Þráinn Bertelsson

Þráinn Bertelsson (born 30 November 1944) is an Icelandic film director, writer, politician, journalist and newspaper editor. He moved into politics in the wake of the financial crisis in 2008, and was elected a member of the Althing in 2009, initially for the Citizens' Movement. He later left the party to become an independent MP, before joining the Left-Green Movement, which he currently represents.

Film production
Þráinn has written, directed and produced seven feature films. His 1981 film Jón Oddur & Jón Bjarni (English title: The Twins) won a Silver Award at the 1982 Giffoni Film Festival. His 1989 film Magnús was nominated for two European Film Awards, for best picture and best script, and received the 1990 DV Cultural Prize in Iceland.

He was the first filmmaker to be granted a lifetime award by the Althing.

He was a co-founder of Norðan 8 and in 1982 founded his own film company, Nýtt líf (New Life Ltd.). He served a year as chairman of The Association of Icelandic Film Directors.

Writing
Þráinn has written columns for Iceland's largest newspaper, Fréttablaðið, and his autobiographical Einhvers konar ég (Some Kind of Me) sold more than 20,000 copies in Iceland. He has also translated several of the novels of Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö. In 1987–1988, Þráinn was the editor of the newspaper Þjóðviljinn, and in 1990 of the magazine Hesturinn okkar.

His 1984 book Hundrað ára afmælið won the Children's Literature Prize of the Reykjavík Board of Education.

He has also written three darkly comic crime novels: Dauðans óvissi tími (Death's Uncertain Hour, 2004), Valkyrjur (Valkyries, 2005), and Englar dauðans (Angels of Death, 2007). They focus on satirising Iceland's "new Vikings", the unscrupulous Icelandic businessmen of the Icelandic banking boom, and the leading politicians of the same period; and on Eastern European organised crime in Iceland.

From 1992 to 1994, he was chairman of The Writer's Union of Iceland.

Politics
Þráinn has been a member of the Althing since 2009, initially representing the Citizens' Movement party. On 14 August 2009 he left the party, choosing to sit as an independent. He is now sitting with the Left Green Party.

Personal
He is married to Sólveig Eggertsdóttir, an artist who heads a department at the Iceland Art Academy. They have two children and live in Reykjavík.

Filmography

 * Jón Oddur & Jón Bjarni; English title: The Twins (1981)
 * Ég mundi segja hó (TV movie) (1982)
 * Nýtt líf (1983)
 * Dalalíf (1984)
 * Skammdegi (1985)
 * Löggulíf (1985)
 * Magnús (1989)
 * Einkalíf (1995)
 * Sigla himinfley (TV miniseries) (1996)