Christof Wehmeier is Head of International and Festival Promotions at the Icelandic Film Centre and a special festival guest attending the Melbourne and Sydney opening nights of the Saxo Scandinavian Film Festival 2024. He is a longtime collaborator of the festival and will particularly introduce and present When the Light Breaks (Ljósbrot by Rúnar Rúnarsson 2024). [1]
It is a pleasure to meet you. You have a German father and an Icelandic mother, are born and bred in Germany and later moved to Iceland. Shall we speak German, English, Icelandic, Danish or any other Scandinavian languages? You are fluent in all and your linguistic breadth reflects an interest in European cultures that share commonalities yet in terms of cinema, Scandinavian films and filmmakers might stand out.
Your work reflects this idea of Scandinavian cinema being in a league of its own. A quick look at your LinkedIn profile informs us that you have carried out the role as Festival Manager for the Icelandic Film Centre since February 2007 and that you promote “Icelandic Films, feature films, documentary films, shorts abroad through film festivals, film weeks, international relations and print co-ordination.”
You also previously acted as Marketing Manager for Samfilm (2001-2007); another comprehensive role that saw you promote films from Universal Pictures, Dreamworks Pictures, Paramount Pictures and independent films as well as being involved in different European film festivals.
What excites you most about your multiple roles, work and career?
I either wanted to be a pilot or work in film and I love being in the creative industries and international relations. I really embrace my collaboration with the rest of my Nordic colleagues as well as opportunities. We are almost like musketeers who create an identity image for Nordic films and cinema – it is a brand that is quite well known also worldwide.
And he adds that the Nordic Noir film genre is “pretty much popular on the foreign market but I would say that the next big thing could be Nordic folklore and the reference to urban legends with a supernatural flair.”
What are some of the most complex challenges?
It depends on what films you are handling because my task is to get the film out there in terms of PR and marketing as soon as it has been produced. I think we have been quite successful in that respect also given the comparatively small population of, e.g., Iceland.
Our main objective is to find and market films with a universal story to the rest of the world; that is the most challenging thing. It is a challenge to get these films through and so it is important to have a network of key people. What is so impressive about Nordic cinema is our capacity to not “beat around the bush” and we have this authentic or very earnest approach where we tell human and humane stories that are very authentic.
Is it comparatively easier or harder to promote the American or the Scandinavian film industry? How does the work ethic or ways of marketing films differ between the two?
That is a good thing. Of course there is a difference and with the US studio films you had known actors and actresses whereas with the Nordics it is more about a genre thing and it is important to be able to promote original story telling. You need to be pretty sure of what kind of audience you are trying to reach when you film and so you need to spend a lot of time on the marketing and promotion of a film and pre-promote or pre-announce it.
Whether you are doing an art house movie or a more character-driven mainstream film you need to be aware of your audience. You need to be internationally minded and then again you have this beautiful Nordic story telling where they are quite local because you are dealing with persons or individuals who you can easily relate to, but each and every filmmaker has their own touch, style or identity that people love.
What first prompted your interest in the Scandinavian Film Festival and other Melbourne and Australian film festivals and how did the subsequent collaboration begin?
Festival Director Elysia Zeccola came and met with me at the tenth anniversary of the Scandinavian Film Festival and, talking from a marketing perspective, what I like about the concept for this festival and what they are doing around Australia, is that they organise an annual event to introduce a different kind of film culture to the audience.
This annual event introduces the best from the Nordics. It builds curiosity, knowledge and insight and the same is done with the German, Spanish and Italian film festivals. The festivals become a kind of launch pad and some of the films showcased in the Scandinavian Film Festival will later be made available in general release.
So organising those film festivals once a year is a great tool where the Australian audience is introduced to Nordic films. This takes time and is an ongoing process but creating this awareness keeps audiences going on to the next festival where they will be able to enjoy a great line of fantastic upcoming award-winning Nordic films.
[Me]: The 2024 Scandinavian Film Festival highlights includes a focus on two Icelandic films: wide spanning romance/ drama Touch (Snerting) by actor, theatre and film director, and film producer Baltasar Kormákur Baltasarsson, and aforementioned When the Light Breaks. The latter film recently arrived to the Southern Hemisphere after being screened as the opening film at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for an Un Certain Regard Award. Two more Icelandic films have been selected for entry: Cold (Kuldi) and Natatorium.
What determines which films make the cut? What are your selection criteria?
“It is so difficult to say. What I like about this festival is that it is one of the best selections I have seen.” And he mentions, apart from Icelandic films like Cold and Natatorium, opening night film The Riot and Finnish film Stormskerry Maja and “some great films also from Sweden like Hammarskjöld where Michael Persbrandt is fantastic in the lead role. The Norwegian Songs of Earth and the Danish Sons are also recommended. It is very difficult to pinpoint but what I like about the films is that it gives you a great sense of a Nordic film cocktail.”
What makes Icelandic cinema unique, what are some of its defining features and what aspects of its culture should be promoted to international audiences?
Each Nordic country has its own voice. We have some similarities but also our own voice. I think what really speaks out for Icelandic film is that we have this sarcastic kind of humour but we also play a lot with stories about the Icelandic landscape which is not there for the sake of being “solely” a landscape but it brings its own dialogue into the picture. And the music also plays its own part in a film like When the Light Breaks – a score by Jóhann Jóhannsson that lingers in your subconscious mind long after the film has ended.[2]
Most of the more recent Icelandic films take place in the countryside with a few exceptions of films shot in the capital city but what really captures our attention are these unique original stories in a strangely surreal landscape. And what I can foresee in the future for the “Five Nordics” is that this could lead to an even bigger organisation where we present all the 7 or 8s [Scandinavian countries] and the Nordic culture in general.
You will be introducing When the Light Breaks during the opening night. What aspects of this film do you want Australian audiences to be aware of and what might we learn from it?
It tackles – and as I said earlier, the Nordics don’t beat around the bush – how you cope with the aftermath of death and Rúnarsson really targets the younger generation and how they communicate. How do you embrace and deal with missing and losing someone special and how do you portray that on screen?
You don’t need a great deal of dialogue when you explore the topic of loss and what you see as in this particular film actually explains everything. It is all very effectively executed by the filmmaker and the end is a mind-blowing experience.
As you approach Reykjavik by flight, a dark yet vibrant patchwork of earthy nuances opens up far below; a landscape crisscrossed by roads that form a windy pattern when observed from an aerial perspective. How does the Icelandic landscape add substance to the stories told in this year’s selection?
It’s different. When the Light Breaks is shot on location on those bright nights during the summer season of late May to the end of July or the beginning of August when it never gets dark and it plays with colours and brightness. Cold is a genre film which explores more the supernatural and plays with past and present within a very barren landscape.
And Natatorium as another film featuring in the genre selection is a very beautiful lyrical film and its premise is very eye-catching. It does not explore or play with the landscape to the same extent but focuses on the house; the house in the film has its own role and plays tricks with you, making this a mystery drama. Then finally Touch does not show much of the Icelandic landscape, only at the beginning of the film mainly, and is a classical love story based on a novel which takes us narratively to Japan and England.
What are some current priorities on the Icelandic Film Centre agenda and how will you further promote Iceland in the future?
I will carry on doing what I am doing and it is very important for me to be a part of the film production itself and at the beginning of shooting. My modelling background makes me want to see the visual take of the director and identify what kind of film it is. It is important to start early on and to be engaged in pre-promoting the film as a work in progress when it is still part of the post production process; as a thing of excitement. This is all part of the festival strategy. I can help out with how to introduce the film and with suggested art work posters or trailers to create awareness of the upcoming film. We need to enter and be there early on.
Is Iceland changing? How does Icelandic cinema and its representation of reality move with the times, in line with social changes?
Yes, it is a good thing. While most films are shot on location in the countryside I think there could be more focus on creating stories about what is happening in the big cities. After the Covid pandemic, stories are becoming more humane, relatable and uplifting to satisfy our needs in the world we live in today. We receive script, production and festival support but due to budget cuts we may not be able to show as many films next year. Still, the near future looks sound and clear and positive.
How will Iceland keep up with the global market and its demands?
“There is still a lot of hunger for Icelandic content, including Icelandic music – e.g. Hildur Ingveldardóttir Guðnadóttir who composed the score for The Joker” (2019).
We agree that there is quite a lot of nation branding going on and marketing a film through tourism and the touristic gaze as you work within the creative industries means you can promote the landscape and thus help increase tourism.
Does shooting films in Iceland present any specific challenges?
Icelandic crews and actors might be busy with foreign productions and so it can be hard to find actors for nationally produced films. On the positive, you don’t have to go far to find stunning locations but at the same time it is pretty expensive to shoot a film taking into account logistics like accommodation and rentals, etc.
What makes for an interesting film character? And what actor/ actress leads the game at the moment?
It is difficult to say. Sometimes they use the same well-known actors but there are some upcoming fantastic young actresses like Elín Hall in When the Light Breaks who will break out and become in demand on the international scene. She is also performing a part in Cold.
Any famous last words? Preferably in Icelandic!
Enjoy yourself! Góða skemmtun!
The 2024 SAXO Scandinavian Film Festival continues at Palace Cinemas across Australia. For more information, including venues and program schedule, visit: www.scandinavianfilmfestival.com for details.
In Conversation with Christof Wehmeier – Head of International and Festival Promotions at the Icelandic Film Centre
Words: Dr Jytte Holmqvist
Images: Christof Wehmeier (supplied) | When the Light Breaks (film still) | Natatorium (film still)
Footnotes:
[1] Importantly, his 2019 film structured along a series of 56 vignettes, Echo (Bergmál in Icelandic) is also highly impactful. It was nominated for the 2020 Nordic Council Film Prize and will feature as a contestant for the upcoming European Film Award in Lucierne 2024. See https://europeanfilmawards.eu/en_EN/film/echo.15202 and https://europeanfilmawards2024.ch/en/
[2] Rúnarsson‘s “use of Jóhann Jóhannsson’s haunting Odi et Amo at key moments in the film punctuates Una’s mood; the title, translating to “I hate you and I love you“, is a subtle reference to Una’s bond with Klara that strengthens over the course of their day together. In the final scenes Rúnarsson then nicely brings the narrative full circle from dusk till dawn, and as the light finally breaks over the ocean, so does it break symbolically for Una. A bit on the nose perhaps, but with Jóhannsson’s music underneath it becomes a beautiful moment of reflection. https://icsfilm.org/reviews/cannes-2024-review-when-the-light-breaks-runar-runarsson/