When the Light Breaks
Ljósbrot
Screenings
Without ever working above a whisper, Runar Runarsson’s When the Light Breaks finds distinctive and unexpectedly stirring ways to portray grief and untimely death. It follows a group of young adults — chief among them Una — in the Icelandic city as they cope with the unexpected loss of Diddi, chronicling how they navigate the rough emotional terrain. The film, which opened Un Certain Regard at Cannes, marks the Icelandic director’s second time on the Croisette. Runarsson’s first feature, Volcano, debuted at Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight in 2011.
An appreciation for grief’s minor moments coupled with a striking visual language elevate this slender drama. Runarsson is attuned to the details of loss and recognizes the narrative power of these instances. He lingers where others might cut, hordes what, at first, seems disposable and homes in on the familiar long enough to render it uncanny. Working with cinematographer Sophia Olsson, the director arranges his scenes like a painter does a still life.
