Marteinn Thorsson’s fourth feature, a drama entitled Backyard Village [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
fiche film], is now ready for release. The Icelandic director’s previous credits include his debut feature One Point O (2004, nominee for Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize), Stormland [+lire aussi :
bande-annonce
fiche film] (2011) and Karlovy Vary award winner XL [+lire aussi :
critique
interview : Marteinn Thorsson et Ólafu…
fiche film] (2013).

The story of Backyard Village, penned by Guðmundur Óskarsson (here also serving as producer), revolves around a 40-year-old woman called Brynja (played by Laufey Elíasdóttir) who, after spending some time in a health spa in a small town, cannot bring herself to cross the heath separating her from the city she lives in, unwilling to meet her mother who has just returned to Iceland after leaving the family 35 years earlier. Brynja takes lodgings in a small guesthouse called Backyard Village, where she meets Mark (British actor Tim Plester), a 50-year-old Englishman who has been staying there for a couple of months while coming to terms with his own personal tragedy. The vulnerable pair share their feelings and come to form an unbreakable bond that will help them move on with their lives.

The project’s technical crew includes director of photography Bergsteinn Björgúlfsson (Of Horses and Men [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Benedikt Erlingsson
interview : Egil Ødegård
fiche film], Woman at War [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Benedikt Erlingsson
interview : Benedikt Erlingsson
fiche film]) and composer Jófríður Ákadóttir (Agnes Joy [+lire aussi :
bande-annonce
fiche film]).

Backyard Village was produced by Guðmundur Óskarsson and Marteinn Thorsson for Hveragerði-based outfit Tenderlee and the Icelandic Academy of Storytelling. The project also received backing from Siminn TV, the South Iceland Development Fund and the Icelandic Film Centre. Its domestic distribution is currently being handled by Siminn TV for SVOD platforms and Sena Distribution for its theatrical release. The film will be released in Icelandic cinemas on 26 March 2021.