Friðrik Þór Friðriksson (born 12 May 1954; pronounced ), sometimes credited as Fridrik Thor Fridriksson, is an Icelandic

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...

and producer.

Biography

Fridriksson started his film making career with experimental films and documentaries in the early 1980s. In 1987, he founded The Icelandic Film Corporation that became Iceland's most important film production company. The company produces his films and works with other Icelandic directors as well as producers. His international reputation led the company to build a network of internationally well-established co-production partner companies, including Lars von Trier's

Zentropa Zentropa, or Zentropa Entertainments, is a Danish film company started in 1992 by director Lars von Trier and producer Peter Aalbæk Jensen. Zentropa is named after the train company Zentropa in the film ''Europa'' (1991), which started the colla ...

and

Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola (; ; born April 7, 1939) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the major figures of the New Hollywood filmmaking movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Coppola is the recipient of five A ...

's American Zoetrope. He made his debut as a film director with ''

Skytturnar ''White Whales'' (orig: Skytturnar ()) the third film directed by Icelandic director Friðrik Þór Friðriksson in 1987. Starring Eggert Guðmundsson, Þórarinn Óskar Þórarinsson, and Eggert Þorleifsson, this film features Hilmar Örn Hi ...

'' (''White Whales'') in 1987. His second feature ''

Children of Nature ''Children of Nature'' ( is, Börn náttúrunnar) is a 1991 Icelandic film directed by Friðrik Þór Friðriksson. It was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar at the 64th Academy Awards, the only Icelandic film to have ever been n ...

'' (1991) was nominated for an Oscar as

Best Foreign Language Film This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...

(it was also Iceland's first nomination in this category). ''Children of Nature'' took the Grand Prize at the 4th Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival in February 1993. Friðrik also starred in Lars von Trier''s 2006 comedy film '' The Boss of It All''. In 2010, he made a documentary '' A Mother's Courage: Talking Back to Autism'' and a feature film '' Mamma Gógó''; both premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. ''A Mother's Courage: Talking Back to Autism'' was nominated for the Voice award in 2010. In 2015, together with Bergur Bernburg he co-directed ''Sjóndeildarhringur'' (''Horizon''), a documentary about Georg Guðni Hauksson, which premiered at Toronto International Film Festival.

Style

He grew up in Iceland and was largely influenced by American films. Despite that, it was exposure to the work of Akira Kurosawa, John Ford and Nicholas Ray which proved crucial in his decision to become a filmmaker. He has worked with two of Iceland's most acclaimed novelists and script-writers. His work with

Einar Már Guðmundsson Einar Már Guðmundsson (born 18 September 1954 in Reykjavík) is an Icelandic author of novels, short stories, and poetry. His books have been translated into several languages. Background Guðmundsson grew up in Reykjavík. In 1979 he rece ...

includes ''Children Of Nature'', ''

Angels of the Universe ''Angels of the Universe'' (Icelandic: ''Englar alheimsins'' ()) is a 2000 Icelandic film directed and produced by Friðrik Þór Friðriksson. The leading role is played by Ingvar E. Sigurðsson, who was nominated for the European Film Awards ...

'', and ''

Movie Days ''Movie Days'' ( is, Bíódagar) is a 1994 Icelandic film directed by Friðrik Þór Friðriksson. The film was selected as the Icelandic entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 67th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.Margar ...

''. His work with

Einar Kárason Einar Kárason (born 24 November 1955 in Reykjavík, Iceland) is an Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Euro ...

includes ''White Whales'', ''

Devil's Island The penal colony of Cayenne ( French: ''Bagne de Cayenne''), commonly known as Devil's Island (''Île du Diable''), was a French penal colony that operated for 100 years, from 1852 to 1952, and officially closed in 1953 in the Salvation Islands ...

'', and '' Falcons''. Friðriksson is noted for the strong visual style of his films, including stunning images. These films are both deeply personal and strongly rooted in the

culture of Iceland The culture of Iceland is rich and varied as well as being known for its literary heritage which began in the 12th century. Icelandic traditional arts include weaving, silversmithing, and wood carving. The Reykjavík area has several professional t ...

, often depicting characters at the crossroads of tradition and modernity. They are said to combine a wry sense of humour with a genuine solidarity with the characters.

Personal life

Friðriksson is interested in football and is a devoted fan of the

Fram Reykjavík Fram may refer to: Ships * ''Fram'' (ship), an arctic exploration vessel from Norway * MS ''Fram'', expedition cruise ship owned by Hurtigruten Group Places and geography * Fram, Paraguay, a town in Itapúa, Paraguay * Fram Formation, a sequ ...

team.

Filmography

References

External links

*
Icelandic Film corporation
1954 births Living people Fridrik Thor Fridriksson Fridrik Thor Fridriksson Fridrik Thor Fridriksson {{iceland-film-director-stub