Scottish Filmmaker Lynne Ramsay Honored by Reykjavik’s Stockfish Fest
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Scottish auteur Lynne Ramsay and former Icelandic Film Center (IFC) chief Laufey Guðjónsdóttir received honors from the 10th anniversary edition of Reykjavik’s Stockfish Film & Industry Festival (April 4 – 14, 2024). The awards, presented during a reception on April 11th, celebrate outstanding contributions to the film industry both internationally and domestically.
Known for its intimate atmosphere and ease of networking, the non-profit Stockfish is overseen by the six professional associations of filmmakers in Iceland, members of which comprise the festival board. The festival offers screenings of domestic and international features along with the popular Shortfish, a juried competition for Icelandic shorts in a variety of categories. The festival honors are part of an industry program that includes talks and panels as well as Icelandic works-in-progress.
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Citing honoree Ramsay’s unique artistry, Stockfish’s artistic director Hrönn Kristinsdottír praised the director-screenwriter for challenging conventions and pushing boundaries in an industry dominated by male voices. Ramsay, whose films “Ratcatcher,” “Morvern Callar” and “We Need To Talk About Kevin” are screening as part of mini-retrospective, evoked cheers and laughter from the crowd as she remarked, “Iceland is a lot like Scotland, only more magical.”
In presenting the award to Guðjónsdóttir, actress Þórunn Lárusdóttir noted that during Guðjónsdóttir’s two decades at the helm of the IFC the Icelandic film industry multiplied and became a significant part of the economy as well as a valuable cultural asset. She credited Guðjónsdóttir for shaping the funding framework that catalyzed the creation of Icelandic stories able to speak to the world. Meanwhile, Guðjónsdóttir humbly paid tribute to the artists who made the films. She also emphasized the importance to filmmakers of continued government support, international collaborations and festivals.
Before the awards presentation, Ramsay told Variety that she has three scripts ready. Likely to shoot first is “Die, My Love,” starring Jennifer Lawrence, an adaptation of a novel by Argentine writer Ariana Harwicz about a woman living in isolation in rural France who loses her mind amid marriage and motherhood.
There’s also the provisionally-titled “Dark Slides,” a drama to star Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara from an original script she wrote. Although some outlets report this project as being in post, Ramsay says shooting has not started.
“Stone Mattress,” an adaptation of a short tale by Canadian writer Margaret Atwood, penned with her “You Were Never Really Here” cinematographer Tom Townend, is likely to be a more complex production since it is set on a cruise ship in the Arctic. Last year, Julianne Moore, Sandra Oh and Kyle Chandler were reported to board the project.
While she waits for her next project to shoot, Ramsay is co-writing another project with Townend called “Hierarchies.” She is also writing some music with guitarist George Vjestica, a Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds band member, that Jennifer Lawrence may record.
Ramsay will conduct an open talk at the festival with her longtime editor and friend Lucia Zuchetti on April 12th. Asked what advice she might give local filmmakers, she says she will recommend the book that currently gives her inspiration: The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin.
A shared interest in the aforementioned book has already led her to another creative, Emmy-winning American composer Dustin O’Halloran, whom she met in Iceland and hopes to collaborate with in the future.
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