The Austrian film production company Wokafilm, owned by the descendents of Austrian writer Franz Kafka, plans to premiere a three-part documentary about Iceland’s history and the Sagas in Iceland next fall.
“As the descendents of the famous writer Franz Kafka we are very interested in literature, and the Icelandic Sagas are told in unequalled literary perfection,” Gabriela Kafka owner of Wokafilm told icelandreview.com.
“So we thought it would be great to bring these stories back to the minds of people. Our goal is to bring the Sagas to the world,” she added.
Wokafilm began working on the Sagas of Iceland in the summer of 2006 in cooperation with Jón Thór Hannesson, owner of Thor Film, and is currently looking for further investors to make this a “high scale” production.
“We will be back in Iceland in a few weeks to shoot some more scenes with actors, who give the characters of Egils Saga and Njáls Saga a touch of reality,” Kafka said.
The documentary is in thee parts; the Immemorial Time, the Settlement and the Sagas. “We soon realized that it is impossible to tell the Sagas without the history of Iceland,” Kafka explained.
“The ascent to Walhalla, dwarfs, forged swords and the faith in heathen gods, characterized the life of the Nordic people in medieval times,” Kafka said.
“And this movie also captures the invasion of the Vikings and the daily life and social order of this people, like it is told in the Edda [medieval manuscripts recording poems and tales of Norse Mythology] and in the Sagas.”
The film crew has worked closely with historians to provide an accurate account of Iceland’s past.
After the premiere in Iceland next fall, Wokafilm plans to screen the Sagas of Iceland at the film festival in Cannes and publish a special edition DVD in Icelandic, German and English.
Wokafilm Productions has been nominated for several awards at the Film Festival in Graz, Austria, and at the Trento Film Festival in Italy.
It is well-known throughout Europe and has also made documentaries for the US market, such as The Mystery of the Pueblo Indians and The Ghost Towns of North America.
Click here to watch the Sagas of Iceland teaser, and here to watch the trailer of the movie.
