Friðrik Þór Friðriksson
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Friðrik Þór Friðriksson (May 12, 1953 - ) is an Icelandic film director.
He started his film making career with experimental films and documentaries in the early 1980s. He founded The Icelandic Film Corporation in 1987, it has since become Iceland's most important production company. The company produces his films and works with other Icelandic directors as well as producers. His international reputation led the company to build a network of internationally well-established co-production partner companies, including Lars von Triers Zentropa and most recently, Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope. His second feature Children of Nature (1991) was nominated for an Oscar as Best Foreign Language Film.
He grew up in Iceland in the sixties and so was largely influenced by American films. Despite that it was exposure to the work of Akira Kurosawa which proved crucial in his decision to become a filmmaker. He has worked with two of Iceland's most acclaimed novelists and script-writers. His work with Einar Már Guðmundsson includes Children Of Nature, Angels Of The Universe, and Moviedays. His work with Einar Kárason includes White Whales, Devils Island, and Falcons Friðrik Þór Friðriksson is noted for the strong visual style of his films including stunning images. These films are said to combine a wry sense of humour with a genuine solidarity with the characters. This makes them both deeply personal and strongly rooted in Icelandic culture. Thus often depicting characters at the crossroads of tradition and modernity.
