There is much interest in the movie Flags of our Fathers, in Iceland. (See Daily Life, June 29, “Eastwood licensed to shoot in Krísuvík”.) Scenes from the movie will be shot in Krýsuvík and Sandvík in Suðurnes. According to an article in Morgunblaðið, the film producers are looking for 500 Icelandic extras to play young soldiers in the movie.
Icelandic men have shown a great interest in becoming extras. Andrea Brabin from Eskimo, a model agency that is scouting for extras, says she already has 800 names on her list. Andrea says there is a need for a group of men who are “knowledgeable about soldiering” and hopes to get 150 professional soldiers from the defense force in Keflavík. She adds that 25 extras are needed to “play” Japanese soliders.
Filming begins next month and will last until the beginning of September. 200 of the extras are needed for the entire period and will receive special training but 300 will be needed only for a shorter period. Auditions have taken place in Keflavík and on the Keflavík defense base.
Flags of Our Fathers portrays the battle in World War II in which American forces conquered the strategically important island, Iwo Jima. Iwo Jima was a turning point in the American struggle in the Pacific, and resulted in the loss of 22,000 Japanese soldiers and 26,000 US servicemen dead or wounded (6.800 dead). It is famous for the iconic photograph of six American soldiers raising the Stars and Stripes on Mount Suribachi after four days of fighting. The fierce battle for the island lasted from Feb. 19th to March 26th 1945.
One of the soldiers was John Bradley, the father of the book’s author, reports the daily the Guardian in an article on Eastwood’s plans to direct this second world war epic in Iceland.
