Lucrative prize goes to Iceland for second year in a row.
Iceland has claimed the lucrative Nordic Council Film Prize for the second year running, as Dagur Kari’s Virgin Mountain (Fusi) captured the award for the best Nordic Film of the Year.
The prize - which comes with $55,000 (DKK 350,000) cash — was announced on Tuesday night at the Nordic Council’s annual autumn session, held this year in Reykjavik.
The story is about an obese man living with his mother who breaks out of his shell after he goes to a dance class.
The jury described Virgin Mountain as, “A simple and visually inventive tale about preserving your goodness and innocence in a seemingly impenetrable world. Dagur Kári’s artistic ascent of a male virgin mountain results in a deeply moving and captivating film, offering a dignified portrait of its gentle giant of a man, as well as poignant depictions of the women around him.”
Iceland-born Kari also teaches directing at the National Film School Of Denmark.The prize is shared with Virgin Mountain’s two Iceland-based producers, Agnes Johansen and Baltasar Kormákur.
Virgin Mountain premiered at the Berlinale this year before going on to win three top awards, including best film, in Tribeca’s world narrative competition.
The other four finallists were Bille August’s Silent Heart (Denmark), They Have Escaped (Finland), Out Of Nature (Norway), and Gentlemen (Sweden).
Last year’s winner was Benedikt Erlingsson’s Of Horses And Men, also from Iceland. Previous winners of the prize include The Man Without A Past; You, The Living; Submarino; Beyond; Antichrist; Play; and The Hunt.
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