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.
Review of Sigur Rós: Heima
