„Lamb” awarded in Cannes

The Icelandic director Valdimar Jóhannsson’s feature debut, co-financed by the Polish Film Institute, received an award for originality at Cannes.

The jury chaired by the director Andrea Arnold awarded prizes in the Un Certain Regard section. The Original Award went to Valdimar Jóhannsson’s feature debut „The Lamb”.

The film is an Icelandic-Swedish-Polish co-production. It was produced by Hrönn Kristinsdóttir („Summer Children”, „Angels of the Universe”) and Sarah Nassim from Go to Sheep, Piodor Gustafsson („Border”, „Wife”) and Erik Rydell from Black Spark Production and Klaudia Śmieja-Rostworowska („Mr Jones”, „High Life”) and Jan Naszewski of Madants / NEM Corp., in co-production with Film and Väst, Chimney Sweden and Chimney Poland, and in cooperation with Rabbit Hole Productions and Helgi Jóhannsson. Agnieszka Glińska is responsible for editing the film.

Winners of Un Certain Regard

Un Certain Regard Award: „Unclenching The Fists”, dir. Kira Kovalenko
Jury Prize: „Great Freedom”, dir. Sebastian Meise
Best Cast: „Bonne Mere”, dir. Hafsia Herzi
Award for originality: „Lamb”, dir. Valdimar Jóhannsson
Award for courage: „La Civil”, dir. Theodora Mihai
Special mention: „For The Stolen”, dir. Tatiana Huezo

Film plot

An Icelandic couple, María (Noomi Rapace) and Ingvar (Hilmir Snaer Gudnason), live with a herd of sheep on a beautiful, remote farm. When they find an unusual newborn on it, they decide to keep him and raise him as their own child. The unexpected prospect of enlarging their family brings them much happiness, but ultimately leads to a tragedy.