The Director Is Icelandic Canadian

Matt Johnson is attracting attention in the film world, most recently as the director of Tony, a movie about chef and food writer Anthony Bourdain. The film received a special screening at Laugarásbíó, marking its second screening in Iceland, although it is not in general theatrical release.

Johnson comes from Toronto, but his family roots stretch through Winnipeg and back to Iceland. He has described himself as half Icelandic and half Finnish, reflecting his father’s Icelandic background and his Finnish mother.

In interviews, Johnson has discussed the severe poverty his father’s family experienced in Iceland before moving to Thunder Bay, near Winnipeg. He said his father grew up after the family had spent time in Winnipeg and described an Icelandic Canadian town where many Finnish people also lived. Logging for low wages was the area’s main industry, he said.

Johnson has also said that his Icelandic grandfather worked as a newspaper man, although he did not provide more detail. He discussed the family history in an interview with Maclean’s and in a podcast hosted by comedian Stavros Halkias, who appears in Tony. In another interview with Dazed, Johnson again described himself as half Icelandic and half Finnish.

His recent work has added to his reputation as a director on the rise. He co-produced the comedy series Nirvana the Band the Show with his friend and fellow Canadian Jay McCarrol, then directed the film Nirvana the Band the Show the Movie. He also directed Blackberry, the 2023 film about the smartphone company. The article notes that Bourdain had a connection to Iceland and once tried hákarl there, an experience he disliked.

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Half Icelandic and half Finnish.