Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir is the gritty, determined environmental campaigner Halle in this sensitive exploration of environment vs heavy industry. There are the familiar issues of employment vs environment, who really benefits from development, the harshness, loneliness and tedium of traditional lifestyle contrasted with western comfort from employment and town life, and the relativities of power between big business, government, the police and ordinary people. Halldora really earned her fee in the things she had to do in the great Icelandic outdoors, which is as much a star of the film as the leading characters.
Halle's humanity is carefully explored through her leadership of a local community choir (some beautiful singing along the way too) and her extraordinary relationship with her sister. Without her, I doubt the film would have worked. She portrays the complexities and compromises Halle faces thought the film exquisitely.
Her environmental activism is sorely tested when she learns she has been successful in adopting a four year old Ukranian girl. Nika (Margaryta Hilska) was orphaned when her grandmother died, her parents having been killed previously in a war. To me, the film ran out of time to tell this part of the story well, and ends somewhat abruptly with Halle and Nika, part of a busload of air passengers, wading through a flood in Ukraine. Any connection between Ukraine and Iceland was lost on me.
There is a traditional Icelandic folk band that appears regularly and a trio of traditionally clad Icelandic singers who similarly turn up unexpectedly which provided some comic relief, as well as some insight into Icelandic folk traditions.
This film is worth some of your time if you want a good look at Iceland, the landscape and some of its folk traditions. But I thought the story bit off more than it could chew in the 1.75 hour running time.
Halle's humanity is carefully explored through her leadership of a local community choir (some beautiful singing along the way too) and her extraordinary relationship with her sister. Without her, I doubt the film would have worked. She portrays the complexities and compromises Halle faces thought the film exquisitely.
Her environmental activism is sorely tested when she learns she has been successful in adopting a four year old Ukranian girl. Nika (Margaryta Hilska) was orphaned when her grandmother died, her parents having been killed previously in a war. To me, the film ran out of time to tell this part of the story well, and ends somewhat abruptly with Halle and Nika, part of a busload of air passengers, wading through a flood in Ukraine. Any connection between Ukraine and Iceland was lost on me.
There is a traditional Icelandic folk band that appears regularly and a trio of traditionally clad Icelandic singers who similarly turn up unexpectedly which provided some comic relief, as well as some insight into Icelandic folk traditions.
This film is worth some of your time if you want a good look at Iceland, the landscape and some of its folk traditions. But I thought the story bit off more than it could chew in the 1.75 hour running time.