Sturla Gunnarsson
Sturla Gunnarsson ( born August 30, 1951 in Reykjavik, Iceland ) is a Canadian film director and producer of Icelandic origin.
Life and work
Sturla Gunnarsson came to Iceland to the world, but it grew from the age of seven years in Vancouver, Canada. He studied English literature at the University of British Columbia ( UBC). After 1974, he with the B. A. had finished, he traveled through Europe and worked as a shepherd in Crete and fishermen in Iceland. Back in Canada, he graduated to 1977 to study film at UBC. His graduation film A Day Much Like the Others (1979 ) ran successfully on Student Film Festival and was shown at the Museum of Modern Art.
After studying Gunnarsson moved to Toronto and began working as a freelance director and producer for the National Film Board of Canada ( NFB) to work. His first film for the NFB, the docudrama After the Axe on a manager in middle age, which notice is given, Gunnarsson brought an Oscar nomination and other international awards.
After two Dramas for Atlantis Films directed the Gunnarsson produced by NFB and CBC Cinéma vérité documentary Final Offer. The film was released in 1985 and deals with disputes between Canadian and American unions during a three years earlier held strikes at General Motors. Final Offer was praised by critics and awards, including a Genie Award.
Following Gunnarsson directed for individual episodes of numerous Canadian, American and British television series. At the same time he worked, among others, due to financing difficulties and script changes, ten years on his first feature film, Diplomatic Immunity. He looked like already together in After the Axe with screenwriter Steve Lucas. Diplomatic Immunity is of aid workers in El Salvador and was filmed in Mexico. In 1991, the film was completed, in the same year won a Prix Ville des Cannes and was nominated for four Genie Awards. During the stay in Latin America Gunnarsson suffered a severe hepatitis, which forced him to a recovery break.
In the aftermath Gunnarsson directed several films for the Canadian television. His 1997 documentary broadcast Gerrie & Louise about the relationship between an officer and a journalist during apartheid was awarded a Gemini Award and an International Emmy Award. In the following year his shot in Mumbai Rohinton Mistry - novel adaptation Such a Long Journey, which won three Genie Awards appeared. Gunnarssons next feature film was the romantic comedy Rare Birds (2001) with William Hurt in the lead role. Four years later, celebrated his epic heroic poem Beowulf & Grendel film - premiere.
Gunnarsson 2008 was elected president of the Directors Guild of Canada, a Canadian union for filmmakers.
Gunnarsson is married to Judy Koonar that occurred as a co- producer on his documentary Air India 182 ( 182 on the Air-India flight).