When the Light Breaks

Winner of Best Nordic Film at the 2025 Göteborg Film Festival, from acclaimed Icelandic auteur Rúnar Rúnarsson, When the Light Breaks is a poignant drama that follows a young woman whose conscience and resilience is tested over the course of a long summer’s day when she is confronted by life-changing events. Sunset to sunset: 24 hours is enough to turn the life of twenty-something arts student Una (a remarkable Elín Hall) upside down. And not just hers. Reykjavík has awakened to news of a terrible road accident, with Una’s boyfriend and fellow classmate Diddi likely among the injured. But because of a secret she has been keeping from her friends, Una finds herself unable to express her true feelings and she must navigate through her swirling emotions, in her own way. Luminously shot on 16mm film by award-winning cinematographer Sophia Olsson (The Crown) and featuring music from the late composer Jóhann Jóhannsson, this personal and moving film finds notes of fleeting beauty as it explores the ripple effect of grief. ENCORE SCREENING!