Tina Gharavi
Tina Gharavi, founder of Bridge + Tunnel Productions and director of "I Am Nasrine"; "African Queens: Cleopatra" is set to add showrunner to her extensive list of credits as a director, screenwriter and artist, with her new Scandi Noir drama series "The Fox", based on Sólveig Pálsdóttir’s Icelandic best-seller "Refurinn", one of her Ice & Crime series thrillers featuring detective Guðgeir Fransson.
Gharavi, who has a passion for both Nordic Noirand stories about outsiders, bought the rights to the book from the author and spent time with her learning the origins of each character. Gharavi then set about writing a pilot script for the six-part series, in which she also introduces a new British character – a rare female anti-hero who is a brilliant, terrible and complex woman, loosely based on “Fitz” (Robbie Coltrane) from Cracker and real-life feminist and activist Germaine Greer.
A Sri Lankan woman arrives in a small Icelandic outpost. When she suddenly disappears, it arouses the suspicions of Guðgeir, a suspended detective from Reykjavik trying to win back his family, reputation and job. Also washed up in town is Greer, a disagreeable, retired British Chief Superintendent who is (unsuccessfully) pursuing obscurity. Guðgeir enlists Greer’s help to find the missing “dark woman” and figure out how someone so conspicuous could vanish without a trace. Set against the wildfire of a local opiate crisis, "The Fox" is a smouldering, tense, character-driven drama which presents a world and characters that never fail to surprise against a spectacular, otherworldly landscape and almost supernatural backdrop of the “hidden people” of Nordic folklore.
“I’ve been keen to be a showrunner for some time now, marrying my producer chops, narrative capabilities and love of working with teams. But when the right projects didn’t present themselves, I decided to build my own!” says Tina Gharavi. “I’m a big fan of Nordic Noir and cop shows in general, butThe Fox’s themes around refugees, loneliness and belonging, which are explored in this achingly remote landscape, really resonated with me. I am thrilled to have Sólveig Pálsdóttir’s trust and support for my vision for her wonderful novel”
"The Fox" will be co-produced with Icelandic outfit Polarama ("Thin Ice"), helmed by Kidda Rokk and Steinarr Nesheim, who will oversee all production in Iceland. The team is keen to explore opportunities in Europe and is also now beginning conversations with potential partners in key territories, including Scandinavia.
Kidda Rokk, founder of Polarama, comments: “Tina has written an absorbing thriller about people and place that plays to all our strengths as storytellers. Her detective series is quirky, pacey, and populated with captivating characters living and working in a rather unique and specific Icelandic setting that will look spectacular on screen. We are excited to now begin conversations with broadcasters and streamers, confident that the series will be very much in demand with buyers looking for stand-out international drama with universal themes.”
