Baltasar Kormákur
Iceland's most prominent cinematic export, he translates his nation's stark landscapes and dark humor into gripping, internationally successful thrillers.
Born 1966 (age 60)·Icelandic filmmaker·Birthday: February 27·Generation X
Biography
Baltasar Kormákur has built a career by channeling the elemental force of his native Iceland into cinema. Starting as a popular actor, he quickly moved behind the camera, directing and producing films that pulse with a distinctive, often grimly comic energy. His early breakout, '101 Reykjavík', announced a fresh, raw voice in European film. Kormákur possesses a unique dual-track career: he creates intimate, character-driven Icelandic dramas like 'The Sea' and 'Jar City', while also commanding large-scale Hollywood productions such as 'Everest' and 'Contraband'. This balance allows him to explore universal themes of survival and human fallibility, whether against the backdrop of a Reykjavík winter or the deadly slopes of the world's highest peak. Through his company, RVK Studios, he has also become a central figure in Iceland's production landscape, fostering local talent and bringing global stories to its shores.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Baltasar was born in 1966, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Baltasar Was Born
The biggest hits of 1966
#1 Movie
The Bible: In the Beginning
Best Picture
A Man for All Seasons
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Baltasar's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1966Born
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1971Started school
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1979Became a teenager
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Could drive
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1984Could vote
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Turned 21
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1996Turned 30
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 40
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 50
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 60
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Directed and produced 'Everest' (2015), a major studio disaster film that became a worldwide commercial success.
- His film 'Jar City' (2006) became an international hit and is one of Iceland's highest-grossing domestic films.
- Created and directed the acclaimed Icelandic supernatural television series 'Katla' for Netflix.
- Won the Nordic Council Film Prize for 'The Sea' (2002).
Did You Know?
Before film, he was a competitive sailor and worked on fishing trawlers.
He frequently casts his own son, Baltasar Breki, in his films and TV shows.
Kormákur owned and operated a popular restaurant and theater complex in Reykjavík called the Borgarleikhúsið.
He initially studied to be a painter before turning to acting and directing.
“I make films about people who are up against the wall.”
