Woman at War

This charming Icelandic soufflé is purely cinematic in exploring the story of a woman living alone who decides to take environmental activism seriously when she starts disrupting the power lines leading to the local aluminium factory. Much of the film is taken up with her going through her various actions – out in the Icelandic fields, stealthily approaching the powerlines, causing them to fail in some way, then hiding from the authorities. There’s an eccentric rhythm to this, assisted by the klezmer-like score (played by musicians who appear on-screen in the middle of the Icelandic outdoors). And lead performer Halldora Geirharosdottir has a nicely stoic presence that goes well with the slightly oddball antics of the film. It’s a simple study of personal action in a world that can sometimes appears somewhat oppressive and overwhelming, but it’s an effective and charming one.