SELF-DEFENCE — My Documentary Is Now Free on YouTube

I’m happy to share that my documentary SELF-DEFENCE is now available to watch in full, for free, on YouTube.

SELF-DEFENCE follows Imma Helga, an Icelandic self-defence instructor who transformed her experiences of prejudice and depression into a mission of empowerment.

Together with her brother, Jón Viðar, she teaches a practical and grounded approach to self-defence. Their work is especially focused on helping women feel more aware, capable, and secure—not by turning them into fighters, but by showing that self-defence can be simple, accessible, and personal.

This is not a violent film. It is a film about confidence, boundaries, dignity, and the right to occupy space.

Through classes, personal testimony, and the extraordinary online presence Imma and Jón have built, the documentary explores how physical protection and inner growth can become part of the same journey. Learning to stand your ground can also mean recovering your voice, your self-respect, and your freedom.

WHY I’M PUTTING THE FILM ON YOUTUBE

For independent filmmakers, making a film is only one part of the journey. Finding distribution—and then finding an audience—can be just as difficult.

A documentary may travel through festivals, broadcasters, platforms, and distributors, but access can still remain fragmented. The film might be available in one territory and invisible in another. It may appear on a platform for a while, then disappear. Even when a film is technically “released,” the people most interested in its subject may never discover it.

I have been thinking a great deal about how to share more of my work directly.

YouTube offers something wonderfully simple: a film can be placed where an audience already is. People can find it, share it, discuss it, and watch it without needing to work out which service carries it in their country.

This does not solve every challenge of independent distribution. But it does create a direct path between a filmmaker, a film, and the people who may care about it. At this point in my life, that feels valuable.

I want the films I have made to be alive and accessible. I want them to reach beyond the period when they are considered “new.” And I want to make room for viewers who may never encounter them through the traditional routes.

SELF-DEFENCE is part of that effort: sharing my work openly, one film at a time.

ABOUT THE FILM

SELF-DEFENCE
Documentary · Iceland · 2025 · 50 minutes
Language: Icelandic / English subs

Directed and written by Olaf de Fleur Johannesson
Featuring Imma Helga and Jón Viðar Arnþórsson

If the film connects with you, please consider sharing it with someone who might find strength, recognition, or encouragement in Imma’s story.

Thank you for watching—and for helping independent films find their audience.

🎬 MORE FROM ME

My Filmmaking / Teaching Website:
https://www.icelandicfilmbakery.com

Filmmaking Classes on Skillshare:
https://www.skillshare.com/en/user/olafdefleur

IMDb:
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1786164/

My Film Company – Poppoli:
https://poppoli.com

#Documentary #SelfDefence #IcelandicFilm #IndependentFilm