Reykjavik International Film Festival, RIFF, will kick off on September 26th with an opening ceremony in Háskólabíó. This year's opening film is made by the Icelandic-Norwegian director Lilja Ingólfsdóttir.
Loveable (Elskling), directed by Lilja, marks her debut feature film, having first premiered in Oslo earlier this year. The film quickly became a talking point due to its intense emotional themes and Helga Guren’s standout performance in the leading role, which Variety described as a 'gutsy performance' in their review. In Loveable, Guren plays Maria, a woman struggling to balance her career ambitions with the demands of caring for her four children, while her husband, Sigmund, is frequently absent due to work-related travel. The couple's relationship reaches a breaking point during a heated argument, leading Sigmund to ask for a divorce.
"emotionally jagged debut"
which got a standing ovation at Karlovy Vary Film Festival in July
In their review of Loveable, Variety furthermore describes Lilja's film as an emotionally jagged debut, and notes that that the film is an 'unusual, intelligent marriage story [which] wonders what happens when a second chance goes the way of the first, and who, if anyone, is to blame.'
The movie received a standing ovation at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival in July.
Screened before: Bríet and Birnir in outer space
Before the opening film, RIFF will screen the short Birnir og Bríet, by Erlendur Sveinsson. It follows a couple in outer space who attempt to erase the memories of their relationship. The short, which was filmed in one of Icelandair's airplanes, is a visual journey through Birnir and Bríet's album 1000 Words, that the pair recently released.
The 21st edition of RIFF will take place this fall, primarily at Háskólabíó, where each screen will showcase a diverse selection of high-quality films from around the world.
