Icelandic film “Lamb” wins 2022 Nordic Council Film Prize

The prize was awarded in Helsinki on Tuesday evening, in connection with the Session of the Nordic Council. The prize was awarded by the Finnish Prime Minister, Sanna Marin.

The winner of the Nordic Council Film Prize receives a Nordlys statuette and DKK 300,000, which is shared equally between the winning film’s director, screenwriters and producers – to acknowledge the fact that film as an art form is the result of co-operation between these three main functions.

The script for “Lamb”, starring Noomi Rapace and Hilmir Snær Guðnason among others, was written by the well-known Icelandic author Sjón and film director Valdimar Jóhannsson, who also directed the film. “Lamb” had its world premiere in Cannes in the Un Certain Regard 2021 section and won the prize for originality.

In “Lamb” the director creates a unique tale of loss, grief and horror. The highly original story explores classic themes of man’s interaction with mother nature and the consequences of defying her forces.  It also deals with the beauty and brutality of parenthood and the extreme measures we may take to protect the happiness we feel entitled to.

The film is a disturbing and original cinematic experience. The animals’ sensitivity to the slightest anomaly in their surroundings is used very effectively to create a sense of underlying threat, which is magnificently underscored by a constantly attentive yet unobtrusive camera and an eerie soundscape. 

The incisive use of few meaningful elements to conjure an abiding sense of dread makes for a visually effective and atmospheric storytelling experience.

“Lamb” marks an impressive debut for director, Valdimar Jóhannsson.

Original title: Dýrið

English title: Lamb

Director: Valdimar Jóhannsson

Screenwriters: Sjón and Valdimar Jóhannsson

Producers: Hrönn Kristinsdóttir and Sara Nassim

The Nordic Council awards five prizes each year – for literature, film, music, the environment, and children’s and young people’s literature. The winners each receive DKK 300,000 along with the Nordlys statuette, which is presented at an awards ceremony in connection with the annual Session of the Nordic Council.