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Olaf de Fleur’s The Higher Force comes after his highly praised drama The Amazing Truth about Queen Raquela.

Set in the frozen areas of Iceland, the story of The Higher Force is of David, a petty criminal who dreams of a better life.  He has a slow boss, and crazed girlfriend and a crazy mother.  His only joy in life is penning poetry, which he shares with his new landlord Harald Haraldsson.  This retired teacher encourages David but eventually our low life criminal suspects that his new friend is actually a very infamous crime lord.  Now David is conflicted and must make a choice that could change everything in his life.

The Higher Force is a tight blend of action and comedy, a story that brings divergent elements into a cohesive whole.  Olaf de Fleur gave Pop Syndicate a few minutes of his time to discuss his film and the state of Icelandic cinema.

How did you get involved in making The Higher Force?
A friend of mine gave my a book he wrote. I like the story and it took my about 5 years to develop the screenplay. It is an unusual story for sure. Weird some would say. But it spoke to me somehow.


Are their any special challenges in making a film in Iceland?
Not really, not more than anywhere else in the world.


Are their any advantages?
Definetly, we have the Icelandic Film Fund that supports filmmakers, similar in many place in Europe, but compared to Indie filmmakers in the US, we are pretty well off.


Did you see this film as more of a comedy or a drama and why?
I’m not sure how I see this, the film jumps between the two, like the book did, sometimes you laugh and feel bad because the story ginnies you into a situation on false pretense. I kind of like this, mix of genres, the film irritates many, for it’s not a clear comedy or drama. No one said life was simple.


What are some of your favorite American films and who are some of your favorite filmmakers and why?
Paul Thomas Andersen, Steven Sodernberg - those two just go out and do films, Paul has a special style of going into the bottom of his heart and putting in on screen, a kind of magic - and Steven has just a very good film sense, he just goes and does it, he’s always trying to de-mistify the film language, like Von Trier, but in a different way.


Some of the characters speak in different languages.  Is this a reflection of the Icelandic people and was it ever considered keeping the film in one consistent language?
There is no reflection, I just like it like this.


What was the hardest thing about making the film?
Nothing in particular.


What was your favorite scene in The Higher Force and why?
The church scene, that was not in the script but is one of the best in the film.


What is the biggest misnomer the US has about Iceland?
I have no idea.


Where do you see Icelandic films in the new century?
I truly have no idea, we’re just making films like any other country. There is nothing in particular special about Icelandic films. Every country has a certain “aura” in their films. But we’re just filmmakers
like everywhere else. Full of self-doubt and guessing games and pretending to know what works.


In what ways are Icelandic films similar to US films and how are they different?
I’m not sure. European films have a quality “Patient - we really don’t have to make money so much since we are Film Funded films” - kind of attitute. However US films are often “I did this film with my blood and pain and I’m ready to go banckrupt” - that’s the main difference. But I’m not saying the Euro way is bad at all, these two styles flow well together, for different reasons.


Any fears about how this film will translate to a US audience?
I wasn’t sure - but when we premiered in LA it went over quite well.


If you could tell the US audience one thing about Icelandic filmmakers, what would it be?
That Icelandic filmmakers are just as scared as the US ones.


Any thoughts of becoming a US director and who would you like to work with in the US?
Absolutely, I’m definitely going to try it out there if the possibility arises. I’ll try and become a director for hire, love adapting work of others and also would like to direct TV, love TV series.


What are you working on now?
I’m developing two screenplays with my film-buddy Stefan Schaefer, one dramedy, one horror, in New York. Then we’re also developing a TV series that we are going to take between the TV stations cable and network in the US. Then I’m shooting a documentary in Iceland and preparing a feture there. Along with writing a little Euro-thriller. Sounds busy but really isn’t, I have a great team around me, and I’m spending more and more time doing nothing at all.

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