Blackport Wins Best Drama At Series Mania
Icelandic political thriller Blackport (Verbúð), starring Nína Dögg Filippusdóttir and Björn Hlynur Haraldsson, has been named Best International Drama at Series Mania in Lille, while Marie Reuther scooped Best Actress for her role in HBO Max Danish original Kamikaze.
The award for Best International Drama was decided by a jury chaired by Hagai Levi, co-creator of Golden Globe winner The Affair, with fierce competition coming from Anna (Italy), Furia (Norway), Germinal (France), Hamlet (Turkey), Jerusalem (Israel), Kamikaze (Denmark) and The Echo Of Your Voice (Israel).
Inspired by true events, Blackport is an eight-part drama inspired by real-life events during the 1980s. A time when the Icelandic government introduced fishing quotas to protect species that were under the threat of overfishing. But in time, just a few individuals came to control the fishing in the region.
Set in a small Icelandic fishing village between the turbulent years of 1983-1991, the story follows married couple Harpa (Nína Dögg Filippusdóttir) and Grímur (Björn Hlynur Haraldsson) who, with a group of friends, build a small fishing empire, as the industry undergoes a transition from the public domain into a more selective private one.
As the story unfolds, people from all over the world come to work in the town, and the protagonists must find a way to adapt to their evolving society while trying to remain united. But as they begin to turn on one another, some lose their lives, and the marriage between Harpa and Grímur turns into a bitter battle driven by jealousy and greed.
Blackport premieres 26th December on RÚV and will air later on Arte.