When the Light Breaks

Set over a single day in Iceland, the film unfolds from ocean viewpoints to intimate interiors and a dramatic tunnel disaster. It juxtaposes Diddi's house, a university arts college, and public spaces of mourning like Hallgrímskirkja to show how personal tragedy reverberates through a nation. The tunnel sequence marks a national tragedy that shapes how the characters grieve and relate to one another.

🕯️ Grief

The film centers on collective mourning after the tunnel disaster, seen through the friends' reactions and the country’s national grief. Una's struggle to process Diddi's death shows grief spilling into intimate relationships and private moments. The impromptu service at Hallgrímskirkja and the tearful party mark mourning as both communal ritual and deeply personal experience.

🏳️‍🌈 Identity & Love

Una's pansexuality and Diddi's covert affair reveal the complexity of love, loyalty, and honesty. Klara's public image as Diddi's girlfriend collides with the private truths uncovered by friends, highlighting social dynamics around sexuality. The film frames identity as something negotiated within friendship, jealousy, and acceptance.

🎭 Art & Catharsis

The friends' art project functions as a coping mechanism, offering different perspectives on the tragedy. Performance art becomes a vehicle to process grief rather than a mere byproduct of the group dynamics. The film uses art to invite viewer empathy and to reveal how truth can emerge through creative expression.

🪞 Memory & Perspective

Reflective imagery and shifting memories alter how the group recalls Diddi and their relationships. Una and Gunni's private conversations reveal what was known and when, complicating who mourns and why. The final sequence, with sunset reflections, ties back to the opening and suggests memory's subjective nature.