DIRECTOR: Baltasar Kormakur
STARRING: Egill Olafsson, Palmi Kormakur Baltasarsson, Koki, Masahiro Motoki
RUNNING TIME: 2 hrs 1 minutes
LANGUAGE: Icelandic, English, Japanese
Soon after the break of the pandemic and realizing that his clock is ticking, Kristofer gets the urge to embark on a journey to try and find out what really happened when his Japanese girlfriend mysteriously vanished without a trace from London fifty years earlier.
***
Director Baltasar Kormakur is back with his latest film Touch. This is the fifth time he has been submitted by Iceland following The Sea in 2002, Jar City in 2007, White Night Wedding in 2008, The Deep in 2012 (which was shortlisted) and now Touch in 2024. The film made its worldwide debut in Iceland in May 2024, before being released in theatres across North America in July.
The film Touch directed by Baltasar Kormákur will be Iceland's submission to the Oscars 2025. The film was chosen by the jury of the Icelandic Film and Television Academy, which included representatives of the main professional associations of the Icelandic Film industry, as well as representatives of cinemas, film critics and the Icelandic Film Center. "Touch is both an epic and extremely human story about emotions, love, regret and the small moments in each person's life that gain meaning when looking back."
The film is produced by Baltasar Kormakur and Agnes Johansen for RVK Studios in collaboration with Mike Goodridge of Good Chaos in the UK. The film's global distributor is Universal, while its subsidiary, Focus Features is the distributor in the United States.
Touch is a drama and it was filmed mainly in London, UK.
To check out all previous submissions for Iceland, click HERE.
STARRING: Egill Olafsson, Palmi Kormakur Baltasarsson, Koki, Masahiro Motoki
RUNNING TIME: 2 hrs 1 minutes
LANGUAGE: Icelandic, English, Japanese
Soon after the break of the pandemic and realizing that his clock is ticking, Kristofer gets the urge to embark on a journey to try and find out what really happened when his Japanese girlfriend mysteriously vanished without a trace from London fifty years earlier.
***
Director Baltasar Kormakur is back with his latest film Touch. This is the fifth time he has been submitted by Iceland following The Sea in 2002, Jar City in 2007, White Night Wedding in 2008, The Deep in 2012 (which was shortlisted) and now Touch in 2024. The film made its worldwide debut in Iceland in May 2024, before being released in theatres across North America in July.
The film Touch directed by Baltasar Kormákur will be Iceland's submission to the Oscars 2025. The film was chosen by the jury of the Icelandic Film and Television Academy, which included representatives of the main professional associations of the Icelandic Film industry, as well as representatives of cinemas, film critics and the Icelandic Film Center. "Touch is both an epic and extremely human story about emotions, love, regret and the small moments in each person's life that gain meaning when looking back."
The film is produced by Baltasar Kormakur and Agnes Johansen for RVK Studios in collaboration with Mike Goodridge of Good Chaos in the UK. The film's global distributor is Universal, while its subsidiary, Focus Features is the distributor in the United States.
Touch is a drama and it was filmed mainly in London, UK.
To check out all previous submissions for Iceland, click HERE.
FILM REVIEW:
(This review contains spoilers.)
“I hope you had a good life.”
Touch, directed by Baltasar Kormákur, is a deeply moving exploration of love, memory, and the passage of time, crafted with a rare tenderness and sophistication. The film spans continents, languages, and decades, following the journey of Kristófer, a retired Icelandic widower who travels from his quiet life back to the sites of his youth in search of his first love, Miko, during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. With Kormákur’s sensitive direction and stunning cinematography by Bergsteinn Björgúlfsson, Touch tells a story that feels both epic in scope and intimate in sentiment, capturing the wistfulness and yearning that accompany the pursuit of lost connections.
The film’s dual timelines bring out the richness of Kristófer and Miko’s romance, starting with their meeting in 1960s London. A young Kristófer, disillusioned with his studies and political movements, finds work at a Japanese restaurant owned by Miko’s father, where his initial frustration melts into a transformative love affair. As they bond over shared experiences, cultural differences, and a passion for food and art, their relationship unfolds with moments of lush sensuality and heartfelt intimacy. Björgúlfsson’s warm, nostalgic tones beautifully capture this time period, contrasting sharply with the cooler, restrained visuals of Kristófer’s modern-day journey.
One of Touch's great strengths lies in its deliberate, unhurried pace, which perfectly reflects the nature of its story. Rather than rushing Kristófer’s journey to find Miko, the film takes its time, allowing viewers to immerse themselves in each poignant moment. This approach brings a sense of authenticity and depth to Kristófer's character, played with quiet resilience by Egill Ólafsson in the present-day scenes and youthful idealism by Palmi Kormákur in the flashbacks. As he navigates pandemic-era restrictions, canceled flights, and encounters with strangers, Kristófer’s search becomes as much about self-reflection and acceptance as it is about finding his long-lost love.
Kormákur’s handling of the film’s themes is exceptionally nuanced, addressing the complexities of love and memory with both grace and restraint. The chemistry between Kristófer and Miko is palpable, and their romance, though rooted in a specific time and place, resonates on a universal level. Through a poignant conversation about John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s bed-in protest and Miko’s connection to WWII, Kormákur weaves cultural and historical threads into the love story, enriching the emotional landscape and highlighting the challenges of cross-cultural relationships.
In Touch, Kormákur delivers a masterful work that is as visually stunning as it is emotionally resonant. It captures the essence of enduring love, not through grand declarations but through quiet, fleeting moments that linger in memory. The film’s tone, lush visuals, and sensitive performances create an unforgettable cinematic experience. For viewers who believe in the power of love that defies time and circumstance, Touch is a beautiful, evocative reminder that even the most distant memories can leave an indelible mark on our lives.
(This review contains spoilers.)
“I hope you had a good life.”
Touch, directed by Baltasar Kormákur, is a deeply moving exploration of love, memory, and the passage of time, crafted with a rare tenderness and sophistication. The film spans continents, languages, and decades, following the journey of Kristófer, a retired Icelandic widower who travels from his quiet life back to the sites of his youth in search of his first love, Miko, during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. With Kormákur’s sensitive direction and stunning cinematography by Bergsteinn Björgúlfsson, Touch tells a story that feels both epic in scope and intimate in sentiment, capturing the wistfulness and yearning that accompany the pursuit of lost connections.
The film’s dual timelines bring out the richness of Kristófer and Miko’s romance, starting with their meeting in 1960s London. A young Kristófer, disillusioned with his studies and political movements, finds work at a Japanese restaurant owned by Miko’s father, where his initial frustration melts into a transformative love affair. As they bond over shared experiences, cultural differences, and a passion for food and art, their relationship unfolds with moments of lush sensuality and heartfelt intimacy. Björgúlfsson’s warm, nostalgic tones beautifully capture this time period, contrasting sharply with the cooler, restrained visuals of Kristófer’s modern-day journey.
One of Touch's great strengths lies in its deliberate, unhurried pace, which perfectly reflects the nature of its story. Rather than rushing Kristófer’s journey to find Miko, the film takes its time, allowing viewers to immerse themselves in each poignant moment. This approach brings a sense of authenticity and depth to Kristófer's character, played with quiet resilience by Egill Ólafsson in the present-day scenes and youthful idealism by Palmi Kormákur in the flashbacks. As he navigates pandemic-era restrictions, canceled flights, and encounters with strangers, Kristófer’s search becomes as much about self-reflection and acceptance as it is about finding his long-lost love.
Kormákur’s handling of the film’s themes is exceptionally nuanced, addressing the complexities of love and memory with both grace and restraint. The chemistry between Kristófer and Miko is palpable, and their romance, though rooted in a specific time and place, resonates on a universal level. Through a poignant conversation about John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s bed-in protest and Miko’s connection to WWII, Kormákur weaves cultural and historical threads into the love story, enriching the emotional landscape and highlighting the challenges of cross-cultural relationships.
In Touch, Kormákur delivers a masterful work that is as visually stunning as it is emotionally resonant. It captures the essence of enduring love, not through grand declarations but through quiet, fleeting moments that linger in memory. The film’s tone, lush visuals, and sensitive performances create an unforgettable cinematic experience. For viewers who believe in the power of love that defies time and circumstance, Touch is a beautiful, evocative reminder that even the most distant memories can leave an indelible mark on our lives.
