Spotlight Talk: Benedikt Erlingsson

This year, Leeuwarden will once again welcome a special Spotlight guest: Benedikt Erlingsson, an Icelandic director, screenwriter, actor and theatre maker known for his unique, often poetic and humorous storytelling style. 

His international breakthrough came with the films Of Horses and Men (2013) and The Show of Shows (2015), followed by the highly acclaimed Woman at War (2018), in which he skilfully interweaves ecological and social themes with humour and humanity. The reason for his visit is also his new series The Danish Woman, starring festival alumna Trine Dyrholm, which will be screened in its entirety on Saturday. 

On Friday evening, November 7, Benedikt Erlingsson will be interviewed by film journalist, program maker and podcast maker Laura van Zuylen. She publishes in the Filmkrant and writes about a variety of subjects, often with a feminist undertone. She specializes in Italian cinema and classic Hollywood, is at home in the theatre and once, following the release of Of Horses and Men presented a lecture on horses and film. During the Spotlight Talk, she will talk extensively with Erlingsson about his work, his sources of inspiration and his vision regarding the role of film in changing times.

During the Spotlight Talk, Benedikt Erlingsson will also accept the festival's annual Award for Special Contribution to Northern Cinema.