Ragnar Kjartansson and Friends: Bulletin Three by Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary

The Palace of the Summerland by Ragnar Kjartansson & Friends Bulletin Three

The Cast / The Characters

Ragnar Kjartansson

"It’s a totally ridiculous movie set where I’m going ‘Daddy, Daddy… can you help me make this scene?’ because it is really complicated to be a director, and I have much more respect for them after this, as they don’t usually have someone to cling to. I play the role of the director. It is peculiar to be sinking into this role, and some days I’m sort of ‘on it’, but other days, I am really relieved to have my father here. I also play the ‘großer Künstler’ of this installation… just running around and always coming in at the last minute, when the others have almost finished the job, he puts the final touches on it, like a fucking idiot. In that role I have totally lost connection to the reality of this as an art project. It is totally where I wanted this to go… I have somehow lost track of what the ‘Artist Me’ was thinking about and for me that is always a good sign. I am totally in the work, and when that happens, I am very happy, and I am lost in the role."

Director, scriptwriter, actor, painter and builder. He is the narrator and is playing the part of Sigurður Breiðfjörð. Ragnar draws on the entire arc of art in his performative practice. The history of film, music, theater, visual culture and literature all find their way into his video installations, durational performances, drawings and paintings. Pretending and staging become key tools in his attempt to convey sincere emotion and offer a genuine experience for the audience. Ragnar's playful work is full of moments where conflict between the dramatic and the banal culminate in an unpredictable way. Regisseur, Drehbuchautor, Schauspieler, Bühnenbildner und -maler. Ragnar ist der Erzähler und spielt Sigurður Breiðfjörð. In seiner performativen Praxis stützt Ragnar sich auf den gesamten Bogen der Kunst. Die Geschichte von Film, Musik, Theater, visueller Kultur und Literatur finden ihren Weg in seinen Videoinstallationen, Dauer-Performances, Zeichnungen und Malereien. Täuschung und Inszenierung sind Schlüsselelemente bei seinem Versuch, aufrichtige Emotionen zu vermitteln und dem Publikum eine genuine Erfahrung anzubieten. Ragnars spielerische Arbeit ist voller einzigartiger Momente, in denen der Konflikt zwischen dem Dramatischen und Banalen auf eine unvergessliche Weise seinen Höhepunkt erreicht.

Ingibjörg Sigurjónsdóttir

"Jórunn is a socialist and she believes in the dream of happiness for all. She really relates to Ólafur and his poetic vision. They first meet when they are both working in the fishery. They gradually get to know each other and fall in love. Jórunn encourages him to be a poet and to do nothing except that. This is the moment in the book where you see that things are actually changing for the better for Ólafur: He is in love and he can be a poet—everything is open to him. Ólafur decides to divorce his wife Jarþrúður. But then he goes back to his house to burn it down, with it all of his terrible memories, and finds his wife there. Out of his ‘idiotic pity’, he thinks that the world cannot continue without him feeling sorry for everyone, and therefore he cannot leave this terrible and wicked woman. He runs away from Jórunn and gets back together with Jarþrúður."

Head of painting and building workshops, actress, painter and builder. She is playing the part of Jórunn. Ingibjörg is a visual artist who creates works dealing with the overwhelming melancholic nature of beauty. She has curated shows, written commissioned texts, established a temporary school which focuses on sensory experiences and intuitive learning. She runs the Kling & Bang gallery in Reykjavík with several other artists. Ingibjörg thinks a lot about truth and beauty and then she does works that appear to offer neither. Leiterin des Farb- und Bühnenbild-Workshops, Schauspielerin, Bühnenbildnerin und -malerin. Ingibjörg spielt die Rolle der Jórunn. Die bildende Künstlerin Ingibjörg schafft Werke, die sich mit der überwältigend melancholischen Natur der Schönheit beschäftigen. Darüber hinaus hat sie Shows kuratiert, in Auftrag gegebene Texte geschrieben und eine temporäre Schule gegründet, die sich auf Sinneserfahrungen und intuitives Lernen konzentrierte. Mit anderen KünstlerInnen leitet sie die Kling & Bang Galerie in Reykjavík. Ingibjörg denkt viel über Wahrheit und Schönheit nach, um dann Werke zu machen, die dies nicht zeigen.

Lilja Gunnarsdóttir

"It is so much fun to be evil. It is much more fun to play someone evil than a nice person. Jarþrúður, the wife of Ólafur Kárason, is not a very good person. She holds him down and is a burden in his life, but he seems unable to escape her. She has no understanding of poetry, and no tolerance for Ólafur's artistic endeavours, his talent or his lack thereof. She really wants him to do real work, instead of his endless scribbling. Jarþrúður is rather ugly. She is not a very attractive woman in any sense of the term."

Producer, actress, painter and builder. She is playing the part of Jarþrúður. Lilja has worked as both a freelance photographer and illustrator, but for the last few years has worked primarily in event management, editing and public relations. She has held powerful behind-the-scenes positions in many art and design-related festivals and events in Iceland. Lilja is now Ragnar’s indispensable studio manager; having known each other since age 6, they were in the same class at Melaskóli until age 12, where they played together in the world’s most horrible brass band. Produzentin, Schauspielerin, Bühnenbildnerin und -malerin. Lilja spielt die Rolle Jarþrúður. Lilja arbeitete als freischaffende Fotografin und Illustratorin.In den letzten Jahren war sie vor allem im Eventmanagement, bei Redaktionen und in der Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, aber auch hinter den Kulissen bei vielen kunst- und designbezogenen Festivals und Veranstaltungen in Island tätig. Lilja und Ragnar kennen sich seit ihrem sechsten Lebensjahr und spielten in der schlechtesten Blaskapellenband der Welt. Derzeit ist sie Studiomanagerin bei Ragnar.

Kjartan Sveinsson

"I play the part of Júst, a farmer and overall a really bad person and also the role of Örn Úlfar, a former poet and revolutionary—he has tuberculosis and he is going to die, the poor bastard. Örn is Ólafur Kárason’s only friend, so he is an important person for Ólafur, but he also serves as a contrast to Ólafur, because Ólafur’s only real beliefs beauty, nature, and poetry. Örn, however, believes in human life and in the fight for equality. As long as human life is seen as a continuous crime, Örn Úlfar will not acknowledge any beauty. They are very different, but they do still respect each other."

Composer and actor. He is playing the parts of Júst and Örn Úlfar. A composer of classical music and ex-rock star, Kjartan was a member of band Sigur Rós for almost twenty years. Kjartan means business when it comes to banging out big music. He is a true gentleman and incredibly strong for his size (he can lift a grand piano on his own). Kjartan has contributed to many of Ragnar’s recent works, composing the music for The Explosive Sonics of Divinity, which opened at the Volksbühne earlier this year in Berlin. He also wrote a score for the brass band which performed daily on the S.S. Hangover at the Gaggiandre throughout the 55th Venice Biennale in 2013. Komponist und Schauspieler. Kjartan spielt die Rolle des Júst und Örn Úlfar. Ein Komponist klassischer Musik und ExRockstar. Fast zwanzig Jahre lang war er Keyboarder der wagnerianischen Rock and Roll-Band Sigur Rós. Kjartan meint es ernst, wenn es darum geht, große Musik rauszuhauen. Er ist ein wahrer Gentleman und für seine Größe unglaublich stark. Er kann alleine einen Flügel heben. Kjartan hat zu vielen von Ragnars jüngsten Arbeiten beigetragen. Zuletzt komponierte er die Musik für Der Klang der Offenbarung des Göttlichen und schrieb eine Partitur für eine Blaskapelle, die täglich auf der S.S. Hangover, Gaggiandre auf der Biennale von Venedig 2013, gespielt wurde.

María Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir

"I play Guðrún á Grænhóli, who is an adolescent girl that goes to school with Ólafur. She is one of the first (and few) people that are good to Ólafur, so he becomes fascinated with her. When he thinks about her, he starts to write poems. There is a very beautiful poem about Guðrún as she washes near a stream, with one button of her blouse unfastened… So, Guðrún becomes the first female figure that Ólafur comes to adore."

Musician and actress. María is playing the parts of Guðrún á Grænhóli. María is a composer, instrumentalist and a violinist. In addition to composing music for films, dance and working closely with various other musicians and bands, María has for the past decade performed around the world with her band, amiina. The musical journey of life has lead Maria to become fascinated with texture, timbre and color, and to have a hunger for new sounds and playing odd instruments. In her music, María frequently works with themes of weightlessness, timelessness and her good old friend, melancholy. Streicherin und Schauspielerin. María spielt Guðrún á Grænhóli. María ist Komponistin, Instrumentalistin und Geigerin. Neben Musikkompositionen für Film, Tanz und MusikerInnen schreibt sie ihre eigene Musik und trat in den letzten zehn Jahren mit ihrer Band amiina in der ganzen Welt auf. Die musikalische Lebensreise weckte Marías Begeisterung für Textur, Klang und Farbe, und machte Lust auf neue Töne und sonderbare Instrumente zu spielen. In ihrer Musik arbeitet María mit Themen der Schwerelosigkeit, Zeitlosigkeit und ihrem guten alten Freund, Melancholie.

Davíð Þór Jónsson

"I feel very strongly about what happens at the end of the story where the line between reality and fantasy—this line which children don't know about—this line blurs and disappears. Ólafur Kárason is reaching out for something which he feels, but can't explain. What is beautiful about this is that he is constantly longing for something intangible, something different. For him, real life is an illusion. He is like the biggest of human beings—a sad, miserable, funny person; because life generally is miserable and full of surprises with unexplained beauty. It seems you never play well enough; you always try but it’s never enough—one is always scratching until one dies. And there is only a momentary bliss, every now and then. In the end, Ólafur is like a grownup child. He is used to being an outcast, and he knows he is one. Still he speaks of himself as the Viking of Light…"

Actor. He is playing the part of Ólafur as a grown up. Davíð has been playing the piano, keyboards and numerous other instruments since the age of 9, and has been making a career for himself as a pianist, composer, improviser, performing artist and a multitasking musician ever since. He has collaborated with a broad range of artists, from obscure troubadours in the countryside to stadium bands– covering nearly all fields of music. Being one of Ragnar’s primary collaborators, they have together created video pieces of performance and music, such as God, The End and The Visitors, along with numerous live and endurance-based works including Schumann Machine and Bliss. Schauspieler. Davíð spielt den Ólafur als Erwachsenen. Davíð ist Pianist, Komponist, Improvisator, darstellende Künstler und ein Multitasking-Musiker – seit seinem neunten Lebensjahr spielt er Klavier, Keyboard und zahlreiche andere Soundobjekte, und beschritt seitdem seine Karriere als Musiker. Von obskuren Troubadouren in der Landschaft bis hin zu Stadion-Bands – Davíð arbeitete mit einer ganzen Bandbreite an KünstlerInnen zusammen, nahezu alle Musikbereiche betreffend. Sein engster Mitarbeiter ist Ragnar Kjartansson. Zusammen schafften sie Videostücke über Performances und Musikstücke, darunter God, The End und The Visitors; des Weiteren zahlreiche Aufführungen und Ausdauer-Stücke wie Schumann Machine und Bliss.

Christopher W. McDonald

"I work with Ragnar as a director of sound, but in this particular project I am also playing the student. He is a charming ladies man who dazzles everybody on the ship with his wit, his jokes and his overall performance. And poor little Ólafur feels so dejected, because he tries to win over Bera, who is surely the love of his life. But Bera just thinks that Ólafur is a loser, and having the charming student there is not helping."

Director of sound, actor and Foley artist. He is playing the part of the student on the boat. Christopher has worked with Ragnar as a recording engineer and sound director since 2009 on several projects such as The End, Song, The Visitors, and S.S. Hangover. These projects have taken him across North America and Europe, yet he is always thrilled to return home to his studio and goats on his farm in Connecticut, where he produces photographs, drawings, music, cheese and maple syrup. Christopher’s visual work explores the boundaries between photography and drawing, and has been exhibited internationally, including at the Essl Museum in nearby Klosterneuburg. He is not a stranger to Vienna, and has had several video works shown at both Votiv Kino and Gartenbaukino. Tongestaltung, Schauspieler und Geräuschemacher. Christopher spielt die Rolle des Studenten auf dem Boot. Seit 2009 arbeitet Christopher als Aufnahmeleiter und in der Tongestaltung mit Ragnar an verschiedenen Projekten, wie zum Beispiel The End, Song, The Visitors und S.S. Hangover. Zwar führten ihn diese Arbeiten durch ganz Nordamerika und Europa, jedoch freut er sich immer wieder auf seine Heimat, sein Studio und die Ziegen auf seiner Farm in Connecticut. Hier produziert er Fotos, Zeichnungen, Musik, Käse und Ahornsirup. Seine visuellen Arbeiten, die die Grenzen zwischen Fotografie und Zeichnung erkunden, wurden international ausgestellt, darunter im Essl Museum in Klosterneuburg. Allgemein ist er Wien nicht fremd, denn einige seiner Videoarbeiten wurden bereits im Votiv Kino und Gartenbaukino gezeigt.

Tómas Örn Tómasson

"I am the director of cinematography in this production. I will be acting as the steward on the ship which takes Ólafur to prison. It is a very small role however, as I always have to be behind the camera."

Director of cinematography/lighting and actor. He is playing the part of the steward on the boat. Tómas started working as a director of photography in 2002. Before he fully committed to working in the industry, he studied history at the University of Iceland and then at the University of Copenhagen, where his passion for film as medium grew each day. It was always his intention to write, direct and produce documentaries, but he became so fascinated with telling a story through the lens, that everything else has had to wait. He currently lives in Iceland with his wife and his three lovely daughters. In his spare time, he plays golf and rides around on his snowboard or his Honda CB 71 motorcycle. Kameramann/Beleuchter und Schauspieler. Tómas spielt die Rolle des Stewards auf dem Boot. Bevor Tómas sich voll auf die Arbeit in der Filmindustrie einließ, studierte er Geschichte in Island und Kopenhagen. Aber zu filmen, zu produzieren und Dokumentarfilme zu machen war schon immer eine Leidenschaft, und so wuchs diese und die Faszination, eine Geschichte durch die Linse zu erzählen, täglich, so dass alles andere warten musste. Seit 2002 ist er nun als Kameramann tätig, lebt mit seiner Frau und seinen drei Töchtern in Island. In seiner Freizeit spielt er Golf, ist auf dem Snowboard oder seiner Honda CB 71 unterwegs.

Margrét Bjarnadóttir

"It is a tricky role, because she says very little; she is reserved and does not give a lot of herself. So I am trying to find a way to make her a little bit more fascinating, so you can understand why he falls for her. Bera appears in the last book of World Light. She is the last love affair of Ólafur Kárason before he dies. They meet on a ship and he falls for her immediately, deciding that she is this woman called Bera. But Bera is a woman he has created. Ólafur projects onto her the image of the woman he has been waiting for to meet, and goes so far as to give her a new name. We never gets to know Bera's real name."

Script supervisor, clapper, actress, painter and builder. She plays the part of Bera and an old woman. Margrét is engaged in the fields of dance, theater, literature and visual arts. Her works include An Episode of Human Behaviour, a radio-dance piece made in collaboration with The Icelandic Dance Company, Strength Through Embarrassment and Humanimal, created with the stage collective Me and My Friends. In 2010, Margrét received an 8-month residency at K3 in Kampnagel (Hamburg), where she created the stage work On Misunderstanding. From her research there, she then created the photographic series No Misunderstanding. Margrét has collaborated with artist Elín Hansdóttir on site-specific video installations at both PROGRAM gallery in Berlin, and the installation piece Beyond Reach currently on exhibition in Copenhagen. Produzentin, Schauspielerin, Bühnenbildnerin und -malerin. Margrét spielt die Rolle der Bera. Margrét ist in den Bereichen Tanz, Theater, Literatur und bildende Kunst tätig. Ihre Werke umfassen An Episode of Human Behaviour, Strength Through Embarrassment und Humanimal. 2010 inszenierte sie als Residenz-Choreografin am K3 auf Kampnagel, Hamburg On Misunderstanding. Von dieser Arbeit ausgehend entwickelte sie die fotografische Reihe No Misunderstanding. Margrét arbeitete mit dem Künstler Elín Hansdóttir an ortspezifischen Video-Installationen, die sowohl in der PROGRAM Galerie in Berlin und in der Ausstellung Beyond Reach in Kopenhagen zu sehen ist.

Anna Hrund Másdóttir

"Playing the role was a lot of fun but difficult as well. I liked being in a fat suit and having to molest a good friend of mine who is playing Ólafur, but all in all, it was really a wonderful experience. Magnína lives at Fótur Farm surrounded by rather cruel people. Ólafur also lives at the farm with her. She is a teenager, and she is quite fat, and is always red in the face, has dirty hair, and loves eating. She is surrounded by these cruel people and used to being cruel to Ólafur, but actually she is quite fond of him too; secretly liking him and curious about him. She treats him badly at the beginning, but she starts doing kind things for him, such as sneaking food to him in the night. They become friends. It is like being nice and mean at the same time, which is a very strange feeling, and a strange reaction to get from someone."

Actress, painter and builder. She is playing the part of Magnína. Trying to make sense of everything through the use of shapes, colors and endless repetition, hunting for wasted miracles and hoping for the best, Anna transforms common material into sculptural paintings. She has also worked on collaborative performances and various projects, including establishing a temporary school that focused on sensory experiences and intuitive learning, having a weeklong sleepover at MoMA PS1’s Colony and fortune-telling in the Californian desert. She teaches both art and mathematics, and directs the artist-run gallery Kling & Bang. Schauspielerin, Bühnenbildnerin und -malerin. Anna spielt die Rolle der Magnína. Mit dem Versuch durch Formen, Farben und endlosen Wiederholungen zu verstehen, nach vergeudeten Wundern zu jagen und das Beste zu hoffen, verwandelt Anna gewöhnliche Materialien zu skulpturalen Malereien. Außerdem arbeite sie an kooperativen Darbietungen und verschiedenen Projekten, darunter die Gründung einer befristeten Schule, die auf Sinneserfahrungen und intuitives Lernen, darunter eine einwöchige Übernachtung in MoMA PS1 Kolonie und Wahrsagerei in der kalifornischen Wüste, fokussierte. Zudem unterrichtet sie Kunst und Mathematik und leitet die Galerie Kling & Bang.

Kristín Anna Valtýsdóttir

"Þórunn is a girl with wide open contact to nature. She is believed to be able to heal people with the help of Friðrik, a dead elf doctor. Ólafur is brought to her when he is very sick at seventeen. She gives him a secret potion and vibrating currents through her hands. Because of this, Ólafur reawakens to the revelation chord of God’s judgement which is emanating from nature all the time, and which both of them have witnessed. He leaves from her twice the size he was when he came to her, but the next time she appears in the film, she´s drunk, always in bad company and looks like she is in need of an exorcism. She seems to make no distinction between her own sensuality, God, nature or what others project on her. She´s a medium. She ends up as an entertainer in her husband’s hotel, dreaming about someday marrying someone who looks just like Ólafur."

Actress, painter and builder. Kristín will be playing the part of Þórunn. Throughout her teen years Kristín would prove herself capable of solving equations, playing classical piano and practicing psychic games while working at a drive-thru grill. In the years following this, she left everything to pursue her love of music, and for many years, travelled the world as a member of the band múm. Having quit múm in 2006, she now often appears as Kría Brekkan, performing original piano compositions or abstract odes of agony. She is one of the musicians in The Visitors piece by Kjartansson, and was formerly an accordion player in the Icelandic-Bulgarian folk music/punk band Stórsveit Nix Noltes. A member of The Artist Theater and a confessed nomad, she works within all mediums. Schauspielerin, Bühnenbildnerin und -malerin. Kristín spielt die Rolle der Þórunn. In ihrer Teenagerzeit bewies sie sich, dass sie Gleichungen lösen kann, spielte klassisches Klavier und übte „psychologische Spiele“ während sie bei einem Drive-Thru arbeitete. In den folgenden Jahren ließ sie all das hinter sich, um ihrer Liebe zur Musik zu folgen, und bereiste die Welt mit ihrer Band múm für viele Jahre. Ihr Ausstieg erfolgt 2006 und zeitweilig erscheint sie als Kría Brekkan – Originalkompositionen für Klavier spielend oder musikalisch-abstrakte Leidensoden gebend. Sie ist eine der MusikerInnen in The Visitors und war früher Akkordeonspielerin in der isländisch-bulgarischen Volksmusik/Punkband Stórsveit Nix Noltes. Sie ist Mitglied von The Artist Theater und bekennende Nomadin.

Halldór Laxness Halldórsson

"Even though he is a little bit evil you can really sympathize with him because he is such a small man even though he has a big build. This is what I really love about Peter Threehorses. Peter Threehorses is the man who, in a way, owns Sviðinsvík, the village Ólafur moves to. Peter is very stereotypical of Icelandic society; a composite of many real business men who existed at the beginning of the 20th century; all these small kings owned their own little places, and reigned over their own little kingdoms. And even if they were often financially bankrupt, their complicated ties with the society ran so deep that they couldn't be stopped. When Peter Threehorses is drunk he speaks with a heavy Danish accent, constantly, repeating the phrase: I am no Icelander."

Scriptwriter, head of building workshop and actor. Halldór is playing the parts of Nasi and Peter Threehorses. Halldór is Halldór Laxness’ grandson, thus he carries the family’s legacy on his shoulders. He is better known under his moniker Dóri DNA, and is a director, actor, writer, comedian, and amateur woodworker. He has been part of numerous "things" – in television, radio, theater, comedy, media, advertising, and of course, woodworking. A husky gentleman, with a “funked-out gangsta twist”. Drehbuchautor, Leiter des Bühnenbild- Workshops, Schauspieler und Bühnenbildner. Halldór ist in der Rolle des Nasi und Peter Threehorses zu sehen. Halldór ist Halldór Laxness’ Enkelsohn und bringt so das Familienerbe mit sich. Er ist Theatermacher, Regisseur, Schauspieler, Autor, Komiker und Amateur-Tischler, und besser bekannt unter seinen Performancenamen Dóri DNA. Als Teil vielzähliger „Gruppen“ erstrecken sich seine Tätigkeiten von Fernsehen, Radio, Theater, Comedy, Medien, Werbung bis hin zur Holzbearbeitung. Ein rauer Gentleman mit einem funked-out-gangstatwist.

Thelma Marín Jónsdóttir

"I play the invalid and Vegmey. The invalid is the youngest child of an elderly couple that have already lost 14 children. The invalid stands for the poor people's plight, their suffering, misfortune and dignity. Vegmey, Ólafur’s first love, becomes pregnant by him and has to marry another man because he won't be able to take care of her and the child. It is a really sad role to play because they are madly in love and she must abandon him—it's a classic love story-motif that we see repeated over and over again… the love that cannot be nourished is a love that can't live."

Head of props, actress, painter, builder. Thelma Marín plays the parts of Vegmey and the invalid. Thelma Marín entered life screaming and has been as loud ever since. After a quest for a bohemian lifestyle right after college, she returned to the island to study acting. In the spring of 2012, she happened to be sitting at a popular cafe in downtown Reykjavík when Ragnar entered, fresh like a dandy mountain bear. After five minutes of chatting, their collaboration was born. That summer, The Visitors came to life, changing her own life profoundly. This spring, she works with Ragnar again on another life-changing project—transforming World Light into a timeless cinematic gem. Requisiten, Schauspielerin, Bühnenbildnerin und -malerin. Thelma Marín spielt die Rolle der Vegmey und einen Invaliden. Thelma Marín begann ihr Leben mit Schreien und ist laut seit ehedem. Nach dem College begab sie sich auf die Suche nach einem unkonventionellen Lebensstil, kehrte jedoch wieder auf die Insel zurück, um Schauspielerin zu werden. Zufällig in einem beliebten Café in der Innenstadt von Reykjavík sitzend, tritt Ragnar, frisch wie ein dandyhafter Gebirgsbär ein. Nach einer fünfminütigen Unterhaltung ist eine zukünftige Zusammenarbeit beschlossen. Es folgt The Visitors, und somit verändert sich ihr Leben tiefgreifend. Nun ist sie zurück um Weltlicht in ein zeitloses filmisches Juwel zu verwandeln.

Kjartan Ragnarsson

"To give you a little sample of the character of the priest, he says: ‘Young men shouldn´t come to a priest and ask him for help. Never ask anything of Christ. God helps only those people who help themselves. Amen. I am playing two old guys in this production. I am playing the old man living on the farm underneath the glacier where Ólafur comes to visit a couple of times. The old couple on the glacier farm is some kind of symbol for the happiness in life, the simpleness of life. And then I play Pastor Brandur, a very naughty, boring priest—that is a wonderful role."

Acting coach, consultant to the director, actor, painter and builder. He is playing the parts of Pastor Brandur and "the Father". After studying at the Teachers’ Training College, Kjartan attended the Reykjavík Theatre Company’s School of Acting, graduating in 1966. Further educational pursuits brought him to Poland in 1969-70, where he studied with the Polish director Jerzy Grotowsky. He worked as a freelance actor in Reykjavík until he received a contract at the Reykjavík Theatre Company in 1974. In 1975, Kjartan wrote and directed his first full-length play, The Dressmakers and has been directing one or two productions a year since. Today, he works as a freelance director and playwright, writing scripts for both radio and television programs. For the last 10 years, he has, along side his artistic activities, been running the Settlement Center in Borgarnes, Iceland. Regieassistent, Schauspieler, Bühnenbildner und -maler. Kjartan spielt die Rolle des Pastors Brandur, des Vaters und ist Erzähler auf dem Boot. Nach dem Studium an der Pädagogischen Hochschule ging Kjartan an die Schauspielschule Theatre Company Reykjavík, wo er 1966 abschloss. Es folgte eine weitere Ausbildung in Polen. Hier studierte er zusammen mit dem polnischen Regisseur Jerzy Grotowsky. Bevor Kjartan einen Vertrag bei der Theatre Company in Reykjavík erhielt, arbeitete er als freischaffender Schauspieler. Mit The Dressmakers (SAUMASTOFAN) schrieb er 1975 sein erstes Stück, und inszeniert seitdem ein bis zwei Produktionen im Jahr. Derzeit arbeitet er freiberuflich als Regisseur und Dramatiker, schreibt Skripts für Radio und Fernsehprogramme. Zudem leitet er seit den letzten 10 Jahren das Settlement Center in Borgarnes in, Island.

Ragnar Helgi Ólafsson

"Reimar sings songs about women and other earthly delights, he likes his snuff and loves his drink. He is a poet of the earth. I kind of like him. Yes, I have come to really like him. I think I should cultivate a bit more of Reimar in my personality. I have a small role as Júel. He is an entrepreneur and the richest man in the village, but has a problem with both alcohol and with his attitude towards other people. The larger role I have is that of Reimar. Reimar is a poet and a jack-of-alltrades. He shows up at crucial moments in Ólafurs life, usually to take him between places, to lead him on in his journey. So, he is a friend of Ólafur’s and kind of a messenger figure. Even if Reimar is a poet like Ólafur, he is the polar opposite of Ólafur. He is a poet of the earth, while Ólafur is a poet of the sky."

Scriptwriter, publishing editor, actor, painter and builder. Ragnar Helgi is playing the part of Reimar and Júel Júel. Ragnar studied philosophy at the University of Iceland and later fine arts at the Ecole Supérieure d'Art d'Aix en Provence. Later he studied filmmaking and produced several short narrative films. Ragnar Helgi now works with text-based and digital installations. His work often deal with basics of human existence in the world, the connections between oneself and others, poetry, time and memory. His latest work is titled: Tragedy of our limitless imagination and our limited lives. Ragnar Helgi also runs his own publishing house—Tunglið forlag—which publishes between 8 and 12 works of poetry and fiction each year. In 2013, he published his first novel, A Letter from Bhutan. Along with his artistic practice, he teaches part-time at the Iceland Academy of the Arts, plays in various bands along with working in graphic design. Drehbuchautor, Herausgeber, Schauspieler, Bühnenbildner und -maler. Ragnar Helgi ist als Reimar und Júel zu sehen. Ragnar Helgi arbeitet mit Text und digitalen Installationen, wobei sich seine Arbeiten mit der menschlichen Existenz in der Welt, die Verbindungen zwischen sich selbst und anderen, Poesie, Zeit und Erinnerung beschäftigen. Sein neuestes Werk trägt den Titel Tragedy of our limitless imagination and our limited lives. Mit seinem eigenen Verlag Tunglið forlag bringt Ragnar Helgi jedes Jahr 8 bis 12 Titelblätter über Poesie und Fiktion heraus. 2013 veröffentlichte er seinen ersten Roman Brief aus Bhutan. Neben seiner künstlerischen Praxis lehrt er Teilzeit an der isländischen Akademie der Künste, spielt in verschiedenen Bands und ist im Grafikdesign tätig.

Hildigunnur Birgisdóttir

"I am short, that’s why I was cast for this role and the guy who plays him as an older person, he had to get his hair dyed, the same color as mine, so now there is a grown man with the color of my hair. I'm afraid he doesn't really like it too much on his head. I play the young Ólafur, an orphan with a lot of love for the world, but the world doesn't love him back—he gets mistreated, raped, beaten. He is an unfortunate, artistic soul. Later on, I change into thirteen-year-old Jasína, who is actually instructed and later raped by the older Ólafur, my old self. Jasína just wants to go out and do real work, like milk the cows; she doesn't want to study, and this irritates Ólafur. But at the same time she is very sensual girl in some way, and he starts fancying her. So I get to play Ólafur, the raped victim and also be raped by him."

Actress, painter and builder. She is playing the role of young Ólafur and that of Jasína. Hildigunnur’s experimental artworks are often based on games, which in turn are based on rules and these rules are, of course, systems. These systems are rooted in physics and philosophical musings surrounding circuits and cycles. Since graduating from the Iceland Academy of the Arts, Hildigunnur has been active both as an artist, and in various other capacities and roles within the art world. Co-founder of the bookstore and publishing house—Útúrdúr—which focuses on artist's books, she has also worked as the director of Skaftfell, a cultural center in the east of Iceland and taught visual art to all ages at the Reykjavík School of Art. Schauspielerin, Bühnenbildnerin und -malerin. Hildigunnur spielt den jungen Ólafur und Jasína. Hildigunnurs experimentellen Kunstwerke basieren oftmals auf Spiele, die wiederum auf Regeln beruhen und diese Regeln sind Systeme. Diese Systeme sind in der Physik und in philosophischen Überlegungen verwurzelt, umgeben Zyklen und Kreise. Seit ihrem Abschluss an der isländischen Akademie der Künste ist sie als Künstlerin und in verschiedenen anderen Funktionen und Aufgaben innerhalb der Kunstwelt aktiv. Hildigunnur ist Mitbegründerin der Buchhandlung und des Verlags Útúrdúr, die sich auf Bücher von KünstlerInnen konzentrieren, und war Direktorin von Skaftell, einem kulturellen Zentrum im Osten von Island. Außerdem unterrichtete sie bildende Kunst für Gruppen aller Altersstufen an der Kunstschule in Reykjavík.

Helga I. Stefánsdóttir

"The mother is an old lady. She is, in a way kind of close to heaven; she loves poetry and it’s really important for Ólafur to meet her before he goes to the glacier, because she is kind of a link between earth and heaven. The mother has acceptance of everything as it is, she has ‘open antennae’, so things streams through her, and those kinds of people are really important in our earthly life. I think it was important for Halldór Laxness, the author of World Light, and it is important to me to have some kind of faith I think that in this scene Halldór Laxness is opening this fact up to the readers, that it is really important to believe."

Costume designer,make-up, actress, painter and builder. She is playing "the Mother". Helga is a set and costume designer living in Reykjavík. She has been designing for films, theaters and operas throughout Iceland and abroad since she finished her training in Rome during the nineties. She is a ten-time Grima Awards nominee (Icelandic Theater Awards) and has received two Edda Awards (Icelandic Film Awards). It so happens that World Light is her 100th production.

Kostümdesignerin, Ausstattung, Schauspielerin, Malerin, Bühnenbildnerin und -malerin. Helga ist in der Rolle der Mutter zu sehen. Helga ist eine Set- und Kostümdesignerin und lebt in Reykjavík, Island. Seit sie in den 90er Jahren ihre Ausbildung in Rom abgeschlossen hat, entwarf sie für Film, Theater und Oper in Island und international. Sie wurde zehn Mal für den Grima Award (Icelandic Theater Awards) nominiert und erhielt zwei Edda-Auszeichnungen (Icelandic Film Awards). Weltlicht ist ihre 100. Produktion.

Sigríður Margrét Guðmundsdóttir

"Playing Kamarilla was tough: I had to be very, very, very cruel, and I had to beat up an actor… it was a difficult but I had to do it. Kamarilla is really a harsh woman and she beats Ólafur up for writing poetry, and she tells him a scary story about what will happen to him if he continues writing, eventually driving him away from the farm, even though she receives money for keeping him. The other character I play is the widow. She is the absolute opposite to Kamarilla, she's kind and loves poetry. When Ólafur comes to her house he is dying from cold, so she takes him in and comforts him. But even the evil Kamarilla has a soft spot for Ólafur, when she has him taken from the farm and sent away, she weeps into the corner of her apron."

Actress, painter, builder and acting coach. She is playing the parts of both Kamarilla and the widow. Educated as a teacher and theater director, Sigríður Margrét has for most of her professional life worked in television and theater. She founded and managed a cultural club based at the National Theater, as well as having directed productions and plays at the National Theater, the City Theater and at independent theaters in Reykjavík. Furthermore, she has produced several documentaries for television. Since 2006, Sigríður has been the general manager of the Settlement Centre in Borgarnes, which she founded with her husband, Kjartan Ragnarsson. Schauspielerin und persönlicher Coach von Sólveig Katrín. Sigríður ist in der Rolle der Kamarilla und der Witwe zu sehen. Sigríður Margrét, ausgebildete Lehrerin und Theaterdirektorin, arbeitete überwiegend für Fernsehen und Theater. Sie gründete und führte einen Kulturverein am Nationaltheater und realisierte Produktionen und Bühnenstücke am Nationaltheater, Stadttheater und unabhängigen Theatern in Reykjavík. Zudem hat sie mehrere Dokumentarfilme für das Fernsehen produziert. Seit 2006 ist Sigríður Geschäftsführerin des Settlement Centers in Borgarnes, das sie mit ihrem Ehemann Kjartan Ragnarsson gegründet hat.

Sólveig Katrín Ragnarsdóttir

"It isn't a play, it is a film. I am playing little Maggie. She is sick, so she has to lie in bed. She likes to play with both sheep and dead sheep's bones. This is because one couldn’t buy toys in the old days, so you had to use the bones from the sheep and old pieces of wood instead. Little Maggie lived in the old days, and she was the daughter of Ólafur Kárason. She is not a happy child, because she has been sick… I don't know for how long because the play is old. There is a fire, but it is extinguished."

Actress. She is playing the part of Maggie. Along with kindergarten and regular children’s activities, three year old Sólveig Katrín really loves sad baroque psalms and stories, especially if they occurred in “the old days”. She has stories read to her from books, improvised or recounted from memory, or she just creates them, playing the part of every character herself. Particularly popular are the stories of her great-grandmother who was born in a turf house, similar to the one Ólafur Kárason and his contemporaries lived in. Schauspielerin. Sólveig spielt die Rolle der Maggie. Neben Kindergarten und üblichen Kinderspielen liebt die dreijährige Sólveig Katrín traurige Barockpsalmen und Geschichten, vor allem wenn sie sich in den "alten Zeiten" ereigneten. Sie lässt sich Geschichten aus Büchern vorlesen, aus dem Stegreif oder der Erinnerung heraus erzählen, oder sie denkt sich diese einfach selbst aus, wobei sie jeden Charakter selbst spielt. Besonders beliebt sind Geschichten von ihrer Urgroßmutter, die in einem Sodenhaus geboren wurde, ähnlich jenen, in denen Ólafur Kárason und seine ZeitgenossInnen lebten.

The paint-crew & the all important behind-the-scenes folk

Christoph Fischer Bühnenbild und Schauspieler / Set design and actor ≈ Christoph spielt die Rolle des dritten Mannes / is playing the role of Man #3. Anda Skrejane Bühnenbild und Schauspielerin / Set design and actress ≈ Anda spielt eine der Schwestern von Þórunn von Kambar / is playing the role of one of the sisters of Þórunn of Kambar. Camilla Hägebarth Bühnenbild und Schauspielerin / Set design and actress ≈ Camilla spielt die Rolle der älteren Schwester von Þórunn von Kambar / is playing the role of Þórunn of Kambar’s older sister. Julia Krawczynski Bühnenbild und Schauspielerin / Set design and actress ≈ Julia spielt Beras Freundin / is playing the role of Bera’s friend. Tobias Dorffner Beleuchter und Schauspieler / Lighting technician and actor ≈ Tobias spielt die Rolle des Arbeiters am Ufer / is playing the role of the worker on the shore. Jakob Fuhr Kameraassistent und Schauspieler / Assistant cameraman and actor ≈ Jakob spielt die Rolle des Briefträgers / is playing the role of the postman. Yasmin Asaria Maskenbildnerin / Make-up Artist The IC Quartett Wien: Daniel Esteban Arias Holguin (violin) Maria Marta Pawlikowska (violin) Zsófia Holyevác (viola) Ernir Óskar Pálsson (cello)

Above: Tobias Dorffner Below: Yasmin Asaria

Above: Jakob Fuhr, Christoph Fischer / Right: Ernir Óskar Pálsson, Maria Marta Pawlikowska, Zsófia Holyevác / Below: Camilla Hägebarth, Anda Skrejane and Julia Krawczynski

Shooting schedule | Drehplan 18 – 23 april , 2014

Day 15 – Friday, April 18 — Heath ÓLAFUR SEES OFF JARÞRÚÐUR Scenes: 47 — Heath ÓLAFUR RUNNING TO FREEDOM Scenes: 48 — Heath ÓLAFUR SURRENDERS TO JÓRUNN Scenes: 45 — Kambar ÞÓRUNN SUPPORTS ÓLAFUR OUT IN THE SUMMER NIGHT Scenes: 14

Day 8 – Saturday, April 19 — Summerhouse JÓRUNN AND ÓLAFUR MAKE LOVE Scenes: 49 — Summerhouse PILLOWTALK Scenes: 50 — The meeting ÓLAFUR IN A MEETING Scenes: 38

Day 9 – Sunday, April 20 — Pastor's House – Beruvik ÓLAFUR TAKES A BEATING, IS HIRED AS TEACHER / COMEDY Scenes: 58 — A Tavern in the Village ÓLAFUR TAKES A LETTER TO THE POSTMAN Scenes: 77 — Nondescript place THE JUDGEMENT OF ÓLAFUR/TENSION—FILLED & SCARY Scenes: 64

Day 10 – Monday, April 21 — Peter Threehorse Home ÓLAFUR MEETS PÉTUR ÞRÍHROSS Scenes: 21 — Peter Threehorse Home PÉTUR REJECTS ÓLAFUR Scenes: 30 — Pastor's House IN THE PASTOR'S HOUSE Scenes: 19

Day 11 – Tuesday, April 22 — Prison ÓLAFUR DESPAIRS IN PRISON TO HIGH DRAMATIC EFFECT Scenes: 68 — Prison ÓLAFUR HAS A VISION OF SIGURÐUR BREIÐFJÖRÐ Scenes: 69 — Olafur’s Cabin ÓLAFUR AND BERA LOVE SCENE Scenes: 74

Day 12 – Wednesday, April 23 — Pier ÓLAFUR LEAVING FOR PRISON ANOTHER BACKGROUND Scenes: 67A — Aboard the Boat ÓLAFUR LEAVING FOR PRISON. COMEDY TURNS DIVINE Scenes: 67B — Aboard the Boat ÓLAFUR MEETS BERA TO COMIC EFFECT Scenes: 7

Commissioned by Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary, Vienna and co-produced with Fundación Jumex Arte Contemporáneo, Mexico City Published by TBA21 in association with

Images / Fotos: All photos © Lilja Gunnarsdóttir and The Palace of the Summerland Team; p. / S. 60, 73: Katarina Balgavy Mit freundlicher Genehmigung des Künstlers / ourtesy of the artist, Luhring Augustine, New York C und / and i8 Gallery, ReykjavÍk