Q&A with director Snævar Sölva Sölvason

When do you remember that movies started to impress you?

Of course, there were various cartoons that fascinated me most. For example, I remember that the first movie I saw in the movie was the cartoon "Oliver and friends" in Ísafjörður in 1988, then 3 years. I haven't seen her since then, but there are moments in her that I will never forget, like when he crouches in a cardboard box alone and abandoned.

But the first feature film that became "favorite" was probably Braveheart and shortly thereafter "The Shawshank Redemption". I remember the scene in "Shawshank" when the men were drinking beer on the prison roof in the morning sun, where they feel like they were free men, moved a great deal with me. I was around 10 years old when I saw the movie, and this is the first time I've become a human beauty movie. There, I wanted to make a movie one day.

Why did you choose film-making and chose the script and director?

I started writing and directing homemade content and immediately found myself wanting to follow this path, but I had no one to look for since I lived west. It is very important and helpful to be able to get comments that are useful to improve the content you are working on and I thought that film study would provide me with professional guidance and feedback. In addition, I wanted to access devices and get to know peers with the same hobby, but many of the best directors in history met with their colleagues in film studies.

How did you go to study?

The program went very well and I learned a lot that I still use today. For me as an author, it was the scriptwriters who benefited me most and more often than not, the teachers in those coursework were people from the business who not only guided you but told a variety of industry stories I loved and gave me insight into the world that awaited one, but I had never met anyone who worked in filmmaking. The times with Einar Kárason are especially memorable, where you got stories from the business in the "old days" that were many pretty dungeons. Ottar Norðfjörður taught me how to create a beat sheet, something I had never been able to do, but always use before I start a new script today. Grim Hacon (" Hrut ") and Óskar Axel (" I Remember You") Were such great mentors in the final projects. Then Hrafnkell Stefánsson Course Manager was very helpful and taught you to look at the manuscripts with a critical eye, for example, you still sit in the phrase "It is a story thread. But who is the story? ”.

What was the policy after graduation?

Make movies. No plan B. Sacrificing everything for the cause. It has not been easy and you have to deal with constant resistance, but if you are faithful to what you do, work sincerely and diligently, no matter what happens, then one day you will start blowing the sails at man. I can talk endlessly about these issues, because this is the hardest part, but to end this effectively and inspiringly, I think it is appropriate to quote the Roman poet Rumi: “As you start to walk on the way, the way appears."

Your movie, "Eden", will be released shortly, can you tell us about the process of making it?

When I got the idea of "Eden", it was one of those moments when you go into a real inspiration. I was driving from Bolungarvík to Ísafjörður and was thinking about paintings by Adam and Eve as they are being driven out of the garden (was working on another Bible related project) and suddenly lightning struck my mind about a couple in Reykjavik who is in constant flight because they are experiencing futility in life. I immediately envisioned high speed and dynamic atmosphere, with humor in good balance with dramatic moments. So I burned home and started writing. The next day I called Ævar (who goes by the artist's name Hansel Eagle) and Telmu Huld and introduced them to the idea, but I saw them enlightening to me in the roles. I was known for my life (starring in “ Albatross") But I did not know Telmu, but had been fascinated by her over the years, such as" Webcam”In her time and some short films where she always stood out. Telmu and Ævari liked the idea and I immediately started drafting a script. I think I wouldn't have made this movie if they couldn't, because I needed actors with a certain look, a certain age and who had a grace for natural conversations. At the same time as a writer I got Guðgeir a producer with me (who produced "Albatross") and Loga Ingimars on the camera, who was my partner in KVÍ and shot, among other things, "Albatross". Soon we contacted our co-producers from "Albatross", then Ingvar Thord and Júlíus Kemp, and they liked the project well. We tried to get a grant from the Icelandic Film Fund, but it was not possible to do so at that time (autumn 2016), so with Ingvar's help we got private capital into the project. Soon Guðbjörg Sigurðardóttir joined the project as co-producer, also our partner Loga from KVÍ, and she helped with funding. The final shoot ended in early 2018 and spent the rest of the year composing music and refining the cut after the music was finished. Since the new year, audio processing has taken place and technical finishing.

IMDB