When the Light Breaks movie storyline. Una and Diddi, two students at the Iceland Academy of the Arts in Reykjavik, are head over heels in love. They must keep their relationship a secret because Diddi already has a girlfriend, but he is finally going home to break up with Klara.
But Diddi never returns, leaving Una with a bottomless grief she cannot share with friends or family because no one knew they were a couple. Things go from bad to worse when Klara comes to town, but the meeting between the two left-behind lovers eventually sparks and chases away the darkness. It is warm, moving, and beautiful.
In this Icelandic drama, we follow Una, a young art student who encounters love, friendship, sorrow, and beauty over a long summer day. Ljósbrot was the opening film in the Un Certain Regard program at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
Wpeh the Light Breaks (Icelandic: Ljósbrot) is an Icelandic drama film directed by Rúnar Rúnarsson and starring Elín Hall, Katla Njálsdóttir, Mikael Kaaber, Ágúst Wigum, Gunnar Hrafn Kristjánsson, Baldur Einarsson, Einar Haraldsson, Tómas Howser and Þorsteinn Bachmann. The screenplay was written by Rúnar Rúnarsson.
Film Review for When the Light Breaks
The opening film of the Un Certain Regard section of the seventy-seventh Cannes Film Festival, ‘When the Light Breaks,’ directed by Icelandic filmmaker Rúnar Rúnarsson, delves into the theme of loss and the grief born from it—the causes of the loss, those who endure it, and those who own the grief. Elín Hall’s portrayal of Una is mesmerizing like a dazzling diamond, and by the time the final credits roll, it’s beyond our discretion to look away from her remarkable performance.
In ‘When the Light Breaks,’ on a long summer’s day in Reykjavik, the life of Una, a young art student, is turned upside down. From one sunset to another, when laughing turns into crying and beauty coexists with sorrow.
The opening scene of the film unfolds during a radiant sunset, symbolizing the “sunset” of Una and Diddi’s relationship. “Sunset” is used as a thematic motif throughout the film, signifying that as one thing sets, another rises. As something dies, something else is born. Thus, another thematic motif of the film can be seen as the cycle of life and death and the delicate line between the two.
With Diddi’s death and Klara’s entrance, a thematic duality becomes apparent in the film. For instance, Klara’s mourning for Diddi is overt, while Una’s grief remains covert. Throughout the film, the director explores the themes of “hidden” and “visible” in various instances, delving into the impact these concepts have on each other’s existence. This is also observable in the film’s framing choices. In many scenes, the director places significant emphasis on perspectives from behind, signifying that what happens behind us remains hidden from our view but doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. However, except for Una and Gunni, the romantic relationship between Diddi and Una has no external existence. This secrecy causes Una constant turmoil with acceptance.
Through Una and Klara, both sharing a common grief, Rúnar Rúnarsson juxtaposes the traditional and modern perspectives, suggesting that these notions of “tradition” and “modernity” can coexist in harmony; one’s existence doesn’t negate the other. Klara is portrayed as a very ordinary girl, while Una embodies a much more modern perspective and is a deeper woman.
The director places significant emphasis on glass, mirrors, and the reflection of his characters in the film. This symbolizes the impact our actions have on others and the surrounding environment, the social interaction. In one visually striking scene, we see the reflection of Una on the glass, Klara’s reflection placed upon Una’s reflection, seemingly merging their reflections together, as if they become one entity, one woman.
‘When the Light Breaks’ begins with a sunset and ends with another. Una spends the sunset at the beginning of the film with Diddi, and she spends the sunset at the end of the film with his girlfriend. It could be said that the film starts from an ‘ending’ and concludes with a ‘beginning’. The ending that occurs at this very ‘beginning’ shows two women, Una and Klara, lying in bed embracing each other. Una embraces Klara into her arms, accepting Klara’s grief as a mother would hold her child, symbolizing a new beginning of understanding and compassion.
When the Light Breaks (2024)
Ljósbrot
Directed by: Rúnar Rúnarsson
Starring: Elín Hall, Katla Njálsdóttir, Mikael Kaaber, Ágúst Wigum, Gunnar Hrafn Kristjánsson, Baldur Einarsson, Einar Haraldsson, Tómas Howser, Þorsteinn Bachmann
Screenplay by: Rúnar Rúnarsson
Production Design by: Hulda Helgadóttir
Cinematography by: Sophia Olsson
Film Editing by: Andri Steinn Guðjónsson
Costume Design by: Helga Rós Hannam
Art Direction by: Maja Adamska, Amanda Riffo
Makeup Department: Evalotte Oosterop
MPAA Rating: None.
Distributed by: Jour2Fête (France)
Release Date: Oçtober 20, 2024
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