Sigur Rós: Heima

I like this band a lot but not enough to give this 97 minute movie my full attention. It was very good while on in the background. That being said, it is very well done.

The film documents the band coming back to Iceland and playing a number of supposedly unannounced shows throughout the country. Some are in conventional music hall type venues. Other are filmed outside in beautiful locations. Throughout the film, clips of interesting Icelandic landscapes, people, towns, etc. are intercut with the band's performance. Their ethereal, soaring music makes even more sense now when you hear it while watching images of the land that spawned them.

This reminded me a bit of the Fugazi documentary Instrument, in which a standard rockumentary is transformed into art. Since I find the Fugazi's story more interesting than Sigur Rós's, I like that movie better. But this one is worth seeing. Especially if you have the patience to watch all 97 minutes of the film.

Directed by Dean DeBlois
2007, Still not released in the U.S.
Sundance Channel