"When I'm filming, I always surround myself with family and friends. My children have grown up used to being part of my filming. Sometimes they get small roles – this time it was bigger," says Pálmason.
The new film, which premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, is called “The Love That Remains.” It is a drama where we experience over the course of a year how a family changes when their parents are about to divorce.
Using own children
The father is played by Sverrir Gudnason, who has Icelandic roots, and the three children are played by the Pálmason children.
"These are the biggest roles they've ever done, but it felt completely natural. They're there all the time, they're having fun and they react very naturally to the camera, because it's something they've been used to since they were born," says Hlynur Pálmason.
And they bring good energy to the film in a way that I like. It's about making memories and spending time together.
The film takes place over the course of a year and took a long time to shoot. Filming usually starts with script development and getting the project financed – the actual filming usually takes place over a very intense and short period.
But I've always wanted to change that and be able to film for a longer period of time and with a small crew. I like to film things and then react to what I've filmed.
I've always had a conflict about what kind of storytelling I'm interested in. So I like to listen to the storytelling and let the film do a little bit of what it wants. I'm the slave of the film, I don't dictate what it should do.
Wanted to "push the boundaries"
Pálmason's films are always rooted in reality, but in "The Love That Remains" the supernatural, or magical realism, comes into play.
I felt like this film wanted to push the boundaries of magical realism. If you feel like you're afraid of something, you should express it, and if you feel in your gut that this fear or desire is something you should take further, then you do it and create something that's bigger than the film.
Age: 41 years.
Lives: Höfn, Iceland.
Family: Wife, three children.
Occupation: Director.
Previous films: "Winter Brothers", "Godland", "A White, White Day".
Current: In "The Love That Remains", which recently had its Swedish cinema premiere.
