Gegen den Strom

"Woman at war" it is a story about strong female who trying to do all she can, at any price, in order to save her homeland ecosystem. She is in partisan war against big technological giant who pollute her land. I give my salute and an applause to Halldóra Geirharðsdótti for her amazing performance both twins sisters Halla and Asa. The way how Halldóra run on Icelandic mounts and survice in wild nature would make to envy every single trail runner in the world together with Bear Grylls. Of course Cinematograph - Bergsteinn Björgúlfsson. The camera of this man shows magnificent landscapes of Iceland. I know it was shown many times ago in many movies. But in "Woman at the war" we don't see warm and green Iceland, as well as cold and snow land of Vikings. No we see foggy and grey tons, but this fact doesn't bring shade to Mr. Björgúlfsson work. Because the weather and colors of nature represent mood of protagonist. If you look at main banner of this film you may find hidden symbol. Treble clef. Because music is playing very important, or even A Key role in the movie. When Halla takes an actions and fights against police, government and spies systems we can hear\see her feelings & mood "in hands" of Icelandic music trio (Drumms\Sousaphone\Pianist &accordion). When, suddenly, in her life appears a hope, that somewhere in Ukraine there is a small girl (Nika) who lost her parents, at the war, from that moment, every single thought of Nika create for Halla a group of three Ukrainian choir singers. During all actions and all circumstances main heroine participate in, we see those 6 musicians represents different sides, and always split. But only at the end, we saw all of them standing together, when Halla and Nika finally met. I think these unity of different music styles together shows that Halla has finally find a peace in her life. This movie have everything. Good Acting performance. Great - cinematography. An Amazing music. Without any doubts - One of the best movies of 2018.

Woman At War: Halla (Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir) is angry. Angry at Rio Tinto whose smelter is damaging the pristine environment of Iceland. So she takes direct action, sabotaging electricity pylons, cutting off power to the smelter. There is more than just the smelter involved though. Halla's actions are putting at stake a resources exploitation deal between China and Iceland. Halla's gets inside information from a senior civil servant, Baldvin (Jörundur Ragnarsson), Baldvin is now worried that Halla will be caught, a satellite will be used to track her, and tries to persuade her to just issue a manifesto. Halaa gas another reason to reconsider her actions: she has been approved to adopt a girl.

This is a political thriller, a comedy with surreal overtones, an eco-action film. But foremost it is about the indomitable spirit of one woman who will have to make hard choices. When Halla is pursued by helicopters and drones she hides in crevices, uses the carcass of a dead sheep to fool heat-seeking radar. Discovers a long lost cousin, farmer Sveinbjörn (Jóhann Sigurðarson), who helps her escape. A three piece band and choir trio appear incongruously in scenes. Eventually the surreal turns existential, Halla goes to a rooftop to scatter copies of her manifesto, the band enter the action and tweet images of her proclamation,

Director & co-writer Benedikt Erlingsson delivers a delightful, funny but hard-hitting drama. 8/10.

I really liked this quirky Icelandic eco-thriller about a woman that goes to great lengths to do what she thinks is right for her country. But to try and categorize this movie is a bit tricky, as this reminded me more of Roy Andersson movies than Soylent Green, with a lot of surrealistic moments like a band that provides the movie's soundtrack but is an integral part of the action and, for better or worse, is one of the most unforgettable aspects of this film. It is generally well shot and Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir provides a great performance in the titular role.

A bold, quirky & engrossing effort that examines the uphill battle it is for anyone who dares stepping up against corporations & governments to save the planet, Woman at War expertly balances crowd-pleasing obligations with credible environmental concerns to make its plea for actions against climate change without ever sounding preachy to the viewers, and is all the more uplifted by Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir's stellar lead act.

Woman at War is a film about a woman who has taken on the role of eco-terrorist to try and fight increased industrialization in Iceland. The question is, can she fight for what she thinks is right, keep her identity hidden from the authorities, and live a normal life in the meantime? This movie was exhilarating in all the right ways. I was totally invested in her adventures, and always wondered if she would take things too far. When regular life comes into play, I was even more interested to see what she might do, since balancing life as an outlaw with domestic life could be impossible. I was totally intrigued by this character. She is likable, and feels like one of the most friendly women you could possibly meet, and yet she is also fiercely passionate about a cause and does what she can for the betterment of her country (without hurting anyone in the process.)

One of the more quirky elements of Woman at War is something I'd rather not spoil for those who haven't seen the film. However, it's a fun way of breaking the fourth wall that I never saw coming. It made me laugh every time they went there, and added a unique element that sets this film apart from others I've seen. Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir is absolutely awesome in the lead role. She has to carry a great deal of this film on her own, and she manages to do it all and make it look easy. The tone of the film ranges from serious to silly, and that could throw some people off. Personally, I thought it worked remarkably well, and I enjoyed both the chuckles and the stress of our hero possibly being caught. It's a movie that entertains you and makes a point all at the same time. I would highly recommend Woman at War to anyone looking for something off the beaten path. It's a delightfully different kind of film.