Saga Garðarsdóttir in The Love That Remains Icelandic filmmaker Hlynur Pálmason’s epic 2022 movie Godland mapped the disaster of religion skilled by a Nineteenth-century Danish priest on a mission to Iceland. An impressive tapestried shot of a horse skeleton lifts viewers from the tough bodily and emotional terrain of the movie’s narrative world right into a realm that’s extra formal, ethereal, and symbolic. Similarly, Pálmason’s fourth function, The Love That Remains, which premiered at Cannes final weekend, is barely in some layers a darkish comedy in regards to the diversified pains skilled by a rural Icelandic household present process a separation of fogeys Anna (Saga Garðarsdóttir) and Magnús (Sverrir Guðnason). Horses are made memorable right here too, in a powerful excessive vast shot, as they trample a statue of a knight recurrently pierced with arrows fired by the kids (performed by Pálmason’s personal children). This transient equine second holds its personal alongside a captivating collection of seemingly scattered imagery of creative and industrial course of mappings, which in flip matches in distinctive trend throughout the movie’s dramatic currents, making for a hybridity that’s equally difficult to categorize or neglect.
Explicating his strategy to filmmaking as a cinematic playground that he visits for a number of years at a time, by no means understanding for positive what the output can be, Pálmason eschews a standard script growth course of and shoots time-lapse footage previous to principal images utilizing leftover movie inventory that he retains useful in his automotive. I sat with Pálmason on the Palais des Festivals at Cannes a few days after the movie screened on the Premieres part of the 2025 version.
Filmmaker: There is a shot in the direction of the top of the movie, the final of a collection of pictures of the statue of the knight which the children have been enjoying with and capturing arrows at. To my eyes, it evokes a fallen soldier, and with the sunshine and ice draping it, it virtually looks like there’s a high quality of religion and prayer in that shot. At that second within the movie, I assumed to myself—as a result of The Love That Remains is so totally different from Godland—that if it was one shot from this movie that I might see in Godland, it could in all probability be that one. That is my great distance of asking: the place do you see—or do you see?—the road the place Godland ends and The Love That Remains begins?
Pálmason: My course of may be very peculiar in that, truly, The Love That Remains was being made parallel with Godland. This one began in 2017. The first picture I filmed—of the roof getting pulled, which is the opening of the movie—was truly shot in 2017 earlier than Godland. So, there’s a wierd dialogue between the movies, however they’ve very totally different temperaments. When I’m working and gathering concepts and scenes, I usually attempt to have the tasks be very totally different in temperament, in order that I’m not repeating myself or exploring the identical issues every venture. When I made The Love That Remains, it felt surprisingly acquainted. I do really feel prefer it’s a step ahead, but it surely’s a pure step from Godland, in a method. But I by no means suppose, “OK, now I’m going to do something completely different and forget everything I know,” or do it in another way for the sake of being totally different. I simply need to work with a special vitality, a special temperament, and have enjoyable.
Filmmaker: I’ve a background in growth in Los Angeles, and I’m curious in regards to the growth course of in Northern Europe. In LA, growth executives distinguish between story and story world. I really feel like with this movie although, for those who had been to consider it simply when it comes to plot, plot can be lower than half the movie. It’s not a standard drama. There’s a lot imagery! I used to be struck by the imagery of the economic course of, with Magnús’s character and in addition Anna’s artwork course of. The imagery is just not B-roll, it’s an intrinsic a part of the movie. Would you name that half the story or the story world?
Pálmason: For me, it’s not sufficient to solely have narrative—it’s essential that you simply even have a type. I’ve quite a lot of narratives that I’m interested by, quite a lot of tales, quite a lot of characters, however then I even have quite a lot of kinds and ideas that I’m interested by. When I can really feel that it’s greater than only a narrative, or extra that simply the shape, I start engaged on a movie. I’m attempting to suit these two issues collectively. I’ve to work a very long time on the venture, and that’s why I developed it for therefore lengthy, as a result of for me, it’s very mysterious. I don’t know what that is, I simply know the issues that I’m obsessed with. I do know that if I discover them, I’ll in all probability come to a spot the place I do know extra about it. But I by no means really feel like I get to an finish. I’ve possibly a few years to discover, and I give my entire coronary heart, physique and soul to it, however then I’m drained when the movie is completed. I can’t actually end the movie, as a result of the movie goes on. If you’ll ship me a extremely good script, I wouldn’t need to do it. I believe another person ought to do it. The course of and the exploration is the entire thing for me.
Filmmaker: Regarding the unexpectedly hilarious scene the place the gallerist visits Anna to take a look at her artwork, how would you describe the story versus the shape in that scene, or the story versus the story world?
Pálmason: When I began writing the story of the gallerist, when he all of a sudden entered, I had this sense that I already knew this gallerist as a result of I believe I in all probability met three, 4 individuals like that. I’m not saying that they’re unhealthy individuals, I simply suppose they’ve this very humorous aspect to them that I actually loved exposing and enjoying with. I’m actually attempting to be playful. I’m not attempting to be overly cynical. Hopefully individuals can have amusing. We do have an individual, Anna, that takes her work very significantly, and he or she’s attempting to make a reputation for herself or to outlive. So, that is critical.
When this scene entered the script, I actually felt shocked. I used to be like, “Oh! He’s here. Let’s see what happens.” I don’t know what’s going to occur, so I simply write and see what occurs. When the aircraft crashes, it was very a lot a shock for me and I simply determined to simply maintain it, so it’s additionally a shock for the viewers. I don’t know what’s the narrative and what’s the type. But I believe the narrative can be this gallerist coming; the shape can be this department that grows to the aspect of a tree, if the movie is a tree. Sometimes it goes straight up, like in a story thread, however generally it takes these proper and left [turns]. As a filmmaker, the query is at all times, will we observe the branches or simply maintain it linear? I really feel like this movie particularly actually needed to go sideways.
Filmmaker: That gallerist scene additionally produces one of many movie’s most hilarious pictures. It’s the final shot, a medium closeup, when the gallerist is about to depart. He turns round and appears on the digicam, with the helicopter proper behind him. He’s holding an egg and provides this devilishly comical smile. Was that half scripted, or did you’re employed with the actor to land it?
Pálmason: No, it was scripted. In the script, it mentioned that he reveals a stolen goose egg with the propeller actually near his again and his hair flying within the air. That was within the script. Most of the issues with the principle characters, or the characters that had been forged for the movie, are principally written, and it’s truly shot very very similar to it’s within the script. Some individuals suppose that the script is fractured or scattered, but it surely’s actually not. Before we go into principal images, the script may be very absolutely fashioned. It’s solely these moments of clouds or fish which can be shot over a very long time span, and in addition the story of the children creating the statue of the knight, which was shot over a two-year interval, however the script itself is nearly precisely like the ultimate edit.
Filmmaker: Before you begin principal images, do you do a list of all the photographs you will have shot within the years main as much as it, choose them and determine which to place into the script? I discovered myself listening to these plethora of scattered photos, like a shot up a skirt or of the sky via an oval form. Do you sit down and ask, “Do I include this, exclude that”?
Pálmason: I do, in a method. What occurred was that my producers and I made a decision that we have to purchase a digicam if we’re going to do the tasks that we’re going to do, as a result of we’re capturing virtually each week. But generally, I’m simply capturing a cloud or a small scene with the children We can’t be renting gear the entire time and having it the place I reside. I reside fairly distant from Reykjavik. So, we purchased an previous movie digicam, then I began simply having the digicam at all times within the automotive. When I’m going via my day by day routines, I am going and movie. If I see one thing that pursuits me, I movie it. And I don’t know if it’s at all times materials for this venture or the opposite one, if it’s for Godland or if it’s for The Love That Remains, or for my subsequent ones, On Land and Sea or Joan of Arc. Sometimes I don’t know; generally it’s very clear. When I have a look at the footage after it’s been developed, I react to it, and begin placing it into an modifying course of the place I can, for instance, put the opening scene of the roof at first. Then I write, “We see our main character, Anna. She is in the car.” I’ve a few photos all through the movie which can be key photos for me that I work round. So, that is form of early within the means of creating. Plenty of the pictures are over a protracted timeframe.
Filmmaker: Is every thing shot on movie throughout this lengthy timeframe, and isn’t that costly?
Pálmason: Yes, every thing is on movie. After every film, we now have quite a lot of brief ends. So, possibly we now have a small journal that’s 120 meters, and we now have like 70 meters left. I begin at all times through the use of them. I’ve all of that within the automotive, then I maintain the rolls till we now have some growth cash, or discover cash ourselves, and ship them to be developed and scanned. So, for a very long time, I simply have footage with out sound.
For me, my day by day routines calm me down. Because I’ve totally different tasks occurring, I’m visiting the identical locations many times, it actually connects me to my roots. It’s additionally about spending as a lot time as potential together with your venture. [Nowadays] we’re presupposed to undergo a venture very quick. That’s the usual. I believe that’s actually exhausting. I attempt to stretch that point. So, as an alternative of getting one month, I’ve a few years of determining what the hell that is, as a result of I actually do get pleasure from having time with every thing. I really feel like then issues emerge very naturally. I’m not forcing something. It’s like when the knight wakened, went to Magnús’s home and so they kiss; that is one thing that I had no thought would occur but it surely [became] a key factor for me. That solely got here as a result of I allowed it to take time to emerge by itself.
Filmmaker: The excessive vast shot of the horses, as they trample the statue of the knight, is such a good-looking shot. Was that tough to execute and the way did you execute it? Did you employ an animal wrangler?
Pálmason: This is a really do-it-yourself movie, so we don’t have an animal wrangler. But if we now have horse scenes, we now have both my daughter, as a result of she’s skilled with horses, or we now have our niece, who’s a horse particular person, so she comes along with her horses and helps us out. If we now have scenes with the canine, it’s our canine. If it’s chickens, it’s our chickens; we don’t want anybody else. It’s fairly often simply us and the crew that assist us out. Everything on this movie is written as a result of it’s there. I exploit what I’ve, then you definately sew them collectively. You make it work.
Filmmaker: How did you get the horses to remain within the body when capturing the scene?
Pálmason: If you reside with these animals, you realize them and tips on how to deal with them. Or possibly you set an invisible line, which you’ll be able to take out in VFX, for those who don’t need the horses to show too early, or flip just a little later. Maybe you will have your AD offscreen, so the horses don’t go one other method—very small, fundamental, sensible issues.
Filmmaker: There is quite a lot of underlying ache that the characters are experiencing, however I really feel with the character of Magnús, you’re displaying his ache externalized greater than the opposite characters’. I’m pondering of the dream scene with big rooster, or the scene the place he kisses the knight, or the final scene within the ocean. How did you conceptualize Magnús and his ache, in comparison with the opposite characters?
Pálmason: I had a sense that that possibly Magnús didn’t notice what he had. Often that’s the case in life. You have one thing, then you definately lose it and discover out what you had as a result of it’s not there anymore. That was one of many core emotions [with which] I needed to paint Magnús and his journey, as a result of usually while you’re making a movie, there are quite a lot of issues you realize you don’t need the movie to be, however you possibly don’t know precisely what you need the movie to be. That’s the method. I had this core [idea] all through the journey of the movie with Magnús, which is to see the wonder round you. There is quite a lot of magnificence round you. You don’t need to journey. If you simply concentrate and actually nurture your backyard, lovely issues occur.
Filmmaker: I didn’t notice till I learn the press notes that the child actors within the movie are your kids. I used to be struck by the efficiency of considered one of your twin sons within the unforgettable and darkly humorous but actually painful scene when he goes to the hospital with an arrow in his chest. Watching within the theater yesterday, when he screams on the finish, the sound actually pierces. I discovered myself a bit shook. The sound degree is a robust creative selection. Can you discuss it? Was it within the script or one thing you modified within the post-production course of?
Pálmason: I truly wrote it for Þorgils as a result of I’ve heard him. He generally jokes with me and makes this high-pitched scream simply to annoy me. When the sound involves my ear, you possibly can hear it going all the way in which in, virtually prefer it’s piercing your mind. It’s this very unusual journey via the air. I used to be like, “I want to use that.” So, I wrote this scene for him and mentioned, “You have to scream like you do for me, and it has to be really loud.” We recorded and filmed it, however we additionally examined it loads within the cinema after we had been mixing it. There I mentioned, “No, we have to put [the volume] a little bit down.” It’s simply noise, it doesn’t evolve, so we actually tried to have it on the proper place. But, in fact, it’s just a little bit totally different each time you present it, as a result of cinemas are totally different, and in addition cinemas will not be at all times full, so it echoes a special method. We actually used quite a lot of vitality to attempt to have it on the proper quantity, but in addition the correct high quality of sound. For us, it was in fact presupposed to be humorous, but in addition just a little bit scary and aggressive or harmful.
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