When the Light Breaks
In his Icelandic masterpiece grappling with a day in the life of young adults, Rünar Rünarsson showcases a leading actress with star quality.
Katla Njálsdóttir and Elín Hall
Image courtesy of Modern Films.
Rünar Rünarsson’s film set in Iceland's capital city, Reykjavík, offers a slice of life rather than a fully-fledged plot but it feels so real, so true that it can be considered a masterpiece albeit a small one. Its special quality is evident at once as it introduces us to two young people studying at the City’s University of the Arts. She is Una (Elín Hall) and he is Diddi (Baldur Einarsson) and the depth of their feelings for one another is immediately conveyed to the full, something achieved in a way that feels effortless. What follows takes place over twenty-four hours and throughout its compact running time (80 minutes) the film conveys a sense of everyday life, a feeling that is maintained throughout even though this is the day when a dramatic event will occur affecting the lives of all the young people central to When the Light Breaks.
It seems likely that many reviews of this film will reveal what that event is in order to indicate the nature of the central situation depicted (it’s one that I do not recall being the subject of any other film). However, since that situation only emerges clearly when the film is already a quarter of the way through, my own view is that it is probably best for a viewer not to have advance knowledge of how the day will go. What I can readily say is that a small group of friends are the central figures and of these Una and Klara (Katla Njálsdóttir) are the most significant. The others involved are Gunni (Mikael Kaaber), Bassi (Ágúst Wigum) and Siggi (Gunnar Hrafn Kristjánsson). In addition, I can add that despite the film being limited to such a short period of time there is a satisfying emotional arc to the tale even if the nature of the piece is such that it does not lend itself to any big dramatic resolution.
When the Light Breaks comes from an unexpected source in that it so persuasively captures the world of Gen Z that one might well expect the person who created it to be close to them in age whereas Rünarsson is forty-eight years old and is the writer as well as the director (this is his fourth feature but the first to be distributed in the UK). Furthermore, given the special focus on Una and Klara one might well have supposed that they were the creation of a female filmmaker. Yet Rünarsson’s understanding and rapport with these two is absolute and both parts are wonderfully well played. Njáldóttir’s Klara is perfectly gauged while Elín Hall, apparently a talented singer as well as being an established actress, gives one of the best performances of the year to date. Her Una is a quite wonderfully realised portrait and we believe in her completely.
This film has other virtues too. We have occasionally seen Reykjavík on film before but the way in which Sophia Olsson’s photography captures the bright light is stunning. Without being over-indulged the location itself is well used too and there is an imaginative sequence involving one of the city’s finest churches which provides a memorable episode. Rünarsson has chosen not to have a music score composed for the film preferring instead to incorporate on occasion some pre-existing pieces and in particular he makes special use of Jóhann Jóhannsson’s song ‘Odi et Amo’. This does not seem an obvious choice yet its tone is such that it feels wholly apt adding as it does an extra haunting quality to this unusual venture. When the Light Breaks functions on an intimate scale which may not make it a work which will appeal to everybody but on its own terms it could hardly be better. Indeed, one is left surprised that it is only now that the work of Rünar Rünarsson has been distributed in the UK. This film clearly proves that he is a distinguished auteur with a style that is very much his own.
Original title: Ljósbrot.
MANSEL STIMPSON
Cast: Elín Hall, Katla Njálsdóttir, Mikael Kaaber, Ágúst Wigum, Gunnar Hrafn Kristjánsson, Baldur Einarsson, Alex Leó Kristinsson, Daria Testoedova, Benedict Erlingsson.
Dir Rünar Rünarsson, Pro Heather Millard and Rünar Rünarsson, Screenplay Rünar Rünarsson, Ph Sophia Olsson, Pro Des Hulda Helgadóttir, Ed Andri Steinn Guðjónsson, Costumes Helga Rós Hannam.
Compass Films/MP Film/Eaux Vives Productions/Halibut/Jour2Fête/Revolver Amsterdam-Modern Films.
82 mins. Iceland/The Netherlands/Croatia. 2024. UK Rel: 23 May 2025. Cert. 15.
