NAUÐR
An Icelandic fisherman washes to shore -- mysteriously unable to speak. He is oppressed by terrible unseen dread, and seeks to overcome his torment through a surreal pilgrimage into the wilderness. Narrative short, 2024.
written and directed by Connor Ryan
cinematography by Chris Amodio
edited by Patrick Dooley & Kristmundur E. Baldvinsson
original score composed and performed by Guðni Franzson
In partnership with NES Artist Residency Skagaströnd, Cavern Collective
Nauðr won TheFilmFund's once sentence pitch competition and has been awarded a coveted post-production grant.
Director's Statement:
A brief visit to Iceland in 2019 awakened me to the violent nature of beauty. It was a feeling I couldn’t shake, and I wanted to capture it in a film. My acceptance into the Icelandic NES Artist Residency provided the perfect backdrop. I spent two months writing Nauðr, researching Icelandic myths and runes, and developing friendships in Skagaströnd, a small fishing village of 400 people.
We shot for two long weekends in late December, right before the Winter solstice. This is the darkest time of the year—we had only 4 to 5 hours of crepuscular light to shoot each day. The light blessed us and became a major player in the film, setting the tone for each scene and demanding a sense of urgency from our small crew. Like the best projects, Nauðr came to being as a continual process of discovery. As an independent film with small resources, we were constantly pivoting when our original plan of action became impossible to execute. Challenging conditions prevailed: wind, water, snow, mountains, darkness. Most of these obstacles lead to the most provocative and beautiful moments in the film.
To the degree that Nauðr has any authentic Icelandic feeling is a credit to my many Icelandic collaborators who lent their perspective, culture and language without reservation. To them I am deeply grateful. The ancient rune, Nauðr, implies that our distress may also be a source of help in our lives should we choose to heed it. I have walked through seasons of despair and wondered at my own dark rumination, and I have found beauty and meaning on the other side. I hope that audiences may find their own unique meaning within the film.
I dreamed of fire...