Woman at War
"Halla is a choir teacher. She's also a saboteur."
On a windswept plateau and in the Icelandic landscape, Halla is a determined woman who wages a one person crusade against a aluminium plant. Her guerrilla tactics mix public spectacles, whistleblowing, and clever calculations as she tries to stop the industry from eroding the mountains she loves.... Read more
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Streaming availability last verified: February 04, 2026
About Woman at War
On a windswept plateau and in the Icelandic landscape, Halla is a determined woman who wages a one person crusade against a aluminium plant. Her guerrilla tactics mix public spectacles, whistleblowing, and clever calculations as she tries to stop the industry from eroding the mountains she loves. She frames her fight as a moral duty, a personal oath to protect a fragile way of life rather than a mere protest. Yet life complicates her plans when an orphan child appears in need of shelter and care, forcing Halla to weigh the costs of her campaign against the possibility of a second chance for someone else. The movie tracks those choices with wit, grit, and emotional depth.
Released in 2018, the film is directed by Benedikt Erlingsson and based on an original screenplay by Ólafur Egilsson. It blends drama, thriller, and touches of comedy while drawing on Icelandic landscapes and music. The performances emphasize a musical sensibility that mirrors the landscape itself.
Box office data is not provided in the available information; the film has circulated primarily through festival screenings and international arthouse releases rather than wide commercial distribution. It found audiences through attentive theaters, curious festival programmers, and streaming platforms that cater to arthouse cinephiles.
People noticed the film for its inventive use of song and performance as a narrative engine. Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir plays Halla and also performs as Ása, blending music with activism. The movie sparked conversations about environmental issues and the role of individuals in protecting delicate landscapes. Its fusion of a whistle with choral and folk style music and its Icelandic cast contributed to a distinct voice in contemporary cinema.
Critics praised its tonal balance of humor, tension, and social message, noting how the film uses personal sacrifice and community ties to explore larger questions about humanity's footprint on nature. It treats environmental activism as a human story rather than a political sermon.
Details
- Release Date
- May 22, 2018
- Runtime
- 1h 41m
- User Ratings
- 427 votes
- Type
- Movie
- Genres
- Drama, Thriller, Comedy
- Country
- France
- Studio
- Slot Machine +4 more
- External Links
- View on IMDB
Official Trailer
Cast
Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir
Halla / Ása
Jóhann Sigurðarson
Sveinbjörn
Davíð Þór Jónsson
Pianist / Accordion Player
Magnús Trygvason Eliassen
Drummer
Ómar Guðjónsson
Sousaphone Player
Iryna Danyleiko
Ukrainian Choir Singer
Galyna Goncharenko
Ukrainian Choir Singer
Susanna Kurpenko
Ukrainian Choir Singer
Jörundur Ragnarsson
Baldvin
Juan Camillo Roman Estrada
Juan Camillo
Director: Benedikt Erlingsson
Written by: Ólafur Egilsson