Mýrin (2006)

Director:

Baltasar Kormákur

Writers:

Arnaldur Indriðason (novel)
Baltasar Kormákur (screenplay)

Release Date:

20 October 2006 (Iceland)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

A murder opens up a bleak trail of long buried secrets and small town corruption for a worn out police detective and his squad.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Neurofibromatosis | Iceland | Based On Novel

Awards:

10 wins

Cast

Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson	...	Erlendur (as Ingvar E. Sigurðsson)
Ágústa Eva Erlendsdóttir	...	Eva Lind
Björn Hlynur Haraldsson	...	Sigurður Óli
Ólafía Hrönn Jónsdóttir	...	Elínborg
Atli Rafn Sigurðsson	...	Örn
Kristbjörg Kjeld	...	Katrín
Þorsteinn Gunnarsson	...	Holberg
Theódór Júlíusson	...	Elliði
Þórunn Magnea Magnúsdóttir	...	Elín
Guðmunda Elíasdóttir	...	Theodóra
Walter Grímsson	...	Handrukkarar
Sveinn Olafur Gunnarsson		(as Sveinn Ólafur Gunnarsson)
Magnús Ragnarsson	...	Lögfræðingur
Rafnhildur Rósa Atladótir	...	Kola
Jón Sigurbjörnsson	...	Albert
Valdimar Örn Flygenring	...	Pilot
Þór Tulinius	...	Pathologe
Ása Hlín Svavarsdóttir	...	Starfskona á Hagstofu
Eyvindur Erlendsson	...	Rúnar
Elma Lísa Gunnarsdóttir	...	Gunnur
Erlendur Eiríksson	...	Öryggisvörður
Kristinn Ágúst Friðfinnsson	...	Fjölskylduprestur (as Sr. Kristinn Ágúst Friðfinnsson)
Kári Stefánsson	...	Himself
Þórhallur Gunnarsson	...	Fréttamaður
Sigurður Már Ólafsson	...	Bílstjóri hjá Landflutningum
Hjalti Gunnarsson	...	Fangavörður #1
Jón Viðar Arnþórsson	...	Fangavörður #2
Guðrún Birna Gísladóttir	...	Forstöðukona á Grund
Bjarni Geir Patric Alfreðsson	...	Kokkur á BSÍ
Katrín Óskarsson	...	Kona Rúnars
Rósa Olafsdóttir	...	Eldri kona 1 (as Rósa Ólafsdóttir)
Osk Gudmundóottir	...	Eldri kona 2 (as Ósk Guðmundsdóttir)
Thorarinn Oskar Thorarinsson	...	Eddi (as Þórarinn Óskar Þórarinsson)
Úlfur Ísfeld Rögnvaldsson	...	Bróðir Arnars
Sólon Ísfeld Rögnvaldsson	...	Arnar
Sverrir Einarsson	...	Útfararstjóri #1
Bryndís Valbjarnardóttir	...	Útfararstjóri #2
Valgerður Backman	...	Ritari Arnar
Guðlaug Hermannsdóttir	...	Afgreiðslustúlka BSÍ
Lalli Johns	...	Himself

Directed by
Baltasar Kormákur

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Arnaldur Indriðason		novel
Baltasar Kormákur		screenplay

Produced by
Oliver Huzly	....	co-producer
Agnes Johansen	....	producer
Reinhard Klooss	....	co-producer
Baltasar Kormákur	....	producer
Kim Magnusson	....	executive producer
Lilja Pálmadóttir	....	producer

Original Music by
Mugison

Cinematography by
Bergsteinn Björgúlfsson

Film Editing by
Elísabet Ronaldsdóttir

Production Design by
Atli Geir Grétarsson

Costume Design by
Harpa Einarsdottir

Makeup Department
Ragna Fossberg	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lísa Kristjánsdóttir	....	first assistant director
Davíd Óskar Ólafsson	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Erik Hirt	....	property master

Sound Department
Steingrímur E. Guðmundsson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Kjartan Kjartansson	....	sound designer
Kjartan Kjartansson	....	sound mixer
Ingvar Lundberg	....	sound editor
Ingvar Lundberg	....	sound re-recording mixer
Guðrún Ragna Sigurjónsdóttir	....	sound assistant

Special Effects by
Stefan Jorgen	....	special effects makeup
Eggert Ketilsson	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Anders Bloch-Rose	....	colorist (as Anders Bloch-Jensen)
Michael Holm	....	digital compositor

Camera and Electrical Department
Guðmundur Andrés Erlingsson	....	electrician
Gitte Gammelgaard	....	first assistant camera
Sarah Gardiner	....	first assistant camera
Sam Goldie	....	first assistant camera
Geir Magnússon	....	gaffer
Sigurdur Bahama Magnusson	....	lighting technician

Editorial Department
Ejvind Bording	....	film color timer
Mette Høst Hansen	....	post-production coordinator
Marta R. Traustadóttir	....	assistant editor

Production Companies

• Bavaria Pictures
• Blueeyes Productions
• Degeto Film
• Nordisk Film

Distributors

• European Film Partners (EFP) (2008) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• IFC Films (2008) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• IFC First Take (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• Memento Films (2008) (France) (theatrical)
• Skífan (2006) (Iceland) (theatrical)
• Videorama (2008) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Blueeyes Productions (2006) (Iceland) (all media)
• Scanbox Entertainment (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• Videorama (2007) (Greece) (all media)

Other Companies

• Dolby Laboratories  sound mix

Also Known As:

Jar City (International: English title) (USA) (new title)
Der Tote aus Nordermoor (Germany)

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

Iceland | Germany | Denmark

Language:

Icelandic

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Finland:K-15 | UK:15 (2008) | Ireland:16 | Netherlands:16 | Australia:MA | New Zealand:R16

Filming Locations:

Hvalsnes, Reykjanes, Iceland

Company:

Bavaria Pictures

Trivia:

The little town in Keflavík is Hvalsnes.

Movie Connections:

Remade as Jar City (2010)

Interesting crime tale

This is an Icelandic movie about a murder, the only clue to which is a picture of a headstone of a five year old girl that died 30 years ago. In parallel to that, there is also a story of a genetic researcher whose four year old daughter has just died. How do these stories tie together? That is what makes the movie so intriguing. The story structure is such that the lead detective, Erlunder (played compellingly by Ingvar E. Sigurðsson), must investigate a crime from 30 years ago in order to solve the murder he's got on his hands now. Surprisingly, this is done with a bare minimum of flashbacks (I counted two), neither of which are to the original girl's death. The director, Baltasar Kormákur, sets a dreary tone using a muted color palette and wide shots of bleak terrain surrounding the city. The stark architecture only adds to this feeling of despair. A side story of Erlendur's relationship with his drug addicted daughter adds depth to the overall story by fleshing out the point of view character. This is by no means an amazing film, but it is very good. The supporting characters don't stand out much, but rather seem to be foils for Erlendur to play off of. This was apparently based on one of a series of crime novels and I'd be very interested to see adaptations of the others if the story quality is as consistent as this one.