Woman at War

Fifty-year-old Halla leads a seemingly quiet life as a choir conductor in Reykjavík, but she leads a double life as the notorious Mountain Woman: a radical environmental activist who single-handedly declares war on the local aluminium industry. She fights for the Icelandic highlands with dangerous acts of sabotage, resulting in an absurd drama full of dryly comical situations.

Halla's struggle reaches a climax when her biggest operation coincides with an unexpected message: her adoption application has been approved. She faces an impossible choice: continue the fight for Mother Earth or lay down her arms for motherhood. This powerful feel-good film is a perceptive plea about activism, powerlessness and sacrifice.

Woman at War premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018, where it won the SACD Screenwriting Award. It was also Iceland's entry for the 91st Academy Awards in 2019 and won the audience award at the Tromsø International Film Festival that same year. This film is part of the Spotlight Retrospective of director Benedikt Erlingsson, who will be attending the Northern Film Festival as a guest of honour. On Friday evening, Erlingsson will discuss his work and inspirations during the Spotlight Talk.