The German & Scandinavian Studies division of the Languages, Literatures and Cultures department at the University of Massachusetts Amherst were pleased to host the United States debut screening of the Viking film Embla (2007) with the film's award-winning Icelandic director Hrafn Gunnlaugsson present to introduce the film and discuss his work. The film is an Icelandic-Swedish co- production. The screening, which was open to the public, took place on February 15, 2008.
The film screening was the opening event of the third biennial graduate student conference, MYTH: A Graduate Conference in German and Scandinavian Studies, which took place February 15-17, 2008. There was also be a reception along with the screening. While in Amherst, Hrafn also presented to drama students at Amherst Regional High School, including screening film clips and engaging in an interactive discussion.
Born in 1948, Hrafn Gunnlaugsson received his training in theater and film at the University of Stockholm and the Swedish Dramatic Institute. A multifaceted artist, Gunnlaugsson has served as director, scriptwriter, and musical soundtrack composer for all of his films. Among his many awards, he was named Best Director by the Swedish Film Institute in 1985 for Hrafninn flygur. In 2006 the Icelandic Postal Service created a stamp honoring the film as a seminal work in the history of that nation's cinema. In addition to his many films, Gunnlaugsson has directed works for television and the theater, and has published poetry, short stories, a one-act play, and a novel.