Viking Short Film | Konungr

In Sweden, an ancient Viking runestone, the ‘Rök’, tells the story of a great storm from the 6th Century AD. The storm shares similarities with several doomsday events written in historical scripture, such as ‘Ragnarok’ from Norse poetry and the Seven Bowls of Wrath from the Bible.

Inspired from this runestone, ‘Konungr’ takes us back in time to follow a young Viking chief, Frida, who is forced to conquer new lands in Scotland so her tribe can escape the deadly storm, which burns everything it touches. There’s only one problem – while Frida and her kin are Christian, half of her people still follow the ‘Old Gods’ – each side blames the other for their misfortune.

2020 has witnessed events that made the world stand still; from disease to fires, oppression and murder. Through the use of historical context, ‘Konungr’ metaphors every aspect of this year and the calamities that have shaped it, from the conflicts within Frida’s tribe that reflect tensions rising within the modern public, to the storm representing the events that have shaken the Earth. But while destruction seems inevitable, Frida’s sacrifices remind us that the key to thriving in unprecedented times is to keep faith in yourself.