听 Heima, which literally translates as 鈥楢t Home', sees Icelandic band Sigur R贸s get back to their roots. It's a trip in more ways than one as director Dean DeBlois manages to harmonise the ethereal sounds of their acclaimed 2005 album Takk... with the otherworldly beauty of rural Iceland. There are no backstage bust-ups or obscenity-strewn soundbites to grab the headlines; instead this documentary plays like a journey of spiritual rediscovery after the hype has died down.
It was off the back of Vanilla Sky in 2001 that Sigur R贸s first came to the world's attention. 脕g忙tis Byrjun featured on the soundtrack and it led to a flurry of handshakes, international record deals and chat show appearances. Although the band members admit to initially getting swept up in the excitement, they agree that so much commercialism threatened to undermine their music. Lead singer J贸n 脼贸r Birgisson assures us he's relieved to be back in the 鈥渙pen spaces鈥 of Iceland, where he sings to small crowds in the unlikeliest places.
"INTROSPECTIVE YET GRAND"
Besides a last hurrah in Reykjavik, venues include the foothills of snowy-peaked mountains, a deserted industrial town and a remote farm for concrete animals. DeBlois (Oscar nominated for offbeat toon Lilo & Stitch) captures these stunning and surreal backdrops with a fine eye for composition. When it comes to the editing, he goes against the MTV school of fast cutting; not afraid to linger on a gushing waterfall, fading footprints in the sand, or a lonely road shrinking into the horizon. His photography provides the perfect complement to Sigur R贸s's songbook - introspective yet grand in scale. DeBlois also reveals how the band take inspiration directly from their surroundings, using stones and even dried rhubarb to make music! Birgisson does occasionally sound like a whining puppy, but overall this blend of music and visuals feels soothing for the soul.
Heima is out in the UK on 2nd November 2007.
Fantastic film, inspiring and atmospheric.
