FEEL IT.STREAM
Sjón

Sjón

Writing

Biography

Sigurjón Birgir Sigurðsson (born 27 August 1962), known as Sjón (/ʃoʊn/ SHOHN; Icelandic:[sjouːn], meaning "sight" and being an abbreviation of his first name), is an Icelandic poet, novelist, lyricist, and screenwriter. Sjón frequently collaborates with the singer Björk and has performed with The Sugarcubes as Johnny Triumph. His works have been translated into 30 languages. Born in Reykjavík, Iceland, Sjón grew up in the  Breiðholt district, where he lived with his mother. He began his writing career early and published his first book of poetry, Sýnir (Visions), in 1978 at 16. He was one of the founding members of the neo-surrealist group Medúsa and became significant in Reykjavik's cultural scene. Active on the Icelandic music scene since the early 1980s, Sjón has collaborated with many of the best-known artists of the era and was featured as guest vocalist on a rare Sugarcubes 12" single "Luftgitar" in 1987 using the name Johnny Triumph; this was accompanied by a music video of Sjón playing air guitar with Björk and Einar Örn Benediktsson. Sjón would occasionally reprise this role for the final encore of The Sugarcubes concerts, including the band's one-off 2006 reunion show in Reykjavík. Sjón and Björk first met when they were teenagers, and together, they formed a two-person band called Rocka Rocka Drum. Later, when Björk began her solo career in the 1990s, Sjón wrote lyrics for her. The pair teamed up to write the song "I've Seen it All" for the film Dancer in the Dark in 2000. As a result, Sjón and Björk shared nominations for "Best Original Song" at the 2001 Golden Globes and the 2001 Academy Awards. Two years later, Sjón was featured in the documentary Inside Björk. In 2004, Björk performed "Oceania" – a song that the two had written together – at the 2004 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony in Athens, Greece. In 2007, he contributed the original story and wrote the screenplay for the animated film Anna and the Moods. He also joined the cast, voicing the character Dr. Artmann. Sjón co-wrote the feature Lamb together with Valdimar Jóhannsson. Lamb premiered in 2021 and was selected as Iceland's contribution to the 2022 Academy Awards. Lamb also received much international recognition through festivals around the world. It has been nominated for or received prizes at the Cannes Film Festival, Gothenburg Film Festival, Sitges Film Festival, Palm Springs International Film Festival, and Athens International Film Festival, as well as from the Edda Awards and the Austin Film Critics Association Awards. From August to December 2021, Sjón was writer-in-residence at the Literaturhaus Zurich and the PWG Foundation in Zurich. Sjón co-wrote the 2022 film The Northman, a historical epic and revenge thriller based on the legend of the Viking prince Amleth, with director Robert Eggers. Björk appears in the film in a supporting role as a seeress. Description above from the Wikipedia article Sjón, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known For

The Northman
7.0

Prince Amleth is on the verge of becoming a man when his father is brutally murdered by his uncle, who kidnaps the boy's mother. Two decades later, Amleth is now a Viking who's on a mission to save his mother, kill his uncle and avenge his father.

The Northman

2022
Werwulf
N/A

In medieval Britain, a mysterious creature lurks in the misty landscape, bringing ancient legends to life and transforming them into a terrifying reality, forcing the villagers to confront an ancient, supernatural threat.

Werwulf

2026
Dancer in the Dark
7.8

Selma, a Czech immigrant on the verge of blindness, struggles to make ends meet for herself and her son, who has inherited the same genetic disorder and will suffer the same fate without an expensive operation. When life gets too difficult, Selma learns to cope through her love of musicals, dreaming up little numbers to the rhythmic beats of her surroundings.

Dancer in the Dark

2000
Lamb
6.4

An Icelandic couple live with their herd of sheep on a beautiful but remote farm. When they discover a mysterious newborn on their land, they decide to keep it and raise it as their own. This unexpected development and the prospects of a new family brings them much joy before ultimately destroying them.

Lamb

2021
Inside Björk
8.6

Following the career of Björk, this documentary looks at her early musical career with local icelandic bands, her acclaimed stint in The Sugarcubes, and her massive success as a free-spirited solo artist.

Inside Björk

2003
Regína
6.5

Regína is 10 years old. Her mother, Margrét, works at a home for the elderly and her father is dead. The story begins one sunny summer morning when kids are leaving for the summer camp and Regína has been told she cannot go. While alone at home killing time she discovers her gift, which is hypnotizing singing. Her friend Pétur shows his talent for finding words that rhyme and together they increase the power of singing.

Regína

2001
Reykjavik Whale Watching Massacre
4.5

An epic tale about a group of whale watchers, whose ship breaks down and they get picked up by a whale fisher vessel. The Fishbillies on the vessel has just gone bust, and everything goes out of control.

Reykjavik Whale Watching Massacre

2009
Labyrinth 2
N/A

Sequel set inside the weird fantasy realm of Jim Henson's Labyrinth. Plot TBA.

Labyrinth 2

I'll Be Your Mirror
N/A

Widow Chloe travels to Japan for work where she is welcomed by an old friend, Toshi. Sliding between the melancholy of loss and the awe of perspectives changed, Chloe wanders an unfamiliar landscape where love has carved all the guiding grooves.

I'll Be Your Mirror

2024
Grylu Sker
N/A

Grylu Sker is the tale of a lost explorer set in a world of Icelandic folklore written by Tab Murphy (Gorillas in the Mist, The Haunted Swordsman) and Icelandic author Sjón (co-writer of The Northman). It is a story of an explorer's fight for survival on a bleak unforgiving island and also a re-imagining of the legendary Icelandic witch Gryla. This film will utilize 36 inch tall bunraku puppets, stop motion animation, traditional in-camera effects and old-fashioned smoke and mirrors trickery.

Grylu Sker

Anna and the Moods
5.5

There once was a girl named Anna Young. One day, her family is waiting for their perfect daughter to arrive at the breakfast table and kiss them good morning as always. But this morning Anna wakes up with a horrible illness. She looks like a sad version of Marilyn Manson and is terribly moody. Not realizing what is “wrong” with their daughter, Anna’s parents decide to take her to Dr. Artmanns’ clinic for kids with behavioural problems. In his analysis of Anna, Dr. Artmann uses a huge labyrinth where Anna is exposed to various tasks. The only way out of the maze for Anna is to complete her tasks in the right manners. But the right way is not necessarily what the parents think to be the right one.

Anna and the Moods

2007
No image
N/A

A British widower in the 1880s Pacific Northwest hires a Native American governess, educated in a Christian mission school, to teach his two daughters. While preparing the eldest for an arranged marriage, a force within her begins to awaken, threatening everything she has been taught.

The Wolf Will Tear Your Immaculate Hands

Screaming Masterpiece
6.6

A documentary about the bustling Icelandic musical scene. This documentary covers some of Iceland's most talented and well-known musicians.

Screaming Masterpiece

2005
Hamlet
N/A

Described as a “bloody and insane” take on the Shakespeare play.

Hamlet

Fish Out of Water
N/A

Gummi and Gúa live together in a fishing village when everything in their lives start to change.

Fish Out of Water

2013
Spark and Light
1.0

Soon after Elizabeth receives this text message, her mother isn't the only one lost in sleep. Elizabeth's car has broken down. It's freezing cold, no sign of life nearby. She just has to wait, patiently. The recovery guys will be here soon, Elizabeth. Till then, she warms her young hands on the vents, drifts into a strange slumber, followed by an even more surreal awakening. Icelandic landscapes merge with Elizabeth's memories. Fears are magically transformed into comforting and fantastical fabrics. Father, upstairs, alone.

Spark and Light

2014
No image
N/A

In early 1940s Iceland, a female medium with a unique connection to the supernatural approaches a grieving husband and police detective in Reykjavik, promising news from the afterlife.

Klara