Woman at War
2018, 100 minutes, Digital
Iceland, France, Ukraine
Language: Icelandic, Spanish, English, Ukrainian
Director: Benedikt Erlingsson
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures
Halla is a fifty-year-old independent woman. But behind the scenes of a quiet routine, she leads a double life as a passionate environmental activist. Known to others only by her alias “The Woman of the Mountain,” Halla secretly wages a one-woman-war on the local aluminum industry. As Halla’s actions grow bolder, from petty vandalism to outright industrial sabotage, she succeeds in pausing the negotiations between the Icelandic government and the corporation building a new aluminum smelter. But right as she begins planning her biggest and boldest operation yet, she receives an unexpected letter that changes everything. Her application to adopt a child has finally been accepted and there is a little girl waiting for her in Ukraine. As Halla prepares to abandon her role as saboteur and savior of the Highlands to fulfill her dream of becoming a mother, she decides to plot one final attack to deal the aluminum industry a crippling blow.
THE CRITICS SAY:
“Offbeat, poignant and visually exquisite.”
— Jordan Mintzer, Hollywood Reporter
“Is there anything rarer than an intelligent feel-good film that knows how to tackle urgent global issues with humor as well as a satisfying sense of justice?”
— Jay Weissberg, Variety
“As surely as a hiker extending her arms in the middle of an undulating lava field, Iceland has arrived, with a startling movie that’s every bit as idiosyncratic, homely, and dynamic as its country of origin.”
— Lena Wilson, The Playlist
OFFICIAL SELECTION:
Cannes Film Festival, Semaine de la Critique
Toronto International Film Festival