Woman at War
DIRECTOR: Benedikt Erlingsson
SCREENPLAY: Benedikt Erlingsson & Ólafur Egill Egilsson
PRODUCERS: Marianne Slot, Benedikt Erlingsson, Carine Leblanc
CO-PRODUCERS: Serge Lavrenyuk, Bergsteinn Björgúlfsson, Birgitta Björnsdóttir
PHOTOGRAPHY: Bergsteinn Björgúlfsson
EDITOR: Davíð Alexsander Corno
SOUND: François De Morant, Raphaël Sohier, Vincent Cosson, Aymerick Devoldère
WITH: Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir, Jóhann Sigurðarson and Juan Camillo Roman Estrada.
FESTIVALS: NZIFF 2018, CANNES FILM FESTIVAL 2018, SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL 2018, TIFF 2018
AWARDS: SACD AWARD - CANNES FILM FESTIVAL 2018, BEST FEATURE - HAMBURG FILM FESTIVAL 2018, AUDIENCE AWARD - SEVILLE EUROPEAN FILM FESTIVAL 2018, BEST FILM - NORDIC COUNCIL'S FILM AWARD 2018, BEST FILM - EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LUX AWARD 2018, BEST FILM, BEST DRAMATIC FEATURE - BYRON BAY FILM FESTIVAL 2018, BEST ACTRESS- MONTREAL FESTIVAL OF NEW CINEMA 2018, BEST ACTRESS - VALLADOLID INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2018, OFFICIAL SELECTION: CRITICS' WEEK - CANNES FILM FESTIVAL 2018.
DURATION: 101 min
ORIGINAL LANGUAGE: Icelandic
COUNTRY: Iceland
CLASSIFICATION NZ: PG
CLASSIFICATION AUS: M
ASPECT RATIO: CINEMASCOPE
FORMAT: DCP and E-CINEMA
SOUND: 5.1
Halla is a fifty-year-old independent Icelandic 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 aluminium 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 aluminium 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 saviour of the Highlands to fulfill her dream of becoming a mother, she decides to plot one final attack to deal the aluminium industry a crippling blow.
Woman at War, the newest offering from Icelandic auteur Benedikt Erlingsson (Of Horses and Men), is a quirky, heroic tale set in our world of imminent threat. A serious fairy tale told with a smile.
★★★★½ - Stuff
"A warm, witty, wise and absolutely endearing movie. The best comedy-thriller in years""
★★★★ - NZ Herald
"Wonderfully offbeat... this thriller will put a smile on your face"
★★★★ - Sydney Morning Herald
"What I loved is the combination of purpose and artistry: the depth of feeling, the depth of storytelling, the profound connection to the landscape in which it is set, and the superb and decisive humour."
★★★★ - Flicks
"Offbeat, poignant and visually exquisite" ... "deadpan humor and visual bliss" - Hollywood Reporter
"Delightful... near-perfect" - Variety
"Delightfully odd... Frequently hilarious... Never loses sight of what is at stake" - NZ Herald
"A social justice warrior-style Joan of Arc" - British Film Institute