Levelk | Level K

FACTS

Original Title
Natatorium

Genre
Drama (Unnerving)

Production Year
2023

Country of Origin
Iceland

Language Spoken
Icelandic

Length
106 mins

Festival
Rotterdam IFF (world premiere)
SXSW

Director & Screenwriter
Helena Stefánsdóttir

Cast
Ilmu María Arnarsdóttir
Elin Petersdottir
Stefanía Berndsen

Production Company
Bjartsýn Films

Producer
Sunna Guðnadóttir

Local release date
March 2024 by Sena

SYNOPSIS

The eighteen-year-old Lilja visits Áróra and Grímur, her estranged grandparents, in the city as she undergoes auditions for an international art performance group. When her father, Magnús and his younger sister Vala, two of Áróra's and Grimur's four children, find out about Lilja’s stay in the family house, a sense of panic arises. When the family gathers in the home to celebrate Lilja’s acceptance into the art group, a dark secret emerges, and soon a seemingly normal family celebration turns into a horrifying tragedy that nobody could have foreseen.

the team

Helena Stefánsdóttir was born in Reykjavík and has lived there most of her life. She got her training in acting and directing in Paris and her MFA in video art in Gothenburg, Sweden. She has run her own production company, Wonderland Films, since 2003. Alongside making short films and documentaries, she has worked as a freelance video artist, making videos for all the biggest theatres in Reykjavík, the opera and smaller independent theatre companies. Stefánsdóttir has a background in dancing which is the foundation of her development into becoming an experimental film director who likes to explore human behaviour in connection with visual style and movement in space.

Sunna Guðnadóttir holds a BA degree in Psychology from the University of Iceland, MA in Cultural Management from Bifröst University and she graduated in Film Production from New York Film Academy in 2018. Guðnadóttir now runs her newly established production company BJARTSÝN FILMS, which has a feature film in post and various projects in development, both shorts and a feature. After graduating from New York Film Academy Guðnadóttir worked for Join Motion Pictures for 2 years on films such as A White, White Day (2019) and Beautiful Beings (2022). Guðnadóttir co-founded Icelandic Cinema Online in 2009, the first streaming service in Iceland, focusing on Icelandic content.

Ilmur María Arnarsdóttir

Lilja

Arnarsdóttir is a young Icelandic actress making her debut in film playing ‘Lilja’ Natatorium. Arnarsdóttir has also performed in several plays and musicals, most recently an amateur production of Something Rotten!

Elin Petersdottir

Áróra

Petersdottir has just wrapped filming an episode for the Icelandic television series Arfurinn Minn, due for release in 2023. Petersdottir has also recently wrapped on the feature film Sisarukset, which she co-wrote with Saara Cantell. Petersdottir most notable role was playing ‘Helka’ in the 2020 Oscar nominated feature film Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, alongside Rachel McAdams, Will Farrell and Pierce Brosnan.

Stefania Berndsen

Vala

Berndsen plays the role of ‘Vala’ in Natatorium and ‘Eva’ in Mikael Torfason Return To Lulu, both to be releasd in 2023. In 2019 Berndsen played the role of ‘Elín’ in the feature film White, White Day, which was Iceland’s entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Academy Awards.