U.K.-French sales agent, distribution and production company Alief has picked up worldwide sales for Icelandic haunting mystery title “Quake,” which will have its world premiere Nov. 20 at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. Variety has been given access to the trailer.
The project was selected for Toronto Film Festival Filmmaker Lab in 2017, was selected to the final round at Sundance Institute Development Track in 2018, and the film was picked by Toronto Film Festival for its Industry Selects program this year.
It is the feature debut as writer and director of actor Tinna Hrafnsdóttir, whose acting credits include “Margrete – Queen of the North,” “Valhalla Murders” and “The Minister.”
The film, based on the novel “Grand Mal/Quake: A Novel” by Audur Jonsdóttir, stars Anita Briem (“Journey to the Center of the Earth,” “The Minister”), and Edda Björgvinsdóttir (“Under the Tree,” “The Valhalla Murders”). It is produced by Hlín Jóhannesdóttir of Ursus Parvus.
“Quake” follows Saga (Briem), a single mother in her late thirties, who gets hit by a fierce epileptic attack walking in a public park with her 6-year-old son resulting in a total memory loss. Afraid of being considered unable to take care of her son, Saga attempts to hide her state from others and occupies herself digging for the answers she needs. As she struggles to gather bits and pieces from her forgotten life, repressed memories that Saga unconsciously blocked as a child suddenly start to come back, revealing a painful truth about herself and the past.
Miguel Angel Govea, head of distribution and production at Alief, said the film was “a sublime book to screen adaptation of the page turner, with outstanding harrowing performances by lead actress Anita Briem, and the director herself.”
The film will be released in Iceland in January.
Alief has three films playing at Tallinn Film Festival: the world premiere of fantasy-rock musical “Songs for a Fox” by Kristijonas Vildziunas in the Official Selection, Karlovy Vary player “Runner” by Andrius Blazevicius in the Baltic Competition, and “Quake” in Current Waves.
