The Northman

"Avenge father, save mother, kill Fjölnir." When the young Viking prince Amleth witnesses his father being slaughtered by his own brother, he flees repeating this mantra. Years later, a fully grown Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård) roams the harsh North as a feared berserker, driven by hatred and longing for revenge that consumes his every thought. When he finally learns where his uncle is hiding, he immediately goes to battle, embarking on a bloodthirsty quest across the Icelandic plains. What follows is an epic heroic saga based on the legend that inspired Shakespeare's Hamlet. The Northman flawlessly succeeds in combining Norse mythology and brutal action with a breathtaking soundtrack and a stellar cast. The result? An overwhelming action film featuring an all-star ensemble (including Nicole Kidman, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Ethan Hawke), which never loses its momentum and only truly comes into its own on the big screen.

The Northman is the third feature film by director Robert Eggers, who previously achieved major acclaim with The Witch (2015) and The Lighthouse (2019), and received four Oscar nominations for his most recent Nosferatu (2024). Eggers co-wrote The Northman — as well as the upcoming film Werwulf (early 2027) — alongside Icelandic screenwriter and author Sjón.

During this edition of the Noordelijk Film Festival, Sjón will receive the Award for Special Contribution to Northern Cinema, will be extensively interviewed about his work in a Spotlight Talk, and will attend a Q&A session following the screening of the film Lamb (2021).