A Song Called Hate

When the striking band Hatari gets to represent Iceland at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2019, the band’s provocative political statement causes quite a stir. The performance art group's mission is to end late capitalism and they struggle to avoid speaking out about the controversy surrounding the festival, which takes place in troubled Israel. In the documentary A Song Called Hate, Icelandic filmmaker Anna Hildur follows the band and their team as they travel to the Middle East to find a way to meaningful solidarity and resistance in the midst of this showbizz spectacle. Hildur is there when the young artists have to face the strict rules of the Eurovision organization, when their provocative and politically motivated performance attracts a lot of criticism and when their principles are being challenged. Is it even possible to participate within a system while simultaneously rejecting it?