Illusions Of Pleasure

Director Sigurður Anton Friðþjófsson has already four features up his sleeve — now his latest title is on the big screen

“I think it’s also going to be like a generational thing. Older people might be kind of shocked. But young people, we’re used to this. I mean, movies today are pretty…,” director Sigurður Anton Friðþjófsson, or Toni, trails off, searching for the right word as we sit down for a chat at 12 Tónar on a chill afternoon. His newest feature film, Einskonar Ást (Skinny Love), explores themes of both physical and emotional intimacy. Just days away from its premiere, it’s likely to get people talking.

“I’ve been making movies for decades,” Toni says. “Filmmaking is my full-time job,” he continues, contemplating whether he should diversify his pursuits with a more stable source of income. “I probably should [do something else on the side], but I don’t have children or anything like that. I can manage to have it as a full-time job — at least for now.”

While Toni didn’t follow a traditional path of going to film school, his passion for the industry dates back to high school years. “I did pursue the media direction in high school,” he says. It was also in a high school classroom that he learned how to operate a camera and met a lot of people who would become collaborators on his future projects — “for example, the guy who is my director of photography today and has been for many years.”

Einskonar Ást brings to life a story of Emilý, who, in addition to her day-job at a record store, produces sexual content online. In her early twenties, Emilý navigates a series of firsts, exploring her own sexuality, facing anxieties about her future, relationships and her line of work. Toni emphasises that Emilý’s character is intentionally devoid of grand decisions and profound understandings, highlighting the complexity and uncertainty of young adulthood.

Tapping into timely themes

“The inspiration came from a lot of directions. When I write a movie, it’s a collage of many different things I want to do and say,” the director explains.

Toni’s exploration of online sex work is not entirely new territory. In 2015, he delved into a similar theme with a movie Webcam. Though not a sequel, Einskonar Ást has one character that crosses over from his previous work. “They’re in the same universe,” Toni shares.

Work on the film began in the autumn of 2021, in the midst of the pandemic. According to Toni, there was a boom in Icelanders engaging in sex work online during that time. He decided to revisit the subject through the lens of today, examining the shrinking taboo and increasing openness around the subject, but also adding an extra layer — a story of young adults working through a long-distance relationship.

“I wanted it to be really easy-going. You’re just seeing a short glimpse into the life of these people.”

“I didn’t have covid, but someone I lived with did, so I was in a month-long quarantine,” he recounts. “That’s when I started writing the script and I wrote for seven months.” The movie was shot a few months later, after which it spent an additional year and a half in post-production before its April 19 premiere. Toni admits that the film could have been finished a few months earlier, but cinemas often don’t want multiple Icelandic movies running simultaneously. This frequently results in months of waiting to secure a suitable release slot.

The inspiration for the love story between Emilý and Katinka largely stemmed from Toni’s own life experiences and the experiences of those around him. Regarding the OnlyFans aspect, he notes, “I did some research and one of the main actresses, the one who plays Kría, was one of the most famous Icelandic OnlyFans accounts for a couple of years. She could help out with how it is and what it is not,” Toni says, adding that actress Edda Lovísa also helped by providing costumes and decorations.

Casting the leads

“It was difficult to find her,” Toni says of the actress who plays the lead role of Emilý. “I had to go through the work of every single young actress in Iceland.” At the time, Kristrún Kolbrúnardóttir had just graduated from the acting school, with Einskonar Ást marking her debut on-screen performance.

While Toni claims Kristrún was “onboard immediately,” the actress recently shared her initial concerns in an interview. “Once I asked her, she said yes right away,” the director notes. However, Kristrún admits she couldn’t resonate with Emilý’s line of work and wondered if this risqué material was the right way to launch her career.

Still from Einskonar Ást

“I’ve got a talent to spot people and how they’re going to be in the movie and also what type of people I want to work with,” says Toni. “I’m not one of those really tolerant people about being around people I don’t like.” Having worked with amateur or first-time actors before, he emphasises that all lead actresses jumped in the project without hesitation and were “a dream to work with.”

“People have referred to my movies as Icelandic mumblecore. Usually, they haven’t meant it as a compliment but I’ve taken it as a compliment because that’s my inspiration.”

Speaking about the role of Katinka, portrayed by performer and actress Magdalena Tworek, the director explains, “When I wrote the screenplay, the nationality of that character wasn’t set in stone.” The Polish talent was a deliberate choice after the director saw some of her work. “I found a video from one of the plays she did and she was great,” he says. Her positive reputation within Icelandic arts circles made her a compelling fit for the role of a geochemist, driven to Iceland by a relationship.

The score for Einskonar Ást was crafted by a local band Kvikindi, known for their mix of dance, dance pop and cyber pop genres. According to the director, collaborating with the band was a delight. “They watched the movie and then sent a demo. They got the style of the movie immediately but also delivered some surprises. It was just perfect,” he says.

Mumblecore inspirations

“It’s supposed to be, first and foremost, an enjoyable film. It’s not supposed to be a difficult film to get through,” says Toni. “Hopefully, people can relate to at least portions of it, either to their own life or people around them or whatever.”

Rather than showing his characters as those who can make big decisions, pivot or adapt, Toni focuses on details. “I’m a huge fan of mumblecore movies,” he says, citing the 2013 film Drinking Buddies as an example that inspired his approach.

Still from Einskonar Ást

Mumblecore is an indie film movement that emerged in the early 2000s, characterised by low-budget productions and naturalistic acting. Rather than relying heavily on plots, mumblecore movies focus on dialogue and mundane events and conversations of everyday life.

“I wanted it to be really easy-going. You’re just seeing a short glimpse into the life of these people. It’s not a grand story,” Toni explains.

“People have referred to my movies as Icelandic mumblecore. Usually, they haven’t meant it as a compliment but I’ve taken it as a compliment because that’s my inspiration,” he smiles, adding that Einskonar Ást is more traditional compared to most mumblecore movies.

“I love writing dialogue and having actors say the lines on the page. So, it’s not improvised like mumblecore movies,” he clarifies. “I wanted to do something in the vein of my first two movies, like a dramedy — funny, but also dramatic.”

Still from Einskonar Ást

“I write, direct and edit the movie,” shares Toni. “Usually, I write, direct, edit, produce, colour grade — I do a bunch of things.” Thanks to a larger crew and budget this time around, the director could concentrate on three key components of movie making. Multitasking on the film didn’t come across as a challenge for him. “I’ve been editing since I was a kid. I love the process,” he says. “But I love directing and writing as well.”

Stories of young people in Reykjavík have been dominant in Toni’s work — a common feature the director agrees exists, though not deliberately. “I live in Reykjavík and I’m a young person (or at least I was a young person) and I don’t have a bigger imagination.”

Einskonar Ást is screening at Sambío theatres.