Words by

Iryna Zubenko

Photo by

Supplied Stills

Skyler Barberio

Getty Images

The Icelandic-Chinese jazz sensation takes her act from the Hollywood Bowl to the silver screen

“Welcome to the Hollywood Bowl! Thank you for selling this show out,” says 25-year-old Laufey Lín Jónsdóttir in the trailer for her upcoming concert film Laufey’s A Night At The Symphony: Hollywood Bowl — a documentation of her August performance at the storied venue, which has previously hosted legends like Ella Fitzgerald. Joined by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, led by Principal Conductor Thomas Wilkins, the 2024 Grammy winner for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for Bewitched not only confronts the anxiety and fear of the unknown by playing in a new (and iconic) venue but manages to wrap it into a dreamy cinematic journey and an intimate fan experience.

Of course, Laufey doesn’t do it alone. She’s backed by a powerhouse team, including her creative director and twin sister Júnía, production partner Veeps, IMAX and director Sam Wrench, who just last year brought Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour to cinemas worldwide. I called the director in sunny LA to understand why he wanted to document Laufey at this moment in time.

A night of firsts

“One of the things that interested me was that most of the time people get in touch, or the concerts I film are very late in a tour — maybe the artist has been on tour for 50 dates already,” shares Sam, a predominantly live multi-cam director whose portfolio also includes concert films of Blur, Lizzo, Billie Eilish and Andrea Bocelli, as well as other major live events. 

“The idea that this was the first time Laufey was playing the Hollywood Bowl, and with the LA Phil as well, I felt this was a really unique moment to capture. I liked the idea of capturing something that hadn’t happened much before.”

Director Sam Wrench by Skyler Barberio

Sam admits that while he didn’t know Laufey before the collaboration began, he knew her songs. “I’d always been fairly drawn to them. She writes quite a lot about Los Angeles and I live here,” he says. “It was great to understand more about her art history and the way she had structured the set starting with a band and then a little break, and then LA Phil. I thought that was a really interesting way of doing it — and really interesting for the audience.”

Despite playing at the Hollywood Bowl for the first time, Laufey appears remarkably at ease on stage. Before introducing the LA Phil, she glides through her solo set, offering brief song introductions and candid commentary. “You’re going to know me a little bit better tonight, maybe a little bit better than you bargained for.”

These honest, sometimes punchy remarks were not scripted, according to Sam. “No, it’s very natural,” he says. “It’s a very natural portrayal of the concert. She’s someone that has such a genuine connection with her audience and is so great at just speaking, that it comes across as really authentic, because it is.” 

Intimate notes

Laufey rose to fame quickly, yet she presents herself to the audience like an old friend. A classically trained musician, she sings intimate songs about her own life and coming-of-age struggles, like not fitting in or life moving too quickly, while demonstrating her musical versatility, switching between cello, guitar and piano for different songs. 

Her banter with the audience elevates the cinematic experience, leaving viewers to wonder what moments didn’t make the cut. When her twin sister Júnía comes on stage to play viola for one song, Laufey can’t resist a cheeky comment for her sister, asking, “Are you wearing my dress?”

“Laufey’s sister coming out was a real moment,” says Sam. “I hadn’t anticipated it being so great. It felt so personal and playful.” He adds, “Laufey talks so authentically during the songs that we definitely didn’t know that would be that strong. When we walked away from the gig, it was clear that there was something really special about those moments that would help form the film.”

The concert performance is complemented by a few non-live moments, but they interconnect very smoothly, allowing the audience to get to know a bit more about the artist as she drives through the hills of her new home base of Los Angeles in a black Cadillac. “We talked a lot about those [scenes] and how they might appear, but the stuff within the concert is very much her … raw experience.” 

These off-stage moments are rendered in black and white, contrasting with the colourful stage performance — a subtle nod to Laufey’s stage personality that feels both classic and modern.  “We tried it both ways,” Sam explains, “and I think in the edit, the black and white felt more classic. Laufey’s music is so classic, and the way she talks about Los Angeles is so romantic. The black and white gave us a chance to be more romantic.”  

Capturing the moment

“The Hollywood Bowl is such a unique venue. It has such a visual identity,” says Sam. “Like with any venue, there’s always lots of challenges with how you capture that and how you show it.” Speaking of technical logistics of producing a film like this, Sam’s team placed about 16 cameras in different parts of the venue to help tell a story — “a mix of kind of close up, intimate stuff, wide-scale stuff, and then orchestra coverage and a variety of artist coverage.” 

The one-night-only aspect of the performance is what initially drew Sam to the project, as he admits it requires a different, more flexible approach. “You don’t want cameras to be looking at other cameras. And you also don’t get a chance to go back and fine-tune the performance. There’s a real authenticity to the moment where you feel like it’s one night — it’s just that moment captured in time,” he says, “In hindsight, I’m really glad it was only one night.”

Leaning into moments that felt authentic was the primary approach of the filming crew. “We were really keen that we weren’t making a documentary. It wasn’t there to tell her life story,” says Sam. 

Speaking of Taylor

“I was incredibly fortunate to be able to capture The Era’s Tour and work with Taylor,” Sam says, blushing at the mention of Taylor Swift — an experience that most definitely shaped his year and potentially future career. “I think anyone that does anything with Taylor, it’s a fairly pivotal moment in your career. But it was an amazing experience and I was so happy that so many people got to see it in the cinema.”

A known Swiftie, Laufey’s deeply personal lyrical approach is often compared to Taylor’s, but her jazzy pop music and orchestral show are a completely different vibe. When asked about the contrast between filming dynamic and subtle performances, Sam says, “It’s a very different approach if there’s more choreo happening and there’s more kind of kinetic movement versus an orchestra on stage. But I often find that you focus on movement, just in different ways, whether that’s a dance, or whether that’s a harp or a viola — there’s still movement there. It just translates itself in different ways.”

The best seat in the house

Sam sees great promise in cinemas supporting live music. “It’s so humbling and exciting to see that audiences are so interested in music in cinemas. Obviously, the Taylor film really helped kick start that again,” he says. Reflecting on the ticket sales and interest from the cinemas worldwide in Laufey’s A Night At The Symphony, he continues, “It kind of proves that people really do want to view these one-off moments in cinemas; there’s a real demand for it. I’m really excited that everyone will get the chance to see it, but also that the cinemas and IMAX are supporting music in cinemas. It’s such a great place to view live music if you can’t make it to the gig.”

The cinema experience may lack the noise and sweat of attending a live concert, but that’s not its purpose, according to Sam. “A live cinema capture of a concert isn’t there to replace the in-person experience. It should feel different, but it should feel faithful to the in-person experience. Watching a live cinema experience, being closer to the artist, having the best seat in the house and being able to share that with friends and family is just a different experience, rather than replacing the other one.”

Laufey’s A Night At The Symphony is primarily made for the fan base and the people who couldn’t make it to the show. It’s also accompanied by an interactive website and limited edition merch. But you don’t have to be a “Lauver” to enjoy it. “It’s a chance for that fan base to introduce other people to Laufey and her music — to take your family, take your kids, take your partners, take the person that maybe doesn’t know her music and introduce them to it,” says Sam. 

Laufey and the film director Sam Wrench at the premiere of “A Night At The Symphony: Hollywood Bowl” at The Grove in L.A. (Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Laufey’s “A Night At The Symphony: Hollywood Bowl” Premiere)

The film isn’t Laufey’s only gift to her audience this holiday season. She also released a festive EP, A Very Laufey Christmas. With several Christmas shows in the works and a Sabrina Carpenter Christmas special debuting on Netflix the same week as Laufey’s film, director Sam is keeping busy too.

He’s not the type to revisit a project and dwell on what could have been done differently — or maybe he simply doesn’t have the time. “I watched it the other day with Laufey in LA at the premiere, and it was just as enjoyable with people in the room as it was in the edit suite. I’m so glad that she took the risk to do it — filming a concert when it’s the first time you’ve played somewhere is always scary. I’m really proud of it.”

Laufey’s A Night At The Symphony: Hollywood Bowl is coming to the cinemas on Dec. 6. Catch it at Bíó Paradís or Smárabíó. See screening times: anightatthesymphony.com