Script: Ragnar Bragason, DoP: August Jakobsson, Editor: Valdis Óskarsdóttir, Production: Mystery Island, Producers: Árni Filippusson, Davíd Óskar Ólafsson, Cast: Thora Bjorg Helga, Sveinn Ólafur Gunnarsson, Halldóra Geirharosdóttir, Ingvar Eggert Sigurosson, Pétur Einarsson
Set in the 80s, the plot follows twelve-year-old Hera, who watches her brother die in an horrific farming accident. Traumatised and consumed by grief, Hera emulates her late brother by dressing in his black leather jacket and band t-shirts, and listening to his favourite metal. As she grows into a rebellious teenager, she channels her grief into the music she writes and making her parents’ lives hell.
"Thora Bjorg Helga’s performance as Hera is outstanding, particularly the way she lures the audience to love her, despite being a particularly unlikable character." (www.theupsidenews.com)
Biography: Ragnar Bragason, born in Reykjavik/Iceland in 1971, is best known for his films CHILDREN and PARENTS and the popular TV series THE NIGHT SHIFT, THE DAY SHIFT and THE PRISON SHIFT. He got his start making short videos in college. After directing numerous music videos, shorts and documentaries, he released his first feature film FIASCO in 2000. In his earlier work he used traditional ways of writing and directing, but more recently he has followed methods similar to those of Mike Leigh and John Cassavetes of working with his actors to create characters and screenplays through improvisation. For his work he has already received 15 Icelandic Edda Awards.
Filmography (selection): 2000 FIASCO, 2006 CHILDREN, 2007 PARENTS; THE NIGHT SHIFT, 2008 THE DAY SHIFT, 2009 THE PRISON SHIFT (all TV series); BJARNFREDARSON, 2013 METALHEAD
Awards: 8 Edda Awards, among them for best director, best actress and best editing (Icelandic Film and Television Academy, Reykjavik/Island 2014)
