03/05/2023 - The 19th century-set picture stars Odessa Young as a widow who is tasked with making an impossible choice when a ship sinks off the coast of her fishing post

The new project by award-winning director Thordur Palsson (The Valhalla Murders), titled The Damned, wrapped principal photography last month in Iceland. Starring Odessa Young (Mothering Sunday [+see also:
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In detail, The Damned follows Eva (Young), a 19th-century widow who is tasked with making an impossible choice when, in the middle of an especially cruel winter, a ship sinks off the coast of her isolated fishing post. Eva and her crew must choose to either rescue the shipwrecked or survive the winter with their last remaining food. Facing the consequences of their choice and tormented by their guilt, the inhabitants wrestle with a mounting sense of dread and begin to believe they are all being punished for their decisions.

Alongside Young are Joe Cole (Gangs of London, A Small Light), Siobhan Finneran (Happy Valley, The Stranger), Rory McCann (Game of Thrones, Slow West [+see also:
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The script was penned by Jamie Hannigan, and it was developed with the support of Screen Ireland based on a story created by Palsson himself.

The Damned is being produced by Emilie Jouffroy and Kamilla Kristiane Hodøl for Elation Pictures (UK), John Keville and Conor Barry for Wild Atlantic Pictures (Ireland), and Tim Headington, Theresa Steele Page and Nate Kamiya for Ley Line Entertainment (USA). Co-producing are Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson and Anton Máni Svansson, of Iceland’s Join Motion Pictures, and Benoit Roland, of Belgium’s Wrong Men. Institutional backers include Screen Ireland, Wallimage and the UK Global Screen Fund.

Speaking about the project, the producers commented: “We could not be prouder of what Thordur and this magnificent ensemble of talent have achieved on The Damned. The Icelandic landscape is a part of the haunted soul of this film. Shooting in the depths of winter in the West Fjords provided physical and creative challenges, and each of those challenges could not have been overcome without the support of our fantastic partners. We are so excited to get this film out into the world.”

Moreover, Protagonist Pictures executive-produced the picture, with chief commercial officer George Hamilton and chief operations officer James Pugh serving as executive producers alongside Luane Gauer. Ley Line Entertainment is financing, alongside BCP. David Darby and Lauren Shelton are the executive producers for Ley Line, John Gleeson and Oisin O’Neill for BCP, and Niamh Fagan for Screen Ireland.

Protagonist Pictures, which arranged financing for the film, is also handling the worldwide sales, which will be launched at the upcoming Marché du Film. The company is co-repping US rights with CAA Media Finance. Protagonist will be sharing exclusive footage with buyers on the Croisette.