Ólafur Sveinsson, an Icelandic filmmaker, released Hlemmur as his first feature-length film after completing his studies. The film documented the lives of homeless people around Reykjavík’s main bus terminal, and according to a recent report by RÚV, several of these individuals died during the nine months he spent filming.
Reflecting on the impact of the film, Ólafur noted that the existence of homelessness came as a surprise to many people in Iceland. “People thought that in this small Icelandic community things like this did not exist,” he told RÚV (translated from Icelandic).
Ólafur Sveinsson is now working on a new documentary focused on Samhjálp, an Icelandic organisation.
Sources
- RÚV (first reported) in Icelandic
