Jón, you are the first professional film producer in the Faroe Islands – could you tell us a little about yourself, about TROM and your role in the production of this crime series?

I am a film and tv-series producer from the Faroe Islands, where I have my own production company Kykmyndir. The name Kykmyndir (pron. ‘cheek miendr’), is Faroese for motion pictures. I first cut my teeth working for Lars von Trier’s Zentropa in Copenhagen, before I moved on to work with Adomeit Film, also in Copenhagen, and then establishing my own company on the Faroes.

Kykmyndir is quite new and our focus is on high-end projects for a global audience. TROM is our first tv-series to be released. Before that, the company co-produced the successful documentary “Skál”, and we currently have another documentary shooting and 2 feature films by local Faroese talent in development.

On which platforms/channels will it be possible to see TROM?

TROM is a crime series written by Torfinnur Jákupsson, based on the novels by Jógvan Isaksen. It is the first crime series from the Faroe Islands, and is produced for Viaplay and ZDF/Arte, so we already will have a large audience in Scandinavia and Germany, on their platforms. It has also been sold to the BBC in the UK, and will be screened at the Berlinale Festival now in February, where we are also selling it to other territories.

How do you think the release of TROM will affect the film industry in the Faroe Islands?

We of course hope that this will only mark the beginning of more major productions being produced on the Faroe Islands, creating a demand for our stories and content. We have many talented people, but it is an expensive industry and our local market is so small… With something like TROM, we want to pave the way for international interest in stories from here, so we can get international financing for our projects. Bringing the local global, as it were.

How are the Faroe Islands portrayed in TROM and which genre is it?

TROM is definitely a crime series, in the vein of the “Nordic Noirs” that have been popular over the last few years, but with a Faroese twist. Set on the Faroe Islands, the landscape of course plays a major part in the story, almost becoming a character in itself. However, it is not just the majestic beauty, but also the rough edges, and the complicated social and economic structures of the land, that we wanted to portray. It is definitely for lovers of Nordic crime, crime in general, and also for those interested in isolated and “outsider” communities living completely dependant of the land – or in the case of the Faroese; the ocean.

We are definitiely excited to watch the series! Thanks Jón and wishing you all the luck for the success of it!

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