Kormákur Opens his heart

Writer/director/actor/producer Baltasar Kormákur’s latest Icelandic film opened last weekend in Iceland at number one, parallel to its screening in Toronto.

The thriller/drama tells the story of Finnur, (Kormákur) a successful heart surgeon whose life starts to unravel when his daughter falls in love with a drug-dealing boyfriend. Finnur decides to take drastic measures in an attempt to break the boyfriend's hold on her. 
We caught up with Kormákur at his Icelandic home, just before he left for San Sebastian where The Oath is competing for a Golden Shell. 

Was it writer Ólafur Egilsson who brought you the idea for the film? 
BK: It’s actually based on his sister. Ólafur’s family is very well-known; his mother used to be head of the National Theatre, and his father is one of the most famous singers in Iceland. But his sister went into the drug world and it was a tragedy for the family.  his was just a loose inspiration for the script. 

Ólafur presented the idea to me a few years back.  I’ve heard a lot of stories about families that had to deal with not dissimilar situations, whose lives suddenly collided with the underworld when their kids got involved in drugs. 

I liked it and we started developing the script together.

This story is very real, not only in Iceland but around the world. In the film, the character Finnur that I play lives is his protected world, then one day the world of crime and drugs show up in his living room and he cannot pretend it doesn’t exist anymore. 

The film is also about learning how to let go of children when they become young adults…As a father of five, you must have felt strongly about this…
BK: Yes parenthood is the toughest job and I always say that my grey beard doesn’t come from filmmaking but from being a father.

I’ve heard horrible stories of young kids attending parties and taking drugs and…bang! They are gone. It’s terrifying for any parent. In the film, the problem for Finnur is that his daughter is deeply in love with her drug dealing boyfriend. He tries to save her - against her will - and that makes him a rather pathetic character, a bit like in Breaking Bad. There is a moral ambiguity about Finnur’s actions, and that makes the story more interesting.

The film opens with the Hippocratic oath that says: ‘it is given me to save a life, all thanks. But it may also be within my power to take a life; this awesome responsibility must be faced with great humbleness and awareness of my own frailty. Above all, I must not play at God' . Do you think anybody in a position of power should take that oath…even a filmmaker?
BK: Absolutely. I am aware that I have a very powerful position in Iceland and that can be sensitive, in such a small country. Having the power to offer jobs is not easy; your decisions can affect a lot of lives so you have to be careful and find some truth in yourself.

And...
BK: I’ve made an oath to myself that what comes first is the film-or artistic project I’m working on. Whatever decision I make is for the best interest of the project. The same goes for Hollywood films. When I work with big stars, I’m not intimidated by their status and always say what is on my mind, to make sure they give their best to the film. Being honest to yourself and others is what matters most. 

In the film, Finnur ‘s downfall comes from the fact that he breaks the Hippocratic oath and his own moral code. 

Did you decide very early on that you would also play the lead?  
BK: I have made more than 10 films as a director. I was asked to play as an actor in my first film 101 Reykjavik [2000] because at the time I was a well-established actor and there was a pressure from financiers for me to play in the film. The movie was great but I felt I wasn’t there for the right reason. After that experience, I didn’t want to act again in my own films. That said being trained as an actor has helped me as a director as I understand how actors feel, the importance of being motivated.

Then acting started coming back to me and I felt in my bones that I was right for the role of Finnur. I had also been a while in Hollywood making films. I just wanted to come home to Iceland to make this film, show my vulnerability, as there is nothing more vulnerable than an actor in front of a camera. I really enjoyed doing it this time and I felt it was for all the right reasons. 

To build your character, how much time did you spend on actual operating rooms and fitness rooms to get in the shape that Finnur is in?

BK: The character is a doctor who is driven. He has to be in top shape and cycles a lot. So I trained for months and got in shape. I just did what I would have expected from any actor. 

Regarding Finnur’s job as a surgeon, I was lucky to get the expertise of Iceland’s most celebrated cardiac surgeon Tómas Guðbjartsson who was incredibly supportive. He was on set and showed me what I was doing right or wrong.

How do you make decisions on what films you want to make?
BK: When I did my first film Reykjavik 101 I was called ‘Almodovar on Ice’, then with The Sea I was called ‘the Icelandic Bergman’, then after Everest I was the ‘survival filmmaker’. I just take decisions based on instinct. In the end, if you only look at the final destination you will not enjoy the trip. You only look for the results. 

I’m on a journey. Like in a marriage, there is no one counting the points. The journey and how to make the best of it is what counts.

What’s your next project?
BK: I have the Vikingr project with Universal/Working Title and hopefully we will shoot soon. I also have a couple of mid-range projects in Hollywood. Then Trapped season 2 has just been greenlit. 

As a producer what upcoming Icelandic talents are you supporting and working with?
BK: I have several projects with new directors, such as Mules by Börkur Sigthorsson who got his first chance on Trapped as episodic director and is now working on a project in the UK. Trapped is a great venue to help new directors build their knowledge. But I also nurture established talents like Dagur Kári [Virgin Mountain] and RVK Studios is involved in many co-productions. All our films get the same attention.

Will you be able to use your recently acquired film studios soon?
BK: Hopefully our studios in Reykjavik will be ready for Trapped 2 and the Vikingr project. It’s a huge undertaking. I want to build it slowly and make sure it will create enough jobs to make it a sustainable business that can have a meaning in Iceland.