A group of more than 130 people who are currently out of work have taken on various supporting roles and walk-ons in movies, television programs and commercials, including the teenage dramedy Gauragangur, which premiered last year.
Sveinbjörn Fjölnir Pétursson, who supervises the group, told Fréttabladid that the group has also taken part in the shooting of Djúpid, a drama based on real-life events, which is directed by Baltasar Kormákur and is set to premiere this year.
Other projects include the upcoming film Eldfjallid (“The Volcano”) and the thriller Svartur á leik, which is based on a book by Stefán Máni.
Pétursson said the first parts were in the television comedy sketch Spaugstofan in the winter of 2009-2010 and shortly afterwards other film and television producers requested their assistance.
The job doesn’t pay particularly well, Pétursson said, but that’s not the point. “In my mind it is about being active, getting to know people and participating in interesting projects.”
He added there are plenty of parts. “I would need 300 to 400 people on the registry to cope with demand.” His initiative has raised considerable attention—he was recently interviewed by the New York Times Magazine.
Click here to read more about unemployment in Iceland.