vThe scene could hardly be more Icelandic: the tree house that the Küper family from Germany chose as their temporary home in the movie “Million Minutes” (opening in theaters this Thursday) is about three-quarters of an hour outside of Reykjavík. so idyllic Water that warms the hearts of fans of the world's largest volcanic island. In any case, Berliners are ecstatic – and not deterred by the prospect of some gnomes and trolls haunting the area. Wolf (Tom Schilling), Vera (Karoline Herfurth) and their two young children plan to escape from the twists and turns of everyday life and look for a million minutes of new life models. And where better than Iceland after your first sunny stay in Thailand?

In the municipality of Kjósarhreppur at the end of April 2023, a good two weeks after Easter, things look exactly as shown on the screen later in “Million Minutes”. The small house, which serves as a backdrop inside and out for a few weeks, stands right on Hvalfjörður, Iceland's deepest fjord, with a view of snow-capped mountains beyond. Seagulls are circling in the sky in the cold wind, and instead of screaming, they are silent, much to the joy of the sound man. Before the afternoon lunch break, the film crew wants at least two of the eight scenes on the schedule to be canned.