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

Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...

film director A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfillment of that Goal, vision. The director has a key role ...

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 Lars von Trier (né Trier; born 30 April 1956) is a Danish film director and screenwriter. Beginning in the late-1960s as a child actor working on Danish television series ''Secret Summer'', von Trier's career has spanned more than five decad ...

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 co ...

and

Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola ( ; born April 7, 1939) is an American filmmaker. He is considered one of the leading figures of the New Hollywood and one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. List of awards and nominations received by Francis Ford Coppo ...

American Zoetrope American Zoetrope (also known as Omni Zoetrope from 1977 to 1980 and Zoetrope Studios from 1980 until 1991) is a privately run American film production company, centered in San Francisco, California and founded by Francis Ford Coppola and Georg ...

. He made his debut as a film director with '' Skytturnar'' (''White Whales'') in 1987. His second feature '' Children of Nature'' (1991) was nominated for an

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...

as Best Foreign Language Film (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 The , also sometimes called YIFFF, is held in a resort-like environment in the small town of Yūbari on the northernmost Japanese island of Hokkaidō. From 1990 to 1999, the festival was known as the Yubari International Fantastic Adventure Fil ...

in February 1993. Friðrik also starred in

''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 ''Mamma Gógó'' is a 2010 Icelandic drama film directed by Friðrik Þór Friðriksson. The film was selected as the Icelandic entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 83rd Academy Awards, but did not make the final shortlist. Cast * ...

''; both premiered at the

Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the most prestigious and largest publicly attended film festivals in the world. Founded in 1976, the festival takes place every year in early September. The organi ...

. ''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

. In 2024 he participated in the 46th Moscow Film Festival in Russia.

Style

He grew up in Iceland and was largely influenced by American films. Despite that, it was exposure to the work of

Akira Kurosawa was a Japanese filmmaker who List of works by Akira Kurosawa, directed 30 feature films in a career spanning six decades. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers in the History of film, history of cinema ...

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), better known as John Ford, was an American film director and producer. He is regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers during the Golden Age of Hollywood, and w ...

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 includes ''Children Of Nature'', '' Angels of the Universe'', and '' Movie Days''. His work with Einar Kárason 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 Islan ...

'', and ''

Falcons Falcons () are birds of prey in the genus ''Falco'', which includes about 40 species. Some small species of falcons with long, narrow wings are called hobbies, and some that hover while hunting are called kestrels. Falcons are widely distribu ...

''. 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 largely characterized by its literary heritage that began during the 12th century but also traditional arts such as weaving, silversmithing, and wood carving. The Reykjavík area hosts several professional theaters, art ...

, 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 team.

Filmography

References

External links