"The over-educated know-it-all character of Georg Bjarnfreðarson first came to life in 2004 and I became haunted by his story. Georg is a son, a father and a communist megalomaniac with a chronic compulsion to control his environment, yet at the same time unable to control his own life. In other words, an inspiring protagonist with exciting possibilities.
I had an idea of making a feature film about this miscreant, but as things turned out the first chapters in his life story became so vast, it turned into THE NIGHT SHIFT and the sequels THE DAY SHIFT & THE PRISON SHIFT, television tragedies masquerading as comedy. Along with Georg, we have Daníel Sævarsson, a depressed young man who's struggling with his family who want him to become a doctor; And Olafur Ragnar, a man-child in his late thirties who is still desperately struggling to fit in with the popular crowd. Through dynamic interactions, these three characters have become an exploration of the male identity in Iceland.
I had an idea of making a feature film about this miscreant, but as things turned out the first chapters in his life story became so vast, it turned into THE NIGHT SHIFT and the sequels THE DAY SHIFT & THE PRISON SHIFT, television tragedies masquerading as comedy. Along with Georg, we have Daníel Sævarsson, a depressed young man who's struggling with his family who want him to become a doctor; And Olafur Ragnar, a man-child in his late thirties who is still desperately struggling to fit in with the popular crowd. Through dynamic interactions, these three characters have become an exploration of the male identity in Iceland.
In Mr.BJARNFREÐARSON, the final, stand-alone chapter in the lives of these former co-workers and friends, I want to get to the heart of things.; To dive under the surface and reveal the hidden truths about the characters and the over-arching theme of how the frailty of parents sometimes transfers itself over to their children. A theme which I have strived to explore in my past works.
Georg is the result of extreme life-views of his mother Bjarnfreður, who was hell-bent on raising a great leader but has instead turned Georg into an outsider, unable to relate, love and sympathize with other people. Sadly, the burden of having to be a "great" means our protagonist has been up to this point destined to walk a solitary path in this world.
Set up in two frames of time, the main story follows modern day Georg and then mixes in scenes from his dysfunctional childhood. Through the course of the story, as Georg is pummeled with his past, he is forced to reflect on his life and make dramatic and life changing decisions.
It's a story of self realization, in essence a story about all of us. Our struggle for happiness, love and security, and how we all have the same basic emotions, wherever we are in the world. It's also a reflection on the political and sociological situation in the 60's and 70's. How socialist and feminist ideals fare against the contradicting US influence on Icelandic society and how quickly high moral ideals like communism turn into fascism.
Mr.BJARNFREÐARSON uses the same process I used in my last two films, CHILDREN and PARENTS. This involves creating characters through intensive work with actors and then letting the events and story evolve from that point. After lengthy improvisations a screenplay is written from the wealth of material that has been gathered. Filmmaking is an ongoing journey. For me, collaborating closely with my actors has opened up new avenues of creative possibilities."