Alex from Nordic Watchlist spoke to Smari Gunn and Logi Sigursveinsson about their documentary film The Home Game which gets its UK premiere at the Glasgow Film Festival.
It was the film’s poster that first caught my attention for The Home Game, an Icelandic ‘feel good’ documentary, noticing the artwork was similar to that of A Hero’s Journey to the Third Pole.
“Iceland is so small Alex, the artist is in fact Logi’s brother– Atli Sigursveinsson”, says Smari.
And to continue the ‘Iceland is so small theme’ Logi worked on Natatourim which we recently saw and spoke with the film’s director – Helena Stefansdottir.
So what exactly is The Home Game about? The title might give some of it away. It’s a sports documentary that focuses on a football pitch and a player’s desire to try and achieve something his father had not managed to do – to get a home FA Cup game on the pitch his father had taken such good care of.
I am not a football fan, except perhaps when it comes to playing the Premiership Fantasy Football, but I still wouldn’t say I am a fan of that either due to the stress it brings. It seems that neither was Logi, who co-directed the film with Smari:
“I am a huge football fan'” says Smari, “but Logi is not so much, which made it a really good collaboration to allow us to go straight down the middle to appeal to the football fans as well as those that don’t care for it too much” Smari explains.
It was a system that worked well, leaving me totally enthralled with the David vs Goliath story that unfolds in the film.
“Some of the people who have been most excited to speak to us after the film have been the ones who hate football – that has been an amazing compliment for us“.
Nordic Watchlist got to preview the film when Smari got in touch with the team, and we are now delighted to see that the film will get its UK premiere at the upcoming Glasgow Film Festival.
Last year we saw a big decline in Icelandic films and series’ with barely anything getting a UK release, so for the year to start off with Glasgow Film Festival featuring both The Home Game and the spooky thriller Cold we have been happy to see the comeback begin to happen this year.
As far as Icelandic documentaries go, there have been very little, and the last director we spoke to was behind the excellent film Raising The Bar, but hardly anything else has been released.
Nordic Watchlist will be covering CPH:DOX documentary film festival later in March and as much as we enjoy it, it can be overwhelming with some of subject matters that are covered leaving us in need of an injection of happiness.
“This is something we have been learning with this film – you can change the world and educate people with sad and traumatic documentaries but you can also bring something positive and heart-warming too – it shouldn’t be underestimated“.
To get to share their film beyond Iceland is a huge step for the team behind the film. When some features and series don’t even seem to leave the country, here Smari is flying the flag with multiple upcoming festival appearances.
“On paper we have such a local story but it seems to have picked up such international appeal“, the director explains. “When we were making the film we had no idea we would be travelling the world with it“.
Logi agrees, “This was our first film and we just went along with it to see what happens“.
So how did the story all come about? Kári Viðars had got in touch with both Smari and Logi to tell them about this football pitch that has been standing there for 25 years and barely ever gets used.
“I asked; why is that? And found out that his dad had tried to get a home game on the pitch in the FA Cup but his team got drawn to play away and they ended up losing to a golf club“.
The whole premise was so funny they just started to film to see what might happen and halfway through filming, some magic started to happen, culminating in the film’s thrilling climatic finale – which we won’t spoil here.
Smari says how this film could have become so many things and Logi adds that in the editing things had to be delicately handled to not make things come across as too convenient.
With every sports films there has to be a training montage and you’ll be thrilled to know that this film also has its own. The pair cite Cool Runnings and Rocky IV as some of their favourite inspirations.
The Home Game was put together with a lot of trial and error. The end result is a fantastic feel-good film that we defy to not capture your heart and make you raise your fists in the air.
Those attending Glasgow Film Festival must make sure they take the time to catch it and we hope it will get a wider international release later in the year.
The Home Game has its premiere at Glasgow Film Festival – for those attending or covering the film festival be sure to give it a watch!
