Blood Mare

A young woman escapes a violent situation with the help of her friends. Without speech the film communicates through a powerful soundscape, landscape and horses. A silent but thundering cry of females in a rough world.

  • Dominique Sigrúnardóttir
    Director
  • Dominique Sigrúnardóttir
    Writer
  • Baltasar Breki Samper
    Producer
  • Sigríður Rut Marrow
    Producer
  • Dominique Sigrúnardóttir
    Producer
  • Steinunn Arinbjarnardóttir
    Key Cast
  • Marinella Arnórsdóttir
    Key Cast
  • Marta Hlín Þorsteinsdóttir
    Key Cast
  • Albert Halldórsson
    Key Cast
  • Thelma Marín Jónsdóttir
    Key Cast
  • Baltasar Breki Samper
    Cinematography
  • David Alexander Corno
    Editing
    A Woman at War
  • SÓLEY (Sóley Stefánsdóttir)
    Soundscape/theme
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Blóðmeri
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Fiction, soundtrack, feminist
  • Runtime:
    12 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    February 1, 2019
  • Production Budget:
    2,500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Iceland
  • Country of Filming:
    Iceland
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Dominique Sigrúnardóttir

Dominique is an Actress/Director with a BA in Performing Arts from the University of the Arts, Iceland.
She has worked as an assistant to directors; Ragnar Bragason (FANGAR) and most recently, with Benedikt Erlingsson on the film A WOMAN AT WAR. Dominique is currently studying for her Masters Degree in Creative Writing at the University of Iceland, where her focus is on screenwriting.

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Director Statement

Blood mare is my first short film of this standard. Shot in the north of Iceland in the peek of summer, there was almost 24 hour day light the entire three days of filming. Nature surrounded our small crew of only four people and five actors, with incredible warmth and beauty. Transcending the barriers of language, our wonderful leading actress Steinunn became one with the Icelandic horse using insight and touch alone.
We are very proud of our little film and hope that you, wherever you are in the world, give yourself the time and space to view and listen to the amazing soundscape by internationaly known Icelandic artist SÓLEY, that will take you on a mystical journey you wont quite soon forget.

Blood mare is a representation of a dream that I had after witnessing a group of mares with their foals, being gathered for blood extraction.* Learning of this industry made something inside of me click. Being and knowing countless women that have been through abuse, I could no longer look past the exploitation of animals. Females, whether animal or human, became one and the same to me. Animal exploitation is a feminist issue and this film is in its abstract way, exactly that. Becoming a mother shortly after the premiere of the film made me want to share this film with the world even more.

*Blood extraction of female horses is done so that the hormone, Equine chorionic gonadotropin or eCG, produced by the placenta of pregnant mares can be used to enhance reproduction of pigs, dairy cows, sheep, beef cows, and goats.