Woman at War
“One of the first conditions of happiness,” wrote Leo Tolstoy, “is that the link between man and nature shall not be broken.” Icelandic filmmaker Benedikt Erlingsson might have had this sentiment in mind when he made his latest film, Woman at War, an ecological thriller second to none.
The film is an impassioned call to respect our environment – and respect each other. It revolves around the central character, Halla, played with real insight by Halldóra Geirhardsdottir, who secretly sabotages the aluminium industry while working as a choir director.
She offers a direct challenge to the harmful ways of the modern world, using a bow and arrow to bring down power lines and cut electricity to the local aluminium smelter.
The media label her an eco-terrorist, in an echo of efforts in the US, Britain and other countries to delegitimise environmental activists as extremists and enemies of working people. But others recognise the validity of her actions.
Fight the power
Since the ancient Greeks, literature has played a crucial part in representing our engagement with the natural world. Cinema soon picked up the mantle, providing a new way of articulating a very primal message: we tamper with nature at our peril. It also provides us with a platform to show ordinary people fighting back against the rapacious economic forces that seek to destroy our world.
The history of Iceland is one of environmental volatility and degradation. Iceland’s climate is influenced by its unstable volcanic geology. It has also been getting steadily colder since the 11th Century. But human activity has left its mark. When the Norse settled Iceland in the 9th century, most of the original forests were soon felled. Soil eroded and vital nutrients were lost. Significant sheep grazing compounded the problem.
The development of a new aluminium smelting industry in recent decades, owned by remote multi-national corporations, has required the development of huge hydroelectric schemes to power them. These have drowned some of the country’s unique ecosystems and archaeological sites. The aluminium smelters themselves, needless to say, are a major cause of environmental pollution and carbon emissions.
Halla’s opposition to these unsustainable and ultimately self-destructive forces feels very real. Stalked by helicopters and drones, she uses the stunning landscape to escape detection. Even dressing in animal skin to put police dogs off the scent.
Helped by two accomplices – a man from the choir who works for the government and a farmer who likes the idea that he may be a distant relative – Halla succeeds in making her case. Investors consider pulling out. The Government gets nervous.
Halldora Geirharðsdóttir also plays her twin sister Ása, a yoga instructor more interested in meditation than saving the environment. This produces an interesting existential tension. Between trying to ‘save the world’ or ‘retreat from the world’. The two sisters are reconciled by the end of the film. With Ása springing her sister from prison via an inventive plot twist. But the message is clear: desperate times require radical action.
The personal is political
A parallel storyline provides depth to Halla’s character. She learns that an earlier request to adopt an orphan from war-torn Ukraine has been approved. This provides an interesting perspective on her inner life. And poses the question: does she have to make a choice between her activism and her wish to become a mother? In the event, she realises that she can reconcile the two.
Underpinning the narrative, at various points in the film we encounter a trio of musicians playing Davíð Þór Jónsson’s film score, as well as a traditionally costumed group of Ukrainian singers. This lovely Brechtian touch – a reimagining of the classical Greek chorus – provides a neat counterpoint to both the action and Halla’s own moods.
Cinematographer Bergsteinn Björgúlfsson showcases Iceland’s distinctive beauty. In effect, the landscape becomes an actor in its own drama. Erlingsson has described Halla as, “a modern Artemis, protector of virgin lands and the wild world. Alone, facing a rapidly changing planet, she takes on the role of saviour of mother earth and future generations.”
This is a film of considerable warmth and humour.
It also offers a clear message. We must heal the metabolic rift between humanity and the natural world.