Heima

wondeful account of sigur ros' 2006 home tour/homage to iceland.

heima - literally 'home' in icelandic, details sigur ros' 2006 tour of iceland, where they played unannounced free shows in different venues and locations as a way of "giving back" to the people of iceland.

there's something really organic and pure about sigur ros. something innocent and earthly. it could be the environmental connotations and images evoked, but clips of families watching the band seem fitting. comments during vaka about the flooding are genuinely moving, and the comments on the gentrification of iceland are interesting.

footage of villages played in and snippets such as the chromatic marimba constructed purely from rock make this much more than a live DVD. interspersed live footage with beautiful images of icelandic countryside, it would serve well as a promotional video for the icelandic tourist board.

what comes across in this film, is the idea of a sort of upper-level DIY, whereby the band seem to be trying to do things on their terms, even if it is not financially viable, and giving something back to the community. it's heartwarming and inspiring.

the clips of them relaxing and having fun are fantastic. it's a really well-shot film, especially for one featuring live music. they filmed the whole tour, so a lot of material was available, but there's nothing substantial to grumble about in terms of the quality of the film-making.

highlights definitely include the beautiful (and unreleased) gitardjamm, recorded in a beautifully haunting derelict building.