Director: Juliann Blackmore Juliann Blackmore is the great great-granddaughter of Sigursteinn Oddson, an Icelandic immigrant who came to Canada in 1883. It was only recently, when Blackmore was reunited with her natural father, that she discovered her Icelandic ancestry. Ásthildur Kjartansdóttir is a distant cousin of Oddson. She and her family often talked about her Icelandic relatives in Canada but she had very little knowledge of them prior to the making of this film. Blackmore's background in television and film includes directing and producing (Can Pro award-winning campaign for the City of Regina: CTV), reporting (CBC Winnipeg, Newsworld, Midday), anchoring (CBC Winnipeg, CBC Switchback) to research and development (The National: CBC / Catch the Fire, Vision TV). Creating Saga of Hope has brought Blackmore closer to her heritage and given her an understanding of the difficulties and sorrows experienced by her kin who left Iceland for a new life in Canada. Top of page.