Icelandic Film Centre
Íslenska

Breaking the Waves

Drama set in a repressed, deeply religious community in the north of Scotland, where a naive young woman named Bess McNeil meets and falls in love with Danish oil-rig worker Jan. Bess and Jan are deeply in love but, when Jan returns to his rig, Bess prays to God that he returns for good. Jan does return, his neck broken in an accident aboard the rig. Because of his condition, Jan and Bess are now unable to enjoy a sexual relationship and Jan urges Bess to take another lover and tell him the details. As Bess becomes more and more deviant in her sexual behavior, the more she comes to believe that her actions are guided by God and are helping Jan recover.

Crew

About the film

  • Type
    Feature Film
  • National Premiere Date
    October 24, 1996
  • Genre
    Drama
  • Length
    159 min.
  • Language
    English
  • Original Title
    Breaking the Waves
  • International Title
    Breaking the Waves
  • Production Year
    1996
  • Production Countries
    Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Holland, Spain
  • IMDB
  • Icelandic Film Centre Grant
    No
  • Production Format
    35mm
  • Aspect Ratio
    2.35:1
  • Color
    Yes
  • Sound
    Dolby Digital

Cast

Company Credits