Yahoo Movies Iceland’s Baldvin Z Turns to First Female President in the World with ‘Vigdís’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Acclaimed Icelandic director Baldvin Z (“Case”, “Trapped,” “Life in a Fishbowl”) will bring to television the first ever fiction series about Iceland’s former president Vigdís Finnbogadóttir. “The Valhalla Murders” star Nína Dögg Filippusdóttir has cornered the coveted title role.
The mini-series, commissioned by Icelandic pubcaster RÚV, will be pitched for the first at Göteborg’s TV Drama Vision confab which runs Feb. 3-4).
More from Variety
HBO Outlines its European Vision at Goteborg's TV Drama Vision
Icelandic Soccer World Cup Hero Bows Directorial Debut at Goteborg's Nordic Film Market (EXCLUSIVE)
Norway's Mer Film Produces Social Issue Sami Musical Drama 'Arru' (EXCLUSIVE)
The project, currently in development, is being produced by Ágústa Olafsdóttir and Rakel Gardarsdóttir of Vesturport (who came up with the idea) with Glassriver’s CEO Hordur Rúnarsson as well as Arnbjorg Haflidadóttir. The screenplay is written by “The Minister” scribe Bjorg Magnusdóttir, together with Olafsdóttir and Jana Maria Gudmundsdóttir.
Four-part series “Vigdís” will follow the remarkable transformation of a young Icelandic woman – Vigdís Finnbogadóttir- from a teenager in 1946 to her triumphal presidential election in 1980. We will see her defy her country’s patriarchal society, overcome adversity and eventually make history by being elected the first female president in the world.
“This is a story that has to be told now, more than ever, and I am honored to bring it to the screen,” said Baldvin Z.
According to Glassriver’s CEO and producer Hordur Rúnarsson, the high-profile Icelandic politician and inspirational woman for generations of Icelanders, has been closely involved in the project. She even took part in the selection of Nína Dögg Filippusdóttir as her screen alter-ego.
“I have been so privileged to have Vigdís by my side, helping me understanding where she comes from, where she stands, who she is,” said Filippusdóttir about her role model.
The series is set to go into production late 2021 to early 2022. Rúnarsson will unveil a first teaser to TV Drama Vision delegates and use Göteborg to pitch the project to potential co-financiers and co-producers.
The fast-expanding shingle Glassriver will also present the work in progress “The Possibility of an Island,” the first ever Icelandic/Croatian co-production, produced with Croatia’s Drugi Plan. The dystopian drama pictures Icelandics being forced to find refuge on Croatian Islands in the aftermath of a cataclysmic volcanic eruption.
Other anticipated dramas on Glassriver’s slate, available for world distribution, include
Baldvin Z’s buddy drama comedy “Journey,” starring Olafur Darri Ólafsson (“Lady Dynamite,” “Trapped”) and Vikingur Kristjánsson (“The Valhalla Murders”) as two friends, discussing manhood and themselves while on a road trip in Iceland. Commissioned by Vodafone’s Channel 2, the project is due to premiere next month.
Rúnarsson will bring a trailer of “Journey,” alongside fresh clips of the medical drama “Fractures,” represented by REInvent Studios. The female-led procedural, co-produced by Iceland’s Askja Films and Belgian group Lunanime, just wrapped filming.
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
