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Section: International Competition of European First Films
Heartstone (2016)
In his directorial debut, director and screenwriter Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson offers us a view into the lives of two teenage boys in a remote fishing village in Iceland. Thor and Christian truly experience a turbulent summer. As one tries to win a girl's heart, the other discovers till now unfamiliar emotions towards his best friend. As Iceland's harsh nature takes back its right with the ending summer, it is high time to leave the playground and face adulthood. The sensitive and intimate story is like a mosaic composed of many of life's important themes: the relationship between parents and children, life in a remote village, first love, awakening of puberty and sexuality, and friendship.
| Country | Iceland |
|---|---|
| Year | 2016 |
| Duration | 129 min |
| Rating | 15 |
| Language | Icelandic |
| Subtitle | English, Czech |
| Directed by | Gudmundur Arnar Gudmundsson |
| Screenplay | Gudmundur Arnar Gudmundsson |
| Director of Photography | Sturla Brandth Grøvlen |
| Music | Kristian Selin Eidnes Andersen |
| Edited by | Anne Østerud, Janus Billeskov Jansen |
| Contact | Films Boutique |
Biography
A screenwriter and director from Iceland, he graduated from the Iceland Academy of the Arts and in screenwriting in Denmark. He's also engaged in video art. He captivated audiences with the short live-acted films Whale Valley (Hvalfjord, 2013) and Artun (2014), for which he won numerous awards at many international festivals. He also fulfilled his hopes with his debut feature film Heartstone (Hjartasteinn, 2016), which was created during a creative residency granted by the Cannes Cinéfondation.
Drama, Gender, Sexuality + Identity, Growing Up, Friendship, First Feature, Empathy