“One big laugh for us”: Icelandic musical film reaches the big screen without public funding

The new Icelandic musical film Hvar er draumurinn? reached cinemas after being made without any public funding, a distinction that sets it apart before the first note is even heard.

The film is set in Reykjavík at the beginning of the 1990s, when Sálin hans Jóns míns enjoyed huge popularity. It draws on the music, atmosphere and culture of that period, while using the band’s songs as more than a soundtrack. The aim was for the music to become an active part of the story.

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With determination and passion as our weapons.

Director Höskuldur Þór Jónsson said the production came together through determination, passion and a close group of collaborators. “With determination and passion as our weapons,” he said. He described the team as a large group of friends who were ready to devote themselves fully to the project, adding that nobody joined for the money. He called the previous summer “one big laugh for us.”

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It was one big laugh for us.

Filming lasted 25 days, followed by roughly a year of post-production. Jónsson, who is 28, said most of the people working in front of and behind the camera were around the same age. The process was demanding, he acknowledged, but seeing the finished film on the big screen made the effort sweeter.

The film reaches deeper into the band’s catalogue than the earlier musical, including later songs such as “Under Your Influence” and “You Complete Me.” A longer discussion of Hvar er draumurinn? and an interview with Jónsson appeared in Morgunblaðið’s Sunday edition.

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Of course it was a challenge, and a big mountain that we had to climb. But that made it all the sweeter to finally see the film on the big screen.