Losing someone feels like the ground is falling from underneath you. Waves of disbelief, sadness, and exhaustion alternate each other while you’re trying to cope with the immense amount of condolence phone calls and paperwork that sadly comes with someone dying. It was only yesterday that you two were making great memories, which now have become clouded. You also wonder how life would be without that special person and if it would ever become ordinary and every day again, and if so, when. Una (Elin Hall) has to deal with all those emotions and more in writer/director Rúnar Rúnarsson’s When The Light Breaks (Original title: Ljósbrot) after the sudden passing of her bandmate and fellow performance art student Diddi (Baldur Einarsson). On top of that, she has to keep a secret buried, which only makes it harder to fully grieve and find comfort.
Diddi was her lover who was about to break it off with his long-distance girlfriend Klara (Katla Njálsdóttir). Una and Diddi were making plans involving travelling, potentially kids, the whole shebang, but it never progressed that far. Not because Diddi didn’t want to end the relationship with Klara, but because on his way to her, he tragically died in a deadly explosion. You might not think that the accident was Iceland’s greatest tragedy because apart from the giant fireball, ambulances driving back and forth, and the news bulletins, Rúnarsson (Sparrows, Echo) doesn’t show you any bloody carnage, bodies being covered up, or complex surgical operations on the people who made it out (barely) alive.
The filmmaker decides to use very natural-looking visuals by his longtime cinematographer Sophia Olssonand (The Charmer, Sparrows) and the minimal intrusive editing from Andri Steinn Guðjónsson (Submarino, The Good Heart) to create a much more serene, heartbreaking, and true-to-life story instead of giving us a dramatize and over-the-top version of the tragedy and its aftermath. There’s no space for straightforward melodrama or twisted shots In the 24-hour timeframe of this feature. It’s all about subtlety, respect for both the characters and the stirring topic, and the perfect usage of the striking Icelandic setting and architecture.
That subtlety doesn’t only come through in the narrative itself but also in the performance. Newcomer Hall’s razor-sharp, emotional acting implies that, despite the tension between Una and Klara, during a time of loss and sadness, the need for human contact, consoling each other, and being there for the people around you is much bigger than spilling a secret that can cause more pain and hurt. That need comes through beautifully throughout the movie, with the last two scenes as the highlights. Who knew embracing your love enemy and watching a stunning sunset (which is much more important than you would think) could be this healing?
Hall’s a real presence as she demands your attention with both heavy emotions and subtle posing while also brightly expressing the rollercoaster of emotions her character is riding. That rollercoaster reaches its top when her other friends remind Una what a great couple Diddi and Klara were. While Una has to agree with it silently, she knows much better, resulting in an awkward but gripping situation to watch.
As someone much more opposed to performance art, Klara doesn’t understand why her boyfriend took those classes exactly, but when Una shows her one of the things they learned in class, it not only results in a much closer bond between the two but also in much more screen time for Njálsdóttir. Because of how Rúnarsson structures the narrative, we only see her character turning up in the search for answers in the latter part of the feature. However, once we see more of Klara and Njálsdóttir, we feel how heartbreaking it can be to see your dreams and plans with your partner being shattered for good.
In this film, Rúnarsson even has a place for more playful but still sad moments. Sadly, for the people mourning Diddi, the fateful day is also graduation day for many colleague students in Reykjavik. When the friends grieve their friend, lover, and boyfriend, they see how other people dress up in Teletubbies costumes to celebrate the most important day of their lives, wondering if they will find that happiness again.
Opening Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival 2024, this 80-minute movie (perfect for ‘films under 90 minutes’ lovers) is a mesmerizing and touching exploration of grieving, shared experiences, frustration, and even some hope. While Una and Klara gaze at a magnificent sunset at the beach, you start to reflect on the beautiful and sensitive character study you just watched and how you will celebrate life before it’s all over.
When The Light Breaks held its World Premiere as a part of the Un Certain Regard section of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.
Director: Rúnar Rúnarsson
Screenwriter: Rúnar Rúnarsson
Rated: NR
Runtime: 82m
When the Light Breaks by Rúnarsson shines a beautiful and heartbreaking light on loss, grieving and the stunning talent of Elin Hall
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GVN Rating
Subtitle translator by day. Film journalist by night.
