Experiencing Interruptions?

Bylur

In the middle of winter, Hallur and his son Áki are hunting in the Icelandic highlands when their truck breaks down, leaving them vulnerable and in need of shelter. The oncoming storm forces them to seek refuge in an abandoned mountain cabin nearby. As the days go by and no sign of the storm to subside, Hallur and Áki find themselves struggling to be avoidant of a certain topic of family trauma going years without necessary conversation and appropriate support for healthy coping mechanism.

  • Óttar Thorbergsson
    Director
  • Fannar Birgisson
    Director
  • Fannar Birgisson
    Writer
  • Óttar Thorbergsson
    Writer
  • Óttar Thorbergsson
    Producer
  • Fannar Birgisson
    Producer
  • Arnfinnur Daníelsson
    Key Cast
    "Hallur"
  • Ingvar Örn Arngeirsson
    Key Cast
    "Áki"
  • Valur Darri Ásgrímsson
    Key Cast
    "Young Áki"
  • Emma Júlía Ólafsdóttir
    Key Cast
    "Agnes"
  • Margrét E. Kaaber
    Key Cast
    "Erla"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Poetry, drama, psychological
  • Runtime:
    17 minutes 56 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 1, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    13,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Iceland
  • Country of Filming:
    Iceland
  • Language:
    Icelandic
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1.66:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Óttar Thorbergsson, Fannar Birgisson

ÓTTAR ÞORBERGSSON is an accomplished cinematographer and director based in Reykjavík, Iceland. After graduating from the Icelandic Film School in 2018, he has been working in the Icelandic film industry as a cinematographer and director.

Óttar is passionate about the art of visual storytelling and has a keen eye for capturing unique, emotionally-driven images on camera. He is known for his ability to use visual cues and camera movements to convey powerful stories through his work. His creative vision has earned him recognition in the industry, including winning Best Short Film in his area of studies at film school and a nomination for Best Cinematography at Redline International Film Festival.

His recent project, Bylur, which he co-produced, directed, and shot, tackles the topic of toxic masculinity and the societal pressure on men to conform to certain expectations.

Óttar is dedicated to creating beautiful and impactful images that tell meaningful stories. In the future, he hopes to continue working on compelling film projects, pushing his own artistic boundaries and collaborating with other talented filmmakers.

Looking ahead, Óttar is excited about creating innovative, visually stunning work and collaborating with other talented filmmakers.

FANNAR BIRGISSON is a highly skilled writer and director who hails from Akureyri, Iceland. After graduating from the Icelandic film school in Reykjavík in 2019, Fannar has been driven to bring his creative vision to life through his compelling storytelling.
Fannar has a gift for writing, which is evident in his expressive and distinct style. His passion for storytelling motivates him to strive for greatness and explore new ideas and techniques in his work. He is driven to do things that are expressive and different. A sentiment that perfectly captures his artistic ethos.
Bylur, Fannar's debut film project that he wrote and co directed, takes on challenging issue that plagues society: toxic masculinity. In crafting this poignant film, Fannar employs an expressionistic style of storytelling that involves a poetic and introspective monologic dialogue between the characters, as they confront their innermost emotions. Bylur is a testament to Fannar's commitment to producing thought-provoking and impactful works of art.
Looking to the future, Fannar's goal is to continue making impactful films that resonate with audiences on a deep level. With his passion for storytelling and exceptional skills as a writer and director, there's no doubt that Fannar will continue to make a significant impact in the film industry.

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Director Statement

It was never our intention to begin with to make a film about toxic masculinity. It was a very hot topic at the time in the society but It was just a topic of conversation me and Óttar were having before a meeting we had set to start discussing a project we had in mind. We started throwing ideas around to see where we’d end up but we kind of went back to the toxic masculinity conversation, sharing our experiences and discussed our part in this whole social construct of what it means to be a man. It started as a conversation but by the time we had gotten through a lot of coffee we kind of had this landing point and knew in what direction we wanted to take this project we had sat down to discuss.

We decided that we wanted to make a film about the inner mindset of men dealing with trauma, the self distructive coping mechanism of closing off emotionally, feeling vulnerable with all these types of defensive methods to appear alright. We wanted to do it in a way where we’d stick to the emotional condition of the characters, in a kind of poetic way. Using very little dialogue between them two, but rather a kind of monological expression in an environment that would feel like a visual insight of the mindset of the characters dealing with trauma without the right coping strategies and resources needed to move on.