In the pre-show for the Academy Awards this week, there was a charming performance of “Husavik,” the nominated song from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. Molly Sandén performed the song from Húsavík, the small coastal town where the film takes place, and local children served as the back-up choir. With a refrain of “My home town,” it commits Iceland to the virtues of provincial life—but that can only extend up to a point. The Icelandic film The County is the nightmare version of “Husavik,” depicting a place where provincialism and community values interfere with individual liberty. Director Grímur Hákonarson frames the David vs. Goliath story almost like a thriller, with intriguing allegorical implications about the perils of overreaching government in modern Europe.
Source: https://washingtoncitypaper.com/