Halla (Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir) has wanted to be a mother for a long time. The protagonist of “Woman at War” applied for adoption years ago and — while waiting and wondering if she’d ever be approved — became dedicated to saving the environment via stealth, illegal activism. Now a full-fledged eco-terrorist, Halla’s life isn’t exactly safe for a child. But, in Women and Hollywood’s exclusive clip of “Woman at War,” she learns she has finally been cleared to adopt.
Stunned to learn that she can bring home a young orphan from Ukraine, Hala is hesitant to go through with the process. “You don’t have much time to think it over,” the adoption agent tells her. “We need an answer soon.” “So much has changed since then,” Halla explains.
When Halla hears her prospective daughter’s story, however, she begins to fall in love. The little girl lost her parents in the war and managed to survive on her own after her grandmother died. “There is some trauma that needs to be taken care of,” Halla is told. “But she is clearly a little hero.”
Directed by Benedikt Erlingsson, “Woman at War” premiered at Cannes last year and has screened at TIFF, London Film Fest, and many other festivals. The Nordic Council’s Film Prize winner was released in its native Iceland in May 2018.
An English-language remake is in the works with Jodie Foster attached to direct and star.
“Woman at War” opens in NY and LA today, March 1. It will expand nationally in the coming weeks.
