The film Pillion will premiere at Bíó Paradís on 19 February. The screening is part of a special event evening that will also include a discussion on power dynamics, boundaries, and BDSM culture.
Sigurður Júlíus Guðmundsson, chair of Bangsafélagið, Katrín Íris Sigurðardóttir, chair of BDSM á Íslandi, and Óli Hjörtur Ólafsson, operations manager of Bíó Paradís, spoke with Guðrún Dís Emilsdóttir and Atli Fannar Bjarkason on RÚV’s Morgunútvarpið about the film and the work of these organisations.
Pillion is a dramatic film about a shy choir singer who is drawn into a world of submission and domination after meeting a charismatic motorcyclist. The film explores their complex relationship and sheds light on power dynamics, intimacy, and identity in relationships where consent and boundaries are central. The lead roles are played by Alexander Skarsgård and Harry Melling.
The aim of the event is not only to screen the film but also to create a platform for open discussion. Representatives of the BDSM community in Iceland emphasised the importance of discussing such films in the context of real-life culture and values, where clear consent, safety, and mutual respect are fundamental. They noted that films addressing these themes can both increase visibility and raise questions that are worth exploring in an educational setting.
Bíó Paradís has long placed an emphasis on screening films that spark discussion and highlight diverse cultures and social issues. The screening of Pillion fits well within that approach, as the film is both provocative and a personal story about connection, identity, and boundaries within relationships.
The premiere will be open to the public, and a conversation or discussion is planned afterwards where audience members can ask questions and share their responses. The event is therefore conceived as both a film screening and a forum for education and open discussion about topics that do not often receive space in mainstream public discourse.
The interview is in Icelandic and available here on the RÚV website:
https://www.ruv.is/utvarp/spila/morgunutvarpid/23822/bilib1/valdasamspil-undirgefni-og-drottnunar
