Stefanía Thors is a filmmaker from Reykjavík, Iceland. She studied theater in Prague, and graduated with a masters from the Academy of Performing Arts. While studying, Thors worked as an assistant editor, and in 2007, she edited her first feature film, “The Quiet Storm.” She moved back to Iceland, forgot about theater, and has been a film editor ever since. “The School of Housewives” is her documentary directorial debut.
“The School of Housewives” was scheduled to screen at the 2020 Hot Docs Canadian International Film Festival. A digital version of the fest has been organized due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “The School of Housewives” will screen in Hot Docs Festival Online, which will launch May 28 and is geo-blocked to Ontario, Canada. More information about the program and how to tune in can be found here.
W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.
ST: The film is about a school in Reykjavík that was called The School of Housewives. It was for young women learning how to cook, sew, knit, and clean. Today, it’s called the Home Economy School, and it’s also for men.
The school is still teaching the same things. Students learn how to knit and make their own clothes, make traditional Icelandic food, and to clean a home, among other things.
W&H: What drew you to this story?
ST: I used to live on the street where the school stands, and after noticing the beautiful house, I asked my friend: What is that? She told me that it was the school of housewives. I immediately got curious to see what was inside, and what they were doing there. After researching the story, I started feeling the urge to make a documentary on the subject. Then, finally, ten years later, I had the time and funding to proceed.
W&H: What do you want people to think about after they watch the film?
ST: Respect old traditions and cherish self sufficiency. Know how to take care of your family using local resources; one day it might save you, and maybe the whole planet.
W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?
ST: Finding the right name for the film, and closing the end credits.
W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.
ST: The film was supported by the Icelandic Film Fund and the city of Reykjavík.
W&H: What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
ST: Creating a multimedia theater piece as an actress that included multiple videos produced by me.
W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?
ST: Best advice: Don’t edit your own film.
Worst advice: Don’t edit your own film.
W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?
ST: Edit your own films if you want to.
W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.
ST: The first films that come to my mind are Andrea Arnold’s “Fish Tank” and Lynne Ramsay’s “We Need To Talk About Kevin. But my favorite woman-directed film is the first film I edited, called “The Quiet Storm,” from the director Guðný Halldórsdóttir. Very talented director, and huge personality. It’s because of her that I do what I do today.
