The Day Iceland
Stood Still
Production took a hit in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down international travel. So, like all filmmakers, we had to improvise safe ways of moving the project forward.
Working with our amazing team on location in Iceland—producer Hrabba Gunnarsdóttir and Director of Photography Helgi Felixson—we managed to do one remote shoot during the lockdown.
Director Pam Hogan on the computer, conducting the interview from the U.S. via Zoom.
As part of that shoot, we were honored to interview Iceland’s President, Gudni Jóhannesson, who was 7 years old the day of the strike and still remembers the heartbreak when his father - suddenly in charge of the cooking - burned the hot dogs.
During the
Our team gathered in Hrabba’s editing suite in Reykjavik along with our mascot, a beautiful Samoyed named Krumma, who leapt to his feet, howling every time sheep appeared on the screen. We thought we were putting the finishing touches on post-production. But no...
Two months later, on
It was the 48th anniversary of the 1975 Women’s Day Off – and Iceland’s women again took to the streets in the biggest demonstration in the country’s history, declaring that because Iceland is a global beacon for women’s rights, they have a responsibility to fully close the remaining wage gap and address gender-based violence.
Producer Hrafnhildur Gunnarsdóttir filming the crowd of 100,000. One out of four Icelanders took part in the protest.
So naturally, we opened up the film – how could we not? - and Hrabba’s images of that incredible crowd are now the final shots in The Day Iceland Stood Still. The fight goes on!
