My favorite project is the last one and the dream project the next one

Natan Jonsson graduated from Directing and Producing in 2012 and has taken on many exciting projects since. His short film “Bars” is accessible on Youtube now and he will be filming his first feature length film this summer.

His interest in films began at an early age

„I think the first movie I saw at the cinema was „Who framed Roger Rabbit?“  Going to the cinema was always a very important experience for me when the family visited the capital. For a time there was no cinema in Hornafjordur and I thought the trip would be completely pointless if I did not get to see the newest films showing. This did get better at Hofn when Sindra Cinema opened again with showings on Thursdays and Sundays. The opening film was „Jurassic Park” which was great because I had missed it in Reykjavik. I was completely devastated. 

Along with some childhood friends we would frequent the video rentals and watch anything we could get our hands on and cursed Gylfi Palsson for interfering in our film choices. „Reservoir Dogs” and „Pulp Fiction” from Quentin Tarantino were favorites and when we saw the older crowd taping a film on the video camera we of course had to copy them and shot a bunch of microfilms that we improvised on the spot, but we did try to do them in the spirit of Tarantino I seem to recall. “

 Access to different films reignited his interest

„When I moved to the city this interest was unfortunately mostly shelved. But I did get a job at a video rental when I was 17 years old and was completely convinced that I had the best job in the world. It saved me quite an amount that I had used exclusively to go to the cinema and rent movies. I do miss however going into a rental and just walk around looking for something new. It was on one of those expeditions when I watched „Evil Dead 2”. It was on DVD and was accompanied with a short „making of” documentary in the extras. The people behind the scenes seemed to enjoy it so much and I think I made the decision then to go into the film industry and then always tried to find films with the „making of“ extras. A few years later I watched „Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind” and then knew I also wanted to write screenplays.” 

His studies were an encouragement to explore the industry

„It took me quite a while to decide to apply to The Film School as my confidence was not very strong. But when I finally did it I asked about the courses available. I knew some people that were either at the school or had graduated and decided from those conversations that Directing and Producing would suit me best. But in the end it did not really matter to me. The atmosphere at the school always encouraged me to improve in every aspect. Shooting, editing, screen writing and working with actors. I was interested in all of it. I always looked forward to coming to school. On top of that students were fun to be around. It was an eclectic group and you knew everyone by name, quite an achievement for me. But I made good friends there that I am still in touch with and we do some kind of a project together every year . 

But I wanted to develop more into drama after the film studies. This was a great opportunity to work closer with actors and and delve deeper into the difficult feelings that follow grieving. I was extremely lucky with the actors who were willing to get together often to rehearse and were studious in developing their characters. We all connected and then put on the play „Samfarir Hamfarir“ two years later.  

 Next on the agenda

 To begin a project on a „fade in“ and see it become real on the screen is an experience that I have difficulty putting into words, as ironic as that might sound. But I have always enjoyed making my own assignments. Even though it is always fun to drop by someone elses set I always feel more complete making my own story. That has then opened new doors for me like writing and directing two plays. Then I wrote and wrote and wrote. But so far my favorite project has always been my last one and the dream project my next one. My next one is extra exciting though as I will be directing my first full length film. It is a crime thriller that I developed with Sveinbjorn Hjorleifsson, but he graduated from The Film School at the same time as I did, from Screenwriting and Directing. Then there are many people that I got to know at the school that are a part of the production. Most of them worked with me on the shortfilm „Bars”. 

 

Work is already begun on Natans full length feature, which we will of course keep track of. We wish him and his crew the best of luck and here you can enjoy his film "Bars"

Bars