Told across one day with unbearable clarity, When the Light Breaks is the tender, closely-observed story of Una (Elín Hall) as she lives through the immediate aftermath of the death of her new love Diddi (Baldur Einarsson). Their relationship had shifted from close friendship into romance, too quickly for word to reach Diddi’s long-distance girlfriend Klara (Katla Njálsdóttir) who is now in town in the wake of his passing. Una’s mettle is tested as she faces the truth of an unbearable loss.

Capturing the incredible poignancy that comes with grief as well as soaring love (while never straying into melodrama), this Icelandic wonder makes stirring use of local landscapes. Yet it’s the minor details that accumulate and pack a punch. When the Light Breaks captures a day that changes everything, without offering any more answers than its characters’ experience.

Selected as the opening film for the Un Certain Regard selection of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.

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Director Rúnar Rúnarsson
Year 2025
Duration 1h 22m
Language Icelandic with English subtitles
Cast Elín Hall, Mikael Kaaber and Natla Njálsdottir