Ísold Uggadóttir is an award-winning director from Iceland whose short films have screened at over 100 festivals including Telluride, Sundance, and New Directors / New Films at MoMA, and the Film Society of Lincoln Center. She has been honored with six nominations for the Icelandic Academy Awards, winning twice for Best Short Film, in addition to multiple festival awards. “And Breathe Normally” marks her feature film debut.
“And Breathe Normally” will premiere at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival on January 22.
W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.
IU: “And Breathe Normally” tells the delicate story of two struggling mothers living on the margins of society: one being a refugee stranded in Iceland, and the other an Icelandic border patrol agent responsible for the refugee’s arrest.
It is a story that hopefully sheds light on humanity and the female bond while exploring the difficult challenges faced by asylum seekers with no place to call home.
W&H: What drew you to this story?
IU: Whilst developing the character of an Icelandic woman struggling to make ends meet, I became a volunteer at the Icelandic Red Cross. It was there that I met a woman from Ugandawho herself was not only struggling financially, but battling the system in order to be given asylum in our country on grounds of her sexuality. This was in 2012.
We became fast friends, giving me insight into what her battle entailed. I found myself enraged and disturbed at what I learned, and eventually felt compelled to commit to film what I was learning.
My goal as a screenwriter became to bring together two very different female characters — an Icelandic poverty-stricken mother, and a refugee stranded in Iceland — whilst en route to Canada from the European mainland. I found myself excited and intrigued at exploring how they would and could influence the lives of one another.
The challenge I presented myself with was finding a narrative that served both characters while also using the opportunity to inform and shed light on the dire circumstances of asylum seekers in Iceland, who often times are en route elsewhere in search of a new and safe life for themselves.
W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?
IU: I hope that “And Breathe Normally” leaves audiences feeling as if they have experienced and possibly learned something new about the human condition. I hope it leaves them with emotions that they are not fully able to describe, which includes examining their own prejudices.
Most of all, I would like viewers to be moved and affected long after the credits have stopped rolling, and for the characters to have made a long lasting impression.
W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?
IU: There were multiple challenges, I must admit! We had a very international crew: my fellow Icelanders, along with Swedes, Poles, Belgians, and a great many other nationalities. It could at times prove a challenge to have to direct in more than one language and make sure everyone understood what was going on. We had children, animals, immigrants in Iceland playing themselves, and every type of weather you can imagine.
Our locations included airports, harbors, and lots of exteriors that felt as if they were in the middle of nowhere, offering limited holding for cast and crew. So, overall, the shoot would have to be considered the most difficult part of making the film.
W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.
IU: Our film is a European co-production between Iceland, Sweden, and Belgium. Having access to funds in these countries is priceless, but not without its challenges. We also were fortunate enough to receive the support of private investors — all women — who saw the potential of the work and were willing to take a risk on a first-time feature film director.
The story behind the funding process is a long one, and feels like it began ages ago. I received my first grants in 2012 during the writing stages, and was later very honored to be supported by a female-driven cultural fund in Iceland, called Hladvarpinn.
During development every last penny counts and helps filmmakers eat and continue to have electricity in their homes. Later, once a film is greenlit, things become a bit easier, giving affiliated parties the sense that a film is truly going to be made — and not only be talked about — for the next years and counting.
W&H: What does it mean for you to have your film play at Sundance?
IU: Having “And Breathe Normally” selected for Sundance is a dream come true and means everything for the future of the film. We feel incredibly welcomed by everyone working hard behind the scenes at the festival, and there is a strong sense of community which we felt from the very first moment of being informed of our selection.
“And Breathe Normally,” a film with limited star-power but deeply compelling performances — in my own humble opinion — now stands the chance of being discovered by important distributors and entities that might otherwise never have had the interest nor time to look into a small, Icelandic film about two struggling women, who through their odd circumstances forge a delicate bond.
W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?
IU: The best advice I can imagine is listening to your instinct. Directing is all about instinct so I recommend listening when it is telling you something.
The worst advice might be to not rehearse with day players or those with smaller parts. Every part is equally important and rehearsal prior to shooting will save you enormous time on set.
W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?
IU: There are so many challenges when writing, directing, and funding films that it is essentially difficult to determine what is most important when giving advice. Whilst writing, sitting alone in a room staring at an empty screen is never easy and often incredibly depressing due to the fact that you have no idea when and if what you are struggling to put on the page is ever going to become a solid or presentable piece of work.
While the financing that follows is an enormously daunting path, filled with unknowns, it creates comfort knowing that you, at long last, have a screenplay in your hands that you feel is worthy of people’s time and efforts.
From then onward, of greatest importance is protecting your vision and figuring out how to maintain a clear sense of what truly is the essence of your film. There is an inner voice one must listen to to guide the way, because along the way there are countless distractions and other well-meaning voices that do not always know what is the best choice for your story. Only you know. And you must protect and listen to that inner voice.
W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.
IU: For years I have been a great fan of Andrea Arnold and will continue to look to her for inspiration and enlightenment. Not only is she a phenomenal filmmaker, but something about her no-bullshit attitude has a tendency of leaving me in awe. I discovered her short film, “Wasp,” when it screened at MoMA in New York at a time when I had dreams of becoming a filmmaker but had not yet found the courage to take the plunge.
“Wasp” is a portrait of a single mother struggling with her social-economic status, while simply wanting to go on a date. Arnold’s casting is impeccable, her use of place and environment feels incredibly authentic, and the story is gripping from the get-go. You feel like you are right there with her characters, who all feel as though they have been plucked directly from the real world.
W&H: Hollywood is in the midst of undergoing a major transformation. Many women and some men in the industry are speaking publicly about their experiences being assaulted and harassed. What do you think of the recently announced anti-sexual harassment Commission made up of industry leaders? Do you believe that it will help make systemic change? What do you think needs to be done to address this issue?
IU: Being based in Iceland, I am not immersed in the Hollywood scene but as an outsider looking in, I applaud the incredibly timely changes being made by creating the anti-sexual harassment commission.
Much like in Hollywood, Iceland has had its own #MeToo revolution within its world of film and theater. A supportive network of women has been formed, like in the United States, and each and every one of us can sense the changes and hope this has brought about. It’s a revolution that makes a greater difference than many of us even realize today. It’s unlike anything we have seen before, and our challenge remains to make sure our voices are never silenced.
