ICELAND... UNSPOILED, WITH SURPRISINGLY GOOD WEATHER

BUI BALDVINSSON

Some of the most popular locations include the black-sand beaches representing otherworldly landscapes and postapocalyptic scenes. “Then there are the glaciers,“ Baldvinsson says. “Iceland has several, including Vatnajökull, the largest in Europe. They can all be used as a stand-in for the Arctic or Antarctica. We also have many volcanic landscapes, including the Reykjanes Peninsula, which is covered in lava felds, and Eldhraun that is covered in a blanket of thick moss and can be used as a stand-in for otherworldly scenes, or just as a fantastic backdrop. On top of that, Iceland has a lot of impressive waterfalls, including Gullfoss, Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss which can be used as a stand-in for a variety of diferent locations either in summer, or in winter when they’re frozen. Of course, Iceland is home to several geysers and geothermal areas, plus highlands including Þórsmörk and Landmannalaugar, which can be used as a stand-in for mountains, tundra and more.”

Iceland’s capital Reykjavík has been used for a number of diferent urban locations by virtue of varied architecture and colourful buildings. “Iceland's landscapes are truly unique and unspoiled, with surprisingly good weather,” Baldvinsson adds. “Temperatures are cool in the summer and cold in the winter, allowing for easy flming with comparatively few weather-related interruptions. And this is a relatively small and compact country, which makes it easy to travel around and flm in multiple locations. Iceland has a rich cultural and historical background that flmmakers can take inspiration from and overall, the country's natural beauty, diversity of locations, good weather, accessibility, supportive government and industry, and cultural history, make it an outstanding destination for flm productions.”

Lying to the south-east of Iceland is Norway, known for its stunning fords, but perhaps less well-known as a stand-in for India: “Mission Impossible: Fallout had Norway doubling for Kashmir,“ flm commissioner for Norway, Meghan Beaton, says. “And more recently, Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One, features Tom Cruise’s most daring stunt yet, driving a motorcycle straight of a Norwegian mountain. In this scene, the mountains, scenery and railway are doubling for locations in Eastern Europe. We can also do otherworldly, with Dune using Norway to double as Caladan, the home planet of House of Atreides.”