Woman at War director and composer share Harpa Nordic Music Award

The jury consisting of Swiss composer Christine Aufderhaar, Greek film music agent George Christopoulos and German festival manager Florian Vollmers said their choice was based on the “exquisite originality of the score and its usage within the film, in particular in the creation of the lead female character Halla (Halldóra Geirharõsdóttir), accompanied by her own band.

The jury said: “In film scoring, the criteria are never solely musical but also include the creative collusion of the craftsmanship of a director and a composer. Hence, specifically this year's award goes to both the composer Davíð Þór Jónsson and the director Benedikt Erlingsson, for the distinct and highly original result their collaboration generated both musically and visually."

The jury also noted that by handing out this award, they hope it will “further encourage filmmakers to see music as a significant element of a story, that will elevate the story's impact, not just as a formulaic ingredient that becomes somewhat important during post-production.”

Commenting on the other 2019 nominees, the jury said “the supernatural drama from Norway Thelma “fused atmospheric electronic elements with beautiful acoustic melodic lines. For them, the Danish dystopian film QEDA-Divided was “equally served by a score that was cruising between the ambient evocative score and the immersive sound design”. In the Swedish drama Goliath, the score was seen as a work that “didn't want to provoke the audience but to awaken it, like its protagonist, gradually, powerfully yet subtly. “ Finally with the Finnish film Laugh or Die, the jury felt that “from the first frame, the score set the tone of a lyrical, comical and tragic journey, all at the same time." 

The awards ceremony was held on Tuesday at Berlin’s Auditorium of the Felleshus of Nordische Botschaften on the closing day of the Nordic Film Music Days 2019.