A Woman at War
Quixote in skirt
Films about environmental causes are very common nowadays, as well as family dramas involving adoption. But if we bring the two themes together in a little-known environment, such as Iceland, and yet another series of groundbreaking details, then we have the definition of “A Woman at War” (“Kona fer í stríð”, ICE, 2018), representative of that country for the Oscar 2019 Foreign Film Category.
In the first few minutes of the movie we witness an action by Halla (Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir) as an ecoterrorist. Armed with a bow and arrow, she is able to sabotage the transmission lined that drives power to an aluminum factory – to her a serious threat to the environment and the health and lifestyle of Icelanders.
During her escape she asks for help from a farmer, Sveinjörn (Jóhann Sigurðarson), who reveals that they may even be related, since his grandfather was a great womanizer. Narrowly escaping arrest, Halla resumes her normal life as choir conductor.
Halla is a middle-aged, lonely woman with little social life, but with a deep sense of duty towards environmental conservation of her country. Perhaps that is why she is surprised by the news that she has been selected by an adoption agency to receive a young Ukrainian orphan.
While Halla is very happy with the possibility of becoming a mother, on the other hand she is distressed by the possible invasion of Chinese economic power, combined with the enthusiastic collaboration of her own government. Even divided, she can not shy away from performing another spectacular action against the aluminum factory.
And this moment of success in their environmental struggle can also mean a setback in their project to be a mother, as their actions trigger a rigorous multinational investigation. To complicate matters, her twin sister, who would be the replacement tutor, announces that she plans to leave for a two-year trip to India.
This curious story takes place in one of the most unknown scenarios in the world. Iceland is a country founded by the Vikings in the middle of the polar circle, with a population of just over three hundred thousand inhabitants, very little fertile land, and great volcanic activity.
Despite its simple story, this movie is full of interesting things, starting with the protagonist, a woman out of Hollywood’s beauty standards, but who wins the viewer’s sympathy and complicity in her fight against the giants. Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir not only plays the role of fighter Halla, but also that of twin sister Ása with extreme competence, to the point that I myself thought there were two actresses!
In addition to the beautiful landscape, competent cinematography and perfect editing, “A Woman at War” brings an additional curiosity, with the soundtrack being part of the scene. Of course, a soundtrack has the function of accompanying the different moments of the movie, but in this case the musicians are literally inside the scene!
It is not difficult for the viewer to identify himself with the heroine, even if she is committing criminal actions. However, in a country where the police don’t even use guns, and their website is full of cute and funny pictures, the villain turns out to be the invading capitalists. In a subtle way the movie also raises some criticism about xenophobia and the horror of war.
Quite unlike other productions, “A Woman at War” brings a freshness about the Seventh Art, showing that there are still angles to be explored about this suffering humanity of ours. The film won 25 awards and was nominated for 13 other categories in various festivals around the world, standing out the award for Best Screenplay at Cannes in 2018.
Since last year, news has been circulating that an American remake of this movie is already in progress. It’s hard to imagine what might come out of it, but at least the direction will be by Jodie Foster, which gives some hope that the spirit of the original movie will still remain.