Eyjólfur (Sigurður Sigurjónsson) gets less screentime than he might - although this does stop...
Suddenly in control of their farm, which was scraping by even with two of them working it, she finds herself locking horns with the local co-op after discovering the company has been strong-arming those who don't like its elevated prices in a move that cuts close to home.
Hákonarson's woman against corporate Mafia premise is solid enough but The County never manages to generate the emotional intensity that the feuding brothers brought to his previous film, perhaps because the bad guy, co-op chief Eyjólfur (Sigurður Sigurjónsson) gets less screentime than he might - although this does stop...
- 5/24/2020
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
In The County, Rams writer/ director Grímur Hákonarson gives us another slice of rural Icelandic life in this stunning, heartbreaking and at times deliciously playful drama. Written by Hákonarson and with a stunning cinematography courtesy of Mart Taniel, the film tells the story of a woman’s solitary fight against corruption and injustice in her farming community.
Middle-aged couple Inga (Arndís Hrönn Egilsdóttir) and Reynir (Hinrik Ólafsson) run a small dairy fam in one of the most remote areas of Iceland. Recently, however, the couple have struggled to keep afloat amidst mounting debts and a powerful local cooperative breathing down their necks. For years the local farming co-op has had a say on where farmers can buy or sell their produce, leaving them almost with no profit ands unable to prosper.
When Reynir dies suddenly leaving huge debts and a lot of unanswered questions behind, Inga learns of the true...
Middle-aged couple Inga (Arndís Hrönn Egilsdóttir) and Reynir (Hinrik Ólafsson) run a small dairy fam in one of the most remote areas of Iceland. Recently, however, the couple have struggled to keep afloat amidst mounting debts and a powerful local cooperative breathing down their necks. For years the local farming co-op has had a say on where farmers can buy or sell their produce, leaving them almost with no profit ands unable to prosper.
When Reynir dies suddenly leaving huge debts and a lot of unanswered questions behind, Inga learns of the true...
- 5/18/2020
- by Linda Marric
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
After the death of her dairy farmer husband, a middle-aged woman courageously sacrifices her livelihood to speak out against the corruption and injustice at work in her community in the audience-pleasing, humanist drama “The County.” Like writer-director Grímur Hákonarson’s previous film “Rams,” . The yin to that film’s yang, “The County” is full of feisty female energy and imagery, and sprinkled with rousing “you go girl!” comic moments. Niche arthouse play is a given for this appealing and endearingly modest tale.
Hard-working couple Inga (Arndís Hrönn Egilsdóttir) and Reynir (Hinrik Ólafsson) run Dalsmynni, a mom-and-pop dairy farm that has been in his family for generations. With money tight and their hours long, they haven’t been able to take a vacation for three years. At night, they are so fatigued that they can barely manage to mumble, “Did you call the inseminator?” or “Did you order the fertilizer?” before collapsing into bed.
Hard-working couple Inga (Arndís Hrönn Egilsdóttir) and Reynir (Hinrik Ólafsson) run Dalsmynni, a mom-and-pop dairy farm that has been in his family for generations. With money tight and their hours long, they haven’t been able to take a vacation for three years. At night, they are so fatigued that they can barely manage to mumble, “Did you call the inseminator?” or “Did you order the fertilizer?” before collapsing into bed.
- 9/8/2019
- by Alissa Simon
- Variety Film + TV
The devolution of a worker-owned entity into that which it was formed to combat probably occurs much faster than you’d expect. Things initially work like they should with successful profits and happy members. The establishment itself is also pleased because it sees little threat of anyone going outside its economic reach when the whole point of forming it was to get out from under the exorbitant costs of external resources. Vote an incoming director with greed in his/her heart that sees how good things are, however, and they’ll start finding ways to personally capitalize on that implicit harmony. Executive salaries are slowly raised, prices are gradually increased, and a new monopoly is eventually formed. And when members finally catch on, they unfortunately realize they’re too late to escape.
It’s at this point in the lifespan of one such co-op that writer/director Grímur Hákonarson introduces...
It’s at this point in the lifespan of one such co-op that writer/director Grímur Hákonarson introduces...
- 9/7/2019
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
First Trailer and Exclusive Soundtrack Preview for Grímur Hákonarson’s Tiff-Bound Drama ‘The County’
Grímur Hákonarson landed on our radar with his last film, the heartfelt Un Certain Regard Cannes winner Rams. Four years later he’s now back with The County, which follows an Icelandic woman who rises up against her local co-op and the old ways of life in her small village. Described as David-and-Goliath story, we look forward to the specificity and splendor that Hákonarson will likely once again bring to screens in this chilly locale.
Ahead of an international premiere at Tiff starting this Friday, we’re pleased to debut an exclusive track from the soundtrack, from Icelandic composer Valgeir Sigurdsson. Titled “Burial Ground,” it’s an eerily beautiful, scene-setting piece of music.
“I wanted to make a film about an individual who stands up to change society,” the director recently said. “Then I had the idea of Inga, a strong woman, working in a modern farm, fighting a patriarchal society.
Ahead of an international premiere at Tiff starting this Friday, we’re pleased to debut an exclusive track from the soundtrack, from Icelandic composer Valgeir Sigurdsson. Titled “Burial Ground,” it’s an eerily beautiful, scene-setting piece of music.
“I wanted to make a film about an individual who stands up to change society,” the director recently said. “Then I had the idea of Inga, a strong woman, working in a modern farm, fighting a patriarchal society.
- 9/3/2019
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
"It's time for us farmers to retake control." Yes! Fight the power! Screen Daily has debuted a festival promo trailer for the Icelandic drama titled The County, premiering at the Toronto Film Festival coming up next month. The film will screen in the Contemporary World Cinema section, after already opening in Icelandic cinemas this summer. From the acclaimed director of the film Rams, Grímur Hákonarson's The County is set in rural Iceland and follows Inga, a middle-aged cow farmer who loses her husband in an accident and must stand on her own two feet. She begins a new life on her own terms by fighting against corruption and injustice at the co-op in her community. Don't follow the herd! The film stars Arndís Hrönn Egilsdóttir, Sveinn Ólafur Gunnarsson, and Sigurður Sigurjónsson. I'm really enjoying this outstanding trend of anti-corruption, power-to-the-people films from Iceland these days (see also: Woman at War). More of this.
- 8/22/2019
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
The County
Four years after his hit sophomore film Rams (2015), Iceland’s Grimur Hakonarson should at last be ready with his third feature, The County. His latest is an Icelandic-Danish-French-German co-production, comprised of Hakonarson’s returning producer Grimar Jonsson (also of 2017’s Under the Tree) plus co-producers Jamila Wenske and Sol Bondy. Starring Arndís Hrönn Egilsdóttir, Hakonarson also reunites with his Rams actors Sigurður Sigurjónsson and Sveinn Ólafur Gunnarsson, who are also joined by Hinrik Ólafsson, Hannes Óli Ágústsson, Ragnhildur Gísladóttir and Denmark’s Jens Albinus.…...
Four years after his hit sophomore film Rams (2015), Iceland’s Grimur Hakonarson should at last be ready with his third feature, The County. His latest is an Icelandic-Danish-French-German co-production, comprised of Hakonarson’s returning producer Grimar Jonsson (also of 2017’s Under the Tree) plus co-producers Jamila Wenske and Sol Bondy. Starring Arndís Hrönn Egilsdóttir, Hakonarson also reunites with his Rams actors Sigurður Sigurjónsson and Sveinn Ólafur Gunnarsson, who are also joined by Hinrik Ólafsson, Hannes Óli Ágústsson, Ragnhildur Gísladóttir and Denmark’s Jens Albinus.…...
- 1/4/2019
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
If humans weren’t always the pettiest creatures on Earth, we’ve definitely earned the title this past century. Just think about how often you find yourself asking the question, “Let’s see what they’ll do about this?” I don’t mean hypothetically either. I’m talking about truly contemplating your next smugly biting (until an inevitable escalation leads you towards unforgivably heinous) act of vengeance to counter whatever your latest opponent in life has delivered. Eventually we forget how our duel began because our desperation to achieve a win proves too powerful to accept anything else. I’m sure this mindset has been exacerbated by newfound convenience through technology because things that used to occupy our time have been streamlined or replaced. The resulting boredom ignites an unquenchable desire for triumphant satisfaction.
What’s worse is that our opponents very often become people we cannot avoid. Our own...
What’s worse is that our opponents very often become people we cannot avoid. Our own...
- 7/5/2018
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
"Who does a thing like this?" Magnolia Pictures has debuted an official Us trailer for the indie dark comedy Under the Tree, one of the few films from Iceland made every year. The film premiered at the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals last year, and played at a number of other fests. It will be released in Us theaters this July. When Baldwin and Inga's next door neighbours complain that a tree in their backyard casts a shadow over their sundeck, what starts off as a typical spat between neighbours in the suburbs unexpectedly and violently spirals out of control. The film stars Steinþór Hróar Steinþórsson, Edda Björgvinsdóttir, Sigurður Sigurjónsson, Þorsteinn Bachmann, and Selma Björnsdóttir. I watched this and it's such a depressing film, despite good intentions. It's very well made but just too sad by the end. Take a look below. Here's the official Us trailer (+ poster) for Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson...
- 5/30/2018
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Iceland-Poland-Denmark-Germany co-pro picks up seven awards including best film and best director.
Under The Tree and Prisoners were the big winners at Iceland’s Edda Awards on Sunday.
The film won seven awards: best film, best director (Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson), best actress (Edda Björgvinsdóttir), best actor (Steinþór Hróar Steinþórsson), supporting actor (Sigurður Sigurjónsson), best original screenplay (Huldar Breiðfjörð and Sigurðsson), and best special effects (The Gentlemen Broncos).
Ragnar Bragason’s Ruv series Prisoners took home the most gongs, with 10 awards including best TV series and most popular TV series, plus awards for sound, music, editing, cinematography, costumes, make-up, art direction and best supporting actress.
Baldvin Z won best documentary for Beyond Strength, about an Icelandic strongman, while best short film went to Atelier by Elsa María Jakobsdóttir.
Best children’s programme went to Guðrún Ragnarsdóttir’s Summer Children, which premiered in Tallinn Black Nights.
Under The Tree, an Iceland-Poland-Denmark-Germany co-production, premiered in Venice...
Under The Tree and Prisoners were the big winners at Iceland’s Edda Awards on Sunday.
The film won seven awards: best film, best director (Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson), best actress (Edda Björgvinsdóttir), best actor (Steinþór Hróar Steinþórsson), supporting actor (Sigurður Sigurjónsson), best original screenplay (Huldar Breiðfjörð and Sigurðsson), and best special effects (The Gentlemen Broncos).
Ragnar Bragason’s Ruv series Prisoners took home the most gongs, with 10 awards including best TV series and most popular TV series, plus awards for sound, music, editing, cinematography, costumes, make-up, art direction and best supporting actress.
Baldvin Z won best documentary for Beyond Strength, about an Icelandic strongman, while best short film went to Atelier by Elsa María Jakobsdóttir.
Best children’s programme went to Guðrún Ragnarsdóttir’s Summer Children, which premiered in Tallinn Black Nights.
Under The Tree, an Iceland-Poland-Denmark-Germany co-production, premiered in Venice...
- 2/27/2018
- by Wendy Mitchell
- ScreenDaily
Iceland-Poland-Denmark-Germany co-pro picks up seven awards including best film and best director.
Under The Tree was the big winner at Iceland’s Edda Awards on Sunday.
The film won seven awards: best film, best director (Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson), best actress (Edda Björgvinsdóttir), best actor (Steinþór Hróar Steinþórsson), supporting actor (Sigurður Sigurjónsson), best original screenplay (Huldar Breiðfjörð and Sigurðsson) and best special effects (The Gentlemen Broncos).
Baldvin Z won best documentary for Beyond Strength, about an Icelandic strongman, while Best Short Film went to Atelier by Elsa María Jakobsdóttir.
Best Children’s programme went to Guðrún Ragnarsdóttir’s Summer Children, which premiered in Tallinn Black Nights.
On the TV side, Ragnar Bragason’s Ruv series Prisoners won 10 prizes.
Under The Tree, an Iceland-Poland-Denmark-Germany co-production, premiered in Venice Orizzonti before going to Toronto; the film went on to win awards in the Hamptons, Zurich and Fantastic Fest, among others. The dark comedy/tragedy was Iceland’s submission for the foreign-language...
Under The Tree was the big winner at Iceland’s Edda Awards on Sunday.
The film won seven awards: best film, best director (Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson), best actress (Edda Björgvinsdóttir), best actor (Steinþór Hróar Steinþórsson), supporting actor (Sigurður Sigurjónsson), best original screenplay (Huldar Breiðfjörð and Sigurðsson) and best special effects (The Gentlemen Broncos).
Baldvin Z won best documentary for Beyond Strength, about an Icelandic strongman, while Best Short Film went to Atelier by Elsa María Jakobsdóttir.
Best Children’s programme went to Guðrún Ragnarsdóttir’s Summer Children, which premiered in Tallinn Black Nights.
On the TV side, Ragnar Bragason’s Ruv series Prisoners won 10 prizes.
Under The Tree, an Iceland-Poland-Denmark-Germany co-production, premiered in Venice Orizzonti before going to Toronto; the film went on to win awards in the Hamptons, Zurich and Fantastic Fest, among others. The dark comedy/tragedy was Iceland’s submission for the foreign-language...
- 2/27/2018
- by Wendy Mitchell
- ScreenDaily
German co-producer joins anticipated new project from Grimur Hakonarson, which will start shooting in late February.
Source: Cannes Film Festival
‘Rams’
Sol Bondy and Jamila Wenske’s Berlin-based One Two Films, has joined as a co-producer on Grimur Hakonarson’s The County, the Icelandic director’s anticipated follow-up to 2015 hit Rams.
One Two joins alongside German broadcaster Sr/Arte.
Grimar Jonsson of Iceland’s Netop Films is the lead producer, with partners Profile Pictures of Denmark, Haut et Court of France and now One Two of Germany. Backers include the Icelandic Film Centre, Danish Film Institute, Nordisk Film + TV Fond and Sr/Arte.
As with Rams, Jan Naszewski’s New Europe will handle sales. Distributors already on board are Sena in Iceland, Scanbox for Scandinavia and Haut et Court in France.
The County will start shooting in late February in the countryside of northern Iceland, for delivery in early 2019.
The story is a drama set in rural Iceland...
Source: Cannes Film Festival
‘Rams’
Sol Bondy and Jamila Wenske’s Berlin-based One Two Films, has joined as a co-producer on Grimur Hakonarson’s The County, the Icelandic director’s anticipated follow-up to 2015 hit Rams.
One Two joins alongside German broadcaster Sr/Arte.
Grimar Jonsson of Iceland’s Netop Films is the lead producer, with partners Profile Pictures of Denmark, Haut et Court of France and now One Two of Germany. Backers include the Icelandic Film Centre, Danish Film Institute, Nordisk Film + TV Fond and Sr/Arte.
As with Rams, Jan Naszewski’s New Europe will handle sales. Distributors already on board are Sena in Iceland, Scanbox for Scandinavia and Haut et Court in France.
The County will start shooting in late February in the countryside of northern Iceland, for delivery in early 2019.
The story is a drama set in rural Iceland...
- 1/17/2018
- by Wendy Mitchell
- ScreenDaily
Under the Tree Review Under the Tree (2017) Film Review from the 74th Annual Venice International Film Festival, a movie directed by Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson, starring Steinþór Hróar Steinþórsson, Edda Björgvinsdóttir, Sigurður Sigurjónsson, Lára Jóhanna Jónsdóttir, Þorsteinn Bachmann, and Selma Björnsdóttir was a hyperbolic look at a dispute between neighbors that shifted from darkly comedic to sadistic in [...]
Continue reading: Film Review: Under The Tree: Neighbors Get Creatively Cruel [Venice 2017]...
Continue reading: Film Review: Under The Tree: Neighbors Get Creatively Cruel [Venice 2017]...
- 8/31/2017
- by PopcornMovieMaiden
- Film-Book
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit the interwebs. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.
Captain America: Civil War (Russos)
In seeking to create an expansive multi-film universe, Marvel has managed to both bless and curse each of its subsequent films. The blessing comes in the form of a character development that takes place over the course of films and phases instead of scenes and acts. Characters who we met eight years ago have grown and changed before our eyes, and...
Captain America: Civil War (Russos)
In seeking to create an expansive multi-film universe, Marvel has managed to both bless and curse each of its subsequent films. The blessing comes in the form of a character development that takes place over the course of films and phases instead of scenes and acts. Characters who we met eight years ago have grown and changed before our eyes, and...
- 9/2/2016
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit the interwebs. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.
The Films of Albert Brooks
We can think of no better way to celebrate the holiday weekend then curling up with the hilarious, often touching films of Albert Brooks. All of his directorial features — Real Life, Modern Romance, Lost in America, Defending Your Life, Mother, The Muse, and Looking For Comedy in a Muslim World — have now been added to Netflix. What are you waiting for?...
The Films of Albert Brooks
We can think of no better way to celebrate the holiday weekend then curling up with the hilarious, often touching films of Albert Brooks. All of his directorial features — Real Life, Modern Romance, Lost in America, Defending Your Life, Mother, The Muse, and Looking For Comedy in a Muslim World — have now been added to Netflix. What are you waiting for?...
- 7/1/2016
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Exclusive: New Europe Film Sales will sell the Iceland-Denmark-Poland co-production.
Iceland’s Netop Films, Denmark’s Profile Pictures and Poland’s Madants, a trio who previously collaborated on Icelandic hit Rams, are reuniting to co-produce Under The Tree, the new film from Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurdsson, whose credits include Paris Of the North and Either Way.
The film starts shooting in Iceland on July 19 for six weeks.
The Nordisk TV & Film Fond has now confirmed backing of $156,400 (Nok 1.3m) for the $2.2m (€2m) budget. Other backers are The Icelandic Film Centre, Danish Film Institute and Polish Film Institute.
Under The Tree has been pre-sold to Sena for Icelandic distribution and to Ruv for free TV in Iceland. Scanbox has acquired Scandinavian rights. New Europe Film Sales, which also teamed with Netop on Icelandic hit Rams, will handle international sales.
“Grimar [Netop Films producer Grimar Jónsson] and I had an amazing journey with Rams, so when he approached me with a new project it was...
Iceland’s Netop Films, Denmark’s Profile Pictures and Poland’s Madants, a trio who previously collaborated on Icelandic hit Rams, are reuniting to co-produce Under The Tree, the new film from Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurdsson, whose credits include Paris Of the North and Either Way.
The film starts shooting in Iceland on July 19 for six weeks.
The Nordisk TV & Film Fond has now confirmed backing of $156,400 (Nok 1.3m) for the $2.2m (€2m) budget. Other backers are The Icelandic Film Centre, Danish Film Institute and Polish Film Institute.
Under The Tree has been pre-sold to Sena for Icelandic distribution and to Ruv for free TV in Iceland. Scanbox has acquired Scandinavian rights. New Europe Film Sales, which also teamed with Netop on Icelandic hit Rams, will handle international sales.
“Grimar [Netop Films producer Grimar Jónsson] and I had an amazing journey with Rams, so when he approached me with a new project it was...
- 6/20/2016
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
Grimur Hakonarson’s drama swept to 11 wins in Reykjavik.Scroll down for full list of winners
Rams, a drama directed by Grimur Hakonarson, brought home a grand total of 11 trophies at the Edda Awards, Iceland’s national film prizes, which the Icelandic Film and Television Academy presented over the weekend at a televised gala held in Reykjavik.
The story of two Icelandic brothers and sheep farmers who are forced to put aside their 40-year feud to save their sheep, won Eddas including for film, screenplay, director, cinematography and editing.
Both main actors in Rams - Sigurjon Sighvatsson and Theodor Juliusson - took home Eddas for their roles.
The Eddas for female roles went to two actresses in the TV series Case, Steinunn Olina Thorsteinsdottir and Birna Run Eiriksdottir.
Trapped, an Icelandic mystery television series, won an Edda as the best TV series. The broadcasting rights for Trapped have already been sold to several countries, including France...
Rams, a drama directed by Grimur Hakonarson, brought home a grand total of 11 trophies at the Edda Awards, Iceland’s national film prizes, which the Icelandic Film and Television Academy presented over the weekend at a televised gala held in Reykjavik.
The story of two Icelandic brothers and sheep farmers who are forced to put aside their 40-year feud to save their sheep, won Eddas including for film, screenplay, director, cinematography and editing.
Both main actors in Rams - Sigurjon Sighvatsson and Theodor Juliusson - took home Eddas for their roles.
The Eddas for female roles went to two actresses in the TV series Case, Steinunn Olina Thorsteinsdottir and Birna Run Eiriksdottir.
Trapped, an Icelandic mystery television series, won an Edda as the best TV series. The broadcasting rights for Trapped have already been sold to several countries, including France...
- 2/29/2016
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman) michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Ultimately, it is unsurprising the love between estranged brothers at the heart of an isolated farming community in Iceland, so, at the heart of this film, is a strong one, disguised in a vehement stalemate where neither has spoken to the other in forty years. You wonder briefly where this schism comes from, but get swept into the emotional drama of both men losing their livelihood, a loss that asserts itself as a foil for their estrangement. Rams (Hrútar) can be bleak if you fast forward and pause in chunks, but reveals a vulnerable humanity punctuated by on-location natural beauty. Not since Midnight Cowboy perhaps, have I felt a brotherly love so wrapped in tactile closeness.
Early in Rams, local veterinarians give devastating news to brothers Gummi (Sigurður Sigurjónsson) and Kiddi (Theodór Júlíusson) along with their Bardardalur farming community. One of Kiddi’s rams has contracted scrapie, an incurable disease...
Early in Rams, local veterinarians give devastating news to brothers Gummi (Sigurður Sigurjónsson) and Kiddi (Theodór Júlíusson) along with their Bardardalur farming community. One of Kiddi’s rams has contracted scrapie, an incurable disease...
- 2/19/2016
- by Dina Paulson
- CinemaNerdz
Örvarsson: 'It was a very difficult film to score because it's so sensitive, so fragile. It would be so easy to be overpowering' Cannes Un Certain Regard winner Rams is out on release in the UK and Us now. The tragicomic Icelandic drama tells the story of two brothers, Gummi (Sigurður Sigurjónsson) and Kiddi (Theodór Júlíusson), who haven't spoken for decades despite living on neighbouring farms. When their flocks are threatened with extermination due to an outbreak of scabies, the pair discover they may have to communicate after all. Due to the near-silent lives that the brothers lead, music plays a key role in supporting the story and I caught up with Icelandic-born composer Atli Örvarsson at Sundance Film Festival last month, where the film screened in the Spotlight section.
Composer Atli Örvarsson: 'It's not that I never watch entertainment or mainstream things, but I wanted to do something...
Composer Atli Örvarsson: 'It's not that I never watch entertainment or mainstream things, but I wanted to do something...
- 2/10/2016
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
★★★★☆ Grímur Hákonarson's Rams is an affecting feature about sheep which also speaks reams about the human condition. Hákonarson focuses on two estranged brothers who share a passion for sheep farming. Set in a remote part of Iceland, Gummi (Sigurður Sigurjónsson) and Kiddi (Theodór Júlíusson) own adjacent land but have not spoken to each other in decades. They keep to themselves and avoid any form of verbal contact with one another. Wandering ewes are wordlessly returned if they stray onto each other's land. When forced to communicate, Gummi's sheepdog is employed to convey their hastily scribbled messages.
- 2/10/2016
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
Grímur Hákonarson's Rams was one of the best films at 2015's (sometimes underwhelming) Cannes Film Festival, and is well worth seeing if you're a big fan of Scandinavian films. It tells the story of two brothers who live like two warring Santa bad-asses on a rural sheep farm they have inherited. Filled with fantastic Christmas jumpers, wonderful beards and some top-notch comedic acting by Sigurður Sigurjónsson and Theodór Júlíusson this film is definitely a lot of fun to watch. At the same time, however, the movie has a very touching dramatic story which arises out of a community's sheep falling victim to an outbreak of the fatal disease scrapie. Dealing with the deep emotional turmoil that causes - for many farmers, in many countries -...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 2/7/2016
- Screen Anarchy
Rough tenderness forged from a life of silent hard work and self-imposed isolation is the defining quality of Grímur Hákonarson’s
characters and the trials they endure in “Rams,” a story about brotherly love gone awry set in the vast Icelandic countryside mostly populated by highly-regarded sheep. As is often the case with Scandinavian cinema, the film’s narrative is enhanced by its clever and precise use of dark and dry humor. However, Hákonarson’s rural portrayal of a relationship in need of mending is grounded on compelling human interpersonal afflictions, which serves as a sensible vehicle for the comedy to be delivered.
During a local competition between sheep farmers, Gummi, a levelheaded man who enjoys the pleasures of solitude, notices that his brother Kiddi’s most precious ram shows signs of a scrapie, a deadly and infectious disease that can kill entire flocks. Though the simplest way to ensure the safety of everyone’s sheep would be to talk to his brother, Gummi is aware this is not a viable path because, despite living on the same property they entire lives, they haven’t spoken in several decades. The looming possibility of losing their shared livelihood will widen the emotional gap between the two, one that can only be resolved if they join forces against the mortal virus and the authorities. Authentically Icelandic in content and execution, "Rams" was Iceland's official entry in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 88th Academy Awards.
In our recent conversation with the Cannes-winning Icelandic filmmakers, Hákonarson discussed the relationship between the location and the film's visual approach, his homelands deeply ingrained love for sheep, the emerging local film industry, and the casting process to find the right four-legged stars for "Rams."
Carlos Aguilar: Tell me about the importance of sheep in Icelandic culture. Why do you think Icelandic people relate to these animals in such endearing fashion? They seem to not only be part of the pastoral lifestyle but of their interpersonal relationships.
Grímur Hákonarson: When the first settlers came to Iceland, the Vikings who came from Norway, they brought the sheep with them. Sheep were the main livelihood throughout the centuries. They used the wool for clothing and the meat and milk to feed themselves. It was their main livelihood. We didn’t have so many cows. People ate or use every part of the sheep except the anus. The anus was the only part people didn’t utilize. It stayed that way until the 20th century. Older people lived in farms until the 19th century and then it totally changed. Now older people live in the cities. There is this historical and cultural connection between Icelandic people and sheep. The farmers take the sheep to the highlands in the spring, then they have a competition, they hang around drinking and singing songs about sheep, so there is definitely a culture around sheep. But there also seems to be some kind of unexplained spiritual connection between farmers and their sheep. Many farmers say they relate in a stronger emotional way to sheep than to cows. Numerous farmers have told me this. I know farmers that have lost their sheep because of scrapie, and even though they had horses and cows, it was somehow much more difficult for them to get over losing their sheep.
CA: What was the motivation for using a story of two estrange brothers to tackle this singular aspect about Icelandic culture? Was any part of the premise based on actual events or stories you heard from people who made a living as sheep farmers?
Grímur Hákonarson: The film is based on a true story that my father told me years ago about two brothers who lived on the same land next to each other for 40 years and didn’t speak. I thought that story was interesting. I think it’s very Icelandic and it describes us a bit as a nation being an island and being isolated. People tend to be very independent and nationalistic. I also thought these idea could be a tragicomedy. The basic idea of these brothers is funny and sad at the same time. It’s sad that they don’t speak, but it’s also unique situation. I though that was interesting, and on the other hand I also wanted to make a film about this relationship with sheep, so I combined these two ideas.
CA: Both brothers seem to very territorial and they use concrete, not always well-intentioned, acts rather than using language to express their feelings.
Grímur Hákonarson: The reason they don’t speak to each other, of course, is because they don’t need to speak to each other. They act more than they talk. They rather speak to the sheep and they become very close with them. That’s also the reason there is not a lot of dialogue in the movie. It’s told mainly through images and through actions. The story I’m telling affected the filmmaking process in a way because it creates a unique kind of atmosphere. I was trying to capture life in this part of the world, which is kind of slow and relaxed. People live alongside sheep. The visual style of the film is also a bit slow-paced. This visual style is also trying to capture this way of living and its atmosphere.
CA: Did you based these two brothers on real life characters in the story your father told you, were they the result of different traits from people you know, or were they entirely fictitious? Once you have brought them to life on paper, how challenging was it to match them with the right actors?
Grímur Hákonarson: I had some prototypes to base them on. The real life characters died in the 90s because it’s an old story. I never met them, but I had some prototypes based on a pair of brothers I know. These brothers were living together and they were good friends, but they were very different characters. One of them was an introverts and the other was more of an extrovert. One was an alcoholic and the other was more feminine and cleaned and took care of things. I used these guys as prototypes for the characters, and when I selected the actors I knew the actor a little bit and I knew they shared some personality elements with the characters. In a way they were typed-cast both mentally and physically, Sigurður Sigurjónsson who plays Gummi is a small guy, and Theodór Júlíusson, who plays Kiddi, looks more macho and is bigger. They were physically and mentally perfect for the roles. I think that’s a good thing when you are picking an actor. It's important that the actor has experienced something similar or knows something about the inner emotions of the character.
CA: Loneliness comes across as an underlying theme in "Rams." These brothers who live so close to each other are still very lonely by choice. Is this concept something that you decisively considered when creating the characters?
Grímur Hákonarson: Of course, that makes it really tragic. They actually need to talk to each other but they are so stubborn that they never call a mediator or psychiatrist. The dog is the only link between them. Of course there is loneliness. Gummi, the main character, I think he is an introvert and he enjoys his life a lot. He enjoys his life, he is not unhappy. He is quite satisfied with his life, but his older brother is not and that’s because of this division of the land. He is unhappy. The idea was that the older brother Kiddi had had some girlfriends or wives before, but they got sick of him and moved out. Gummi, on the hand, was kind of this puritan who had never had any sex in his life. This loneliness is one of the reasons we shot on CinemaScope with anamorphic lenses. Also, the framing, which is kind of wide and static, was trying to capture this loneliness. They live lonely lives.
CA: In terms of the visual style and your decisions regarding the film's cinematography, how did the landscape and the nature of the story influenced these choices?
Grímur Hákonarson: The characters are living very close to nature and they spend a lot of time on the field with the sheep, so we wanted to capture the landscape and the nature around them and to connect them to it. That’s why we shot it using anamorphic lenses. I think 10 years ago we probably would have shot it on 35mm or 16mm because it’s that kind of film. It’s about these old farmers stuck in the past and it takes place in nature, so we tried to imitate this film look with the anamorphic lenses. The look of the film it’s a bit like a Western, if it had cows perhaps they would look like cowboys. We might have been a bit inspired by a movie like “There Will Be Blood.” There are some shots and scenes in “Rams” that were shot very similarly to those in “There Will Be Blood.” It’s an Icelandic Western with sheep and guns.
CA: I'm curious to know how was the casting process and working dynamic with the sheep. They are the stars of the film. Were they difficult to work with in a film like ths in which they play a very integral part? How did you know which sheep were the right ones to appear on camera?
Grímur Hákonarson: The most important thing was to find the right sheep. We had to select the right sheep and we did sheep casting. We saw a lot of sheep because the sheep that were living on the farm were too afraid of people. They would just ran away from you. We then found these sheep that looked really pretty because they are a good breed, but they were also very calm and they ere used to people. The reason for that is that their owners treat them as pets. They talk to them and pet them like if they were dogs. Those sheep were not afraid of humans. Then we hired a professional sheep farmer to train them and to be with us on set. We rehearsed all the sheep scenes before shooting them, like when Gummi bathes the ram. We said, “Ok lets bathe this ram,” and we found out that we needed five people to hold the ram in the bathtub but we couldn’t have all of them in the shot. When we filmed I told the actor, “ Ok Sigurður they are going to hold the ram but then they are going to run away and you just have to do it yourself and we’ll see what happens.” I said, “Action,” and the guys ran away and the actor was alone trying to hold the ram - it was interesting.
Thomas Vinterberg, who made “Far from the Madding Crowd,“ said that it was a disaster to work with sheep and that it was very difficult, but I have a different opinion about that. We usually didn’t have to shoot many takes with the sheep. Usually we did less than five takes in the scenes involving sheep. The sheep were very professional. Some of the actors went to 12 or 15 takes, but the sheep usually didn’t. They were one-take sheep.
CA: When the disease, scrapie, threatens the farmers way of life in the film a lot of them contemplate leaving it all behind and moving away. Would you say this this way of living is slowly dying not only because of occurrences like this but also because it's being overpowered by modern farming practices?
Grímur Hákonarson: Today there are not many sheep farmers like these brothers who live only from their sheep. It’s becoming more like a hobby today. It’s lees of a business. It’s difficult to make a living from sheep farming. There are not so many farmers like the brothers in the film who can only live from that. They have a tough life. They are quite poor. They can’t afford much. Sheep farming in Iceland has been declining and it’s struggling. It’s always going to be there and it’s always going to be a part of our culture, but it’s becoming more and more difficult to live from it. The brothers in the film are a bit like the last Mohicans. They are the last remains of this old farming society. This disease, scrapie, has caused a lot of harm in Iceland. Sheep are becoming less abundant. About 30 years ago, in the 1980s, there were three times more sheep in Iceland.
CA: Scandinavian humor is clearly idiosyncratic and definitely dry, but you managed to blend the comedy elicited from the characters' circumstance with the emotional poignancy of the story rather organically. How did merging these two tonal elements come about when crafting the film?
Grímur Hákonarson: The basic idea about these brothers living so close together but not speaking to each other is a good premise for black comedy. It has a tragicomic element. That’s why humor is a naturally underlying element throughout the whole film because the basic idea is a bit humorous itself. Then there are some scenes that are very funny of course, and those are supposed to make you laugh. I don’t like to make films that are too serious or too heavy. I try to pick stories that have a little bit of lightness in them and in “Rams,” maybe, I managed to master this balance. Some people cry in “Rams” and it can get really emotional. It has a strong message, but it’s also entertaining. I’m inspired by filmmakers like Aki Kaurismäki, known for his Finnish dark comedies, Bent Hamer in Norway, or Swedish director Roy Andersson. I’m inspired by these Scandinavian directors. My humor is pretty dry and people who know me see Grímur’s humor in the film. If I wasn’t a humorous person I would make different films.
CA: Despite the overall comedic tone of the film, the ending is particularly moving and shows a tenderness we hadn't fully seen before in the film. Why did you feel this was the correct way to conclude this tale about two brothers whose broken relationship gets a second chance thanks to the sheep?
Grímur Hákonarson: I think the ending is symbolic. It’s about these two brothers and their relationship. It’ a very powerful ending and it’s also an open ending. It makes people think and it stays with people. I’m really happy with it. It’s also a kind of risky ending, many people who read the screenplay warned me, “Grímur, you really think it should end like this? You don’t want to explain it a bit more?” But I went for this ending. When I was shooting, making the ending work was one of the most difficult things. It was worth the risk.
CA: Do you have any brothers? If so, is anything in "Rams" specifically related to your personal relationship with your brothers or siblings and what did they think of that being depiction in the film?
Grímur Hákonarson: Yes I have a brother. We were just Skyping recently. He’s seen the film and I think he never though it was about him because we have a good relationship. There is nothing in my family like in the film. My family is quite peaceful, so the story of the brothers is not connected to me personally. What’s connected to me personally is that my mother passed away when I was writing the script. The film is dedicated to her. She grew up on a sheep farm, so I feel like “Rams” is a bit a film about my ancestors, my family, and where we come from.
CA: Considering the acclaim and attention "Rams" received abroad, how as the reaction to the film in Iceland? Was it embrace by your compatriots?
Grímur Hákonarson: It was good. We decided to go straight to cinemas after Cannes to use the attention we got there. We won the Un Certain Regard Prize, it was a big prize for the Icelandic film industry. It’s maybe the biggest prize an Icelandic film has won, so of course it was a big thing. Iceland is a small country. People were really proud of it. I think about 10% of the nation’s population saw the film.
CA: How difficult, financially and logistically, is it to make films in Iceland? It appears that in recent years there has been an explosion of talent that has made a mark in the international festival scenes. What makes these new Icelandic voices distinct from the rest of the world?
Grímur Hákonarson: It’s a small industry. The Icelandic Film Fund is not very big, so we depend on doing co-productions and getting money from abroad. Icelandic films are cheaper to make than those in the rest of Scandinavia - like three times cheaper. “Rams” was made for 1 million Euros, mostly made up of Icelandic money. We got maybe 15% of the money from the Danish Film Fund. We don’t make so many movies so we have to be practical and we have to make contemporary simple stories. We can’t really make an expensive sci-fi film or large period movies in Icelandic. Maybe it’s a bit sad that we haven’t. I think it would be nice to do a costume drama set in the 30s, but it’s not possible to do that in Iceland.
What connect these new directors from Iceland like me, Dagur Kári, Rúnar Rúnarsson, or Benedikt Erlingsson, is that we are making contemporary, humanistic, and simple stories. We are not trying to hunt Hollywood. We are not trying to make blockbusters. Maybe because we don’t have so much money we have to make simple stories and we make films taken from Icelandic reality. Maybe that’s the right recipe for our films. Maybe that’s the reason they are special. Maybe that’s the reason people want to see them.
"Rams" is currently playing in La at the Laemmle Royal and in NYC at the Film Forum and Lincoln Plaza Cinemas...
characters and the trials they endure in “Rams,” a story about brotherly love gone awry set in the vast Icelandic countryside mostly populated by highly-regarded sheep. As is often the case with Scandinavian cinema, the film’s narrative is enhanced by its clever and precise use of dark and dry humor. However, Hákonarson’s rural portrayal of a relationship in need of mending is grounded on compelling human interpersonal afflictions, which serves as a sensible vehicle for the comedy to be delivered.
During a local competition between sheep farmers, Gummi, a levelheaded man who enjoys the pleasures of solitude, notices that his brother Kiddi’s most precious ram shows signs of a scrapie, a deadly and infectious disease that can kill entire flocks. Though the simplest way to ensure the safety of everyone’s sheep would be to talk to his brother, Gummi is aware this is not a viable path because, despite living on the same property they entire lives, they haven’t spoken in several decades. The looming possibility of losing their shared livelihood will widen the emotional gap between the two, one that can only be resolved if they join forces against the mortal virus and the authorities. Authentically Icelandic in content and execution, "Rams" was Iceland's official entry in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 88th Academy Awards.
In our recent conversation with the Cannes-winning Icelandic filmmakers, Hákonarson discussed the relationship between the location and the film's visual approach, his homelands deeply ingrained love for sheep, the emerging local film industry, and the casting process to find the right four-legged stars for "Rams."
Carlos Aguilar: Tell me about the importance of sheep in Icelandic culture. Why do you think Icelandic people relate to these animals in such endearing fashion? They seem to not only be part of the pastoral lifestyle but of their interpersonal relationships.
Grímur Hákonarson: When the first settlers came to Iceland, the Vikings who came from Norway, they brought the sheep with them. Sheep were the main livelihood throughout the centuries. They used the wool for clothing and the meat and milk to feed themselves. It was their main livelihood. We didn’t have so many cows. People ate or use every part of the sheep except the anus. The anus was the only part people didn’t utilize. It stayed that way until the 20th century. Older people lived in farms until the 19th century and then it totally changed. Now older people live in the cities. There is this historical and cultural connection between Icelandic people and sheep. The farmers take the sheep to the highlands in the spring, then they have a competition, they hang around drinking and singing songs about sheep, so there is definitely a culture around sheep. But there also seems to be some kind of unexplained spiritual connection between farmers and their sheep. Many farmers say they relate in a stronger emotional way to sheep than to cows. Numerous farmers have told me this. I know farmers that have lost their sheep because of scrapie, and even though they had horses and cows, it was somehow much more difficult for them to get over losing their sheep.
CA: What was the motivation for using a story of two estrange brothers to tackle this singular aspect about Icelandic culture? Was any part of the premise based on actual events or stories you heard from people who made a living as sheep farmers?
Grímur Hákonarson: The film is based on a true story that my father told me years ago about two brothers who lived on the same land next to each other for 40 years and didn’t speak. I thought that story was interesting. I think it’s very Icelandic and it describes us a bit as a nation being an island and being isolated. People tend to be very independent and nationalistic. I also thought these idea could be a tragicomedy. The basic idea of these brothers is funny and sad at the same time. It’s sad that they don’t speak, but it’s also unique situation. I though that was interesting, and on the other hand I also wanted to make a film about this relationship with sheep, so I combined these two ideas.
CA: Both brothers seem to very territorial and they use concrete, not always well-intentioned, acts rather than using language to express their feelings.
Grímur Hákonarson: The reason they don’t speak to each other, of course, is because they don’t need to speak to each other. They act more than they talk. They rather speak to the sheep and they become very close with them. That’s also the reason there is not a lot of dialogue in the movie. It’s told mainly through images and through actions. The story I’m telling affected the filmmaking process in a way because it creates a unique kind of atmosphere. I was trying to capture life in this part of the world, which is kind of slow and relaxed. People live alongside sheep. The visual style of the film is also a bit slow-paced. This visual style is also trying to capture this way of living and its atmosphere.
CA: Did you based these two brothers on real life characters in the story your father told you, were they the result of different traits from people you know, or were they entirely fictitious? Once you have brought them to life on paper, how challenging was it to match them with the right actors?
Grímur Hákonarson: I had some prototypes to base them on. The real life characters died in the 90s because it’s an old story. I never met them, but I had some prototypes based on a pair of brothers I know. These brothers were living together and they were good friends, but they were very different characters. One of them was an introverts and the other was more of an extrovert. One was an alcoholic and the other was more feminine and cleaned and took care of things. I used these guys as prototypes for the characters, and when I selected the actors I knew the actor a little bit and I knew they shared some personality elements with the characters. In a way they were typed-cast both mentally and physically, Sigurður Sigurjónsson who plays Gummi is a small guy, and Theodór Júlíusson, who plays Kiddi, looks more macho and is bigger. They were physically and mentally perfect for the roles. I think that’s a good thing when you are picking an actor. It's important that the actor has experienced something similar or knows something about the inner emotions of the character.
CA: Loneliness comes across as an underlying theme in "Rams." These brothers who live so close to each other are still very lonely by choice. Is this concept something that you decisively considered when creating the characters?
Grímur Hákonarson: Of course, that makes it really tragic. They actually need to talk to each other but they are so stubborn that they never call a mediator or psychiatrist. The dog is the only link between them. Of course there is loneliness. Gummi, the main character, I think he is an introvert and he enjoys his life a lot. He enjoys his life, he is not unhappy. He is quite satisfied with his life, but his older brother is not and that’s because of this division of the land. He is unhappy. The idea was that the older brother Kiddi had had some girlfriends or wives before, but they got sick of him and moved out. Gummi, on the hand, was kind of this puritan who had never had any sex in his life. This loneliness is one of the reasons we shot on CinemaScope with anamorphic lenses. Also, the framing, which is kind of wide and static, was trying to capture this loneliness. They live lonely lives.
CA: In terms of the visual style and your decisions regarding the film's cinematography, how did the landscape and the nature of the story influenced these choices?
Grímur Hákonarson: The characters are living very close to nature and they spend a lot of time on the field with the sheep, so we wanted to capture the landscape and the nature around them and to connect them to it. That’s why we shot it using anamorphic lenses. I think 10 years ago we probably would have shot it on 35mm or 16mm because it’s that kind of film. It’s about these old farmers stuck in the past and it takes place in nature, so we tried to imitate this film look with the anamorphic lenses. The look of the film it’s a bit like a Western, if it had cows perhaps they would look like cowboys. We might have been a bit inspired by a movie like “There Will Be Blood.” There are some shots and scenes in “Rams” that were shot very similarly to those in “There Will Be Blood.” It’s an Icelandic Western with sheep and guns.
CA: I'm curious to know how was the casting process and working dynamic with the sheep. They are the stars of the film. Were they difficult to work with in a film like ths in which they play a very integral part? How did you know which sheep were the right ones to appear on camera?
Grímur Hákonarson: The most important thing was to find the right sheep. We had to select the right sheep and we did sheep casting. We saw a lot of sheep because the sheep that were living on the farm were too afraid of people. They would just ran away from you. We then found these sheep that looked really pretty because they are a good breed, but they were also very calm and they ere used to people. The reason for that is that their owners treat them as pets. They talk to them and pet them like if they were dogs. Those sheep were not afraid of humans. Then we hired a professional sheep farmer to train them and to be with us on set. We rehearsed all the sheep scenes before shooting them, like when Gummi bathes the ram. We said, “Ok lets bathe this ram,” and we found out that we needed five people to hold the ram in the bathtub but we couldn’t have all of them in the shot. When we filmed I told the actor, “ Ok Sigurður they are going to hold the ram but then they are going to run away and you just have to do it yourself and we’ll see what happens.” I said, “Action,” and the guys ran away and the actor was alone trying to hold the ram - it was interesting.
Thomas Vinterberg, who made “Far from the Madding Crowd,“ said that it was a disaster to work with sheep and that it was very difficult, but I have a different opinion about that. We usually didn’t have to shoot many takes with the sheep. Usually we did less than five takes in the scenes involving sheep. The sheep were very professional. Some of the actors went to 12 or 15 takes, but the sheep usually didn’t. They were one-take sheep.
CA: When the disease, scrapie, threatens the farmers way of life in the film a lot of them contemplate leaving it all behind and moving away. Would you say this this way of living is slowly dying not only because of occurrences like this but also because it's being overpowered by modern farming practices?
Grímur Hákonarson: Today there are not many sheep farmers like these brothers who live only from their sheep. It’s becoming more like a hobby today. It’s lees of a business. It’s difficult to make a living from sheep farming. There are not so many farmers like the brothers in the film who can only live from that. They have a tough life. They are quite poor. They can’t afford much. Sheep farming in Iceland has been declining and it’s struggling. It’s always going to be there and it’s always going to be a part of our culture, but it’s becoming more and more difficult to live from it. The brothers in the film are a bit like the last Mohicans. They are the last remains of this old farming society. This disease, scrapie, has caused a lot of harm in Iceland. Sheep are becoming less abundant. About 30 years ago, in the 1980s, there were three times more sheep in Iceland.
CA: Scandinavian humor is clearly idiosyncratic and definitely dry, but you managed to blend the comedy elicited from the characters' circumstance with the emotional poignancy of the story rather organically. How did merging these two tonal elements come about when crafting the film?
Grímur Hákonarson: The basic idea about these brothers living so close together but not speaking to each other is a good premise for black comedy. It has a tragicomic element. That’s why humor is a naturally underlying element throughout the whole film because the basic idea is a bit humorous itself. Then there are some scenes that are very funny of course, and those are supposed to make you laugh. I don’t like to make films that are too serious or too heavy. I try to pick stories that have a little bit of lightness in them and in “Rams,” maybe, I managed to master this balance. Some people cry in “Rams” and it can get really emotional. It has a strong message, but it’s also entertaining. I’m inspired by filmmakers like Aki Kaurismäki, known for his Finnish dark comedies, Bent Hamer in Norway, or Swedish director Roy Andersson. I’m inspired by these Scandinavian directors. My humor is pretty dry and people who know me see Grímur’s humor in the film. If I wasn’t a humorous person I would make different films.
CA: Despite the overall comedic tone of the film, the ending is particularly moving and shows a tenderness we hadn't fully seen before in the film. Why did you feel this was the correct way to conclude this tale about two brothers whose broken relationship gets a second chance thanks to the sheep?
Grímur Hákonarson: I think the ending is symbolic. It’s about these two brothers and their relationship. It’ a very powerful ending and it’s also an open ending. It makes people think and it stays with people. I’m really happy with it. It’s also a kind of risky ending, many people who read the screenplay warned me, “Grímur, you really think it should end like this? You don’t want to explain it a bit more?” But I went for this ending. When I was shooting, making the ending work was one of the most difficult things. It was worth the risk.
CA: Do you have any brothers? If so, is anything in "Rams" specifically related to your personal relationship with your brothers or siblings and what did they think of that being depiction in the film?
Grímur Hákonarson: Yes I have a brother. We were just Skyping recently. He’s seen the film and I think he never though it was about him because we have a good relationship. There is nothing in my family like in the film. My family is quite peaceful, so the story of the brothers is not connected to me personally. What’s connected to me personally is that my mother passed away when I was writing the script. The film is dedicated to her. She grew up on a sheep farm, so I feel like “Rams” is a bit a film about my ancestors, my family, and where we come from.
CA: Considering the acclaim and attention "Rams" received abroad, how as the reaction to the film in Iceland? Was it embrace by your compatriots?
Grímur Hákonarson: It was good. We decided to go straight to cinemas after Cannes to use the attention we got there. We won the Un Certain Regard Prize, it was a big prize for the Icelandic film industry. It’s maybe the biggest prize an Icelandic film has won, so of course it was a big thing. Iceland is a small country. People were really proud of it. I think about 10% of the nation’s population saw the film.
CA: How difficult, financially and logistically, is it to make films in Iceland? It appears that in recent years there has been an explosion of talent that has made a mark in the international festival scenes. What makes these new Icelandic voices distinct from the rest of the world?
Grímur Hákonarson: It’s a small industry. The Icelandic Film Fund is not very big, so we depend on doing co-productions and getting money from abroad. Icelandic films are cheaper to make than those in the rest of Scandinavia - like three times cheaper. “Rams” was made for 1 million Euros, mostly made up of Icelandic money. We got maybe 15% of the money from the Danish Film Fund. We don’t make so many movies so we have to be practical and we have to make contemporary simple stories. We can’t really make an expensive sci-fi film or large period movies in Icelandic. Maybe it’s a bit sad that we haven’t. I think it would be nice to do a costume drama set in the 30s, but it’s not possible to do that in Iceland.
What connect these new directors from Iceland like me, Dagur Kári, Rúnar Rúnarsson, or Benedikt Erlingsson, is that we are making contemporary, humanistic, and simple stories. We are not trying to hunt Hollywood. We are not trying to make blockbusters. Maybe because we don’t have so much money we have to make simple stories and we make films taken from Icelandic reality. Maybe that’s the right recipe for our films. Maybe that’s the reason they are special. Maybe that’s the reason people want to see them.
"Rams" is currently playing in La at the Laemmle Royal and in NYC at the Film Forum and Lincoln Plaza Cinemas...
- 2/5/2016
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
Exists on the spectrum between “fascinating and unclassifiably odd” and “could almost be a parody of an arthouse film except it’s too moving to be a joke.” I’m “biast” (pro): nothing
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
Nordic noir? Nah, more like Nordic baaaahhh. Look, the sheep are listed with the human cast in the end credits. I mean, of course the dog is credited, you always have to credit the dog, but here the sheep portray characters with different names; they’re not just playing themselves, okay? Rams — which was Iceland’s official submission for this year’s Oscars (it didn’t get a nomination) and winner of the Un Certain Regard award at Cannes last year — exists somewhere on the spectrum between “fascinating and unclassifiably odd” and “could almost be a parody of an arthouse film...
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
Nordic noir? Nah, more like Nordic baaaahhh. Look, the sheep are listed with the human cast in the end credits. I mean, of course the dog is credited, you always have to credit the dog, but here the sheep portray characters with different names; they’re not just playing themselves, okay? Rams — which was Iceland’s official submission for this year’s Oscars (it didn’t get a nomination) and winner of the Un Certain Regard award at Cannes last year — exists somewhere on the spectrum between “fascinating and unclassifiably odd” and “could almost be a parody of an arthouse film...
- 2/5/2016
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Two curmudgeonly sheep farmers are faced with the destruction of their flock in rural Iceland in a perfectly pitched film hovering between absurdity and tragedy
Director Grímur Hákonarson’s droll and tragic tale of Icelandic sheep farmers encapsulates all the best things about Nordic film-making: polished storytelling, radiant humanism, great acting and immaculate cinematography that shows off the stunning landscapes (in this case, Iceland’s bleak, treeless moors) to their best advantage. Unfurling a delicate, perfectly pitched tale of curmudgeonly bachelor brothers who haven’t spoken in 40 years (a scene-stealing sheepdog passes notes between them), it modulates effortlessly between absurdity and tragedy, as an outbreak of scrapie threatens to wipe out the livestock they love. Sigurður Sigurjónsson has the more prominent part as the wily sibling who appears to comply with the authorities, while Theódór Júlíusson rages against the enforced slaughter of their herds. A documentary-maker originally, Hákonarson neither sneers...
Director Grímur Hákonarson’s droll and tragic tale of Icelandic sheep farmers encapsulates all the best things about Nordic film-making: polished storytelling, radiant humanism, great acting and immaculate cinematography that shows off the stunning landscapes (in this case, Iceland’s bleak, treeless moors) to their best advantage. Unfurling a delicate, perfectly pitched tale of curmudgeonly bachelor brothers who haven’t spoken in 40 years (a scene-stealing sheepdog passes notes between them), it modulates effortlessly between absurdity and tragedy, as an outbreak of scrapie threatens to wipe out the livestock they love. Sigurður Sigurjónsson has the more prominent part as the wily sibling who appears to comply with the authorities, while Theódór Júlíusson rages against the enforced slaughter of their herds. A documentary-maker originally, Hákonarson neither sneers...
- 2/4/2016
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Guardian - Film News
Xan Brooks, Peter Bradshaw and Henry Barnes review Rams, an Icelandic drama about a pair of brothers keen to fleece each other out of the top prize from a local livestock competition. Starring Sigurður Sigurjónsson and Theodór Júlíusson, the team say Rams is a sheer pleasure. Rams, written and directed by Grímur Hákonarson, is released in the UK on 5 February
Continue reading...
Continue reading...
- 2/4/2016
- by Xan Brooks, Peter Bradshaw, Henry Barnes, Dan Susman, Adam Sich and Joan Portillo
- The Guardian - Film News
In Grímur Hákonarson’s darkly funny Rams, two brothers who haven’t spoken in decades must unite forces to save their legacy when the government demands all their livestock must be slaughtered to contain a disease. Hidden behind long beards and stubbornness, Gummi (Sigurður Sigurjónsson) and Kiddi (Theodór Júlíusson) take on the impossible task of trying to outsmart the government, making for a fascinating allegory about the things we lose in the name of progress. After premiering at the Cannes Film Festival, where it won the top prize in the Un Certain Regard category, Rams went on to being chosen as Iceland’s Foreign Language Oscar submission. As the film opens in the Us, I got a chance to sit down with Hákonarson who spoke about how his childhood shaped the film, how Cannes changed his life, and shared interesting trivia about sheep.
Jose: Your parents used to send you...
Jose: Your parents used to send you...
- 2/3/2016
- by Jose
- FilmExperience
"Rams" (February 3) (Film Page)Director: Grímur HákonarsonCast: Sigurður Sigurjónsson, Theódór Júlíusson, Charlotte Bøving, Gunnar JónssonCriticwire Average: BWhy is it a Must See? Grímur Hákonarson's second feature, "Rams," was last year's Cannes Un Certain Regard prize winner, and after playing the international festival circuit to much critical acclaim, Cohen Media Group is finally bringing the Icelandic dark comedy to U.S. theaters. Mixing painterly visuals with blunt, deadpan humor, the movie involves two estranged brothers who own neighboring sheep farms but have not spoken to each other for four decades. When an incurable illness strikes one of their flock, authorities determine all the sheep in their region must be killed, prompting the two to set aside their differences in a quest to save their animals. Outside of Wes Anderson movies, deadpan humor and artistic vision...
- 2/1/2016
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Hou Hsiao-hsien’s “The Assassin” and “Rams” actors Sigurður Sigurjónsson and Theodór Júlíusson are among jury award winners of the 27th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival. The festival was held from Jan. 1-11, and screened 180 films from 60 countries. “Assassin,” which follows a beautiful and deadly woman on a mission in 9th century China, came out on top alongside India’s “Umrika,” which won the Hp Bridging the Borders Awards. The men of “Rams,” about estranged brothers on a sheep farm, were recognized by the jury “for the graceful way in which they guided their characters from animosity to interdependence.
- 1/9/2016
- by Matt Donnelly
- The Wrap
Jan 10 Update: Giulio Ricciarelli’s German foreign-language Oscar submission Labyrinth Of Lies won on Sunday the Palm Springs Film Festival’s Mercedes-Benz Audience Award for best narrative feature and Jacob Bernstein and Nick Hooker’s Everything Is Copy from the Us earned the documentary award.
On Saturday Hou Hsiao-hsien’s Taiwanese foreign-language Oscar submission The Assassin won the Fipresci Prize at the 27th annual festival.
In other juried award winners announced at a luncheon on January 9, the Fipresci Prize for Best Actor of the Year in a Foreign Language Film went to Sigurður Sigurjónsson and Theodór Júlíusson from Grimur Hakonarson’s Icelandic Oscar submission Rams.
Fipresci’s Best Actress of the Year in a Foreign Language Film went to Alena Mihulová from Slávek Horák’s Czech Oscar submission Home Care.
The New Voices/New Visions competition honoured Xavier Seron’s Death By Death (Belgium-France), while a special mention went to Thithi (India-us) by Raam Reddy.
The...
On Saturday Hou Hsiao-hsien’s Taiwanese foreign-language Oscar submission The Assassin won the Fipresci Prize at the 27th annual festival.
In other juried award winners announced at a luncheon on January 9, the Fipresci Prize for Best Actor of the Year in a Foreign Language Film went to Sigurður Sigurjónsson and Theodór Júlíusson from Grimur Hakonarson’s Icelandic Oscar submission Rams.
Fipresci’s Best Actress of the Year in a Foreign Language Film went to Alena Mihulová from Slávek Horák’s Czech Oscar submission Home Care.
The New Voices/New Visions competition honoured Xavier Seron’s Death By Death (Belgium-France), while a special mention went to Thithi (India-us) by Raam Reddy.
The...
- 1/9/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Hou Hsiao-hsien’s Taiwanese foreign language Oscar submission has won the Fipresci Prize at the 27th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff).
In other juried award winners announced at a luncheon on January 9, the Fipresci Prize for Best Actor of the Year in a Foreign Language Film went to Sigurður Sigurjónsson and Theodór Júlíusson from Grimur Hakonarson’s Icelandic Oscar submission Rams.
Fipresci’s Best Actress of the Year in a Foreign Language Film went to Alena Mihulová from Slávek Horák’s Czech Oscar submission Home Care.
The New Voices/New Visions competition honoured Xavier Seron’s Death By Death (Belgium-France), while a special mention went to Thithi (India-us) by Raam Reddy.
The John Schlesinger Award for a first-time documentary filmmaker was awarded to The Birth Of Saké (Japan) by Erik Shirai, while the Hp Bridging The Borders Award went to Umrika (India) by Prashant Nair
The audience award winners will be announced on January...
In other juried award winners announced at a luncheon on January 9, the Fipresci Prize for Best Actor of the Year in a Foreign Language Film went to Sigurður Sigurjónsson and Theodór Júlíusson from Grimur Hakonarson’s Icelandic Oscar submission Rams.
Fipresci’s Best Actress of the Year in a Foreign Language Film went to Alena Mihulová from Slávek Horák’s Czech Oscar submission Home Care.
The New Voices/New Visions competition honoured Xavier Seron’s Death By Death (Belgium-France), while a special mention went to Thithi (India-us) by Raam Reddy.
The John Schlesinger Award for a first-time documentary filmmaker was awarded to The Birth Of Saké (Japan) by Erik Shirai, while the Hp Bridging The Borders Award went to Umrika (India) by Prashant Nair
The audience award winners will be announced on January...
- 1/9/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
All caught up with our top 50 films of 2015? It’s now time to look to the new year, and, ahead of our 100 most-anticipated films, we’re highlighting 50 titles we’ve enjoyed on the festival circuit this last year (and beyond) that will likely see a release in 2016. While the first batch have confirmed dates all the way through the summer, we’ve also included a handful that are awaiting a date and some we’re hopeful will get a release by year’s end pending acquisition. U.S. distributors: take note!
We’ve stuck to just 50 here, but we’ve also seen many other notable releases over the next twelve months that we were more mixed on (or worse). There’s The Benefactor, Mojave, Southbound, Remember, and Too Late this winter, as well as Hello, My Name is Doris, Green Room, Miles Ahead, I Saw the Light, The Bronze, Evolution,...
We’ve stuck to just 50 here, but we’ve also seen many other notable releases over the next twelve months that we were more mixed on (or worse). There’s The Benefactor, Mojave, Southbound, Remember, and Too Late this winter, as well as Hello, My Name is Doris, Green Room, Miles Ahead, I Saw the Light, The Bronze, Evolution,...
- 1/7/2016
- by TFS Staff
- The Film Stage
Sundance 2016 is fast approaching. Last week we posted the movie lineup of Midnight and Competition film selections. We now have the complete lineup for the premieres in both the feature film and documentary categories. We also have their selections for the Spotlight and Kid films. I've also included a list of special events.
There are a lot of great films on this list that I'm excited about seeing because of the incredible talent involved. Viggo Mortensen and Frank Langella star in Captain Fantastic; Laura Dern, Kristen Stewart, Michelle Williams star in Certain Women; Rachel Weisz, Michael Shannon, Kathy Bates and Danny Glover star in Complete Unknown; Paul Rudd and Selena Gomez star in The Fundamentals of Caring; John Krasinski directed a film called The Hollars which he stars in with Anna Kendrick, Margo Martindale, Richard Jenkins, Sharlto Copley, and Charlie Day; Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi has made a new...
There are a lot of great films on this list that I'm excited about seeing because of the incredible talent involved. Viggo Mortensen and Frank Langella star in Captain Fantastic; Laura Dern, Kristen Stewart, Michelle Williams star in Certain Women; Rachel Weisz, Michael Shannon, Kathy Bates and Danny Glover star in Complete Unknown; Paul Rudd and Selena Gomez star in The Fundamentals of Caring; John Krasinski directed a film called The Hollars which he stars in with Anna Kendrick, Margo Martindale, Richard Jenkins, Sharlto Copley, and Charlie Day; Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi has made a new...
- 12/13/2015
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Kate Plays ChristineThe lineup for the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, taking place between January 21 -31, has been announced.U.S. Dramatic COMPETITIONAs You Are (Miles Joris-Peyrafitte, USA): As You Are is the telling and retelling of a relationship between three teenagers as it traces the course of their friendship through a construction of disparate memories prompted by a police investigation. Cast: Owen Campbell, Charlie Heaton, Amandla Stenberg, John Scurti, Scott Cohen, Mary Stuart Masterson. World Premiere The Birth of a Nation (Nate Parker, USA): Set against the antebellum South, this story follows Nat Turner, a literate slave and preacher whose financially strained owner, Samuel Turner, accepts an offer to use Nat’s preaching to subdue unruly slaves. After witnessing countless atrocities against fellow slaves, Nat devises a plan to lead his people to freedom. Cast: Nate Parker, Armie Hammer, Aja Naomi King, Jackie Earle Haley, Gabrielle Union, Mark Boone Jr. World PremiereChristine (Antonio Campos,...
- 12/7/2015
- by Notebook
- MUBI
Top brass at the Park City festival have rounded out the feature line-up with a dazzling selection on paper that includes new work from Asif Kapadia and other returning alumni such as Todd Solondz, Taika Waititi and Joshua Marston.Scroll Down For Full List
Road movie The Fundamentals Of Caring by Rob Burnett starring Paul Rudd will close the festival, while Maggie Greenwald’s Sophie And The Rising Sun is the Salt Lake City Gala Film. Heid Ewing and Rachel Grady’s Norman Lear: Just Another Version Of You is a Day One Film.
The Premieres line-up introduces Indignation, the feature directorial debut from former Focus Features CEO and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon screenwriter James Schamus, and the latest world premieres from John Carney, Kenneth Lonergan, Ira Sachs and Diego Luna.
The Documentary Premieres section encompass latest films from Werner Herzog, Spike Lee, Liz Garbus and Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato.
The Spotlight...
Road movie The Fundamentals Of Caring by Rob Burnett starring Paul Rudd will close the festival, while Maggie Greenwald’s Sophie And The Rising Sun is the Salt Lake City Gala Film. Heid Ewing and Rachel Grady’s Norman Lear: Just Another Version Of You is a Day One Film.
The Premieres line-up introduces Indignation, the feature directorial debut from former Focus Features CEO and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon screenwriter James Schamus, and the latest world premieres from John Carney, Kenneth Lonergan, Ira Sachs and Diego Luna.
The Documentary Premieres section encompass latest films from Werner Herzog, Spike Lee, Liz Garbus and Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato.
The Spotlight...
- 12/7/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Top brass at the Park City festival have rounded out the feature line-up with a dazzling selection on paper that includes new work from Asif Kapadia and other returning alumni such as Todd Solondz, Taika Waititi and Joshua Marston.Scroll Down For Full List
Road movie The Fundamentals Of Caring by Rob Burnett starring Paul Rudd will close the festival, while Maggie Greenwald’s Sophie And The Rising Sun is the Salt Lake City Gala Film. Heid Ewing and Rachel Grady’s Norman Lear: Just Another Version Of You is a Day One Film.
The Premieres line-up introduces Indignation, the feature directorial debut from former Focus Features CEO and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon screenwriter James Schamus, and the latest world premieres from John Carney, Kenneth Lonergan, Ira Sachs and Diego Luna.
The Documentary Premieres section encompass latest films from Werner Herzog, Spike Lee, Liz Garbus and Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato.
The Spotlight...
Road movie The Fundamentals Of Caring by Rob Burnett starring Paul Rudd will close the festival, while Maggie Greenwald’s Sophie And The Rising Sun is the Salt Lake City Gala Film. Heid Ewing and Rachel Grady’s Norman Lear: Just Another Version Of You is a Day One Film.
The Premieres line-up introduces Indignation, the feature directorial debut from former Focus Features CEO and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon screenwriter James Schamus, and the latest world premieres from John Carney, Kenneth Lonergan, Ira Sachs and Diego Luna.
The Documentary Premieres section encompass latest films from Werner Herzog, Spike Lee, Liz Garbus and Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato.
The Spotlight...
- 12/7/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Gummi (Sigurður Sigurjónsson). Grímur Hákonarson: "We actually did a sheep casting and we found sheep who were used to being around humans, because most sheep will just run away." Photo: Sturla Brandth Grøvlen It's been a strong year for Icelandic film, with Rams (Hrutar), Sparrows (Þrestir) and Virgin Mountain (Fusi) - all titles redolent of the natural landscape - scooping awards at world festivals. Grímur Hákonarson's Rams is the leader of the flock, winning the Un Certain Regard prize at Cannes and going on to be his country's Foreign Language Oscar nomination. It will also vie for the title of Best European Film at the European Film Awards against A Pigeon Sat On A Branch Reflecting On Existence, Lux prize winner Mustang, The Lobster, Youth and Victoria.
Not bad for a film about sheep farming and a 40-year stand-off between two brothers. The idea may sound simple but...
Not bad for a film about sheep farming and a 40-year stand-off between two brothers. The idea may sound simple but...
- 11/30/2015
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Rams Movie Trailer. Grímur Hákonarson‘s Rams (2015) movie trailer stars Sigurður Sigurjónsson, Theodór Júlíusson and Charlotte Bøving. Rams‘ plot synopsis: “In a remote Icelandic farming valley, two brothers who haven’t spoken in 40 years have to come together in order to save what’s dearest to them – their sheep.” According to FirstShowing, “Cohen Media Group has debuted an official Us trailer for […]...
- 11/5/2015
- by Marco Margaritoff
- Film-Book
"Let's put a stop to this nonsense!" Cohen Media Group has debuted an official Us trailer for the Icelandic dark comedy Rams, from writer/director Grímur Hákonarson. The film is also Iceland's entry into the Oscars this year, and they're banking on it so much the film is set for release in February right after the nominations but before the awards hit. The film premiered at Cannes, played at Telluride, Vancouver, Toronto and many other film festivals, and comes with rave reviews that are quoted numerous times in this trailer. The film is about two brothers, named Gummi and Kiddi played by Sigurður Sigurjónsson and Theodór Júlíusson, respectively, who are rural sheep farmers in Iceland that run into trouble when some of their sheep are sick. It's a great film and comes highly recommended if you're into Icelandic dark comedy. Here's the official Us trailer for Grímur Hákonarson's Rams,...
- 11/4/2015
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
The Icelandic contender for Oscar nomination in the Best Foreign Language Film category, “Rams” (“Hrutar”) by Grímur Hákonarson premiered in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard where it won the award for best picture. It went on to play in Telluride and Toronto. Its international sales agent, New Europe Film Sales is a comparatively new company, the first private enterprise out of Poland, founded by former American Film Festival/ Us in Progress publicist, Jan Naszewski. Cohen Media will release the film in the U.S.
"Rams" screens at AFI Fest on November 6 at 6:45 Pm and on November 11 at 1:15 Pm
AFI Programmer Beth Hanna describes the film here:
Two estranged brothers in rural Iceland must come together when a fatal outbreak strikes their sheep herds.
Sheepherder brothers Gummi and Kiddi have been estranged for years, going about their separate lives on neighboring farms in northern Iceland. When Gummi discovers a fatal outbreak in his brother’s herd, their community spirals into grave uncertainty, unsure how to survive when the animals they’ve built livelihoods around must be put down. What results from these dire circumstances is at once surprising, quietly hilarious and heartbreaking. With dry humor, great sympathy and a patient, stark filmmaking style, director Grímur Hákonarson shows us how seemingly doomed relationships can change when we least expect them to.
Cohen Media will release stateside.
International Film Agent, New Europe Film Sales, has sold this to Australia--Palace Films, Austria--Filmladen Ges.M, Belgium--Imagine Film Di, Canada--Métropole Films, China--Lemon Tree Media, Costa Rica--Pacifica Grey, Czech Repu--Aerofilms, Denmark--Scanbox Entertainment, Ecuador--Tropico Cine, Germany--Arsenal Filmver, Greece--Ama Films, Hong Kong--Encore Inflight, Hungary--Mozinet Ltd., Italy--Bim Distribuzio, Japan--Gaga Corporation, Mexico--Interior 13 Cine, Netherland--Imagine Film Di, Norway--Arthaus, Poland--Gutek Film Ltd, Portugal--Leopardo Filmes, Romania--Transilvania Film, Slovenia--Demiurg, Spain--Karma Films, Switzerland--Xenix Filmdistr, Taiwan--Maison Motion, Turkey--Filmarti Film, U.K.--Soda Pictures-
Director: Grímur Hákonarson
Screenwriter: Grímur Hákonarson
Producer: Grímar Jónsson
Director of Photography: Sturla Brandth Grøvlen
Editor: Kristján Loðmfjörð
Production Designer: Bjarni Massi, Sigurb Jörnsson
Music: Alti Örvarsson
Cast: Sigurður Sigurjónsson, Theodór Júlíusson, Charlotte Bøving
Iceland, 2015
93 min.
Feature
World Cinema Section
AFI Fest presented by Audi is a celebration of global cinema and today’s Hollywood. It is an opportunity for master filmmakers and emerging artists to come together with audiences in the movie capital of the world. AFI Fest is the only festival of its stature that is free to the public. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes AFI Fest as a qualifying festival for both Short Film categories for the annual Academy Awards®.
Free tickets: http://afi.com/afifest/freetickets.aspx
Connect with AFI Fest at facebook.com/Afifest, twitter.com/Afifest and youtube.com/Afifest...
"Rams" screens at AFI Fest on November 6 at 6:45 Pm and on November 11 at 1:15 Pm
AFI Programmer Beth Hanna describes the film here:
Two estranged brothers in rural Iceland must come together when a fatal outbreak strikes their sheep herds.
Sheepherder brothers Gummi and Kiddi have been estranged for years, going about their separate lives on neighboring farms in northern Iceland. When Gummi discovers a fatal outbreak in his brother’s herd, their community spirals into grave uncertainty, unsure how to survive when the animals they’ve built livelihoods around must be put down. What results from these dire circumstances is at once surprising, quietly hilarious and heartbreaking. With dry humor, great sympathy and a patient, stark filmmaking style, director Grímur Hákonarson shows us how seemingly doomed relationships can change when we least expect them to.
Cohen Media will release stateside.
International Film Agent, New Europe Film Sales, has sold this to Australia--Palace Films, Austria--Filmladen Ges.M, Belgium--Imagine Film Di, Canada--Métropole Films, China--Lemon Tree Media, Costa Rica--Pacifica Grey, Czech Repu--Aerofilms, Denmark--Scanbox Entertainment, Ecuador--Tropico Cine, Germany--Arsenal Filmver, Greece--Ama Films, Hong Kong--Encore Inflight, Hungary--Mozinet Ltd., Italy--Bim Distribuzio, Japan--Gaga Corporation, Mexico--Interior 13 Cine, Netherland--Imagine Film Di, Norway--Arthaus, Poland--Gutek Film Ltd, Portugal--Leopardo Filmes, Romania--Transilvania Film, Slovenia--Demiurg, Spain--Karma Films, Switzerland--Xenix Filmdistr, Taiwan--Maison Motion, Turkey--Filmarti Film, U.K.--Soda Pictures-
Director: Grímur Hákonarson
Screenwriter: Grímur Hákonarson
Producer: Grímar Jónsson
Director of Photography: Sturla Brandth Grøvlen
Editor: Kristján Loðmfjörð
Production Designer: Bjarni Massi, Sigurb Jörnsson
Music: Alti Örvarsson
Cast: Sigurður Sigurjónsson, Theodór Júlíusson, Charlotte Bøving
Iceland, 2015
93 min.
Feature
World Cinema Section
AFI Fest presented by Audi is a celebration of global cinema and today’s Hollywood. It is an opportunity for master filmmakers and emerging artists to come together with audiences in the movie capital of the world. AFI Fest is the only festival of its stature that is free to the public. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes AFI Fest as a qualifying festival for both Short Film categories for the annual Academy Awards®.
Free tickets: http://afi.com/afifest/freetickets.aspx
Connect with AFI Fest at facebook.com/Afifest, twitter.com/Afifest and youtube.com/Afifest...
- 10/29/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
The American Film Institute announced today the films that will screen in the World Cinema, Breakthrough, Midnight, Shorts and Cinema’s Legacy programs at AFI Fest 2015 presented by Audi.
AFI Fest will take place November 5 – 12, 2015, in the heart of Hollywood. Screenings, Galas and events will be held at the historic Tcl Chinese Theatre, the Tcl Chinese 6 Theatres, Dolby Theatre, the Lloyd E. Rigler Theatre at the Egyptian, the El Capitan Theatre and The Hollywood Roosevelt.
World Cinema showcases the most acclaimed international films of the year; Breakthrough highlights true discoveries of the programming process; Midnight selections will grip audiences with terror; and Cinema’s Legacy highlights classic movies and films about cinema. World Cinema and Breakthrough selections are among the films eligible for Audience Awards. Shorts selections are eligible for the Grand Jury Prize, which qualifies the winner for Academy Award®consideration. This year’s Shorts jury features filmmaker Janicza Bravo,...
AFI Fest will take place November 5 – 12, 2015, in the heart of Hollywood. Screenings, Galas and events will be held at the historic Tcl Chinese Theatre, the Tcl Chinese 6 Theatres, Dolby Theatre, the Lloyd E. Rigler Theatre at the Egyptian, the El Capitan Theatre and The Hollywood Roosevelt.
World Cinema showcases the most acclaimed international films of the year; Breakthrough highlights true discoveries of the programming process; Midnight selections will grip audiences with terror; and Cinema’s Legacy highlights classic movies and films about cinema. World Cinema and Breakthrough selections are among the films eligible for Audience Awards. Shorts selections are eligible for the Grand Jury Prize, which qualifies the winner for Academy Award®consideration. This year’s Shorts jury features filmmaker Janicza Bravo,...
- 10/22/2015
- by Melissa Thompson
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Iceland’s submission to the Best Foreign-Language Film category will be Grímur Hákonarson’s Rams.
Iceland has selected its entry for the 2016 Best Foreign-Language Film Oscar: Rams, a drama about two brothers who haven’t spoken in 40 years reuniting with a common goal – to save their sheep.
Written and directed by Grímur Hákonarson (A Pure Heart), the film stars Sigurður Sigurjónsson (Brave Men’s Blood) and Theodór Júlíusson (Jar City) as the two brothers.
The film premiered at Cannes in May, where it won the Un Certain Regard prize. Since then, it has played Karlovy Vary and Telluride, and will screen in Toronto next week. It was also a competitor for this year’s Lux Prize.
International sales are being handled by New Europe Film Sales, who have sold the film to 40 countries worldwide, with releases scheduled between November 2015 and February 2016. Cohen Media Group are handling Us distribution.
Iceland’s only previous Oscar nomination in the Best...
Iceland has selected its entry for the 2016 Best Foreign-Language Film Oscar: Rams, a drama about two brothers who haven’t spoken in 40 years reuniting with a common goal – to save their sheep.
Written and directed by Grímur Hákonarson (A Pure Heart), the film stars Sigurður Sigurjónsson (Brave Men’s Blood) and Theodór Júlíusson (Jar City) as the two brothers.
The film premiered at Cannes in May, where it won the Un Certain Regard prize. Since then, it has played Karlovy Vary and Telluride, and will screen in Toronto next week. It was also a competitor for this year’s Lux Prize.
International sales are being handled by New Europe Film Sales, who have sold the film to 40 countries worldwide, with releases scheduled between November 2015 and February 2016. Cohen Media Group are handling Us distribution.
Iceland’s only previous Oscar nomination in the Best...
- 9/9/2015
- ScreenDaily
Iceland’s submission to the Best Foreign-Language Film category will be Grímur Hákonarson’s Rams.
Iceland has selected its entry for the 2016 Best Foreign-Language Film Oscar: Rams, a drama about two brothers who haven’t spoken in 40 years reuniting with a common goal – to save their sheep.
Written and directed by Grímur Hákonarson (A Pure Heart), the film stars Sigurður Sigurjónsson (Brave Men’s Blood) and Theodór Júlíusson (Jar City) as the two brothers.
The film premiered at Cannes in May, where it won the Un Certain Regard prize. Since then, it has played Karlovy Vary and Telluride, and will screen in Toronto next week. It was also a competitor for this year’s Lux Prize.
International sales are being handled by New Europe Film Sales, who have sold the film to 40 countries worldwide, with releases scheduled between November 2015 and February 2016. Cohen Media Group are handling Us distribution.
Iceland’s only previous Oscar nomination in the Best...
Iceland has selected its entry for the 2016 Best Foreign-Language Film Oscar: Rams, a drama about two brothers who haven’t spoken in 40 years reuniting with a common goal – to save their sheep.
Written and directed by Grímur Hákonarson (A Pure Heart), the film stars Sigurður Sigurjónsson (Brave Men’s Blood) and Theodór Júlíusson (Jar City) as the two brothers.
The film premiered at Cannes in May, where it won the Un Certain Regard prize. Since then, it has played Karlovy Vary and Telluride, and will screen in Toronto next week. It was also a competitor for this year’s Lux Prize.
International sales are being handled by New Europe Film Sales, who have sold the film to 40 countries worldwide, with releases scheduled between November 2015 and February 2016. Cohen Media Group are handling Us distribution.
Iceland’s only previous Oscar nomination in the Best...
- 9/9/2015
- ScreenDaily
★★★★☆ A story of filial rivalry in a remote valley in Iceland, Grímur Hákonarson's second narrative feature Rams (Hrútar, 2015) begins as an oddball comedy about sheep farming and grows slowly into a tale of elemental and moving power, deservingly winning the Un Certain Regard sidebar at Cannes. The film focuses, and initially sides with, Gummi (Sigurður Sigurjónsson), an unmarried solitary sheep farmer, whose affection for his flock is obvious and heartfelt, sniggering aside. Like a long term dog owner, he's even grown to resemble them with his woolly jumpers and woolly beard. He lives one hundred yards from Kiddi (Theodór Júlíusson), his elder brother with whom he hasn't exchanged a word for forty years.
- 5/24/2015
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
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