
Leonard Rääf
Directing
Biography
Leonard Rääf is a Swedish writer/director known for his intimate and visually poetic storytelling, often exploring themes of coming-of-age, nostalgia, and complex family dynamics. His award-winning short Renard Rouge (2017) received “Best Nordic Short” at the Nordic International Film Festival in New York, marking him as a rising voice in Scandinavian cinema. Since 2018, Leonard has been based in Copenhagen, where he co-founded Holocene Studios following the production of his third short film, Clay (2019), shot in Iceland. The film was selected by over 25 festivals and earned six awards worldwide. He has written and directed five short films, including Hiding Behind Masks (2023) and his latest, Closed Oysters Can’t Speak, set for release late 2025.
Known For

20-something-year-old Agnes, is thrown into a world of distress – on what should have been the perfect au pair experience on Iceland. She is forced to take action as an abusive mother’s behavior goes too far.
Clay

At 85, Icelandic design icon Gunnar Magnússon begins a final project with help from his daughter Tinna. As his health suddenly fails, she is left to complete the work herself, turning her father’s last creation into a daughter’s final gesture of love.
Gunnar's Last Project

An oyster farmer’s day is disrupted by the unexpected arrival of his estranged sister. As they explore their strained relationship, they find solace in each other’s company – until revelations test everything.
Closed Oysters Can't Speak

Two long-time friends hide out at their high school over the weekend, when an unknown person unexpectedly shows up. In the midst of their escape, odd noises start echoing through the corridors. Their curiosity to explore leads them down a slippery slope of discovering well-kept secrets – about both the unknown figure as well as themselves.
Hiding Behind Masks

A decade after freeskiing became an Olympic discipline, many riders are longing for an alternative to the current trajectory of the sport. Instead of rigid contest structures and national teams, they dream of a new kind of freeski event, something more true to the sport’s unruly origins. And so, in the fall of 2022, an idea begins to take form… THE LEAGUE is the untold story of how the Jib League came to be. It’s an intimate documentary following Ferdinand Dahl, James “Woodsy” Woods and Øystein Bråten on their path to creating one of the most instantly beloved events in freeskiing.