When The Light Breaks15A77 min
Synopsis
A poignant new drama about a young woman whose conscience and resilience is tested over the course of a long summer’s day when she’s confronted by unexpected and life-changing events.
Sunset to sunset: just 24 hours are enough to turn the life of twenty-something arts student Una (a remarkable Elín Hall) completely upside down. And not just hers. Reykjavík has awakened to news of a terrible road accident, with Una’s boyfriend and fellow classmate Diddi (Baldur Einarsson) likely among the injured. But because of a secret she has been keeping from her friends, Una finds herself unable to express her true feelings like they can; She must navigate through her swirling emotions, and how she fits in, in her own way...
Luminously shot on 16mm film by award-winning cinematographer Sophia Olsson (The Crown) and featuring music from the late composer Jóhann Jóhannsson, Rúnarsson’s personal and moving film – rapturously received at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival - finds grace notes of fleeting beauty as it explores the ripple effect of grief. Precise, tender and emotionally complex, WHEN THE LIGHT BREAKS is deeply rewarding viewing.