A woman skids across the screen, small against the improbable vastness of Icelandic nature. Armed with a high-tension bow, she fires an arrow at a power line and makes a swift escape, barely escaping the increasing surveillance of Icelandic law enforcement. The woman in question is Halla, the dynamic heroine in Benedikt Erlingsson’s 2018 eco-feature, “Woman at War”. Masterfully performed by actress Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir, the leading role commands both acting virtuosity and physical endurance.

Halla leads a double life; in her local community, she is known as an approachable, if a bit out-there choir teacher in her mid-fifties. But to government officials and disgruntled shareholders, she represents an elusive, yet persistent threat to a local aluminum plant. As Halla takes bolder steps against industry top dogs and struggles to keep her ecological vigilante identity under wraps, her plans become a lot more complicated when she learns that her application to adopt a Ukrainian girl has been approved.

“Woman at War” grossed over 4 million dollars and captivated critics and audiences alike, earning a 7.4/10 score on IMDb and a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s no wonder it was dubbed a crowd pleaser: it touches on modern culture’s growing concern with pollution, politics, and capitalism, bringing these themes together in a whimsical tale laced with tension and well-placed comic relief. Between hiding from surveillance drones and contemplating the implications of adoptive motherhood, Halla – and the audience – find respite at Erlingsson’s subtle cinematographic discretion, often in the form of fourth wall-breaking musical numbers and timely humor.

But the movie’s true strong suit is almost indubitably Halla’s characterization. “Woman at War” seems to be at odds with fitting into genres; rather, it’s more focused on deconstructing archetypes. Let’s ponder how eco-activists are usually portrayed in media: young, obnoxious, and by grace of bad writing, ignorant in  their privilege. Now, let’s look at Halla: she’s a mature character, knowledgeable and well liked in her community. She is delightful and relatable, yet decisive and stoic. Halla’s character subverts the treehugger trope, and the movie’s writing allows that to happen organically, through an unlikely mix of thrills and lighthearted exchanges.

“Woman at War” sends a clear message: pollution affects even countries we typically consider to have better quality of life; and likewise, it can be met with resistance no matter how quaint the community it’s affecting appears to be. You can watch the trailer for “Woman at War” here – but I recommend you give it two hours of your time for a full viewing