It’s important for the Icelandic nation to have this series. Not only is it so rich in our recent history and events but it also shines a light on the person who defined the nation.
Vigdís Finnbogadóttir is a name every Icelander knows and loves, she is our mother icon, she is our inspiration. The rest of the world knows her as being the first ever woman to be democratically elected president of a country. But how did she end up in the president’s chair? This is perhaps the perfect subject for the first ever biographical mini series about an Icelander.
The biographical TV-series Vigdís made by Vesturport, one of Iceland’s most exciting production companies (Blackport, 2021) follows the early life of Vigdís Finnbogadóttir in post-war Reykjavík. The US army is still very present in Reykjavík, evening curfews which say women aren’t allowed to go outside alone, and lacking opportunities for women in education is the world the audience find teenaged Vigdís played by Elín Hall. Vigdís struggles to watch her younger brother get more support and education simply because he is a man and decides to take matters into her own hands and tests the social norms.
Bringing 20th-Century Reykjavík to Life
This period drama does a fantastic job at creating life in Reykjavík from the 40s to the 70s. And even showing the audience a glimpse at other Iconic Icelanders from the time, for example Halldór Laxness the Nobel prize author, played in this series fittingly by the popular author Sjón.
And also making an appearance in Vigdís’s life is Magnús Magnússon whom the British might recognise or remember as the long running show host of Mastermind from 1972 – 97, with his catchphrase “I’ve started, so I’ll finish”. Magnús Magnússon is played by the director of the series, Björn Hlynur Haraldson. The rumoured relationship Magnús and Vigdís had is explored very well in this series.
It’s not just iconic people we see, but also iconic moments in Icelandic history like the red sock movement (rauðsokkahreyfingin) and the Icelandic women’s strike march on 24th October 1975, when 90% of all Icelandic women marched on the streets of Reykjavík demanding equal pay and other rights.
Breaking Social Norms and Shaping a Legacy
Vigdís fights social norms from an early age with her ambitions to go to the University of Grenoble in France to study literature. After she fought tooth and nail to convince everyone around her that going to France was not just a dream but a realistic ambition, she finally goes and starts her studies, but like so many dreams, they are never what we imagined. And before she could finish her studies Vigdís’s life takes a turn with tragedies and surprises.
This leads to Vigdís changing her life completely and following her husband Ragnar whilst he progresses his career as a doctor in Denmark and Sweden. After more life changing events Vigdís moves back to Iceland and continues to break social norms. After a long fight with the system, Vigdís becomes the first single woman in Iceland to adopt a child.
She became the head of the Icelandic tourist bureau and also became the appointed artistic director of the Reykjavík Theatre Company. Nína Dögg Filippusdóttir plays Vigdís as an adult and I can only imagine the pressure Nína must have felt whilst playing this astounding woman loved by all Icelanders. But Nína portrays Vigdís brilliantly, showing us the many sides of Vigdís both at her highest and lowest.
An Award-Winning Triumph for Icelandic Television
It’s very clear that the filmmakers cared about this series, so much detail and craft is put into every stage of the production of this series. The writers team are fittingly all women, Björg Magnúsdóttir, Ágústa M Ólafsdóttir and Jana Maria Gudmundsdottir, which is important as this story is told from the perspective of a woman fighting through a world made for men. The directors Björn Hlynur Haraldsson and Tinna Hrafnsdóttir both do an excellent job. And the acting ensemble are all very good.
It’s important for the Icelandic nation to have this series. Not only is it so rich in our recent history and events but it also shines a light on the person who defined the nation.
This series shows us it wasn’t always dances on roses for Vigdís, it was tough for her, she had failures, set backs, broken dreams, but when the Icelandic nation thinks of Vigdís today, they don’t see that, they see a leader, a mother, a warm smile.
This series does an excellent job at portraying this history. The series has already been well received in Iceland, even winning multiple Eddan Film and TV awards. It won Best Tv-series, Björn and Tinna won Best Directors and Elín Hall won Best Actress for her portrayal of Vigdís.
Vigdís started streaming in the US on PBS Masterpiece Amazon Channel, Roku and Comcast Xfinity on August 7th – we will keep you posted on any news of UK release!
