Heima (2007)

Truly Dreadful Film

Must See Movie...

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Before I say anything about the movie, let me tell you about myself a bit, I'm an undergrad student about to graduate in a few days. In past 4 yrs I have watched hundreds of movies. Before watching any movie, I would check it out here, read various blogs about it . You see, I have been very selective about the movies I watch.But for Heima, I did nothing. I just watched it and not just once but a hell lot of times. Those who have listened to and follow Sigur Rós are a lucky bunch of guys. For them this movie is more than just a must watch. For those who haven't yet heard Sigur Rós, well I'm sorry for you but there is still time and hope. Just watch this movie now to know Sigur Rós. This movie is one of the purest piece of art - visually, musically and emotionally. It connects with you at every level. The way it captures the essences of life with its exquisitely shot visuals and perfect music of Sigur Rós, it makes me make watch it again and again and each time I watch it, it does something to my brain, I don't know what but something good.The way of narration, all the interviews, the performances and the story behind each performance...all of them strikes a chord with you instantly. Its just so pure, I find it impossible to figure out any flaws and frankly every time the movie ends, I'm in tears.I have given quite a few 10/10's but this movie deserves more than that or rather this piece of art deserves much more than the ratings, it deserves everyone's attention and appreciation and I hope you give that :)

After completing a 13-month world tour in which they promoted their fourth album, the rock-oriented "Takk", the band Sigur Ros came home to Iceland in the summer of 2006 to give free concerts as a sign of their gratitude to Iceland. Director Dean DeBlois (Lilo and Stich) was there to film them as they toured the stark, almost alien-looking landscape, performing a series of mostly unannounced concerts in a variety of locales throughout the country. There was an abandoned fishing town, a mountain foothill, a camp where locals are protesting the building of a dam, a wilderness outpost, a national park, a community coffee shop, and a large convert venue in Reykjavik which if course had been announced.The result is a 97-minute documentary called Heima, which means "at home" or "homeland". The film features gorgeous photography of the country's mountains, rivers, valleys, and waterfalls as background for live performances of songs from all four Sigur Ros albums, as well as two two new songs: "Guitardjamm," and "A ferd til Breidarfjardar 1922," performed with poet Steindor Anderson. Though there are interviews in the film with the unassuming band members whose recordings sell in the millions, they are not very revealing. What does come across, however, is their humility, love of nature, and opposition to the exploitation of their land by global corporations. While I would have liked to have learned more about each member, this is not a film about the psychology of the band members or why they have been successful, but a celebration of the group's elegant and hypnotic music and their love letter to the people of Iceland.Formed in the late 1990's, the band consists of singer-guitarist Jon Thor "Jonsi" Birgisson, bassist Georg "Goggi" Holm, keyboard player Kjartan "Kjarri" Sveinsson and percussionist Orri Pall together with backup musicians. They are distinguished by experimental cutting edge songs lasting between six and thirteen minutes, enhanced by the otherworldly sound of Jonsi's falsetto voice. Their music has been called "glacial", "post-rock" and "transcendent". Whatever the label, their sounds have a way of penetrating your outer shell and reaching deeply into your soul.Those that came to see the concerts were not the usual excited young people that you might expect at rock concerts, but folks of all ages including families with their children. The band's connection with their audience is very real and the concerts have a feeling of warmth and intimacy. Simply listening to the ethereal music of Sigur Ros is a revelation but seeing them on the big screen performing their music in their native country is a spiritual experience. If you are a lover of Sigur Ros, this is a must see. If you are not, Heima may make you one.

The Icelandic band Sigur Ros craft otherworldly songs with lyrics drifting between their native tongue and an invented language called 'Hopelandic.' I have long found their music to be both distinctive and enjoyable but continue to harbour some unresolved feelings about the band. I find their music to be rather less subtle than post-rock contemporaries such as Mogwai and Labradford and cannot help but regard their invented lyrical language with a degree of cynicism. Being an admirer of the band but not exactly their greatest fan, I approached Heima, their feature-length film, with a little trepidation. However, I regard the film as a triumph.'Heima' is an Icelandic word for 'home' and this film is accordingly as much about Iceland as the Sigur Rose, who must surely have surpassed Bjork as their country's most famous musical export. I have myself visited Iceland to view its stunning scenery but was nevertheless left breathless by some of the cinematography in this film. The beautiful landscapes of Iceland serve as the backdrop for many of the band's songs, whilst further footage of desolate lava fields, picturesque villages and mammoth glaciers is interspersed between the performances recorded in live venues and the interviews conducted with individual band-members.Sigur Ros choose some remarkable locations in which to play their music. The band illuminate obscure corners of Iceland, most remarkably when they stage a live performance in a disused factory in an abandoned fishing town. The interviews with the band feature some frank and sometimes-humorous recollections and I found it fascinating to watch the way that Icelandic people reacted to the music being performed.The songs of Sigur Ros and the footage of Iceland combine to make this a film that is much more than a straightforward performance video. This is instead a powerful evocation of Iceland through the eyes and ears of the band. For anyone with a passing interest in Sigur Ros or in Iceland this film will be compelling viewing.

What a country and what a band.....I had the chance to travel to Iceland in September 2007. This DVD is a 'scrapbook' of my trip to Iceland. The music, the people, the food and the feeling of purity.....Everything is there...If it gives some of you the urge to go there...well do it....don't wait...If you are an outdoor lover and a spiritual being...you'll find something out there for you.... Bravo to my Canadian friend who produces this DVD....It does resembles the people, their reserved personalities and their openness to much more. This is a great discovery for me and I thank all of you for offering this as a Xmas present from me to me!