Euronews Culture was just recently in Reykjavík for the European Movie Awards, and while in the city, we took a seat with Iceland’s Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir, among just 8 females in power in Europe.
She made her mark on the worldwide cultural map this year when she released her very first thriller book, entitled ‘Reykjavík’, which she co-wrote with very popular author of the ‘Dark Iceland’ series Ragnar Jónasson.
Jakobsdóttir, previous minister of education, science and culture, is the chairperson of the Left-Green motion and has actually been working as the prime minister considering that 2017. She is Iceland’s 2nd female prime minister, after Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir.
Throughout our sitdown with Katrín Jakobsdóttir, we spoke about Iceland’s location within the filmmaking market, gender parity in politics and the arts, and how the world would be a much better location if more political leaders accepted their innovative drives.
Euronews Culture: The European Movie Awards occur in Iceland this year, a nation which has actually ended up being the Hollywood of Europe, considering it has actually accommodated many huge budget plan productions– from Star Wars to Video Game of Thrones. How substantial is it for Reykjavík to host the awards?
Katrín Jakobsdóttir: We’re really happy that the occasion might occur in Iceland this year. The Icelandic public has actually truly understood in the last 15 years approximately how crucial the motion picture market is. It is truly the core of modern-day story that occurs in the motion pictures and in tv. We have actually seen fantastic Icelandic motion pictures and tv series entering into truth in the last couple of years. I believe this is possibly symbolic for us to be hosting this really crucial reward, revealing that we are truly on the map of the motion picture world.
Taking a look at the candidates this year, there appears to be a parity in between male and female candidates. Iceland has actually constantly led the curb when it concerns gender equality– from the very first female president chosen in 1980 and your celebration promoting for equivalent pay. You’re likewise a member of the Council of Women World Leaders considering that 2020. In your viewpoint, suffices being done to support and boost the exposure of females in politics and culture?
We have actually done a lot here in Iceland. What we do is take a look at whatever through the gender lens, if I might state so. Not simply politics, however all sectors in society. And when we consider the motion picture sector, the art of filmmaking, undoubtedly it is important for us who see the motion pictures that they are distinguished various point of views, that we have males and females and individuals with various backgrounds and origins informing us their stories.
The movie market utilized to be a really male controlled sector– it is altering and I am really delighted for that, due to the fact that it is so crucial for everyone to have various stories informed with various point of views to boost our understanding that the world is a really varied location. Movies, similar to literature and all other arts, are important to truly enhance the understanding of various individuals.
And when we take a look at the world today, where we have a dreadful awful war in Europe after Russia’s intrusion of Ukraine, I believe it’s possibly more vital than ever to have this understanding that peace is truly the prerequisite for every single development that we can make, and understanding and appreciating various individuals is the prerequisite for peace.
With concerns to regard for other individuals, there have actually been lots of stories this year that reveal this engrained sexist double requirement that declines to pass away– I’m considering the Finnish Prime Minster Sanna Marin, for instance, who was drug checked this year, and how male equivalents are not held up to the very same examination. Are you seeing any development with concerns to altering mindsets?
There is development, however I often get really irritated here in Iceland. We still have not reached our objective of equivalent pay. Despite the fact that we have a legislation and we’re dealing with it, we’re still not there. We still have gender-based violence here in Iceland, and it’s a leading concern for my federal government to combat this through changes to the legislation.
So, I get irritated here in my nation. When I go abroad and stand in global conferences, there are so few of us and so lots of males, still in the year 2022. It is rather stunning. And what we are seeing worldwide is a reaction when it concerns females’s rights, when it concerns sexual and reproductive rights. I believe for everyone who wish to see a more equivalent world and a much better world, this is a core problem – to combat for females’s rights worldwide and stop that reaction.
One modification that is being carried out, specifically in awards events, is gender neutral classifications. Is this a good concept in your viewpoint, or could these paradoxically limitation female exposure with less rewards being granted?
I believe variety is the keyword here. We do not just have males and females– we likewise have various sorts of individuals and we have a reasonably brand-new legislation in Iceland concerning gender autonomy, which states that it is the right of the private to pick one’s own gender. I believe that more variety isn’t a bad thing for males and females. I believe we just need to accept the reality that the world has lots of really various individuals.
One award that the European Movie Awards distribute is the Sustainability Award, which this year goes to the European Green Offer. Iceland has actually long concentrated on the security of the environment and sustainable tourist. Do you believe enough is being done, both in Iceland and on a global level, or is the problem still being paid lip-service?
We are refraining from doing enough. I do not believe anyone is doing enough. We have a crisis, not simply when it concerns environment however likewise when it concerns biodiversity. Increasingly more individuals are understanding that these 2 things are carefully braided. Obviously, we are attempting to do our finest with enthusiastic objectives– we’re heading for carbon neutrality no behind 2040, we’re heading for an energy shift to green energy in our transportation system … However it’s a huge obstacle, and yes, we are making development, however I would choose that it was even much faster.
I ‘d be remiss not to point out the reality that you released an unique this year, a criminal activity book. It’s not the very first time that this has actually occurred in Iceland, as one of your predecessors, Davíð Oddsson, released an unique when he remained in workplace. What is it about composing and the criminal offense/ noir category that attract you?
I utilized to study criminal offense fiction. I studied Icelandic literature and criminal offense fiction was my primary subject, so I have actually constantly taken pleasure in criminal offense. In fiction, not in truth! And I really was composing my master’s thesis when the Icelandic criminal offense book was growing and ending up being rather huge. It has actually ended up being even larger in the last years approximately. And it has actually been a longstanding dream to compose a book of my own, however I absolutely would not have actually done it if I didn’t have this co-author (Ragnar Jónasson), who pressed me and stated: “We need to do this together!”
I should confess that I truly delighted in composing it, and I believe that even us political leaders can be innovative. I believe it’s excellent for us, due to the fact that often we are not really innovative in our politics! And it’s due to the fact that the composing time was throughout the time of the pandemic, when I was absolutely soaked up in the infection and was getting, let’s state, consumed with the infection and its impacts and what we were doing.
So having this type of family pet job to consider often late at night or when I had an hour or more really conserved my psychological health throughout the pandemic.
The more I considered you composing your book, the more I believed: Would not the world be a much better location if world leaders made the effort to accept an innovative outlet? Tap dancing for Biden, or oil painting for Macron … Horrible concepts, given, however as you state, it’s really good for political leaders to get innovative …
I absolutely believe that the world would be a much better location! Not sticks out political leaders, however everyone. I do not believe all of us do significant works of art, however I believe it’s a really healthy thing to truly grow and support that innovative strength that I believe all of us have. I do not believe we do enough of it. Yes absolutely, the world would be a much better location.
Lastly, this year has actually been challenging on a number of levels, which I do not have the time to list. Have there been any occasions this year– culturally or otherwise– something you’ve checked out, seen or heard that have acted as a balm in tough times, or even offered you hope?
I should state that my good friends make jokes about me due to the fact that I do not have lots of pastimes! My pastimes truly are all about that– checking out a good book, going to a show, going to the movie theater … I should state that I truly delight in going to the movie theater due to the fact that I believe that in modern-day times, we constantly have our phones– you’re looking at the tv, or anywhere you are, and you’re constantly inspecting if you have a message. When you go to the movie theater, you can’t do that, so you’re type of stuck. It truly has actually made the movie theater a more special experience than ever in the past.
Take a look at the video above for extracts of the interview with Katrín Jakobsdóttir.(*)
