Nordic Watchlist spoke with co-director Björn Hlynur Haraldsson about the positive pressure of directing the new Icelandic Vigdís.
The Icelandic drama series follows the extraordinary life of Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, the world’s first democratically elected female president. It is hard to think of another figure who is as universally beloved by the Icelandic nation, making the undertaking of bringing her life to the screen a monumental project.
Nordic Watchlist: What makes the Vigdís series so significant for Icelandic audiences?
Björn Hlynur Haraldsson: We’re very glad to talk about Vigdís. It’s hard to think of another Icelandic person that is as loved by the Icelandic nation as she is. She is a very big name in world history as well—the first woman to be democratically elected as president of a country.
Nordic Watchlist: How much pressure did you feel as a director to make this series?
Björn Hlynur Haraldsson: The pressure was always positive and good. Of course people have high expectations, but that’s good. I think it just drives you and moves you forward to do it justice, so we just embraced that. We knew that Vigdís is quite a private person, so there are a lot of things about her personal life that most people in Iceland don’t know about—especially younger people, maybe even people of her generation. It was exciting, because she is a massive icon, and there are not that many icons in Iceland.
We sometimes have the saying that if you are on a coffee cup in the gift store at the National Museum, then you’re an icon. Halldór Laxness, Vigdís Finnbogadóttir… there are not that many. This project is also thanks to the drive of Rakel Garðarsdóttir, the producer of Vigdís. She read the biography written by Páll Valsson and immediately, like filmmakers generally do, thought, “Why isn’t this a film or a series?” Her life is quite extraordinary.
Nordic Watchlist: The series explores her friendship with Magnus Magnusson, whom you also play in the series. What was it like exploring that relationship on screen?
Björn Hlynur Haraldsson: Magnus was a massive star in the UK as the host of Mastermind on the BBC, but even in Iceland, a lot of people were not very aware of their connection and how close they were. They were good friends, but they never really talked about it publicly.
It’s just a sign of the times—people really didn’t talk about themselves back in those days. In modern times, you cannot go to the grocery store without posting a picture of yourself! I wasn’t originally going to act in the series, but Tinna, my co-director, wanted me to play him, so I did. I’m cheap labour for the production company!
Nordic Watchlist: Has Vigdís herself watched the series, and did she serve as a consultant on the scripts?
Björn Hlynur Haraldsson: Yes, she watched it, and she was happy with it—that’s what she told us, at least. It must be a surreal, dreamlike situation watching your life portrayed by someone else on screen. We had a bit of poetic license; for example, a few characters in the series, like her best friend Magga, are a composite of a few of her actual friends put together. But as for the scripts, she completely left it to us and was not a consultant or advisor.
Nordic Watchlist: The character of Magga connects to the Red Stockings (Rauðsokkuhreyfingin) feminist movement and the 1975 women’s strike. How did that fit into Vigdís’s personal story?
Björn Hlynur Haraldsson: That was an important side of the story because Vigdís is such a diplomat that she didn’t really take part in that revolution. I think when people look back now, they probably assume she did because she was such a pioneer in women’s rights, but she never really took sides with any one group, which is fascinating about her. It was a nice element in the script to show people that she wasn’t involved in that specific way, but in another way—by becoming the first female president.
When we make series and films, you need to find the energy in the story, and there was so much energy in the women’s liberation movement of the 1970s. The 1950s were so constrained, especially for women, and Vigdís was up against the ideals of the time: that you’re not really supposed to get an education, just become someone’s wife, and have children. Back then, if a young woman went to school wearing trousers, it was a massive rock-and-roll move—almost like going to school naked today!
Nordic Watchlist: The series features two actors playing Vigdís at different stages of her life. How did you land on Elín Hall and Nína Dögg?
Björn Hlynur Haraldsson: The actors felt the pressure, but they did it brilliantly! Nína Dögg was always going to play Vigdís. Through the years as we developed the series, we all got older, and we realised we wanted to tell her story when she was younger as well. In one episode she is 18 in Grenoble with a young boyfriend, and in another she is 50.
What really helped us decide to use two different actresses was a photograph in Páll Valsson’s biography. Rakel, our producer, showed us that photograph alongside a photo of Elín Hall, and the resemblance was uncanny. Elín is a fantastic actress and really nailed it. We also have Halldór Laxness in the series, played by real-life author Sjón, so we have two people with National Museum coffee mugs featured!
The series highlights that her journey was filled with personal setbacks before her ultimate success. What drew you to that aspect of her life?
Björn Hlynur Haraldsson: That is exactly what drew me to this story. It’s endless bumps in the road, setbacks, and personal failures before achieving something great. It was heartbreaking to learn about her personal life—things I simply didn’t know before.
For a young woman at that time, having to give up your hopes and dreams for a man and not rock the boat, only for that marriage to end… it was so tragic. It is the classic hero’s journey, showing the immense perseverance required before making history.
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!
