''The Dance'' ( is, Dansinn ()) is a 1998 Icelandic

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

produced and directed by

Ágúst Guðmundsson Ágúst Guðmundsson (born 29 June 1947) is an Icelandic film director and screenwriter. He studied French, Icelandic in Reykjavík and filmmaking at the National Film School in London. He has made many popular Icelandic films that have also bee ...

. It is set in the Faroe Islands and revolves around a wedding which is interrupted when a British fishing trawler is wrecked nearby. The screenplay is based on the short story ''Her skal danses'' by

William Heinesen Andreas William Heinesen (15 January 1900 – 12 March 1991) was a poet, novel writer, short story writer, children's book writer, composer and painter from the Faroe Islands. His writing The Faroese capital Tórshavn is always the centre of H ...

from Faroe Islands. It was filmed in the Faroe Islands with an Icelandic cast. It was entered into the

21st Moscow International Film Festival The 21st Moscow International Film Festival was held from 19 to 29 July 1999. The Golden St. George was awarded to the Japanese film ''Will to Live'' directed by Kaneto Shindo. Jury * Fernando Solanas (Argentina – President of the Jury) * Flor ...

where Guðmundsson won the Silver St. George for Best Director.

Cast

* Gunnar Helgason as Pétur * Baldur T. Hreinsson as Ívar (as Baldur Trausti Hreinsson) * Pálína Jónsdóttir as Sirsa * Dofri Hermannsson as Haraldur *

Gísli Halldórsson Gísli Halldórsson (2 February 1927 – 27 July 1998) was an Icelandic actor of theatre, radio, film and television, and one of the most popular Icelandic actors of the late twentieth century. He is known internationally for playing the lead r ...

as Nikulás * Kristina Sundar Hansen as Anna Linda * Saga Jónsdóttir as Salmóma * Arnar Jónsson as Djákni * Magnús Ólafsson as Sýslumaður * Benedikt Erlingsson as Hólófernes

Production

Kristín Atladóttir and Ágúst Guðmundsson wrote the script after

's short story "Her skal danses". Ísfilm produced the film in collaboration with Oxford Film Company,

Nordisk Film Nordisk Film A/S (lit. "Nordic Film") is a Danish entertainment company established in 1906 in Copenhagen by filmmaker Ole Olsen. It is the fourth-oldest film studio in the world behind the Gaumont Film Company, Pathé, and Titanus ...

and Hamburger Kino Kompanie. The film was shot in the Faroe Islands with Icelandic actors.

Release

The film was screened at the 1998 Toronto International Film Festival,

Festroia International Film Festival The Tróia International Film Festival, commonly referred to as Festroia ( pt, Festival Internacional de Cinema de Tróia – Festróia) was an annual international film festival in Portugal held from 1985 to 2014. Held in the town of Setúbal and ...

, the

and several other festivals. It was released in Icelandic cinemas on 23 September 1998.

Critical response

Guðmundur Ásgeirsson of ''

Morgunblaðið ''Morgunblaðið'' (, ''The Morning Paper'') is an Icelandic newspaper. ''Morgunblaðið''s website, mbl.is, is the most popular website in Iceland. History ''Morgunblaðið'' was founded by Vilhjálmur Finsen and Ólafur Björnsson, brother of ...

'' described ''The Dance'' as "without a doubt one of the better films that have been made in this country" and compared it to the Danish film ''

Babette's Feast ''Babette's Feast'' ( da, Babettes Gæstebud) is a 1987 Danish drama film directed by Gabriel Axel. The screenplay, written by Axel, was based on the 1958 story of the same name by Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen). It was produced by Just Betzer, Bo ...

''. He found the dialogues to be of uneven quality while the fragmented narrative gave a lightness to the film. The critic wrote: "''The Dance'' is the best Icelandic film of the last year and raises hopes of a brighter future for the industry." ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

s Leonard Klady wrote:

Helmer's graceful, precise style contrasts sharply with the howling winds and fierce rains that pummel the characters. Tech credits are richly hued and amplified by a haunting score that incorporates traditional folk music. The cast is vividly drawn, down to the tiniest part.

Accolades

The film won the prize for Best Cinematography at Festroia and Best Director at the Moscow International Film Festival. At the 1999

Edda Award The Edda Award is an accolade bestowed annually by the Icelandic Film and Television Academy, and is the most prominent film and television award in Iceland, awarded annually in February. The ''Edda'' has awarded for outstanding work in various ca ...

s, Þórunn María Jónsdóttir received the prize for Best Costumes. The film was also nominated for

Best 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 ...

Director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

and

Actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

(Dofri Hermannsson). It was nominated for the Norwegian Amanda Award the same year for Best Nordic Film.

References

External links

Official website
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dance 1998 films 1998 drama films Films based on short fiction Films directed by Ágúst Guðmundsson Films set in the Faroe Islands Icelandic drama films 1990s Icelandic-language films