Börn (Children)

Published on November 26, 2007

Story by

Translation by:

Iceland / 2006 : Ragnar Bragason Direction : Gisli Örn Garaoarsson, Nina Dog Filippusdöttir, Ölafur Darri Ólafsson, Andri Snaer Magnasson. Performers

BÖRN (children) is the penultimate film by Icelandic director Ragnar Bragason, which has been followed by its second part, “PARENTS”, already screened during this year.

Ragnar Bragason made his debut at a film festival in 2000, year in which he was awarded the Jury Prize at the Cairo Festival and the Icelandic Cultural Prize. He got six nominations to the EDDA Prizes ( Icelandic Film Academy Prizes), from which he won two: Best Videoclip and Best TV Comedy. His script for “THE WHISPERER” was nominated to Script of the Year at Sundance Prizes/ NHK, of the year 2003. His side as videoclip and advertisement director enjoys international recognition. The film is quite worth seeing. It’s an authentic drama, full of unfortunate characters: Karitas, a mother who takes care of her four little children: three daughters and one son without any help, and whose responsibility exceeds her; a father who looks for his son in an attempt to have a second opportunity and get out of the world of violence he’s immersed in; a mentally ill man who lives with his mother and whose only friend is Gudmund, Karitas’ son. It is a film about parents and children, no doubt, and as the name suggests, about filial relationships. It’s a story about unhappy lives, but also of attempts to overcome unhappiness. The question it seems to pose is: is it possible to change or there comes a moment from which it is too late? Who will trust you again?

People say that it’s never late when happiness is good…although I always thought it was a saying for American stories, not for European ones, which are loaded with greater pessimism. Anyway, the audience will see and judge. I would have ended the film five minutes earlier, with the close-up of the father’s face in the hospital, although it’s possible that the last 5 minutes were badly needed…we often need a mouthful of hope. In my opinion, the final applause was well deserved.

Sara Domínguez Martín