WHEN THE LIGHT BREAKS

Iceland, 2024, 82 minutes, Colour.

Elin Hall, Katia Njalsdottir, Mikael Kaaber, Agust Wigum, Gunnar Hrafn Kristhjansson, Baldyr Einarsson.

Directed by Runar Runarsson.

The title is rather poetic and there are scenes of sunrise and sunset and the vistas out to sea.

However, the film is a blend of serious themes and a portrait of young adults coping and not coping with grief. At the centre, is a young woman, Una, in a relationship with a fellow student, a long sequence of their night together and his intending to break off with his long-time girlfriend the next day.

However, with a very long tracking sequence, cars in a tunnel and an explosion where he is killed.

Una is in shock, has to deal with the death, the secrecy about her relationship, dealing with the group of friends and, eventually, the arrival of the girlfriend. The group is erratic in its emotions, in its grief, outpourings, drinking, bickering. But there is a bonding between the two young women – although Una does not reveal the truth.

Acclaimed by critics, younger audiences may identify with the characters and their lifestyle – but older audiences may find their behaviour less than mature, tiresome.

1. The title, the scenes of the sky, the sun, rising and setting? Visual symbolic sequences?
2. Iceland, the landscapes, the seascapes, the coast? The town, the church, the streets, the Square, the restaurants? The musical score?
3. Setting the scene, Una, Diddi, the relationship, the night with each other, conversation, his intending to break off with his girlfriend? The next morning, the plans for the day, the couple, their friends, studies?
4. The long sequence visualising the tunnel, the explosion, its impact? The deaths, Diddi’s death?
5. The main part of the film about tuna and the friends, the news of the death, disbelief, shock, grief, the details of how they handle the situation, talking, part joking, part sadness, the drinking, going the rounds? The different characters, the relationship with Diddi, from the past, confidences, their interactions?
6. The effect on Una, her loss, the difficulty of the arrival of Katia, Diddi not having broken off with her, their interactions, their eventually bonding, the closeness, but Una not telling the truth?
7. The overall impact of the film, a portrait of young adults in the 21^st-century, the differences from their elders, their lifestyles, manner, relationships, grief?