Icelandic director Baltasar Kórmakur, best known for his international hits ‘Jar City,’ ‘Everest’ and the TV show ‘Trapped,’ will open a masterful film studio today by the shores of Gufunes, about 20 minutes away from the city centre.
The ultimate plan, according to Baltasar, is to open a creative village for local and international film and sound companies, as well as musicians and creatives of all kinds to thrive away from the city centre. As of now, only the interiors will be open, as Baltasar has already started filming the new season of hit TV show ‘Trapped.’ Rental companies and foreign film studios, however, have already expressed interest in using the area for future projects.
To offer workers and creators a place to both work and live, Baltasar also plans to build 250 apartments in the area in the future. “Downtown has been taken over by tourism,” Baltasar told The Grapevine about his choice of locale. “So I think now there is an opportunity to build something away from it, where the creative people can move and settle.”
The village has been Baltasar’s long time dream, but it was made possible both by his unfaltering passion for innovation and by the forward-thinking attitude of the city council. In the future, the village might change the face of filmmaking in Iceland completely.
“In five or ten years it‘s going to be the coolest place in town,” Baltasar exclaims with confidence. Just like Hollywood? “Oh no, much, much cooler,” he adds, and it’s hard to doubt him with such confidence in his voice.
Stay tuned for our in-depth interview with Baltasar about his new Hollywood movie ‘Adrift’ and the future of filmmaking in Iceland.
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