IFH 439: Inside One of the Most Dangerous Film Shoots in History with Jon Gustafsson

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We have all heard stories of difficult and even dangerous film shoots before but today's story tops them all. In today's episode we welcome filmmaker Jon Egustafsson. This filmmaker was in the belly of the beast as they say. His documentary Wrath of Gods documents one of the most dangerous and difficult film shoots in modern film history. When Canadian director Sturla Gunnarsson and his cast and crew, including Gerard Butler and Stellan Skarsgård, set upon Iceland to film Beowulf & Grendel in 2004, they expected the usual complications involved in making a major motion picture. What they encountered was a ruthless Icelandic winter on a foreboding landscape, financing complications and a bizarre run of bad luck that led some of them to believe they were in an epic battle with the Norse gods themselves. Filmmaker Jon Gustafsson was along for the ride. Hired to play one of Beowulf’s warriors, he’s one set with his camera as the crew battles hurricane force winds and he’s in the backroom as the producers scramble to shore up a collapsing deal, creating an intimate portrait of filmmakers fighting the odds in pursuit of a vision. I'm also honor to announce that you can watch Wrath of Gods on Indie Film Hustle TV. Plus you'll get exclusive bonus materials not available anywhere else. If you liked Lost in la Mancha or Burden of Dreams you will probably like this one. Enjoy my conversation with Jon Egustafsson.