‘The School of Housewives’ Writers on Their Intimate Icelandic Social Issues Drama, Competing at Göteborg

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This past year’s debut of ‘The School of Housewives,’ an acclaimed Icelandic drama on public broadcaster RÚV, is a strong contender for the Göteborg Nordic Series Script Award – Scandinavia’s most prestigious television screenwriting prize.

In the storyline, Hekla, who has spent years cycling in and out of rehabilitation centers since her teenage years, decides to attend The School of Housewives – a genuine institution located in Reykjavik. Her aim is to regain custody of her child from foster care. However, both she and other characters find themselves questioning if mastering skills like knitting, baking, and cleaning will truly equip them with the qualities needed to become better mothers.

By supporting each other through their common hardships, these women discover mutual resilience, creating a bond that boosts everyone’s confidence and self-empowerment.

Or, more concisely:

Sharing difficulties fosters resilience among these women, resulting in an empowering community that bolsters their confidence.

The film titled ‘The School of Housewives’ is helmed by Arnór Pálmi Arnarson, who collaborated on the script with Jóhanna Friðrika Sæmundsdóttir. This production is overseen by Arnbjörg Hafliðadóttir at Glassriver, the same company that created the acclaimed Berlinale Series entry ‘Black Sands.’

Prior to this year’s festival, Pálmi Arnarson and Friðrika Sæmundsdóttir had a conversation with EbMaster regarding their performance. They discussed the real-life inspirations behind it.

A popular documentary on the School of Housewives came out a while back. By any chance, were you involved with that facility during the making of the series, and if so, did it inadvertently inspire your own television show?

We once viewed a documentary about a particular school, which dated back several years. This film provided a fascinating peek into its past. Established in 1942, the school initially focused on teaching young women domestic skills like cooking, cleaning, and knitting, while men ventured into careers in a predominantly male-dominated workforce. What struck us was that this school is still operational today, sparking our curiosity. We found it an intriguing backdrop to examine how societal roles have evolved over time and question whether such an institution remains pertinent in the modern world.

As a movie enthusiast immersed in the art of storytelling, I personally ventured into the school’s heartbeat during the scripting phase, aiming to grasp its daily rhythm, architecture, and distinctive aura. These visits served as my muse, shaping the backdrop for our series, and we even chose to film on-site. This strategic decision enabled us to craft scenes with precision, ensuring they were tailored to specific locations within the school.

How did you divide responsibilities when you were developing and then making the show?

After deciding on a school as our backdrop, we delved into themes that sparked our interest – feminism, gender roles, and the impact of such an institution in contemporary society. Subsequently, we dedicated ourselves to building a vibrant ensemble of characters and crafting comprehensive backgrounds for both pupils and faculty members.

Working hand-in-hand, we penned the scripts with care, taking our time to craft each element meticulously before progressing to scriptwriting. Navigating the 30-minute drama format was a novel test; it required us to skillfully manage numerous characters and subplots, all while maintaining a concise and impactful narrative.

In the realm of scripting, I teamed up with others, delegating tasks and consistently swapping drafts for improvement suggestions. This back-and-forth approach fortified not just each episode individually but also the series as a unified whole. By the project’s conclusion, our collaborative spirit resulted in a final product that felt harmonious, captivating, and true to the initial vision we aimed to bring to life.

Could you give me a quick overview of the television landscape in Iceland? Is it possible for a series to thrive if it’s popular solely within Iceland, or must it also gain traction in other regions?

Over the last 15 years, the Icelandic TV landscape has undergone a rapid transformation. Earlier, just one or two television series were made each year, with many of them being sketch comedies. It’s worth noting that filmmaking in Iceland has historically been more inclined towards feature films, resulting in a number of critically acclaimed movies over time.

The success of “Trapped” in 2017 marked a significant change in the Icelandic television landscape, attracting global attention and fueling increased curiosity about Icelandic TV. Nowadays, Iceland produces around 3 to 5 major series annually, many of which are jointly produced or funded with international partners. This cooperation enables Icelandic narratives to reach a wider audience while preserving top-quality production standards.

The ‘School of Housewives,’ contrary to popular belief, isn’t a high-budget production. Instead, the broadcasting network, RÚV, intentionally opted for a locally-focused show that didn’t depend on external financing or subsidies from foreign sources. This allowed us to create an authentic, personal narrative deeply embedded in Icelandic traditions and culture.

What was the response to the show after it debuted early last year?

The show has been warmly embraced in Iceland, striking a chord with local viewers thanks to its familiar themes and characters. While achieving international acclaim would be a nice extra and is always appreciated, we take pride in the fact that the series stands tall as an authentic Icelandic tale. In our eyes, for a show to be successful here, it doesn’t have to conquer global audiences, but if it manages to touch viewers beyond our borders, it’s an additional benefit that can increase its influence and scope.

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2025-01-24 14:47