Hinrik Ólafsson

Iceland‘s The County follows the cinematic tradition of rabble-rousing women who dare upset the societal norms including those in Norma Rae, North Country, Erin Brockovich and a subversive pinch of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. It is set amongst the chilly picturesque backdrop of a small farming community that is controlled by a corrupt Mafia-like Co-op that forbids members from selling their products to other concerns for higher prices.

Following his highly acclaimed Rams (2015, Cannes Un Certain Regard-winner), Icelandic writer/director Grímur Hákonarson applies his masterful storytelling skills to crafting an exquisitely nuanced film in which narrative exposition is conveyed cinematically through beautifully framed images that capture pivotal intimate moments in close up within the wider context of Iceland’s magnificent landscape, with compelling sound design that utilizes natural sound to elevate emotion, and brilliant editing that sets pace and pov, and galvanizing performances delivered with superbly authenticity.

Icelandic filmmaker Grímur Hákonarson’s The County is an evocative portrait of stoic dairy farmer Inga (Arndís Hrönn Egilsdóttir) as she quietly but forcefully challenges the co-operative that, over the years, has lost sight of its original, idealistic purpose. The co-op, under the leadership of Eyjólfur (Sigurður Sigurjónsson), has become an oppressive force to the struggling community of farmers, forcing them to buy products such as fertilizer at high co-op prices and restricting how they sell their hard-earned milk.