Work in Progress

Úr Mývatni Í Suður Þingeyjarsýslu rennur ein stærsta Laxá á Íslandi, Laxá í Aðaldal. Fjölskyldan í Árnesi hefur haft lífsviðurværi af ánni í rúmar sex kynslóðir og nú er sú sjöunda mætt á bakkann.

Veiðihúsið Nes stendur við bakka Laxár í Aðaldal og þar hafa ábúendur stundað laxveiði leiðsögn í meira en hálfa öld. Ný kynslóð leiðsögukvenna á táningsaldri gera sig klárar til að taka á móti reyndum veiðiklóm og aðstoða þær við að finna og landa stórlöxum, líkt og forfeður þeirra. Þetta verður sumar þar sem viðkvæmt sjálfstraust vex, mistök eru gerð og dýrmætar stundir verða til á árbakkanum. Laxá í Aðaldal og náttúran sem umlykur hana, geymir fjölskyldusögu þessara stúlkna um leið og saga nýrrar kynslóðar verður til. Sjálfsmynd þeirra og kynslóðanna sem á undan koma er samofin ánni. Náttúran á undir högg að sækja úr ýmsum áttum, framtíð veiðinnar í Laxá í Aðaldal er óljós og að villtum og viðkvæmum laxastofninum stafar ýmis hætta.

English
“From lake Mývatn in the northern part of Iceland flows one of the country’s largest salmon rivers, Laxá in Aðaldalur. The family in Árnes has made a living from the river for over six generations and now the seventh generation has arrived on the river banks.”

The fishing house Nes stands on the banks of Laxá in Aðaldalur where the inhabitants have been guiding salmon fishing for a long time. A new generation of teenage female guides is getting ready to welcome experienced anglers and help them find and land big salmon, just like their forefathers have done over a century. It’s going to be a summer of fragile but growing confidence, mistakes and precious time together by the river. Laxá in Aðaldalur and the nature that surrounds it, holds the family history and simultaneously witnesses the history of a new generation being born. Their identity and the generations that come before them are intertwined on the riverbanks. Nature is under attack, the future of fishing in Laxá in Aðaldal is indefinit and the wild and the vulnerable salmon population faces a new danger.

Gagga Jónsdóttir er íslenskur leikstjóri og höfundur. Hún hefur unnið við kvikmyndagerð síðan hún var unglingur. Hennar fyrsta kvikmynd í fullri lengd var gamanmyndin Saumaklúbburinn en Gagga skrifaði einnig handritið ásamt Snjólaugu Lúðvíksdóttur. Meðal síðustu leikstjórnarverka eru þættir 2 & 3 af sjónvarpsþáttaröðinni Aftureldingu. Gagga var “showrunner” og í höfundateymi sjónvarpsþáttaraðarinnar Ófærð 3. Hún skrifaði og framleiddi, ásamt öðrum, kvikmyndina Agnes Joy sem hlaut Eddu verðlaunin fyrir Besta handrit árið 2020. Hennar fyrsta leikstjórnarverkefni fyrir sjónvarp voru tveir þættir í sjónvarpsþáttaröðinni Borgarstjórinn. Gagga leikstýrið heimilda og menningar þáttunum Aðalpersónur en Strengur er hennar fyrsta heimildamynd í fullri lengd.

English
Icelandic director and screenwriter Gagga Jonsdottir has an extensive background in filmmaking, starting her career in the business as a teenager. Her directorial debut was with the comedy film “Saumaklúbburinn” (Stitch´n bitch), which she co wrote. She has recently directed episodes 2 & 3 of the television series “Afturelding” (Balls). Gagga served as the Show runner and as a part of the writers team for the series “Ófærð 3” (Trapped 3). Her work on the the feature film “Agnes Joy”, which she co-wrote and produced, earned the Icelandic film price; the Edda award, for Best Script in 2020.
Gagga’s directorial debut in television was with two episodes of the series “Borgarstjórinn” (The Mayor).
Gagga directed the docuseries “Aðalpersónur” (Main Character Syndrome), with “Tight Lines” being her debut feature-length documentary.

Director Statement:
Ég hef alltaf heillast af einhverju brothættu og viðkvæmu í fari unglingsstúlkna, á sama tíma býr í þeim styrkur og seigla og þessi blanda er svo áhugaverð.

Mig langaði að fá að líta inn í þeirra heim. Á sumrin lifa þær of starfa við ánna þar sem þær þekkja náttúruna og umhverfið í kringum sig, bundnar sterkum fjölskylduböndum í gegnum kynslóðir sem á undan koma.
Ég áttaði mig fljótt á einstökum samböndum stelpnanna við pabba sína og það hafði þau áhrif á mig að ég fór að velta fyrir mér því óréttlæti sem karlmenn og feður, og konur líka, hafa orðið fyrir vegna samfélagsgerðarinnar og hugmyndum fyrri kynslóða um hlutverk feðra.

Ég sé fyrir mér að myndin muni fanga ungar og viðkvæmar tilfinningar og sýna frá lífi og starfi í faðmi náttúrunnar og mikilvægi hennar. Ég vil skoða sambönd og fjölskyldubönd og líka framtíðar óvissuna sem steðjar að ungu fólki.

Ég var að klára tökur í Aðaldal síðasta haust þegar að ég missti pabba minn. Að upplifa þennan missi, á þessum tímapunkti fékk mig til að sjá samböndin og augnablikin í myndinni í enn skýrara ljósi.

Fegurðin í Laxá í Aðaldal og umhverfi hennar er stórfengleg og því var það aldrei vandamál að finna fegurðina í myndefninu. Mig langaði samt líka til að ná að fylgjast með daglegu lífi á eins eðlilegan hátt og kostur væri, á ferðinni og án þess að það væri uppstillt.
Ég ólst sjálf upp í hálfgerðri sveit og þekki það á eigin skinni hvernig veður og umhverfi hafa áhrif á daglegar athafnir. Mig langaði að sýna hvernig árstíðirnar og veðrið hafa áhrif á ána og persónurnar. Hljóðin í ánni og ölli lífríkinu í kringum hana skipta máli. Svo er Birtan er lykilatriði í fluguveiði, hvernig hún fellur á yfirborð vatnsins, eftir því hvar hún er og á hvaa tíma dags, á bjartri sumarnóttu eða dimmu haustkvöldi. Þetta er mér ofarlega í huga í ferlinu, bæði í tökum og eftirvinnslu.

English
I admire the sensitivity and strength found in teenage girls, recognizing their blend of qualities that intrigue me. My aim is to offer a glimpse into the lives of girls raised with knowledge of nature’s ways. Their familial bond, spanning generations, sees them spending summers together by the river, working and living in harmony with it.

During filming, the connection between the girls and their fathers struck me. This type of shared time was often unavailable to previous generations of men, highlighting how societal structures and gender inequality impact both men and women.
I envision the film capturing the essence of young emotions and sensitivity, portraying life and labor in nature and the importance of it, exploring relationships, family ties, and the uncertainties faced by today’s youth.

The night before our final day of shooting up north, my father passed away. My loss sharpened the focus and heightened my motive to portray the authentic moments of the relationships in the film.

The environment that surrounds Lax in Aðaldalur is stunningly beautiful so it was never difficult to find breathtakingly beautiful frames. I, however, also wanted to honestly observe every day life, on the go, capturing it as naturally as possible.

Having grown up in a rural area where weather often dictated daily activities, I aimed to show how the seasons and weather affect the river and the characters in the narrative. The sounds of the river and the extremely rich wild and birdlife that surrounds it play a part. Light played a crucial role, the nuances of catching a fish are intricately tied to how light illuminates the surface of the water, whether in the early morning or late at night, during the height of summer or deep into fall. These considerations guided my filmmaking process.

Gaukur Úlfarsson, born in 1973, is a filmmaker known for his diverse portfolio encompassing commercials, television shows, music videos, and documentaries.

Throughout his career, Gaukur has taken on multiple roles, including producer, writer, director, editor, and cinematographer. His work on three TV series centered on Silvía Night earned him two Edda Awards, and he was also recognized with an Edda Award in 2003 for the music video “Mess it up” by Quarashi.

In 2008, Gaukur transitioned to television programming at RUV (The Icelandic broadcasting service), where he produced a documentary on the Dalai Lama. His documentary ‘Gnarr,’ capturing the Best Party’s city council campaign, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York in 2010, receiving acclaim and awards both in the US and Europe. The film was later distributed in North America by Focus Films and acquired by Netflix.

Between 2011 and 2022, Gaukur continued his career, earning a total of 6 Edda nominations for his various TV shows. In 2020, he founded the production company Ofvitinn, under which he produced projects such as the show ‘Good Countrymen’ and the film ‘Þorsti.’
In 2023, Gaukur’s documentary ‘Soviét Barbara’ premiered at the esteemed Hot Docs festival in Toronto, winning the top prize at Skjaldborg festival in Iceland and receiving a nomination for Best Documentary at Nordisk Panorama.
Recently, Gaukur took on the role of the head of programming and the documentary department at Saga Film, the production company behind the documentary.

Producer Statement:
After learning about the young women working as guides at Laxá River alongside their fathers, my immediate instinct was to reach out to director Gagga Jonsdottir. I saw in her the ideal match for these young women because not only does she possess a natural talent for storytelling, but she also shares a similar upbringing with these girls.

In order to capture the essence of the story, I wanted to assemble a top-tier crew, and I was delighted to secure a very talented camera crew; Björn Ófeigsson, Hákon Sverrisson and Bjarni Felix Bjarnason, to film and record the river and the girls over an extended period of time.

I strongly believe that this narrative is one that deserves to be shared. Laxá River is one of the Earth’s most precious locations where wildlife delicately hangs in the balance. I envision that these young women are the most fitting individuals to raise awareness about the potential dangers that threaten this delicate ecosystem.